Obeche Lumber

[blueskyracer]

I have been using Englemann Spruce but my source just dried up. I only have enough to finish this years boats already ordered.. I also found out they use this Spruce for guitars.. My choices now are select Fir, Lodge Pole or Pine..Things just keep getting tougher.

[RFR_Aero]

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

Steve,
Shouldn't you be concentrating on the wind tunnel test in front of you rather than posting on Hydroracer?
Kurt

[Team B&H]

Steve,
Shouldn't you be concentrating on the wind tunnel test in front of you rather than posting on Hydroracer?
Kurt

An aero guy fight?

[Mike VanAusdle]

Lumber

I've been rat-holing about 800 board feet of gorgeous sitka spruce, shipping it from the west coast of course would be the problem. I have lengths from 12 to 20 feet, 1x6" and 2x6" and 2x8". It's been airdrying about 20 years now, beautiful stuff, mast and spar and some soundboard as well.

[G Stillwill]

I used to get my Obeche from Advantage but they no longer have it. Im building two new boats with Poplar it has the same density and weight as Sitka spruce but cheaper and easy to get. Home Depot carrys boards up to 14 ft and usually has alot of them so just pick thru and get the lighest ones. Im doing the spars and bottom stringers in Poplar and the deck stringers ones out of white pine.

[kampkurz]

I have been using Englemann Spruce but my source just dried up. I only have enough to finish this years boats already ordered.. I also found out they use this Spruce for guitars

You may find interesting. Many guitar makers use Sitka Spruce for the bracing and the tops. I have a couple Martins with Sitka Spruce tops. If you want either of my guitars made with Englemann Spruce it adds around one thousand to fifteen hundred to the price of the guitar. And we use this stuff for boats. Ha ha.
I still favor sitka for bottom stringers if strengthI (Top'o) is the concern and like Obece for light weight sissy boats. I first heard about Obece from Craig Bowman and Bob Austin at KampKurz back in the eighties.

[bill boyes]

Careful when working with Obeche. Keep the dust down. People can become very sensitive from the dust. I do not like to sand it. Using a block plane is ok with me. Now I do not like to even cut it on my table saw, Nasty stuff.
I know Darrell Sorenson has had real problems and will not use it anymore. It is very light and works like clear pine. I would rather use Spruce anytime.
Repairing boats made with Obeche and Epoxy. Just awful.

[bill van steenwyk]

I was exposed to a lot of the obeche dust in the 70's/early 80's and have some breathing problems now also, although I was also a smoker.

It is awfully hard to get thru life these days without being a candidate for being chased by a lawyer, for one reason or another. One of the hazards of modern living I guess.

[MN1]

Here is a link to some photos of the boat I built last year with Obeche, Paulownia, Mahogany and Balsa. Many different woods used in certain areas.
Mark Nelson
http://www.woodweb.com/galleries/pro...osts/3466.html

[bill van steenwyk]

Here is a link to some photos of the boat I built last year with Obeche, Paulownia, Mahogany and Balsa. Many different woods used in certain areas.
Mark Nelson
http://www.woodweb.com/galleries/pro...osts/3466.html

What a beautiful job, from the planning stage to racing. The modern way to lay out and build sure beats a tape measure and #2 pencil, jig saw, rasp, and sanding block.

You did a great job, and it looks as though it really paid off!!

[daveracerdsh]

Cedar

I have some experience building boats...and I have found that western red cedar from Dunn Lumber seems to work well. Most of it is very very light and strong, sands nice, takes a finish nice, and actually smells really cool when you cut it. Very aromatic. And...it is hella cheap. Just my 3 cents worth.

[mike_280]

Contacted Eden they have Obeche in stock at $3.28 but the shipping is steep. Willing to split shipping if anybody in Northeast area is interested.

Mike