Clear white oak?

[Paul Griffin]

How clear of knots should the white oak be that is used for the keel, stem and deadwood of a 26' sailboat? On the quote I have, they say "no open knots". But the knots would open as the wood dries?
My quote is for 489' of white oak, @ $1.75'. Does that seem right?
Also how much over sized should you order your green wood?

[Thad]

Tight knots are allowed, but you don't want any knots coming through the rabbet or the caulking face of the rabbet. Green oak for steaming should be sawn at least an eighth over the finished dimension, but depending on the set and tuning of the sawyers saw a quarter inch is safer.

[bud]

The price sounds good. A good portion of your wood will warp shrink twist etc during the drying process. The knots & defects will show you which boards are suitable for what use by the time they're dry.

[Paul Griffin]

So if I have the sizes for the nine pieces that I need, I can't just go and order the wood cut to 1/4" over the sizes that I need?

[Thad]

For heavy timbers 1/4" may not be enough leeway, depending on the log and how it is sawn. For green bending stock it should be plenty.

[imported_Daniel]

Hey Paul, how are things? If you need any 4/4 white oak, let me know. I have a source that has it for a $1 a foot. Also, check out people & places, I have posted some pics from our weekend on Drake.