Western red cedar is very common out here in BC (we grow it). You should be able to find it at a good lumber yard or at a place that makes fencing. In Ontario, you may find eastern white cedar. That should work too. Check your yellow pages under LUMBER or FENCING
The best grade is clear cedar, but if not available, regular fencing grade can be used. It comes in various sizes, eg lathing, and 1by3, 1by4 and in 6, 8 and 10 ft lengths.
Pick over the stack looking for edges free from bark and as few knots as possible. Look for outer planks as they are less dense than heart wood. Warped planks are not much of an issue as you will be splitting it into narrow planks and they will bend quite easily.
On the saw, I use a narrow kerf planer blade for very clean cuts.
Hi Goose,
I discussed on the phone with Metivier Son and he confirmed that is sending often materials to Canada and this tends to confirm that there some difficulties to find various sorts of wood, others then the mentioned above, but as well generally employed by us modelers.
Again this is the adress and site : http://metivier-modelisme.com/
just in case “bois” means “wood”.
Metivier was telling me that the dispatch costs are around 22/25€ and shipping time aroud 15 days to reach destination.
Some time is faster. It happen to me to buy very often servo’s material at : http://www.servocity.com/ - I never got problems.
Heaps of rain here last couple of days with high humidity found this evening the paper templates are lifting off the shadows (spray adhesive) so thought before I lose the centre-line “if” paper templates fall off.
Decided to glue-in the first frame support strips, here I used 7 x 3 mm Pine as thought it would be more stronger/stable than balsa in these humid conditions if they continue, don’t worry Claudio I will be using balsa for the hull planking.
Started with the side strips first and will do the keel strip last, reason
; so I can tap the shadows onto the centre-line below lay the keel strip later, the last check before planking. Also leave I will also glue the all 3 support strips onto number S0 last of all.
Goose check that you bevel these S0 strips correctly, it’s a tight fit.
Tomorrow will do the gunnel support strips, then the final keel strip & then bevel the shadows ready for when the balsa to arrive on Friday.
How did you go with your wood supplier today Goose ? hope to don’t have to resort to Pine, bloody hard stuf to sand mate.
Hello!
I would want post some images of a new Fly Emirates New Zealand (Claudio project) in construction here in Roma by Alessandro Strappaghetti.
Sails made by Luca 71-5, accessories by TD model (also the keel):
also be on the lookout for any “Meranti Pine” that you might run across. It works equally as well as cedar, is much finer grain patter and has a bit of a reddish cast. In fact, if you stain with Walnut, until someone pokes with fingernail, it will be hard to tell difference from mahogany.
For me here in upper US, it is difficult to find, and veneer is avialable - but trying to find dimensional lumber is a task. Last “mother-lode” I found was in a lumberyard and had been purchased for a local highschool woodshop class. They had changed scool projects and I am prettty much out of stock, as I bought quite a bit of it. Sometimes, luan flooring underlayment is meranti grade - but again - hard to find without a special order.
Just thought that if you are talking to lumber companies, and you run across it - grab and use. Won’t make much difference if you plan to paint - but if you decide to have a clear finish showing strips - it can be beautiful. And it “is” a softwood.
The previous Alessandro’s ETNZ was a Alinghi SUI-64 Renato Chiesa projet modified by Alessandro. This one is a Claudio Diolaiti project a little bit modified by Alessandro.
My night, short as it is, has been a real mixture of good and bad news molded together into what I like to call “a learning experience” and it goes something like this:
Good news!: I finally found all the western red cedar a man could want!
Bad news: 1200mm (4’) clear boards (plus two mistakes = 6’) is pretty expensive.
Good news: I probably only need two boards (1835 x 85 x 18)
Bad news: Timber guy tries to calculate the strips per board and i buy 4 times what I need.
Good news: This timber is absolutely gorgeous and easy to rip down
Bad news: Picture 1 is $13 worth of sawdust
Good news: The resulting sticks are pliable and will work great.
Bad news: The hardwood I used for the shadows will not take glue
Yep, interesting night.
I have setup a glue test on scrap hardboard with thin ca, medium ca, gorilla glue, epoxy and titebond wood glue.
I’ll not be too happy to make all the shadows again but shizzle happens as they say.
An interesting note: Its a lot of years since I was a cabinet maker and I have never used WR Cedar. To give you an idea of how beautifully light it is, a board measuring 1835 x 85 x 18 (72" x 7 1/4" x 3/4") weighs 1938g (4lbs)… amazing. Check the grain in the picture.
Hi there,i spoke to luca in Italy and he told me he uses melinex377 to make the sails of the ac120,is there someone who could tell me where to buy that product here in Canada or in the US.Sails made with that looks very well.
Goose - if you want a thrill - just take a paper towel, get it wet with water and wipe over one of the boards - or a series of strips clamped to your workbench.
You will quickly see why we woodworkers “love” the coloring it takes on from clear varnish - or even epoxy that goes a bit amber in color. It builds/glues up nicely - but it will probably be hard to put the paint over the wood once it is waterproofed. I know you will have your second thoughts. Just leave an access to see wood finish through the deck on the inside of hull.
