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Wood for coaming?


CapecodJohn

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1 1/2"- 1 3/4" high is the range most of us use.  Thickness will depend on the wood used.  Redwood is not nearly as strong as what most of us use, so thicker would be called for.  But depending on what you laminate with you can make up for strength.  Normally gluing different woods together  could be looking for trouble due to expansion and contraction, but with thin laminations like the combing it doesn't really become an issue.  You can use just about anything.  Redwood is very soft as well, so if used on the outer or inner layers it may be easily dinged.  If a hardwood is used there that issue dissolves.  I would mix it with a light colored hard wood for a strong, ding resistant and nice contrasting result.  Maple?  Oak?  Holly? Poplar heartwood?

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1 1/2"- 1 3/4" high is the range most of us use.  Thickness will depend on the wood used.  Redwood is not nearly as strong as what most of us use, so thicker would be called for.  But depending on what you laminate with you can make up for strength.  Normally gluing different woods together  could be looking for trouble due to expansion and contraction, but with thin laminations like the combing it doesn't really become an issue.  You can use just about anything.  Redwood is very soft as well, so if used on the outer or inner layers it may be easily dinged.  If a hardwood is used there that issue dissolves.  I would mix it with a light colored hard wood for a strong, ding resistant and nice contrasting result.  Maple?  Oak?  Holly? Poplar heartwood?

Great that was helpful, just what I wanted to hear,  thank you

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For what it's worth, I made my coaming out of oak. It seems too heavy (but very sturdy) and have thought about redoing it...maybe out of cedar. What lumber is conducive to bending around the front of the coaming mold? I knew oak was good. Now I see others have used cedar.

I spent a lot of time handling the oak before it went onto the coaming mold. Buying, Re-sawing, soaking, steaming, pre-bending, then wrapping it up with glue, finally sanding down to final dimensions and finishing. I would have been ahead to by purchasing basket weaving material, wrapping it and glueing it solid around the mold. Better yet,

http://www.itascawoodproducts.com/shop.php?product=ash&cart_id=139472570414074

Take your pick....ash, basswood, oak, white cedar.

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  Rule of thumb is if you can make an indent with your thumb nail by pressing into the wood it is a "soft" wood, otherwise it's a hard wood.  I consider soft maple to be a hard wood.

Actually, the rule is:

 

1.  If all the leaves are usually broad and fall off once a year it is a hardwood.

2.  If the leaves (or needles) fall off in a rotation, looking like they never fall off it is a softwood.

 

It was observed that for the most part deciduous trees are harder than evergreens.  So this became the differentiation.  Not a very scientific differentiation, but that is how the terms hardwood and softwood were arrived at.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardwood

 

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Hardwood_vs_Softwood

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  Rule of thumb is if you can make an indent with your thumb nail by pressing into the wood it is a "soft" wood, otherwise it's a hard wood.  I consider soft maple to be a hard wood.

Actually, the rule is:

 

1.  If all the leaves are usually broad and fall off once a year it is a hardwood.

2.  If the leaves (or needles) fall off in a rotation, looking like they never fall off it is a softwood.

 

It was observed that for the most part deciduous trees are harder than evergreens.  So this became the differentiation.  Not a very scientific differentiation, but that is how the terms hardwood and softwood were arrived at.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardwood

 

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Hardwood_vs_Softwood

 

Very cool.  I didn't know that. I always stick with the hardwoods for furniture and stuff unless a customer specifically wants a soft wood.  Or it's a boat :)

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