Moderator: GreenLake
tomodda wrote:GL:
I agree with you on all points - carefully-done lamination works well, varnish is a pain, oiling is nice but requires yearly redo. Warning - encasing in epoxy does not save you from dry rot, but that's a whole other story.
However, for me personally, I don't get along with epoxy - acquired allergic reaction (hives) due to not being careful enough during past boat-building. I still use it in very small quantities and with respirator, etc, but really don't want to do extensive lamination work. Which is why I decided to rehab a DS1 instead of build (another) stitch-and-glue boat.
So, about the seats, I'm using 1-by Cumaru planks (aka Brazilian Teak) from advantagelumber.com. I've done various deck projects around the house using their wood and am very happy with them and the product. Basically, the tree grows in swamps in the Amazon. Advantages of Cumaru:
-Never rots, at least not in our lifetime.
-It's pretty A reddish color. Looks great when rubbed down with teak oil. I personally don't mind refreshing oil every few months.
-Doesn't splinter
-Very dimensionally stable - wet, dry, it doesn't move.
-FWIW, it smells good (like vanilla) and is highly fire-resistant.
Disadvantages:
-It's heavy. I'm fine with it, but if I ever want to race my #37, I'll swap the seats out for pine.
-It's extremely dense, so a pain to work with - eats up saw blades, breaks drill bits, dulls router bits. In practice, you just need to be extra-careful of your tools when working this wood. But if you're building an entire deck out of it, budget for extra circular saw blades.
-It's brittle. It doesn't bend at all, but if you put enough force on a small enough piece (less than 1x1 inch) then it just shatters.
-Expensive! Of course, epoxy is also expensive, as is my time and health in spreading toxic goop around. Anyway, cost/benefit ratio is up to each individual.
Anyway, for my thwarts and seats, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages - at least for me - and it's a relatively small project. I'm throwing all this out there in case anyone else is thinking of doing woodwork on a DS1 and wants to minimize epoxy use. No way you can use Cumaru to make new coamings (because of the curve), but I'm making new floorboards with the wood "as long as I'm at it." Cumaru just laughs at being submerged, no rot.
Ok,this has been a long digression to a digression! Looking forward to seeing what @Cliff does with his seats.
Tom
tomodda wrote:Procrastination - Never put off until tomorrow that which you can put off until next week!
Anyway, sounds like your only problem is how to connect the seats to the thwarts. Ditch the screen door thing and get some deck joining plates from the HD, rummage around you'll find the right piece (big rectangular plate). They are meant to be nailed, but drill some of the holes out and screw them instead. Yeah, they are galvanized instead of SS, but you wont see them and they wont rust. Spray with some rustoleum if you're worried and just check them every year or so.
Best,
Tom
Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot] and 1 guest