I have a question for our collective genius...
Is SYP strong enough to use for stringers that; join the sides to the bottom and the deck to the sides, connect the bulkheads and/or attach the transom?
If not what would be a better wood?
Douglas Fir but SYP will work Terry. Dug Fir is more stable with much less tendancy to warp if it gets wet.
SYP is stronger, heavier, has better rot resistance then Douglas fur and if carefully selected or cut to have a quartered grain, warping can be minimized.
I have a 14' piece of 1x12" SYP that has a slight cup to it. It is close to quarter sawn. I thought that the cup would be non existent when the strips were only 1 1/16" by 3/4". I used 2 boards like it for the keel and they glued up fairly straight. I held off cutting the stringers until I was ready to install them to allow the board to dry a bit and see if it changed shape any.
The stringers will have epoxy on at least 2 sides and be screwed also. I think the SYP bends a bit easier then the fir but as long as it bends without breaking or splintering I will be happy. I am going to try and bend/clamp the stringers in place dry to see just how tough they are to bend.
I have some other wood available. I have some while oak, some african mahogany, and some polar, if any of those would be better?
I tried to post to Terry on the SYP which is OK. After typing my message when I tried to post I got the same old crap . We can not find byyb. org. This form needs to be repared so members can post without this problem. Bud
Is Cedar good wood for stringers? While asking is it good wood for a mast and its parts? I found some nice cedar, without knots, at a local lumber yard. Seems lighter and is harder to bend so perhaps stronger? How does it compare to pine and SYP for fastening and gluing?
Sometimes harder to bend doesn't mean stronger, just more brittle. I'm not sure about cedar to be honest. It makes nice strip planking and with a mast with stays, could be just fine. I don't think I'd feel good about it on an unstayed mast, but that maybe just me. I'll bow down to others who know it better, interesting to hear.
Cedar is too soft and won't have enough strength to hold screws securely It would make a great looking ceiling if you tongue and groove it. You could also make 1/2 x 2" strips and use them on the sides of your cabin. They look great running fore and aft with a 1/4" gap between them. I wouln't use it for structural purposes though.
Keith
Cedar (the whites and yellows) can be used as a structural component, but it has to be sized according to it load requirements. This typically means you'll have a pretty hefty chunk of cedar for a deck beam (for example) and the fasteners should be bonded, which is an added bother.
There are several types of cedar and Spanish cedar is an exception in small craft, like these. Spanish cedar is heavier, stronger, hold fasteners better and about the best cedar going if you need this particular wood type in structural elements.
At the USDA web site download the "General Technical Report FPL-GTR-113", which is basically the bible we use to select wood species for different uses, compare physical properties, etc. It's a pretty "thick" read, but does offer a reasonable guide to most common species in north America, plus common imported types. Many sub species are grouped together, some of which need separation or more refined sub species break down, but these are fine points for weirdo's like me. For example there are over 40 different mahoganies, but they are grouped, which pisses me off.
Iâve looked several times on the web for a site that tells about different types of wood. Some thing like pictures of grain or what to look for to identify species. Description of properties of each wood type. Some thing very comprehensive.
If there is not a site or sites to look at then is there a book some one would recommend? Iâm tired of not knowing!
Brian