Subject: Re: baidarka Source for frame wood in NE
From: Paul R. LaBrie (Paul.R.LaBrie@unh.edu)
Date: Thu Jan 20 2000 - 09:45:34 EST
Hi Wendy,
Your boat building friend gave you some good advice. I've used a lot of
clear lumberyard spruce for a number of my boatbuilding projects (as
well as canoe poles). He is especially correct in saying that your best
chances of finding a knot-free piece are by picking the wider (and
longer) 2X12's, 2X14's, etc. Be prepared to pick over the piles and to
travel to different lumberyards (no one has ever objected to my picking
the piles -- I always take care to neatly replace everything
afterwards). You won't ever likely find one that is totally knot-free
but you'll usually be able to find one that you can saw out some nice
clear lengths from. And occasionally, the "magic board" does appear!
It's like hitting the lottery!
This is a technique that a lot of canoe-builders have used to get clear
spruce cheap for canoe gunwales. Works for me.
- Paul -
Wendy Baker Davis wrote:
>
> Hello folks,
> I am new to this list and am soon to begin the gunwhales on my Wolfgang
> Brinck baidarka - my paddle is complete. A maritime small boat builder in
> my area (Central PA/MD) suggested I find Spruce at The Home Depot (and
> other chains) in the building grade SPF (Spruce, Pine, Fir) 2 bys. He said
> if I returned frequently and checked when they had new shipments, with
> judicious picking, I could find some relatively knot-free pieces. He also
> suggested checking the wider 2 x 12s as the chances were greater of finding
> useful clear lengths. He indicated that the 3 types of wood could be
> differentiated in the following ways: Spruce should be very light in
> weight and light-colored; Pine is sappy, and Fir is orangeish. All this
> said, I did end up buying White Pine for my gunwhales as I couldn't find
> Spruce that was knot - free enough in that length to use for the
> gunwhales. But I'm sure I will use Spruce for much of the frame.
>
> Wendy Baker Davis
> Lancaster, Pennsylvania
>
> -
> Baidarka Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be
> reproduced outside Baidarka or Baidarka archives without author's permission
> Submissions: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
> Subscriptions: baidarka-request@lists.intelenet.net
> Searchable archive: http://rtpnet.org/robroy/baidarka
-
Baidarka Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be
reproduced outside Baidarka or Baidarka archives without author's permission
Submissions: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions: baidarka-request@lists.intelenet.net
Searchable archive: http://rtpnet.org/robroy/baidarka
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b27 : Tue Feb 01 2000 - 21:24:52 EST