Wood for floor and coaming

[Mike M.]

My '68 DS I came with no wood (removed by a previous owner) and I'd at least like to have a floor. A new friend, a DS owner nearby, will graciously allow me to pattern his but I'm having a difficult time finding mahogany. I'm capable of doing the woodwork. Anyone have a source for raw materials?

[michaelyogi]

Try www.bearcreeklumber.com
They might be a little more expensive but the wood quality and the service is good. Be sure to let them know this is for a boat.
Another wood to consider is Alaskan Yellow Cedar. Might not be the right color but the rot resistant properties are really good and it's durable also.

[Peter McMinn]

Go with mahogany. It's strong, easy to shape, and holds varnish better than teak or cedar as it doesn't bleed nearly as much oil.

I replaced all the old wood on my 1960 DS1 with Philipine mahogany I found at Crosscut Hardwoods http://www.emersonhardwood.com/cchw/categories.asp

Probably could have gotten it at other places but Crosscut had the dimensions I needed for the seats (1x12). It was all rough cut and under a hundred bucks, as I recall.

Look for "certified" lumber harvested from a plantation rather than torn out of a rainforest cleared for pastureland (my $.02).

Another possibility I'd considered was cutting/shaping the pieces I needed out of cabinet-grade plywood, then soaking it all in epoxy. This would have been expensive due to the amount of epoxy, but if you have a cheap source, it could be economical.

[Peter McMinn]

Here's another thought. If you can't find raw mahogany lumber near you, try looking for old futon frames, maybe on craigslist. These are often made of mahogany that could provide just the dimesions you're after.

[Mike M.]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm on the trail of some mahogany 2 x 4's and there're two different places that will rip and plane it for me locally. I'm waiting on quotes now, I'll let you know what I find out.

[Mike M.]

I can get 1/2" x 4" x 72" mahogany for $10 a board buying 20 each. Does that sound like a good deal or too much?

[michaelyogi]

$10.00 a bd ft!!! OUCH!!! Granted alot of milling went into getting 1/2" thickness but still....

[michaelyogi]

I'll check around and see what I can find for ya'. I think it sounds high. I might be wrong but I think the last time I bought Mahogany (Honduran I think) it was $6.00+ bdft. I'll try to be quick about it as I'm leaving soon for a sailing trip... Keep your fingers crossed.

[Mike M.]

That's $10 per board 1/2 x 4" x 72" not per board foot. The price I was quoted for 2 x 4 x 6-0 was $5.81 per board foot.

[Mike M.]

Oops! You're right, 1/2 x 4 x 72 is a board foot!

[michaelyogi]

Now you see what I'm talking about! The 2x4x72 is actually 4bf and a much better price. I just happen to have a full blown woodshop so I would opt out for the 2x4's. If you don't have access to a full on shop the 1/2" material might be the way to go.