Casey
Well-Known Member
I need to replace the wedge at the foot of Kala Sona's mast as the old one is almost falling to pieces. I cannot identify the timber used in the original. Can anyone advise me of which timber to use?
What type of timber?
- Thread starter Casey
- Start date
sbrockman
Active Member
I would use a piece of teak or iroko myself.
Woodlouse
Well-Known Member
Or oak. Provided that it's been left to age long enough.
oldfrank
Well-Known Member
Teak's not very good with fresh water - it goes black and rots - and it may see a lot of fresh water at the bottom of a mast. Best you can get is recycled Victorian pitch pine. Find someone who's knocked down a chapel. The pitch pine in the windows of my house (which is beside the sea) was 100 years old last year and nearly all sound. Just bought three roof beams myself! OF
chrishelen
N/A
[ QUOTE ]
Or oak. Provided that it's been left to age long enough.
[/ QUOTE ] how long must you age oak?
Or oak. Provided that it's been left to age long enough.
[/ QUOTE ] how long must you age oak?
Woodlouse
Well-Known Member
As long as you can. You don't have to let it age yourself, you ought to be able to buy a piece of oak thats been left to age for seven or eight years no problem. All this means is that the wood will be more stable and won't swell or shrink too much as the weather changes etc.
When the mast step was replaced in our boat in 1989 the piece of oak that was used had been sitting in someones celler since the 30's. But thats a bit extreme.
When the mast step was replaced in our boat in 1989 the piece of oak that was used had been sitting in someones celler since the 30's. But thats a bit extreme.
oldfrank
Well-Known Member
Oak is heavy and doesn't like staying varnished.
Teak is my preference - nothing feels nicer in bare feet than warm sanded teak on sunny day. I'd leave it as a sanded finish; certainly wouldn't varnish or oil. Varnished floorboards are slippery and every piece of grit or sand scratches them.
If it's bulls*t you want, get one of Howells teak grating kits and make up a small panel so you can see how much water there is in the bilge. Don't make the grating too large - they look lovely but tend to accelerate the progress of rubbish to the bilge pump. Old Frank
Teak is my preference - nothing feels nicer in bare feet than warm sanded teak on sunny day. I'd leave it as a sanded finish; certainly wouldn't varnish or oil. Varnished floorboards are slippery and every piece of grit or sand scratches them.
If it's bulls*t you want, get one of Howells teak grating kits and make up a small panel so you can see how much water there is in the bilge. Don't make the grating too large - they look lovely but tend to accelerate the progress of rubbish to the bilge pump. Old Frank
Casey
Well-Known Member
Many thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately all the chapels around here are still in use either for their original purpose or as pubs or even furniture shops! I shall have to search a few scrap boxes for some suitable pine. Thanks again.
reiner
New Member
I wouldnt give up searching for a piece of hardwood like oak. Take it out of an old railwaysleeper if necissary, just make shure its not drenchend with creosote and beware of old bolts. If you come by fresh oak, theres places in a boat, where its more critical to use unseasoned wood. Make sure
to use two well threaded through-bolts forward and aft of the notch for the mast. These you have to put horizontaly across the grain ( the grain running fore and aft, of course ) and will prevent the piece from splitting. If it shrinks after installation,
you can always give the nuts a few turns to make them come tight again. Good luck !
to use two well threaded through-bolts forward and aft of the notch for the mast. These you have to put horizontaly across the grain ( the grain running fore and aft, of course ) and will prevent the piece from splitting. If it shrinks after installation,
you can always give the nuts a few turns to make them come tight again. Good luck !
