Will 6" make a difference?

Thanks Michael,
Coincidentally I'm not working today so will have to check out a few of the local timber merchants and see what they have (and costs). Probably Bones & Otto's.... Valid points about oily timbers, will have to watch out for those.

I used Tas Oak in my little practice first boat for the frames, I do believe that one is not the most durable, although sheathed with layers of epoxy (West System) and International varnish it should survive lots of years. Won't get used much anyway.... especially when the next one is built.

Now I know the potential of epoxy I am happy to cut out the fasteners as you suggest. Things have changed since I was a (much younger) lad

Glenn

 

Tassie Oak is way more dense than you need.

And is not all that cheap either. Double check the price of whatever Bones offer with a hoop pine price from Duck Flat

Important the timber is clear - or is clear enough that you can cut the bits out from between the knots

MIK

 

Ted at the Duckery reckons the Hoop clear will be okay for this boat.
Just have to wait for the plans to arrive, and the weather to cool down... only a fan in the 'boat shed'

 

Sheoke

West Australian Coastal sheoke, Allocasurina fraseri? (Memorys not what it used to be for plant latin names!).

Anyway - it's WA Naval Architect Gavin Mairs "signature" on a vessel - sheoke trim (because largely it's too hard to get hold of and expensive for the frames now days!).

I recently sold my timber business, Where I used to buy, mill Sheoke logs and kiln dry the timber for the boat building industry.

It's a softwood (reproduces but cones & spores, not flowers nuts & seeds), but is 2/3 as dense as our Wa Jarrah (i.e. about 630kgs/M2, again from memory).

It's big advantage is - stability. From a green plank cut 200 mm wide, and put in the kiln - then dried to 15% EMC (Equilibrium moisture content) shrinkage down to 199mm or 1/200Mm green to dry.

Extreely stable - and very very good to look at when polished up.

I used to supply it in bulk (4 or 5 tonne lots) to Geradton boatbuilder Fine Entry Marine (Tim Brown) - who builds Mair design alluminium craft for the Kimberley live aboard luxury Charter vessel businesses...

He would trim out the helm stations and all below decks berths bunks and wardrobes etc with the sheoke.

Mainly - because, even if the vessel is hardstanded thru a summer heat, the joints won't pull due to the timbers stability factor.

Probably the BEST boatbuilding timber even grown IMHO.

Sadly the govt decided to "save the forests" (but green votes) so now the sheoke logs get left to rot in the forest and burnt at the next aerial control burn.

Were it me (for your little project) - I'd go steal a few ute n trailer loads of sheoke logs and mill em up withone of those portable "lewis saws"...and you could build the whole vessel outta sheoke for nada.

Course - I am a bit of a radical when it comes do dumb actions by govt...and wasting our sheoke resource the way they do is a criminal action IMHO (moreso than pinching a couple tonnes of windfall logs!).

As a former forester - i can say that!

Bugger the greenies - run em over in your completed boat - or take a few for a one way deep sea fishing trip - do the whole world a favour!

Cheers!

 

Don't let certain Scots gennlemen see this post - they will tell you 6 inches always makes a difference!

 

Hey G'day SafeWalrus,
You over in Cornwall huh? Didn't quite get that far west when I was in the UK about 10 yrs ago but want to do so eventually. Me missus tells me (she's from Manchester) it's a beautiful spot and lovely people.

Anyway I'll keep the 6" secret from the Scots as suggested.