Lost my mind

Questions about boat repairs with our resins and fiberglass: hull patches, transoms and stringers, foam, rot etc.
Fuzz
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by Fuzz »

One of my old fishing buddies thinks it is ironwood. There was still enough of it around at that time where it was being used to deck over crabbers. Either way I am convinced it is still sound and will stay in place.

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Re: Lost my mind

Post by jonnymac »

Fuzz wrote: Sat Oct 30, 2021 5:39 pm One of my old fishing buddies thinks it is ironwood. There was still enough of it around at that time where it was being used to deck over crabbers. Either way I am convinced it is still sound and will stay in place.
ironwood sounds about right. its like twice as hard as white oak

fallguy1000
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by fallguy1000 »

The only wood I know of with 20 gpi like what I see is redwood. But redwood is really soft in natural state and unlikely hardening it would matter.

So, the next option is lignum vitae or ironwood which has the exact same end grain appearance as redwood (old growth), but is harder than nails.

You've got a real gem there Fuzz.
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Jaysen
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by Jaysen »

If that’s iron wood it’s probably worth more than the boat. Cut it out, sell it for profit, replace with modern synth.

Or smile knowing that those stringers will outlast the next couple motors.
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by TomW1 »

fallguy lignum vitae is native to South America and the Carribean. North American Ironwood is Ostrya Virginian or North American, Canadian ironwood. Fuzz to test if it is ironwood drop it in a bucket of water. If it sinks it is ironwood. If not it is another wood. Only Ironwood has the density to sink. 8)

I still think it still may be Western Red Cedar which is not really a cedar at all. But see here: The soft red-brown timber has a tight, straight grain and few knots. It is valued for its distinct appearance, aroma, and its high natural resistance to decay, being extensively used for outdoor construction in the form of posts, decking, shingles, and siding.[36] It is commonly used for the framing and longwood in lightweight sail boats and kayaks. In larger boats it is often used in sandwich construction between two layers of epoxy resin and/or fibreglass or similar products. Due to its light weight – 390 to 400 kg/m3 (24 to 25 lb/cu ft) dried – it is about 30% lighter than common boat building woods, such as mahogany. For its weight it is quite strong but can be brittle. It glues well with epoxy resin or resorcinol adhesive. It has a very fine grain.

Regards to both of you, Tom

Correct source of lignum vitae.
Last edited by TomW1 on Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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cape man
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by cape man »

True Lignum Vitae is native to the Caribbean and northern South America. It is the national tree of the Bahamas, and we have a State Park here in Florida named Lignum Vitae Key, about half way down the chain and just north of the road. You can find it growing there and other hardwood hammocks in extreme south Florida. It also sinks, as does ebony and several other tropical hardwoods.

Doubt it is Lignum vitae as even in the 80s it was VERY expensive.
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fallguy1000
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by fallguy1000 »

Ironwood or Eastern HopHornbeam here in the US almost never grows well enough for commercial production. Around here, it is usually never straight and the end grains are not even close to that picture. It makes great knife handles and other smaller things, but makes little sense to me as a boat timber. Most trees never grow past 30' tall, so the timbers are really small that I have seen.

Certainly not worth arguing, but sharing what I know.

There are a few tests like Tom mentioned.

Another test is simply to count grains per inch. Many woods cannot attain the same amounts. Some woods turn black in the presence of metal, like redwood, which is also soft.
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Fuzz
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by Fuzz »

Well in the ongoing saga of what is it wood I dropped the piece into a 5 gallon bucket of water and it went straight to the bottom. Going to clean it up with a sander and look a little closer at it this evening.

fallguy1000
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by fallguy1000 »

Another reason I am thinking lignum is it is super oily and bonding polyester to it is trouble, so they'd use some kind of glue on plywood to be able to glass over it.

Whatever wood it is, it would be over 64# density, and that narrows it down and eliminates mahogany and redwood for sure.
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Fuzz
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Re: Lost my mind

Post by Fuzz »

I am thinking you are correct Dan. It seems they glued a thin strip of wood to the hardwood and then glassed the strip to the hull. I sanded off one side and could make out some faint tight wood grain. The piece of wood is that same dark shade all the way through. I am sure poly would never stick to this stuff. I laid some glass with epoxy over the piece tonight and will do a peal test tomorrow evening. I have to say you can sure learn a lot when you pull apart a boat.

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