Obeche Lumber

[MN1]

I did some looking for Obeche lumber in the spring and could not find any. All my suppliers said it was not being imported in the U.S. like it used to. Or they had gone out of business. Anyone have a source for long lengths?
Mark N

[canoecty]

Obeche

Try Advantage Lumber in Buffalo, NY
www.advantagelumber.com

[runabout333]

Try Cooper Jess in Wisc.

[MN1]

Here is the reply from Advantage Lumber.

Sorry, we have no Obeche in stock, nor have we seen anyone supplying it.

Best Regards,
Shawn Morgan
Sales Representative


Mark N

[proprider]

Sitka spruce

Just came back from Alaska and there was no shortage of Sitka spruce trees. If your using for stringers, i'm told that Sitka is a superior wood for lightness and straight grain strength.

[bill van steenwyk]

I seem to remember before Obeche became "the wood" to use for stringers in race boats. both Sitka Spuce and also Baswood was used for the same purpose. Basswood has many of the same quality's of Obeche and weighs about 2lbs per board ft.
Sitka is about 2.7 but is probably a little stronger. Basswood, like obeche is soft and easy to work.

Some have used cedar for stringers when other types were not available. Fairly strong, impervious to rot and insects, and also good to work with. I built several boats in the mid 70's with it and did not pay a particular weight penalty and the boats stayed together well.

I seem to remember the Ken Krier used basswood when building his very good quality runabouts, and I never heard of one of his boats coming apart, for any reason. Used to cut Basswood trees that grew on his farm and have the logs cut and planed for use in his boats. I furnished him Obeche for several years I got from Bill Seebold and took to his shop for my boats and others.

You might contact Tim Seebold at Seebold Motor Sports at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. The Seebold family probably bought more obeche than any other one boat builder I know of for 30+ years, and Timmy might know of a supplier now. Think he has a website for contact info.

[Shane_B]

Obeche Lumber at Edensaw

Edensaw Lumber in WA carries obeche; $3.28/BF for 4/4 . Their website is:
http://www.edensaw.com/MainSite/Stor...uctDetail/3746
They also carry spar spruce lumber (selected for grain/straightness).

[T Chance]

Try Hibden Hardwoods in Saint Louis, MO.

[kampkurz]

Obece

I have been able to get Obece from LL Johnson in Charlotte Michigan, just south of Lansing. They do not stock but I asked if they would get it for me. I asked if I was willing to purchase a hundred board feet would it help. And it does. You can't always get just what length you want but I gave them a minimum length that I could accept and they have come close both times. I asked for fourteen foot, to allow marathon style boats, and got fifteen foot planks. Most of it very good looking stuff, at just under 3.50 a board foot. I still have some 18 inch wide planks that are real nice. Sitka spruce is over $9.00 a board foot from LL Johnson lately. I've found that Sitka weighs approximately 30 %about more than Obece.
I've never used Cedar, but was told it shatters on impact. Has anyone ever experienced this? Just curious. Being a finish carpenter I have worked many times with clear Western Red Cedar. As I remember, it is pricey. I can remember seeing $11 dollars a lineal foot for a 1×12. Ouch.

[MN1]

Thanks guys,
I had contacted Edensaw Lumber today and they have over 700 bf in stock and are sending me a quote tomorrow. I'll also call Timmy and see about Hibden Hardwoods too. Would be nice to find it somewhat close.
I had contacted LL Johnson last spring and they said the same thing as Advantage Lumber. "It's not being imported into the U.S. because of the bad economy" And we don't know anyone that has it.
Thanks for the help,
Mark N

[deverhart1]

stringer wood

what about mahagony. Its been suggested to me that my next boat I should use this because of strength, no water absorbtion, straight grain and light weight
David Everhart S52

[Smitty]

Sid-Crafts used to use mahogany stringers. Out here it was Sitka spruce (try Aircraft Spruce and Specialty) or, IIRC, some of the light cedars like Port Orford cedar and Alaska yellow cedar and white cedar (which did tend to split).

[Bill Huson]

There must be 20+ varieties of mahogony - some are hard and heavy, others light, soft, and not all that strong.

Of the also 20+ varieties of spruce, Sitka is the king. Strong, light, the go-to wood for airplanes, but so pricey wooden boat builders restrict it's use to overhead spars (masts).

Cedar - again, many varieties. Working with Western Red Cedar requires a respirator as the sawdust will tear you up. Atlantic White AKA juniper are less nasty and would make fairly good framing.

Of course obeche is light, but truthfully not all that stiff or strong. My new fav stringer/frame wood is cypress. an 8" wide 4/4 board 16' long weighs around 25 lbs. Last batch I bought ran about $2.50 bd ft.

Save weight by re-engineering. I seem to recall for smaller hydros (A & B) the standard stringer was 5/8" square. To save weight make them 5/8" vertical and 1/2" wide = just as strong in the vertical dimension.

Since race boats are "dry sailed" (off a trailer) and slathered in epoxy and/or varnish rot is not a consideration. If rot was a problem we wouldn't use obeche since unprotected obeche will rot while you're eating lunch.

[modhydro]

Another stringer alternative

Douglas fir is also a great stringer wood. It has great toughness. I get mine at the local Menards. I take a small scale with me and can weigh it out for the lightest boards. It is in the "indoor lumber yard" and is sold as flooring.

Steve Roskowski

[Smitty]

Long ago I was told that some of the poplars might make good raceboat stringers, being fast-growing and low density, yet having good bending and strength properties like some of the more expensive stuff normally used.

Guys used to talk about "aircraft birch" plywood, something we had heard about but hadn't seen on boats, but I was later informed that it was rather heavy for our uses, besides being expensive.

Don Foti was one builder (runabouts only) who preferred the denser utile plywood to gaboon, which was much more often used out here.