What wood?

[daniel k]

I am planning construction for my first build with ribs,chines,etc.(Ihave successfully completed a couple plywood skiffs). I was curious as to the best choice of lumber for these parts. The plans call for 2x stock for ribs, I was also wondering about laminating 3/4 marine ply for this application. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[PAR]

The ply laminated into frames would be much heavier then the solid lumber the plans call for. Weights in small craft HAVE to be adhered to, as set forth in the plans. Material substitutions can be made, but the properties and weights should be as close as possible to the designer's intent.

Weight control or the lack of it will kill the performance of boats under 25'

Typical framing material could be mahogany, white oak, dense Doug. fur, southern yellow pine, and other lumbers that are tight grained, known for it's strength, rot resistance, ability to hold fasteners, etc. When you start putting fasteners into the edge of the plywood sandwich you envision for your frames (hanging the planking) then it'll be to late to go back and use a better fastener holding material (the end grain of ply is very poor at holding fasteners). It will require more goo, more cutting and fitting of frame pieces and generally not be a good idea using plywood in this application, though it is a great material for many other situations during the construction process.

[chandler]

If your design has any curvature to it you will not be able to get much bend in 3/4" plywood. Is this a boat for a lifetime or a quicky to get in the water? You can rip strips of lumber yard kd spruce 6 or 7 strips to make up the 2x lamination. By the time you have all the goop on they'll be as impervious to water as plastic, alot cheaper.

[pungolee]

I recommend white oak or mahogany.The doug fir I've been getting cracks longitudally at the worst times,all the good stuff is saved by the mills for special customers(it seems).Longleaf pine(old growth)may still be available in the Georgia area(windfalls,controlled cuttings,you don't want to take a chainsaw to a hundred year old tree)and this is the best stuff to use,contact a local saw mill for availability.To get good boatbuilding wood the sawmill guy can be your best friend.Stay away from Ash,I know a lot of people use it but it loves rot!Atlantic White Cedar(Juniper in my neck of the swamp)is good for planking but can crack for frames,and Cypress sucks up water if not meticulously sealed,it makes for a heavy boat if the thing stays in the water.Mahogany is not that expensive in the south and is a great wood for just about everything on a boat(but the rain forest activist try to discourage its use,they have some good points).Yeah,even boatbuilding can turn political.

[chandler]

Originally Posted by pungolee

I recommend white oak or mahogany.The doug fir I've been getting cracks longitudally at the worst times,all the good stuff is saved by the mills for special customers(it seems).Longleaf pine(old growth)may still be available in the Georgia area(windfalls,controlled cuttings,you don't want to take a chainsaw to a hundred year old tree)and this is the best stuff to use,contact a local saw mill for availability.To get good boatbuilding wood the sawmill guy can be your best friend.Stay away from Ash,I know a lot of people use it but it loves rot!Atlantic White Cedar(Juniper in my neck of the swamp)is good for planking but can crack for frames,and Cypress sucks up water if not meticulously sealed,it makes for a heavy boat if the thing stays in the water.Mahogany is not that expensive in the south and is a great wood for just about everything on a boat(but the rain forest activist try to discourage its use,they have some good points).Yeah,even boatbuilding can turn political.

Doug fir laminates well as white oak does not.I live in Maine and they say the oak gets whiter the closer it gets to a boatbuilder. Mahogany? I wouldn't hesitate to use it because whatever boatbuilders don't use up will be turned into extravagant decking material for the rich and famous.

[pungolee]

I went into a wood supply warehouse the other day that caters to the furniture industry.I requested a 14 foot board,and the fellow who run the place had a wooden sail boat and was sympathetic to my need.He told his helper to pull down a flat of what they called reject mahogany.I couldn't believe it,this stuff was good timber and they called it reject.I selected a timber of 5/4 18 inches wide and 16 foot long.The fellow gave it to me,and told me to remember him if I needed to buy something in the future.I cut 9 patterns out of this board.Bottom line;there is a lot of Mahog available in the South considered reject,they don't even need to cut another tree until this stuff is utilized.