Wood alternatives

Are there alternatives to Oak, when it comes to bent frames.

The original frames are 5/16" X 7/8". Not too stout and probably easily bent (and broken). Nevertheless, does a specie exist that is easier to obtain, suitable for bending, and sealable using epoxy treatment. I won't be producing a museum piece, just a utility piece.

Hope y'all can help.

 

Proa, the answer is simply YES of course, try a local timber yard, I am in Brusbane Australia, so no good asking what we use here.

Locally produced woods will be fine. and cheaper

 

Spotted Gum or Kwila

 

...in North Carolina?

 

With ribs of those dainty dimensions, you'll need a strong, easily bent wood, such as one of the white oaks. In the south, live oak is preferred.

 

What PAR says is a better option with the live oak, can export kwila from Malaysia if you wanted

 

Suggest you check out http://www.glen-l.com/wood-plywood/bb-chap5e.html#chart

Which states that "Pine, longleaf yellow is Substitute for white oak"

 

It's getting quite hard to find SYP (long leaf pine) that is suitable as an oak replacement. The stuff you'll find now, doesn't hold fasteners as well, doesn't bend nearly as well, is weaker, not as dense, though it does epoxy much better then white oak.

The latest addition of the book that information came from is 2 decades old now. You should be careful about what you believe, without knowing the source. Lumber and plywood quality, particularly in the last decade has changed dramatically. Back when this book was revised ('89), MDO was still a good plywood and suitable for marine use in most applications, now most of it is sign making junk.

 

PAR,

Looks like marine grade plywood is now universally crap compared to two decades ago.

In Australia, we used to grade marine by both the density of the veneers, how many layers (5 min needed) and the glue type (was resorcinol). Today I have seen voids even in marine grade ply....Brunzeel still do good stuff.

 

Yep, quality has dropped considerably, though if you use a fair amount of material annually, you get a feel for who still offers a reliable product. You can still get good and high quality plywood, but the sources are fewer and prices are higher.

 

Just as a matter of interest, does anyone here have the price per metre (yard) of pencil cedar, I just bought some at $2500/M2......just wondering cost in the USA please.

 

Was that M2 or M3 ????

$2.5K per square metre (M2) sounds way too pricey.

With Kiri at around $4000 per *cubic* metre (M3), ...

 

My local lumber yard is selling Port Orford cedar for decking at $1.39 per lineal foot for 1 1/8" x 5 1/2". Also 2 x 4 for a similar price.
It's not clear but the knots are very light and tight. So this is about $2.80 per board foot. I plan to use it for seats and cockpit soles.
I don't know how commonly available the PO cedar is elsewhere. I'd never seen it in any yard here before.

 

M3 of course, sorry fellas.......

 

It would be nice to know your application. Laminating mahogany is a super alternative and surely stable. There is pleny of African Mahogany in N.C. and even some Honduras which will be more expensive. But for lamination, the African is fine. There is white oak both in the mountains and along the coast too.