Cutting my frames

[jclays]

Lumber yard closed till friday. Went to the big box store to pick out a couple 2x4's to rip for frames (starting 12 skiff). Picked out some nice "Kiln dried Fir" looked good ripped a few pieces they seemed too light weight and insignificant. Took a better look at the markings stamped on a stud. It said kDHF. Kiln dried hemlock fir??? Is Hemlock good for marine applications? I think ill wait till monday and find some vertical grain Doug Fir. The rest of the doug fir studs in the big box store was green/wet.

[JimD]

You'll be glad you held off until you can get some good doug fir.

[Bob Smalser]

Western Hemlock is grouped with Grand Fir, Noble Fir, Silver Fir and White Fir to be sold under the commercial name Hemfir. They all rot while you watch.

You want Douglas Fir heartwood instead. Green is fine unless you're gonna glue it. Just make sure with green that if you plane it to thin it, take wood off of both sides equally so it doesn't warp.

[Bob Cleek]

Until you feel confident judging the quality of raw lumber in the yard, I'd stay out of "Loads" and "Home Despot" for boat lumber. Stories abound about somebody discovering an oddball load of arrow straight old growth Doug fir with eighteen rings to the inch going for discount prices at the Big Box Stores, but the fact is, there isn't much lumber in those places that is any good at all for boats, and often barely worth it for much else of any value, either. Most of what they sell is "Hem-fir," which can be darn near any "white wood," but usually is the stuff Smalser named. If you do find real Doug fir, odds are it's going to be farmed stuff with grain wider than a pig's ass. You'll pay a bit more at a real lumberyard, but if you have any need of wood at all, you'd be well advised to deveop a customer relationship with one. Once they know you won't make a mess, they'll likely let you pick over what construction lumber they've got to cull a few decent pieces for boat use. (Specialty boat wood and hardwood yards do the culling for you, and you pay a big premium for that, but with some stuff, they are the only game in town.) Being in Long Beach, you shouldn't have much problem getting good Doug fir. As much work as you'll be putting into your skiff, you'd do better to spend a few bucks more and have nice, straight, tight-grained frames.

[jclays]

Went to local lumber yard today Gahnal lumber. Very nice kiln dried clear Doug fir 2x4x14 for ripping into frames 20 bucks each, will need 3 for the project. also nice 3/4x 4 and 6 stock. Found some old Doug fir 2x4 from when I gutted a room in my house. Circa 1940 16 rings to the inch grain. Cut my stem this afternoon. don't have enough to do the skiff. Will pick up the rest of the wood over the weekend and start cutting the frames