Wood Handbook

[Ships_Cat]

The current issue of professional Boatbuilder refers (in an article on balsa core) to the US Department of Agriculture Wood Handbook.

It sounded an interesting reference so I hunted it out - if not already known it is downloadable at http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr113/fplgtr113.htm. It can be downloaded chapter by chapter or as a complete pdf file (look in the right hand sidebar of the linked page to download whole approx 15 Mbytes).

Is oriented to use of timber in structures, not specifically boatbuilding, but a wealth of information in it on species, properties, fastenings, etc.

John

 

[Joe_Cole]

A useful site, and it gives you the answer to your question elsewhere about hickory!

Just a word of caution though. As this is American it lists the woods which a familiar in the States. In some cases these may differ from what we have. For instance, in this country we commonly have American oak, French oak and,of course, English oak. They are all similar, but are certainly not the same. For boat building purposes this is one of those occasions when we really can claim that the English version is best!

Nevertheless, a useful find!