Finding Plywood

[klwood99]

I am looking at buying plans for the CS20. (Still trying to decide between cs17 and cs20) In preparing for my new project I have been searching around Indianapolis IN area and I am having problems finding Okume plywood. I have enjoyed reading many of the post that I have found in the group and found that this is the best wood for the job. I have good access to fir marine plywood but if I am going to have to cover the entire surface with cloth then it would pay to just use Okume. (Plus I think I would end up with a better end project.) Can anyone give me suggestions on were to find Okume in the Midwest?

[/b]

[Scott Dunsworth]

I have bought twice from Noahs marine.

www.noahsmarine.com

Scott

[Guest]

This thread discussed plywood, brought on by talking about MDO plwood. I am not recommending this for your new boat. But down the thread, it has several suggestions to links that can give you an idea if there is someone in your area that sells your choice and approx pricing from two specific outfits that do sell it.

http://www.messing-about.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2728

[Terry Dunn]

I bought from Edensaw. BS 1088 Okoume 6mm and 3/8" Doug Fir Marine.

Packing and shipping was about $200 for the 16 sheets I bought.

Good product. Good service.

http://edensaw.com/index.htm

[mustangermatt]

The owners of Flounderbay retired a few weeks ago. The shop went to a guy that makes musical instruments or something and he is planing on turning it into some kind of "cultural center". Or so the rumor goes :-)

Don't lock yourself into okoume right off the bat. I used doug fir marine grade on my cs 17. The okoume is easier to work with (tighter grain), and in the 1/4" thickness has more plys and fairly equal stiffness both with and across the surface grain. I just reduced the frame centers a little in the seat tops and decks to keep these areas stiff when I walk on them. I probably would have done this with okuome as well since I anticipate some rough usage.

As far as weight, the research I did showed fir and okoume to be comparable in weight. The difference is that you have to seal or glass the fir to keep the grain from lifting. But it would be a really bad idea (IMO) to leave the oukume unglassed as it will quickly deteriorate under the abrasion of normal use. All in all I have added about 20lbs through my construction choices including a few extra 1x2 frames and glass on the seat tops, decks, and bilge (these areas take ALOT of abuse with things getting dropped on them etc). I plan on losing the extra weight off of my beer gut to make up for the difference :-)

Now for the real reason to consider fir (and I have said this before )

Douglas fir is grown in the forests of the western US and Canada, under fairly reasonable renewable resource regulation (for the most part). Okoume on the other hand is imported from many countries, many of which are known for their deforestation practices. As amature boatbuilders using ply wood become a larger part of the market for these trees we should start considering the long term affect our simple choices of material are having.

[klwood99]

Thank you all, I appreciate all of the input I have received. I have talked to a local supplier Saturday and they said they could order Okoume but they could not get 9 mm and the cost was a lot higher then the suppliers that are listed in this post. The importer also said I should not use Okoume for the hull unless I was going to cover it with glass. I will take everything I have read here into consideration though.

[Frank Hagan]

I would bet that far more bd ft of lumber are lost in the rain forest to rot than to harvesting.

I have read articles that state more is lost due to burning off, to make way for ranching and farming, than to harvesting for lumber. An alternative would be to pay the person who is going to strip the land for farming a fair price for the timber, with management practices in place to renew the old growth so the land becomes an "annuity" for his family. Given the right mix of market forces, education and regulation, we could all have the lumber we desire, the rainforest, and a good living for the landowner.

[Shine]

Before you give up....

http://plywood.e-boat.net/categories.php

For full disclosure, this is one of our sites.

Our prices on Okoume 1088 are very good. Meranti 1088 is the best deal in my opinion, but the Okoume is 20% lighter.

Joel

[Greg Luckett]

I am looking at buying plans for the CS20. (Still trying to decide between cs17 and cs20) In preparing for my new project I have been searching around Indianapolis IN area and I am having problems finding Okume plywood. I have enjoyed reading many of the post that I have found in the group and found that this is the best wood for the job. I have good access to fir marine plywood but if I am going to have to cover the entire surface with cloth then it would pay to just use Okume. (Plus I think I would end up with a better end project.) Can anyone give me suggestions on were to find Okume in the Midwest?

[/b]

I have found that when you order from anywhere that you cannot just pick up the material, that the shipping cost can double your cost. Johnson's Workbench in South Bend, IN is where I have found the best deal overall for Okume and many other materials and tools. The last 6 sheets I bought cost me $53/sht for 6mm BS1088 Okume. No shipping charges. By the way, after using this Okume I am so impressed that I will not go back to the fir if I can help it.

[klwood99]

Thanks Greg, Johnson's Workbench is within driving distance of me. I checked out their web site and the prices look good. I would much rather pick up the lumber as to having it shipped. Now all I need to do is decide between the cs17 and cs20. By the way I like the quote. A lot of truth there.

[bd5194]

Is there any reason you would not recommend this wood? according to Boatbuilder Central, its there plywood of choice;slightly heavier and less flexible, but less expensive and, they claim, "better mechanical properties and resistance to rot" than okoume. I'm looking at wood for my cs20 as well so this is of great interest to me because the meranti is about 35% cheaper. Is the okoume really worth all the extra cash?

[klwood99]

I have seen a couple of web sites that list Merranti as being 24# for

[bd5194]

thanks Ray, that definitely makes it easier to choose; didn't realise it was that much heavier

[capt jake]

they claim, "better mechanical properties and resistance to rot" than okoume.

The thing with Okume is that it is granted a 'marine' status by an exemption. I has no real rot resistance. It is lighter and easier to work though.

[Greg Luckett]

What sort of an exemption? Could you explain this a bit more?

Thanks,

Greg.

[capt jake]

Greg, I have been searching off and on this afternoon trying to find the exact exemption. I was enlightened several years ago on the WBF when I was researching woods for a Princess 22.

Okume (Gaboon) doesn't fit into their tight constraints for rot resistance. Somehow, it was given and exemtion to allow it into the BS system. Maybe Dave Flemming can poke in here and may enlighten us. Meanwhile I will keep searching.

also specified by the purchaser, Gaboon or Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana), which is classed as non-durable, may be used provided that the name of the timber is included in the mark on the boards produced.

[Mike Vacanti]

I've been doing some research on this subject. All of the occume marine plywood that I have been able to find are labeled as "non-durable". The only exception is Shelman "Shelmarine occume". This plywood is made with a fungicidal glue and Lloyds of London gives it a rating of moderately durable. From my web research it seems to me that Shelmarine is probably the best occume plywood available. Not surprisingly it also costs a fortune. Harbor sales has it for $82.00 for 1/4" and $118.00 for 3/8". The few first hand accounts I've been able to find on the web from people who have actually used it say it is flawless.

[capt jake]

Thus more light on this 'dark' subject! Keep it coming!

[klwood99]

Thanks Ray for your getting that information. I will think on my chooses. I am going to check with my local suppler and see if they can get Merranti. Not being an expert I would not think that 6o# would make that much of a difference and if Merranti will be more rot resistant then maybe it would even be better to pay the shipping.

[klwood99]

Thanks Ray for your getting that information. I will think on my chooses. I am going to check with my local suppler and see if they can get Merranti. Not being an expert I would not think that 6o# would make that much of a difference and if Merranti will be more rot resistant then maybe it would even be better to pay the shipping.