Timber for "home carpentry"

[rqx]

Hi,
General question: When I do some hobby woodworking at home, what type of wood should I use to prevent it from warping? Or is it inevitable? I'm wondering if it's good to use planed pine, for example, that's available at the hardware store, or is oak better? It often needs to be painted, I should add.

Specific question: I'm going to make a staircase railing, and I need to make some posts. Naturally, I want these to be perfectly straight. My options are:
1. Buy ready-made - but they're not available in the right shade of white.
2. Buy 70x70 construction timber
3. Glue together planed wood
4. Buy from a carpentry shop

Thanks /Tim

 

[prototypen]

The most sensible option on your list is 3, glue together planed wood, but it has to also be flat, otherwise, you'll have to straighten it again or use strong clamps.

I have the advantage that there is someone with a farm sawmill, and I can get hold of his finer planks.

Protte

 

[rqx]

Does planed wood have less tendency to warp?

 

[prototypen]

It is more dried but it can warp as well.
If you plane the wood yourself to make a glued panel, you don't wait 2 weeks before gluing; it's straight from the planer to the glue bench.