Wood for replacement grab handles

Tim O

Tim O

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Hi

My Colvic Countess has wooden grab rails on deck that are not the standard size teak ones found in Force 4 for example.

Im looking to have some new ones made up by a friend who has a woodwork shop with planers, thicknessers etc.

Luckily I have one brand new original to work from as a template as the ones on the boat are pretty far gone now.

My query is about what timber is suitable for this....my carpenter friend is a huge fan of larch which he claims is as long lasting as oak outdoors - they usually make benches and tables out of larch

However, I'm not convinced larch would work in the marine environment for as long as a hardwood.

Oak would be easy to get hold of as he has a supplier...but would that do?

Alternatively..what hardwoods would you recommend that might be easily available and reasonably priced?

The original wood is pictured here - someone may recognise it from the distinctive marbled grain

Oh no it isnt as apparently Ive exceeded my quota for attached pictures...anyone know how to delete old ones??
 
Tim O said:
Hi

My Colvic Countess has wooden grab rails
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The original wood is pictured here - someone may recognise it from the distinctive marbled grain

Oh no it isnt as apparently Ive exceeded my quota for attached pictures...anyone know how to delete old ones??
Click to expand...

Go to " Settings" in top RH corner

Then "Attachments" at the bottom of the LH side

Select ( tick box) of the ones you want to delete.

Scroll to the bottom and "Delete selected"
 
Teak or iroko. The latter is almost as good but typically half the price, but you have to be a bit careful choosing it as it can have irregular grain. If you can find good mahogany that will also do well if kept well varnished.

You can leave teak bare but it is best to coat any timber for grab rails with a lightly tinted porous woodstain or International Woodskin.
 
Not larch especially in the smaller sizes as the wood has a wide grain. If you can't find any teak locally, I can spec up some oak from the mill and send it.

If someone is making them for you, check that the grain pattern runs parallel to the long length and not diagonally or directly through the centre of the hand grab recesses for strength reasons.

What finished size are you needing ?
 
They’re easy to make with a router table and suitable round over bit with following bearing.

Cut out the silhouette profile and then round over from both sides. A light sanding and they look like the ones you buy in the shop.

But hopefully your friend knows this already.

For the amount of timber used I’d be looking at teak. The difference in price is not that great for the volume of timber you’ve got to buy.
 
john_morris_uk said:
They’re easy to make with a router table and suitable round over bit with following bearing.

Cut out the silhouette profile and then round over from both sides. A light sanding and they look like the ones you buy in the shop.

But hopefully your friend knows this already.

For the amount of timber used I’d be looking at teak. The difference in price is not that great for the volume of timber you’ve got to buy.
Click to expand...

also buy wider & longer plank & cut 2 from the one wider plank, inter-leaf the upstands
 
While I am not advocating larch for the OPs purpose, it is worth noting that the majority of Scottish fishing boats were planked with it and these days a lot of rural dwellings (including part of mine) are clad with it or roofed with larch shingles. European larch is not as durable as the Japanese variety but the variety of choice for durability is hybrid larch an interbreeding of the two. A life span of around 30 years is normally expected outdoors.
I have made external grab rails from teak for a couple of my early boats in the days that you bought a hull a baulk of teak and some plywood, cutting the shapes from a plank using a jigsaw and finishing with hand tools as the rev. suggests, long before I had even heard of a router; it is remarkably soft and easy to finish, very satisfying though I must have inhaled an awful lot of the dust.
 
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Thanks all

The current ones are quite beefy....the grab section is about 36mm square...it IS rounded off, and oversll finish is very professional looking.

I was told the boat was finished and fitted in a professional boatyard rather than an "at home" job.

Ive sourced iroko and other woods from these guys online https://www.woodshopdirect.co.uk/ ...and I have a router...so maybe I might just DIY this!

Good point about interleaving the handles to save on timber.....I will work that out now
 
Tim O said:
Thanks all

The current ones are quite beefy....the grab section is about 36mm square...it IS rounded off, and oversll finish is very professional looking.

I was told the boat was finished and fitted in a professional boatyard rather than an "at home" job.

Ive sourced iroko and other woods from these guys online https://www.woodshopdirect.co.uk/ ...and I have a router...so maybe I might just DIY this!

Good point about interleaving the handles to save on timber.....I will work that out now
Click to expand...

36mm is quite chunky. Same technique to make them though. You just need an 18mm radius round over router cutter. Only available in 1/2" shank I suspect if you've only got a little router.

edit: I've just looked and it appears that you can get 1/4" shank 3/4" radius router bits...
 
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