Best timber for Tiller

Re: The reason why old oak will move

My understanding is that hickory and ash are more or less interchangeable, so it would be excellent for rudders.
Hickory isn't widely available in UK, so much so that it doesn't even appear in my UK timber directory (and there are a lot of exotics in there) so I can't answer your other questions.
 
we made ours out of laminated ash with epoxy glue because it bends up from the cockpit sole. Now 2 years on the ash has become a nice pale yellow colour and I think it looks great with the darker epoxy glue lines, much better than the original ash/mahog IMHO. I used original yacht varnish which has needed very little maint so far apart from small impact damage marks. any unprotected area appears to silver very quickly.
 
Just to set the cat amongst the pigeons ....

You can use any timber you want. The probability is that you will have your boat for a maximum of 3.4 years [ie The average ownership of any UK yacht]

B&Q sell Russian spruce in various sizes. You could laminate some of the thinner sizes together with any waterproof glue and make a tiller that would last say 10 to 15 years for next to nothing.

It wouldn't need varnishing nor would it need waxing ... It would weather quietly and turn a deeper shade of mellow beige.

Nice timber, Russian spruce. It's almost as hard as ash and is 1/2 the cost.

Hey there, Tillergirl, if you can find a lump of driftwood about the right size then use it. You can use aged oak, but if you work it it MIGHT change shape ... Ash is as good as any of the tropical hardwoods. It all comes down to what you can find in your local real and proper timber merchant's yard - Be guided not by us, but by the old guy in the yard who know his woods.

My 4" x 2 1/8" tiller [made 4 years ago] is made from full length [5' 11"] laminated scaps of compatible woods that were all bought for five pounds from an inland timber merchant .... and the glue for laminating [Cascamite then ... but it's now changed its name] cost twice as much as the timber! That tiller will last me out and probably the next few owners /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Just to set the cat amongst the pigeons ....

Um - I've already had TG 15 years! I think a decent piece of driftwood in the Thames Estuary is about as likely as an honest politician but I will keep looking. I think you are absolutely right about what's in the local timber yard. When I first bought TG, I had to replace the top two planks in the transom and found a supply of iroko in the most unlikely place, the General Woodworking Company opposite Stoke Newington Police Station - the title looked good but it was an old fashioned ironmonger. When I asked for the iroko, the guy serving me who was about 60 said, 'you'll have to see old Stan' Old Stan was roused from the back and when I announced my wants, he barked 'WHAT DO YOU WANT IT FOR?' When I told him he thawed slightly and sucked his teeth, shook his head, muttered and grunted and took me in the back where he produced a perfect piece that had clearly been in that yard for ages. Still got the receipt - one piece was 60x20x1.25 (real measurements in inches not your decimals) £31
 
Keeping the cat amongst the pigeons ....

I've had Mirelle for 21 years and her ash tiller is original - 68 years old. Mind you, it has had three graving pieces let into it, by me when I bought the boat, and it had a rather elegant teak piece birdsmouth scarphed into the butt end at that time - possibly original.
 
Re: Keeping the cat amongst the pigeons ....

The 'jury' tiller, ie the old one with the ragged end squared off and new hole drilled functioned ok today so will probably last me until the end of season. I think Ash is the favorite so I shall be having a look around for a suitable piece. The birdsmouth sounds worth a photo
 
Re: Just to set the cat amongst the pigeons ....

This is the classic boat forum-half of us spend 3.4 years just trying to get the boat in the water!
 
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