Frame Material

Maybe I can't find the appropriate "Search Term" but I have been looking for a few days, sorry if this has been asked before.

 

Looking for suggestions of frame material. Locally, it's difficult to find Douglas Fir that is cheaper than White Oak. Ah, the joys of living the midwest. (Northeast Indiana)

 

Reluctant to dig through Lowes or Home Depot as their studs are SPF (spruce, pine, fir) and may be any combination of the above. I find it difficult to identify between spruce and fir when sorting through the piles. Their pine is really heavy and wet.

 

There is a fairly decent supply of Ash around due to the standing dead left from the Emerald Ash Borer infestation we have but it won't be long until it's all gone.

 

Thanks,

John Legg

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on August 25, 2011 at 8:33am

John, try search for pine vs oak. I found a lot of prior posts when I did. I also found alot when I searched for Port Orford Cedar. Alaskan Yellow Cedar should prove popular too.

 

Do you have Roger Fletcher's book yet? Drift Boat's and River Dories. I believe that Roger discusses wood there. I know that I have contributed some opinions on wood choices, so has Randy Dersham. Start there and let us know if you have more questions. It is unfortunate but the most handy sources for wood are not the best sources for our specialty craft. As mentioned in other posts specialty stores that focus on supplying cabinet makers and such will have the appropriate woods. You will pay more for the appropriate materials but your boat will also last longer and be lighter. Arguably not much lighter but you are also buying rot resistance, screw holding power and such.

 

Good luck,

 

Rick Newman

Permalink Reply by twoblacklabs on August 25, 2011 at 9:23am

Thanks. I will try that search. It still amazes me, as accurate as computers are, the human brain recognizes what I am looking but the search engines do not. Your brain made the cognitive association to something you have researched before, even without me giving specific terms and thus gave me an answer. Even my Mac can't do that one.

 

Yes, I have to book. As one would (pardon the pun) expect, the focus of the book is regionally based. In the North West, D. Fir, Spruce, Port Orford Cedar and Alaskan Yellow Cedar are readily available. Not so much in the flat lands of Northern Indiana. While cedar is available, those two are not (reasonably speaking). 

 

A search on woodfinder.com doesn't seem to turn up either Port Orford or Alaska Yellow Cedars. in the region. A bit of spruce and SOME D. Fir at $9.50 a board foot **** EEK ***

 

Thanks again and I will continue looking.

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on August 25, 2011 at 12:13pm

John, having already done the search made it easier for me to give you directions. Plus I have read almost every entry ever made on the site.It doesn't hurt that I spend much of my time on a computer and have an IT degree, combine that with curiosity and passion and a mind like a rusty steel trap you  get a heck of a combination.

 

There have to be woods that have some of the characteristics you would be beneficial for your building available, perhaps not ideal but maybe close. Don't forget that not only can you do a "splice" to gain length in a board you can also laminate thin layers of wood to achieve different characteristics. In essence make "plywood" frames from locally available woods. You don't necessarily need to use epoxy. Hide glues and Resourinol (sp?) have been used for a long time. Consider visiting the Wooden Boat Forum as their are many more builders there. While they build few drift boats, at least I read few examples of drift boat builds, they do utilize some very handy traditional methods that could be used to build frames without using ideal woods. I know this is primarily a "framed" drift boat web site, perhaps a variant of stitch and glue could be used. Or as Ukalady has done she threw fancy and nice out of her latest boat building excercise and went for discarded materials, buying only some plywood.

 

What type of water do you plan to float, how much is weight a concern, are you painting or finishing with something that shows off the woods character? What are your goals? I searched for a couple of years but was able to find an unbuilt kit for $750 that the original owner had let set in his barn for three years after he let it set for a year at Tatman.

 

I hope that these suggestions will work for you. I have been doing a lot of eBay and craigslist to clear out my last "hobby passions" to raise money for epoxy, fiberglass, paint, sanders etc.

 

Good luck, keep us posted.

 

Rick Newman

Permalink Reply by twoblacklabs on August 25, 2011 at 5:32pm

Again, thanks.

 

I would love to boat up to class IV as I have been a whitewater kayaker for over 20 years. However, it will mostly be up to class III with most being flat water. Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Ideally, I will have one other adult and my young daughter with me. Occasional overnight trips but that will not be the norm.

Permalink Reply by Dave Z on August 25, 2011 at 7:34pm
Southern yellow pine and cypress should be reasonably and regionally available.  They would work for frames.  One of the first boats I built (not a drifter) was made using cypress. Plenty strong, weathers well.
Permalink Reply by Frank R on August 26, 2011 at 8:58am
You may want to visit LL Johnson Lumber in Charlotte, Michigan. It is well stocked and should not be too far for you.
Permalink Reply by twoblacklabs on August 26, 2011 at 5:46pm

Thanks.

This is exactly the info I'm looking for. I wasn't sure Southern Yellow Pine would be a good wood to use for frames. While I realize the boats have and can be built from just about anything, I want to build something visually pleasing along with functional without selling a kidney to pay for it.

Permalink Reply by Chuck Gower on September 7, 2011 at 10:39pm

I used white oak and I was looking for ash, though it seemed difficult just as well to find clear white oak it seemed to work.  My understanding is most white oak and ash come from the Eastern and South Eastern US.  I like the idea of using cypress and would have gone that route had it been available.  I sacrificed an addition of weight using the oak but I did not want to use CVG doug fir.  But then again, I'm relatively new into building a drift boat.

 

Permalink Reply by Dave Z on September 8, 2011 at 7:51pm

Chuck,

 

Why "didn't you want to use CVG fir?"

just curious.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Chuck Gower on September 9, 2011 at 12:25pm
Nothing scientific, I felt it would be stronger but the lower cost factor made me go that way.

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