Re: White Fir
--- In bolger@y..., phillip_lea@y... wrote:
whatever wood I could find. Cheap AC exterior ply, fir, pine and
poplar for frames. In the years since, I have discovered on small spot
of rot on the sheer near the bow, and one more on the cleat that holds
the main hatch rail. Both were easily replaced. I think the reason was
not so much the wood itself, but that I was less careful in saturating
with epoxy above the waterline. Live and learn.
Below the waterline, where I took great pains to absolutely
encapsulate everything with lots and lots of epoxy, I have had no
problems at all. And that's with the boat left in the water from May
to November. It seems that when using epoxy, the wood's ability to
hold screws long enough for the glue to set is the main thing. Once
it's all glued up, coated with glass and epoxy, you should have no
problems. Just keep a very sharp eye out for digs and scratches that
penetrate the coating and allow moisture in. The slightest breach will
allow water in, but not out and that is what leads to problems. If the
wood stays dry it should last a while, say 50 years or so.
Hope this helps.
> Clear straight-grained white fir is available as 16 foot 1x2s andother
> 1x3s in our local lumberyard. Has anyone had experience, good or
> bad, regarding this readily available material? It is flexible but
> seems on the soft side. Too soft for gunwales, but chines and
> small framing maybe?Just a few words about my experience. I built a Micro in 1995 using
>
> Phil Lea
> Russellville, Arkansas
whatever wood I could find. Cheap AC exterior ply, fir, pine and
poplar for frames. In the years since, I have discovered on small spot
of rot on the sheer near the bow, and one more on the cleat that holds
the main hatch rail. Both were easily replaced. I think the reason was
not so much the wood itself, but that I was less careful in saturating
with epoxy above the waterline. Live and learn.
Below the waterline, where I took great pains to absolutely
encapsulate everything with lots and lots of epoxy, I have had no
problems at all. And that's with the boat left in the water from May
to November. It seems that when using epoxy, the wood's ability to
hold screws long enough for the glue to set is the main thing. Once
it's all glued up, coated with glass and epoxy, you should have no
problems. Just keep a very sharp eye out for digs and scratches that
penetrate the coating and allow moisture in. The slightest breach will
allow water in, but not out and that is what leads to problems. If the
wood stays dry it should last a while, say 50 years or so.
Hope this helps.
Here is the NW they market something called, "Western White
Wood." The pine is labeled as such and the fir's got that
reddish hue, however slightly.
This mystery wood, and maybe what you're looking at, is
often hemlock. It can appear in decent boards, though isn't
particularly rot resistant. Its light, but maybe only
because they dry the heck out of it in the kiln.
The cheaper you're boat's gotta be, the better it looks.
Mark
phillip_lea@...wrote:
Wood." The pine is labeled as such and the fir's got that
reddish hue, however slightly.
This mystery wood, and maybe what you're looking at, is
often hemlock. It can appear in decent boards, though isn't
particularly rot resistant. Its light, but maybe only
because they dry the heck out of it in the kiln.
The cheaper you're boat's gotta be, the better it looks.
Mark
phillip_lea@...wrote:
>
> Clear straight-grained white fir is available as 16 foot
> 1x2s and
> 1x3s in our local lumberyard. Has anyone had experience,
> good or
> bad, regarding this readily available material? It is
> flexible but
> seems on the soft side. Too soft for gunwales, but chines
> and other
> small framing maybe?
>
> Phil Lea
> Russellville, Arkansas
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I believe that his is also referred to as White Pine.
It not that bad a wood to work but is very weak. It will split
easily, as well as shatter across the grain. It has very poor screw
holding ability. If you use this stuff for any thing structural be
sure to glue it, and toenail it or screw at angles.
It has very poor rot resistance...I know I used the stuff for a
picnic table top that I coated in spar urethane 18 most ago...It is
rotting as I write this. :-)
Home Depot carries 2" bys that are fairly clear that are SYP. This
stuff is much more durable and stronger than white pine.
I built a $200 sailboat and consider it fairly disposable. However I
wouldn't use white pine in it because of all the undesirable
characteristics as a boat building wood.
It not that bad a wood to work but is very weak. It will split
easily, as well as shatter across the grain. It has very poor screw
holding ability. If you use this stuff for any thing structural be
sure to glue it, and toenail it or screw at angles.
It has very poor rot resistance...I know I used the stuff for a
picnic table top that I coated in spar urethane 18 most ago...It is
rotting as I write this. :-)
Home Depot carries 2" bys that are fairly clear that are SYP. This
stuff is much more durable and stronger than white pine.
I built a $200 sailboat and consider it fairly disposable. However I
wouldn't use white pine in it because of all the undesirable
characteristics as a boat building wood.
> Subject: White FirThere really is a white fir, Abies concolor, which is a big native fir
>
> Clear straight-grained white fir is available as 16 foot 1x2s and
> 1x3s in our local lumberyard. Has anyone had experience, good or
> bad, regarding this readily available material? It is flexible but
> seems on the soft side. Too soft for gunwales, but chines and other
> small framing maybe?
>
> Phil Lea
> Russellville, Arkansas
(up to 140 feet tall, 4 foot diameter) that grows in the mountains of
the southwest and California. I doubt that is what you are looking
at. Clear straight white fir would be a high quality wood, not soft or
flexible.
Is the wood you have easily crushed and won't hold fastenings well (you
could probably drive a 2' drywall screw halfway in and pull it out with
a pliers?). If so I think what you have is a name made up by the guys
in marketing. This is probably the same stuff that is usually called
"soft pine" and could be any of half a dozen fast growing tree farm
species none of which are noted for strength or rot resistance. By
calling it "white fir" they can probably get an extra dime a foot for it.
I would use it only for lower value construction.
Tom K
Clear straight-grained white fir is available as 16 foot 1x2s and
1x3s in our local lumberyard. Has anyone had experience, good or
bad, regarding this readily available material? It is flexible but
seems on the soft side. Too soft for gunwales, but chines and other
small framing maybe?
Phil Lea
Russellville, Arkansas
1x3s in our local lumberyard. Has anyone had experience, good or
bad, regarding this readily available material? It is flexible but
seems on the soft side. Too soft for gunwales, but chines and other
small framing maybe?
Phil Lea
Russellville, Arkansas