Re: [bolger] Seasoning wood for masts
--- Garth Battista <garth@...> wrote:
homes.
1. Airing in a barn is good if it isn't real hot. It
keeps to logs drier than being outside and allows you
to strip the bark off of the tree.
2. Tar the ends. This assists in not allowing the
tree to dry to quickly which will cause it to splinter
and acquire longitudinal cracks.
3. 1 to 3 years will be necessary to properly dry the
logs.
4. properly support the logs so they do not bend as
they lie there.
5. support them out of the dirt if possible as this
will aid in reducing the possibility of rot and
staining.
6. I don't think planing when green is a good idea but
I don't remember why.
7. Time is your friend. Let it work slowly to dry
them out.
Roger
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> I went out into our woods today with my chainsaw andlog home designers and by building a couple of log
> felled two
> future masts
> Anyone have tips for properly seasoning these
> things?
>
> How long should I let them dry?
>
> Should I strip the bark off and roughly plane the
> surface, or season
> them in their natural package?
>
> I've heard you should seal the ends with latex or
> tar -- true?
>
> I've got a good airy garage/barn where they can live
> indoors -- is
> that preferable to outdoors seasoning?
>
> Any advice at all would be appreciated.
>
> All best,
> Garth
>
> Garth my advice is based on what I have been told by
homes.
1. Airing in a barn is good if it isn't real hot. It
keeps to logs drier than being outside and allows you
to strip the bark off of the tree.
2. Tar the ends. This assists in not allowing the
tree to dry to quickly which will cause it to splinter
and acquire longitudinal cracks.
3. 1 to 3 years will be necessary to properly dry the
logs.
4. properly support the logs so they do not bend as
they lie there.
5. support them out of the dirt if possible as this
will aid in reducing the possibility of rot and
staining.
6. I don't think planing when green is a good idea but
I don't remember why.
7. Time is your friend. Let it work slowly to dry
them out.
Roger
__________________________________________________
Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
a year!http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
Fraser is right about roughing to shape before seasoning. I would
recommend leaving a little more stock on for sizing and straightening
after drying. Also it should be stored so that it is laying supported
straight and with air circulation on all sides. The ends do not have
to be sealed if you have enough extra (5-6 inches each end) for
trimming later.
This is the pure way to build a mast, but after some experience. I
prefer a laminated mast now. Good luck.
Claude, On the languid banks of the beautiful Thunder Bay River, now
flowing but too shallow for sailing. (sorry Peter)
recommend leaving a little more stock on for sizing and straightening
after drying. Also it should be stored so that it is laying supported
straight and with air circulation on all sides. The ends do not have
to be sealed if you have enough extra (5-6 inches each end) for
trimming later.
This is the pure way to build a mast, but after some experience. I
prefer a laminated mast now. Good luck.
Claude, On the languid banks of the beautiful Thunder Bay River, now
flowing but too shallow for sailing. (sorry Peter)
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, fraser.howell@n... wrote:
> My chebacco has a sold mast which was a red spruce. I cut in the
winter,
> barked it right away, roughly shaped it, and stored it in shop loft,
> where it wouldn't get out of true. I launched the following summer,
in
> July. The mast weighed then about 50 lb. Four years later (now), it
> weighs 40 lb. It is plenty strong, although it is slighly undersize,
it
> has held up well. The mast flexes quite alot, about 6 or 8 inches at
the
> top before I put in a reef.
> The problem with a tree mast for a gaff rig is that for the scope of
the
> hoist the sides should be parallel, or there will be lots of play in
the
> jaws as the gaff gets hoisted towards the narrow end of the log.
That is
> a lot of wood to take off. There should be no reason not to take it
off
> as soon as possible. There will be less wood to season. When
roughing
> out the mast leave it a little oversize, about quarter inch, as it
will
> shrink. It will probably split, opening up one or two deep gaps of
about
> a quarter inch wide. This is not a structural concern. a couple of
years
> later, when the mast is drier, you could fill the gaps with PL1 or
> sikaflex.
> I didn't season the ends.
> Cheers
> Fraser Howell
My chebacco has a sold mast which was a red spruce. I cut in the winter,
barked it right away, roughly shaped it, and stored it in shop loft,
where it wouldn't get out of true. I launched the following summer, in
July. The mast weighed then about 50 lb. Four years later (now), it
weighs 40 lb. It is plenty strong, although it is slighly undersize, it
has held up well. The mast flexes quite alot, about 6 or 8 inches at the
top before I put in a reef.
The problem with a tree mast for a gaff rig is that for the scope of the
hoist the sides should be parallel, or there will be lots of play in the
jaws as the gaff gets hoisted towards the narrow end of the log. That is
a lot of wood to take off. There should be no reason not to take it off
as soon as possible. There will be less wood to season. When roughing
out the mast leave it a little oversize, about quarter inch, as it will
shrink. It will probably split, opening up one or two deep gaps of about
a quarter inch wide. This is not a structural concern. a couple of years
later, when the mast is drier, you could fill the gaps with PL1 or
sikaflex.
I didn't season the ends.
Cheers
Fraser Howell
barked it right away, roughly shaped it, and stored it in shop loft,
where it wouldn't get out of true. I launched the following summer, in
July. The mast weighed then about 50 lb. Four years later (now), it
weighs 40 lb. It is plenty strong, although it is slighly undersize, it
has held up well. The mast flexes quite alot, about 6 or 8 inches at the
top before I put in a reef.
The problem with a tree mast for a gaff rig is that for the scope of the
hoist the sides should be parallel, or there will be lots of play in the
jaws as the gaff gets hoisted towards the narrow end of the log. That is
a lot of wood to take off. There should be no reason not to take it off
as soon as possible. There will be less wood to season. When roughing
out the mast leave it a little oversize, about quarter inch, as it will
shrink. It will probably split, opening up one or two deep gaps of about
a quarter inch wide. This is not a structural concern. a couple of years
later, when the mast is drier, you could fill the gaps with PL1 or
sikaflex.
I didn't season the ends.
Cheers
Fraser Howell
>I went out into our woods today with my chainsaw and felled twoBeuhler offers a recipe for season trees for use as masts (he's a big
>future masts: one spruce and one larch, each about 5" or 6" at the
>base tapering to 2" or 3" at 20 feet. I intend to season them and use
>them as masts on whatever boats I get around to making (Chebacco, I
>hope, maybe a Sparkler, too).
proponent) in his book "Backyard Boat Building"
Easily paid back its cover price with tips and tricks while I was
building the LSME.
-D
CRUMBLING EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
134 W.26th St. 12th Floor
New York, NY 10001
(212) 243-1636
The old standard was: season for a year with the bark on, then a year with
the bark off. I think this varied according to the diameter of the stick. In
addition, you need to keep the air circulating all around the wood. The ends
can be sealed with thick paint or wax. Seasoning it in a barn might speed up
the process since it wouldn't get wet each time it stormed. I hope this is of
help. Dan
the bark off. I think this varied according to the diameter of the stick. In
addition, you need to keep the air circulating all around the wood. The ends
can be sealed with thick paint or wax. Seasoning it in a barn might speed up
the process since it wouldn't get wet each time it stormed. I hope this is of
help. Dan
I went out into our woods today with my chainsaw and felled two
future masts: one spruce and one larch, each about 5" or 6" at the
base tapering to 2" or 3" at 20 feet. I intend to season them and use
them as masts on whatever boats I get around to making (Chebacco, I
hope, maybe a Sparkler, too).
Anyone have tips for properly seasoning these things?
How long should I let them dry?
Should I strip the bark off and roughly plane the surface, or season
them in their natural package?
I've heard you should seal the ends with latex or tar -- true?
I've got a good airy garage/barn where they can live indoors -- is
that preferable to outdoors seasoning?
Any advice at all would be appreciated.
All best,
Garth
future masts: one spruce and one larch, each about 5" or 6" at the
base tapering to 2" or 3" at 20 feet. I intend to season them and use
them as masts on whatever boats I get around to making (Chebacco, I
hope, maybe a Sparkler, too).
Anyone have tips for properly seasoning these things?
How long should I let them dry?
Should I strip the bark off and roughly plane the surface, or season
them in their natural package?
I've heard you should seal the ends with latex or tar -- true?
I've got a good airy garage/barn where they can live indoors -- is
that preferable to outdoors seasoning?
Any advice at all would be appreciated.
All best,
Garth