Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Wood.....again
True story. I was on a walk-about today at the lumber yard and ran into the River God Mahog!
Seriously though, I started the day expecting to pick up some Alaskan Yellow Cedar from the lumber yard, but when I called they no longer had any. They advised a shipment could be brought from the mill two months from now. I learned some time ago not to even ask about Port Orford in Boise as they usually think they misheard me or assume I’m foreign(alright I asked and the answer was no). Well, Spring is here and Summer is coming fast which puts the Cedar out of reach for me. So after receiving a price quote on some CVG Fir I headed to the yard to haggle about price. Long story short, they moved on price, but didn’t have what they said they had.
As a result I walked the yard with the salesman trying to brainstorm a solution. Two plans were hatched and I didn’t have the knowledge to pull the trigger on either which is why I’m here.
The first idea was to use Hemlock for the frames rather than POC, AYC or Fir. So has anyone ever used Hemlock? I understand it is fairly rot resistant, but is clearly heavier than the cedar. Thoughts?
The second route is African Mahogany. Apparently the yard ordered quite a bit in 18’ lengths(4/4, 8-10” wide) per a specific order and the customer bailed on half of said order. The yard offered it to me at the negotiated price of the CVG Fir, $4.60 b/f. So again, is this a reasonable wood for frames? I plan to buy some regardless for trim pieces and possibly seats, but what else? Could it be used for chines or gunwales? I see the major issues with it being weight and difficulty bending it for a gunwale application.
Frankly, I love the look of dark woods on a boat and if it is a good solution I’ll go this route; however, if the weight, strength or rot factors don’t work I’ll keep looking for a more appropriate material. Thanks in advance!
Views: 700
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dave Z on
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how knot-less is the hemlock? we have tons of hemlock here in pa. avery barn 100 yrs old or more is hemlock.
i have some reclaimed barn siding and run through the planer it looks fantastic.
I think you could get away with hemlock without issue. provided it is knotless and straight grained. I would save the $$$ and go that route versus the a. mahogany.
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Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on
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Nick, I bought Port Orford Cedar from these guys...
http://www.bearcreeklumber.com/
It was delivered it to Idaho Falls in a crate. They also sell CVG Douglas Fir. Maybe you should at least get a quote from them for what you want. Guy
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Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on
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Hey Nick,
The African Mahogany will work very well for the gunnels and inside chine log as long as you don't try to bend it at its full thickness. I use African Mahogany all the time for the chine log, I mill mine to 11/16" thickness. I have used it for gunnels as well but usually go for white oak or cvg fir for the lighter color when used on darker boats.
Mike
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Permalink Reply by Nick N on
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Mike, the Mahogany is quarter sawn and I was wondering if that would make it even harder to bend on an inside chine? As for the frame wood, I'm back on board with cedar and found some rough cut 4/4 AYC, though not from Bear Creek or Edensaw. I called both, but neither had any 4/4 in stock or arriving soon. Ultimately another local lumber yard can get AYC in two or three weeks. That said, both companies were quite helpful and provided me with suggestions and competitors who might help.
I suppose I was just wanting to jump in last weekend and when I couldn't find the traditional materials, which had been my original plan, I started reinventing the wheel. So thanks to everyone for helping put some perspective on things. It probably isn't worth saving a couple bucks on a project that will take 100+ hours and is supposed to(i hope) last for years.
Oh, the Hemlock I was looking at was not knotless and I think I would have wasted significant amounts milling good pieces. It does seem a good option though for floor boards or other pieces that will see significant abuse.
Nick
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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on
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Try "Bear Creek Lumber" http://www.bearcreeklumber.com/species/ycedar.html or Edensaw Woods http://edensaw.com/ Good products and good reputations. I wonder about the rot resistance of hemlock vs Alaskan Yellow Cedar. While the cost might be higher initially what will the life and maintenance of AYC or Port Orford Cedar for life of the boat. And how much longer might the boat live. The choice is up to you.
Mahog would be proud of you if you were to choose some mahogany for part of your boat!
Rick Newman
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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I have been using Hemlock for my build, and to date I am very happy with it. The Hemlock I am obviously has no knots and has very long grains. I chose it over the cedar that I can get here as it is cheaper and has better characteristics for what I am looking to do. The other benefit is that it very cheap here in Calgary and my lumber yard carries 18ft legths, so no scarphs.
Here is a comparison of Hemlock to Port Orford And Alaskan Cedar. Very comparable in my opinion.
I have been very please with my Hemlock use, and I like the look too.
Andrew
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