Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Fir Plywood really does suck.
I have been a big defender of Fir plywood as I have been able to get very good plywood.... until I recently, I got some that was going to be for a painted boat (customer wanted Fir). Both sides of the wood were made with more than one piece for the face, I thought no big deal as it will be painted. When bending the hull it was incredibly stiff and bent with weird twists, then CRACK! Three different spots two of which were where the face grain piece was small. Nothing broke through but still renders the hull useless. Back to Hydrotec. I do still seem to be able to get good 1/2" for the bottoms. Maybe it was a bad batch or from a different mill but I will be hard pressed to use it again.
Mike
bakerwooddriftboats.com
Views: 608
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dave Z on
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I guess i would not have used those pieces made up of multiple face veneers. Hydrotek is ultra consistent, Fir is not as I think you found out! My last build was an all fir boat and was a great building experience. I have built three fir boats and 4 Hydrotek.
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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on
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Yup. I still use 1/2 fir for bottoms too. Fir is tough, and the work that we did on the CnC convinced me that a fir bottom is still the toughest bottom available in 1/2 inch.
A number of years ago Edensaw in Washington stopped carrying marine fir in anything less than 3/4in. Today I don't see it on their website at all. It's a shame but fir for white water is a thing of the past unless you can find plywood that is from the past.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on
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My favorite bottom is 1/4" Meranti with 1/2" Polypropylene honeycomb and 20 oz. Triaxial. But it is a little spendy.
Mike
bakerwooddriftboats.com
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