coaming wood

[kokko]

Does anyone know, for certain, what would was used on the DS1 coamings? Mine is #3395, from '67 or '68.

The boat got shoved under a dock and the coaming boards were destroyed.

[navahoIII]

Our DSI, built in 1961, has its original coaming and floorboards. Both are of mahogany. Not sure what type though. Maybe African. The other type I know of is Honduran, which is, I think, rarer and thus more expensive.

Teak may also have been used as an alternative. In those days I believe teak was far less costly than now.

[GreenLake]

Too bad about your coamings. Some docks are nearly impossible to tie up to with a DS. Been there, but luckily w/o permanent damage.

When I sanded mine to bare wood, I got the pinkish hue and grain pattern that indicate mahogany. ('63).

The floorboards are made from a different wood on mine, one that I haven't identified.

[itsermam]

I believe the coamings are made of Philippine Mahogany, same as the floor boards. If you look in the list of accessories here http://www.gjenvick.com/BangorPunta/ODa ... ailer.html you will see that the floorboards are specified as Philippine Mahogany.

I am about to replace mine (1966 #3056) as well, although in my case they seem to have just been poorly cared for for many years - the port side has literally disintegrated around the jib block track. Good luck!

[navahoIII]

itsermam,

Thanks, that is probably what it is -- Philippine mahogany! Now I know of three types!!

[Peterw11]

Mine's a '68.

I just sanded my coamings down to bare wood in order to revarnish.

The original finish (what was left of it) gave the wood a dark honey colored appearance.

Sanded to bare wood, they have a yellowy/ light beige look. I'm guessing teak.

The floorboards are still original varnish, darker in color, and a chipped section shows a brownish/red grain throughout. I'm guessing that's mahogany.

It's pretty frustrating, as I'd like to add a bit more brightwork, but I'm not sure what wood to use.

There's a boatbuilder/cabinet maker not far from me. I'm going to bring him the pieces to ID, so I'll know for sure.

For the record, I've decided to go with Bristol Finish urethane for the varnish.

This stuff:
http://www.myboatstore.com/bristol-finish-articles.asp
Pricey as hell, but has gotten some great recommendations.

[persephone]

Not to confuse the issue...
I had one teak, one mahogany. Don't know which one is original though. I think mahogany has been hard to get for many years now, so it's likely in my case the teak is a replacement.

[K.C. Walker]

Some thoughts on the subject… True mahogany from Central and South America is now on the CITES endangered species list so it is difficult to get. It's a beautiful wood and was used in a lot of high-end furniture and high-end boats for brightwork, also used in most guitars for necks. It takes a finish beautifully and is fairly rot resistant. It is not likely to have been used on Daysailer's.

Philippine mahogany, which was mentioned earlier, is more likely what was used, it's what's used on my 1974 boat. Though, some of the earlier boat did use teak for some of the parts as I understand it. By the way, Boston Whaler also used Philippine mahogany extensively for their brightwork. It's a much coarser texture wood than true mahogany with much larger pore structure and it's someone more brittle and less rot resistant.

Though teak is more expensive it is farmed so is sustainable and it's very weather resistant. Both Philippine mahogany and true mahogany are somewhat soft woods (for a hardwood) and they are relatively light weight (a good thing). Teak it is heavier, harder, and more durable. You can often buy teak from a higher end lumberyard as decking.

Teak is a really nice wood for brightwork and I could justify it. Although, if you use Philippine mahogany, stain it, use a filler, and varnish it, it will be difficult to tell it from genuine mahogany. African mahogany is even a closer match to the true mahogany.

KC

[navahoIII]

Thanks, KC, for your knowledgeable input.

If it is Philippine wood it still looks pretty darn good, and a welcome contrast to the rest of the boat and water surrounding it!

[itsermam]

Great summary of the attributes of the "traditional" maritime hardwoods for brightwork KC!

I would add to it that while Philippine mahogany may have been the original wood, there are all kinds of options out there that you could try if you are not trying to restore to "original" condition. I think there are some discussion threads on this site about the possibility of using oak and other hardwoods for building replacement floorboards and even one about using some of the new synthetic (i.e., plastic) wood-like-substances. I actually find that last one an intriguing proposition - it appeals to the lazy in me, but offends the traditionalist in me.

Having said that, I am off to buy a 1x8 slab of Philippine mahogany this weekend at the local specialty lumber house. I'll report back on pricing and such.

[navahoIII]

itsermam,

Tell the "lazy" in you to walk the plank (wooden, of course)!

[K.C. Walker]

itsermam,

Yes, there are other woods that have been used traditionally in boat building. White Oak, as you mentioned, is quite weather resistant and does make good floorboards. It also makes good whiskey barrels! Red Oak is quite a bit inferior for this use, though. Another traditional wood used for coamings is ash. If you like a lighter color this makes a handsome coaming, I think especially if it's combined with some darker woods or darker paint.

Just some further thoughts…

KC

[itsermam]

Per Navaho III's suggestion the lazy walked the plank and I purchased a slab of Philippine mahogany this weekend to make new coamings. The good news is that it was not nearly as expensive as I thought it would be - about $35 for 5/4 x 8 x 10, which is enough to make both side coamings and probably the transom coaming and a replacement slat for my floorboards (just one of the short slats on the section under the back deck). According to the shop I was dealing with they stopped stocking 1X Philippine mahogany because of its tendency to cup while it stands in the rack.

The "bad news" is that they only had 5/4, so there is going to be some home shop "milling" to get proper thickness. The 5/4 nets to 15/16 and the original is scant 7/16, so if I split that board down the middle, as opposed to just planing it down, I should double my available material. The question is what is the best way to accomplish the split? I figure I could run it through a table saw on each edge, but that will leave me with at least one half that is a tad thin due to blade width. I have also thought about seeking out someone with a band saw set up that could handle the task. Thoughts?

[Kleanbore]

The process is usually done on a very well setup band saw and is called "re-sawing". The boards will need to be planed to cleanup the lines left by the band saw and to make the boards clean, flat and parallel. Taking 15/16" down to 7/16" only allows 1/16" if you plan to make 2 - 7/16" boards out of 1 - 15/16" board. A circular saw blade is going to take at least a 1/8" kerf, leaving you only 1 board that will need to be planed. Ask the mill if they have un-milled stock and if they could recommend a shop to re-saw and plane the boards to the thickness you need. This will cost you some dough, but is far less likely to turn your money into sawdust.

[itsermam]

Thanks Kleanbore! I am leaning towards another board - it is not that expensive - but I will still need to have the re-sawing done, so I will look into a local shop to handle the work.