are cedar and d/ fir the only choices for strip planking??????

[scrooge]

hi ....as my name suggests ...i question everything to do with price..

Question :are there any alternatives to cedar, kauri, and d/ fir for strip planking ....which frankly cost an arm and a leg!!!!!!!

been looking at cheaper timbers such as

1) french oak
2) south african karri
3) african azobe
4) austrailian jarra

anyone know if these timbers are suitable ............been searching the net for days now with out a trace.

SCROOGE! :mad:

[tonyr]

If you are going to glue and fasten the strips in the conventional way, then fully encapsulate them in epoxy and fibreglass (or cold mold with veneer of thin ply), the received wisdom seems to be that any reasonably clear, locally available softwood will do very well.

I would go with anything local and cheap.

Tony.

[Not A Guest]

There are wood core fiberglass boats and fiberglass covered wood boats.

In one the wood "provides" strength in the other it does not.

Heavy wood may not be a good choice if light wood is desirable. Stiff wood may no be a good choice if flexible wood is desirable. ...

Tough question.

[PAR]

Typically planking choices are made for the builder's selection, availability locally. If a design is being built in an area other then where the species specified isn't reasonably had, then a substitute needs be made for each species and area of contention having these issues.

Many woods share similar properties and cross referencing them should be as easy as contacting the local mills, builders, suppliers, trade magazines, etc. The phone book for years has wondered me. There are speculated areas of expertise on line that the government, collages and other originations have set up to share information about lumber types, qualities, strengths, values, etc.

You'll find repeatedly in life, that you get what you pay for, if you are an informed buyer. A less costly planking stock my solve the purchase price issue, but in return, you may also get a material that doesn't hold fasteners or stick to goo near as well as the harder to chew on priced stuff did, resulting in a shorted lived and poorer performing sister of a design that could have been longer lived and livelier craft.

You CAN substitute white oak for white pine. If that isn't funny to you, then get a little education on lumber qualities available in your area and match them up, the best you can, with the qualities spec'ed on the plans or materials list. What do you think the designer did . . .

[Thomas]

I am currently looking into the option of using bamboo instead of cedar.

The properties of bamboo suggest that it would make an excellent strip "plank" material. Technically it is a grass.

So far I have not come across anyone that has used bamboo in this fashion, but once I get more information I will post the details.

[tonyr]

Two Questions.

1. How are you going to get "planks" or any lumber out of a hollow cane (bamboo)?

2. How are you going to cope with the ring structures which occur every few inches up the bamboo cane?

It seems to me that the only way would be to use the whole canes, which would itself produce lots of new problems.

Just wondering.

Tony.

[PAR]

I can't imagine bamboo working very well at all, as a planking material for anything expected to keep water off your feet. My whole side yard is "fenced" with bamboo and it's not good for much other then the sight and sound break I'm using it for. It's very porous and hollow. It's also brittle and has a hard point every foot or so which creates a weak spot at each joint. You could tie them together with reeds and do the primitive thing, but it's been done and had a documentary or two done about it . . .

[ThomasR]

Two Questions.

1. How are you going to get "planks" or any lumber out of a hollow cane (bamboo)?

2. How are you going to cope with the ring structures which occur every few inches up the bamboo cane?

It seems to me that the only way would be to use the whole canes, which would itself produce lots of new problems.

Just wondering.

Tony.

I was looking at some bamboo flooring samples that I got sent a few weeks ago - I was looking at putting in a new floor in the house.


If you look at the cross section of such a plank - the following website shows the product http://www.bambooflooringhawaii.com/products.htm - by cutting the bamboo in to thin strips using is essence a cut from the outer level to the center, you can then assemple planks of these thin (~5mm) strips.

I was contemplating using a similar method - using slightly thinner strips and creating planks that would take advantage of the natural flexible naure of bamboo. I was not considering using bamboo rods.

I have contacted a company with regards to getting a shipment of strips that I can experiment with. There is a whole series of matters that need to be investigated in detail:

- The mechanics of 'planking' with bamboo
- The glue/expoxy products that would be suitable for the product

If anyone has any experience with this material in boat building in general, or know of somewhere I can get information from do let me know.

Thomas

[gonzo]

Fishing poles use to be made of bamboo planks glued together. Of course the planks are quite narrow. Structurally, bamboo is very strong and tough.

[Lew Morris]

It's just a matter of time. How long could it take to strip out and laminate that much bamboo........ . . ?

How much $$$$, ahhhh... time, do you have?

[john mend]

Thomas,

I am also interested in bamboo - for strip built canoes. I have used laminates for making archery bows with several epoxies. I'd like to find long (6 m?) strips of bamboo (at least 3/16" x 3/4") or stems, but haven't had luck yet. I can order nice whole stems big enough for 6 to 10 strips from a local supplier, but 6 feet is the longest they say they can get and it doesn't come cheap. I haven't tried the "white" glues I normally use for stripper boats, but would sure like to. Would you mind telling me where you found your strips? Thanks,

John


I have contacted a company with regards to getting a shipment of strips that I can experiment with. There is a whole series of matters that need to be investigated in detail:

- The mechanics of 'planking' with bamboo
- The glue/expoxy products that would be suitable for the product

If anyone has any experience with this material in boat building in general, or know of somewhere I can get information from do let me know.

Thomas[/QUOTE]

[Gil]

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/EPW/welcome.htm

I'm new to this forum, but this site may help with the comparison of wood types. You can look up almost any wood, and its relating properities. Hope this helps out.

[John ilett]

I have been using a timber called Paulownia, another name for this is Kiri. It is being promoted for strip planking. Also it is about 20% lighter than cedar and half the price.

[zabi]

1.how many board feet of lumber did canada produce in 2000?

[zabi]

1.how many board feet of lumber did canada pruduce in 2000?

[zabi]

1.how many board feet of lumber did canada produce in 2000?

[tonyr]

1.how many board feet of lumber did canada produce in 2000?

27.7 billion board feet. Why on earth do you want to know? A Google search on "canada lumber production" will get you more information than you thought existed!

Tony

[lprimina]

back to the man's question. As Gonzo asked me one time "is the boat for sale or for personal use". If for sale then it needs to be built with the proper woods. I f for personal use then go with luan. At $10.00 per sheet it cant get any cheaper. Plus it is in the mahogany family(I think)

[John ilett]

back to the man's question. As Gonzo asked me one time "is the boat for sale or for personal use". If for sale then it needs to be built with the proper woods. I f for personal use then go with luan. At $10.00 per sheet it cant get any cheaper. Plus it is in the mahogany family(I think)

Is'nt strip planking usually only done with light to moderate weight timber to replicate a sandwich type construction. Your talking of plywood there are'nt you? very heavy ! :rolleyes:

[JDTriGroup]

a while back in this thread i saw someone talking about using bamboo as flooring. i recently saw an article in a paper about a wood mill making bamboo into a sandwhich (like plywood) type material by drying out extremely thin peices of the stuff. it was also extremely light (only a few pounds per 4x8 sheet).

[Guest]

Redwood works well and is available clear in long lengths. It looks really good finished clear, but it is expensive and more dense than cedar. (23 lb/ft^3 for cedar, 28 lb/ft^3 for redwood - ~ 5-7 lb for a canoe or kayak or ~ 15 lb for a K-19 sport boat)

The major advantage of cedar is its low density. The only structural function of the wood in a glass-epoxy strip planked boat is keeping the glass layers seperated to achieve good stiffness to weight. The only wood less dense than cedar is balsa, which is more expensive.

I've had good luck buying lower grade rough sawn cedar at the local lumber yard. I buy about 50% more than I would need for clear, rip it into strips, cut out the knots with a chop saw and use strips shorter than about 6' for kindling. I sort the strips into bundles by size. When I plank, I use random lengths with staggered butt joints.

I've done 3 kayaks, 2 canoes and have a K 19 sport boat in progress.