Grain pref for small boat plank stock?

[dmede]

I am building Harry Bryans 12' Fiddlehead canoe and have some questions about plank stock. Harry reccomends northern white cedar but thru the help of this board I have determined that WRC will be an ok substitue.

My question concerns the grain of WRC. The boards I have access to are all clear, vertical grain. There is almost no variation in the grain and this has me concerned that it will split way too easily and that a mixed grain would be better.

Can anyone comment of using perfectly straight grain WRC for planking? The planks will be 5/16" thick.

Thanks, dave.

[WWheeler]

The boards I have access to are all clear, vertical grain. We should be so lucky!! Clear grained boards are much easier to work with (a hand plane runs consistently down the grain), and are generally stronger since there's no grain run out. (grain at angles to the plank edge - has a tendency to split if flexed too much).

I've just finished the planking on an Oughtred pram (Northern White cedar), and the grain was running in ALL directions. The only thing about WRC is that it splits more easily, so that any radically bends should be steamed.

[WWheeler]

The boards I have access to are all clear, vertical grain. We should be so lucky!! Clear grained boards are much easier to work with (a hand plane runs consistently down the grain), and are generally stronger since there's no grain run out. (grain at angles to the plank edge - has a tendency to split if flexed too much).

I've just finished the planking on an Oughtred pram (Northern White cedar), and the grain was running in ALL directions. The only thing about WRC is that it splits more easily, so that any radically bends should be steamed.

[dmede]

I thought Ive read that mixed grain is stronger when being bent than straight grain. That the grain variability will help prevent it from splittint while being twisted?

I'm sure I will have to soften the garboards, Harry reccomends towles with boilwater poured over them.

[Bob Smalser]

Ristsawn is preferred by many because it has almost the stability of perfect VG but is less likely to split in fastening.

I use CVG WRC a lot and I've never had one split, but size and couterbore your fasteners carefully...it's that tapered screw head that splits them so insure everything is clamped down tight before you drive the screw so you're not pulling the board into place with all the pressure bearing on that taper.

It's not quite as flexible as NWC so steaming becomes more important.

[dmede]

Thanks Bob. I will be predrilling for all my screws and clenchnails. I'm also concerned about the splitting the planks as I bend them on to the frames. Like I said I will be wrapping the tightest bends in the garboards with towels and pouring onsome very hot water (Harry's suggestion). I'll also be using a cleat to twist the plank ends so I don't twist them across the grain and split them that way.

Sounds like that should be ok then? I get worried every time I play with some of the WRC scrap I have at home, when I bend it a bit I can realy see how easy is to snap along the grain.

[Bob Smalser]

I have split them pulling laidup sides in on flat-bottomed skiffs....but only when I was too lazy to rig proper cauls that applied the pressure across the entire side as opposed to point pressure from a short padding block.

These days, splits can be carefully repaired with drifts and epoxy so even a split plank will last as long as the others.

Need a skinny drift? Bronze brazing rod from your local welding supply.

[ 01-14-2005, 07:50 PM: Message edited by: Bob Smalser ]