purchasing 1" cedar strip-planking

[scottmacc]

It's time to purchase the cedar to strip-plank my project. I need 1" thick strips, probably 1 1/8" wide. I'm debating milling my own and dealing with a lot of waste or purchasing ready-milled strips $$. I'm also debating which species to use, whether to use the local white cedar here in Maine, or have a west-coast variety shipped in. Can the white cedar be purchased knot-free and relatively straight-grained? So far the only stip planking I'm finding on line is for small boats/canoes, nothing as thick as I need yet.
The stip planking will eventually be laminated beneath 2 layers of 1/8" venner.
Thanks, Scott

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91683

[JBreeze]

Your build is way out of my league....but one time I wanted some clear, red cedar for strips, I found 5/4 red cedar decking in lengths up to 20' for a decent price.....this might be an alternative if you have difficulty find a source for your strips.

Good luck with your project....I'm envious!:)

[JimConlin]

If you're in Blue Hill, ME, there are a good number of wooden boat builders on your peninsula who can give you advice on local sources for the stock and for milling work. White cedar is harvested nearby and should be inexpensive.

[Bob Smalser]

I'm all for buying local, but with all local woods in glued boats be careful of the moisture content. You need 12% or lower to use epoxy (which really means 10% meter readings to insure it's 12% or lower all the way through), and much of the local wood if kilned will be 19% and if unkilned may be close to green at almost 30%.

So if you're planning to use the stock immediately, make sure it is sufficiently dry.

[scottmacc]

I checked out a local sawmill today and he had clear stock but in lengths only up to 10'. Plus it was only flitch sawn. Lot's of waste, lots of scarfs. Is that what I have to look forward to with white cedar?
I like the idea of the red cedar planks but will have to check pricing. thanks

[Bob Smalser]

I checked out a local sawmill today and he had clear stock but in lengths only up to 10'. Plus it was only flitch sawn. Lot's of waste, lots of scarfs. Is that what I have to look forward to with white cedar?


I doubt you'll find any clear cedar in any species in any length beyond 12', which will cause you to make just as many scarfs. I don't mill small-boat planking stock beyond 12' because the grain runout caused by the shape of most planks requires two dogleg scarfs per plank anyway.

NWC is generally too small a tree to provide riftsawn boards. You can make square strips and set them on edge to expose the VG face, or you can ignore the issue entirely. NWC in a small boat is sufficiently stable that the difference between an exposed VG or flatsawn face is moot.

For you the important issue remains is the stock dry enough to glue?

[JimConlin]

In CT, I've bought clear 16' AWC, but it cost dearly.
There's nothing wrong with finger-scarph joints.
Ask the local builders. They're building similar boats and I'll bet they're paying maybe $2/BF.

[Tonyr]

Buy strips from any local mill in (say) 8 foot lengths, then butt them on the boat as you strip. Meets scantlings as in Dave Gerr`s book, and works just fine on my 25 footer (three years afloat).

Regards, Tony

[goodbasil]

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/boa/1063844438.html

[StevenBauer]

A few of us rode down to Thad's place in Marblehead today to see the Sallee Rover he's building. What a beauty. She's planked with Atlantic White Cedar in all full length planks. 23'ers! Nice wood is out there, it's just a matter of tracking it down. Good luck.


Steven

[watson1990]

There is a place in Brentwood [think Exeter] N.H. named Highland Hardwoods.I went there looking for some NICE northern white cedar. NO appointment or pre-order..Just walked in off the street and I bought two boards.
The first board was 16 feet long and 16 inches wide ,,5/4 not a single knot in the entire board.The second piece was 16 feet long and 13 inches wide 5/4, both had a live edge total came to $125.00 prolly 8 years ago ...
I then brought the boards to a rel Boat builder on Mt desert Island and he bought a special blade so I only lost 1/8 inch in waste for each cut [rip]
Now I had a million pieces of beautiful N.W.C and I set up my router and sent each piece of 5/4 x 1/4 though and it came out as 1/4 x 3/4 and then off course the router also put the bead and cove on each edge. www.highlandhardwoods.com (http://www.highlandhardwoods.com)

Another place near Brentwood ,just outside of Concord,N.H. is Goosebay lumber.They also carry all that stuff ..great place ! some really exotic stuff there also www.goosebaylumber.com (http://www.goosebaylumber.com)
Let me know if you need anything else...
Watson