[Public-List] What wood....

[Gordon Laco via Public-List]

Good morning Anders -

I've used black locust extensively in marine applications professionally for
many years.  It's a superb marine hardwood.  I have no reservations about it
at all.

I suspect what you've read below are comments from people unfamiliar with
marine work...  Who cares about driving nails into it?  And it's hardness is
just like white oak...that's a very very good thing.

Cheers - 

Gord  #426 Surprise


On 2016-02-15, 8:56 AM, "Anders Bro" <abro.gtu at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Gord,
> I have heard it rumored (backed by Googling it) that black locust, although
> incredibly rot resistant, is super tough, hard to cut, and dulls tools fast.
> There is one report of the difficulty of driving nails further than 1/2" into
> the wood. So although it would make a great wood for boats, it might be a bit
> tough to work?
> 
> Also (and I am not sure of this) the heart wood might be dark(?) whereas the
> sap wood is as you say, quite light colored.
> 
> In the Sierra this stuff grew like weeds, and aside from fence posts no one
> would use it for anything but burning. It was hard on the chain saw. (and was
> it hard to split? I forget)
> 
> So I might suggest you get a scrap and see how it works before you spend too
> many boat bucks on this wood.
> 
> Anders
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Feb 15, 2016, at 8:34 AM, Gordon Laco via Public-List
>> <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Good morning Greg.
>> 
>> Mahogany is a good choice because it it relatively soft and therefore easy to
>> work.  It also takes glue and varnish well.  When using any wood for trim, be
>> sure to apply varnish to the undersurface before final installation in order
>> to prevent water absorption from creating trouble later.
>> 
>> If you like blonde wood, black locust is a good choice.  It's got terrific
>> rot resistance, takes glue better than white oak but has the same blonde
>> colour when varnished. I'm thinking Surprise's new toe rails may be of black
>> locust.  
>> 
>> Gord Surprise #426
>> 
>>> On 2016-02-15, at 8:21 AM, JS via Public-List
>>> <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I am no wood worker and have very little knowledge on the stuff but I have
>>> seen guys use Sapele wood to repack teak on other refits. My understanding
>>> is that it in the mahogany family.
>>> There was an Alberg in my marina a few years back #449 that had a beautiful
>>> Ipe toe rail. Ipe is used in decking and relatively inexpensive
>>> These are just a few of the example of teak alternatives I have seen.
>>> Good luck with your project
>>> Jason#457Www.svsalacia.blogspot.com
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
>>> 
>>> -------- Original message --------
>>> From: Greg Dawson via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
>>> Date: 02/15/2016  7:34 AM  (GMT-05:00)
>>> To: public-list at lists.alberg30.org
>>> Subject: [Public-List] What wood....
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Hi Guys
>>> 
>>> Alternatives to teak? The woodwork on our boat is in poor shape, the hatch
>>> covers are falling to pieces and the toe rail has been cut in a couple of
>>> places. The teak trim on the stern is snapped in two and the boards either
>>> side of the cockpit are badly weathered. To add to this the mild steel bolts
>>> holding our toe rail down are so rusted that they are snapping when you try
>>> to adjust them.
>>> 
>>> I'm looking to replace the toe rail with an aluminum system once I find
>>> something appropriate, does anyone have any ideas? Also, replacement teak
>>> for the hatches etc is simply out of our price range (lots of other stuff to
>>> buy with that money) and I am looking at alternatives, any ideas? Is there
>>> any reason for instance that I can't use ash or cherry provided that I
>>> accept the additional work of varnishing each season?
>>> 
>>> Finally, on the subject of mast beams, is there an engineered drawing
>>> kicking around that I could work off to produce my new beam. Currently it
>>> has the Frankenstein bolts and aluminum plates. Nothing is quite lining up
>>> as it should and I am wary of using the damaged beam as a template. I have
>>> to renew the bulkheads as they are rotten around the chain plates so I might
>>> as well do the beam to at the same time. Any ideas?
>>> 
>>> Thanks 
>>> 
>>> Greg.
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