interior wood
- Thread starter Trev
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Trev, I don't know where you are so I can't
know what is available for local wood. Oak has a tannin reaction with iron that makes black spots and streaks on the wood. There are many very nice wood species suitable for boat interiors. These are durable enough for interior work in a boat. Ash, Cherry, Cypress, Oak, Sassafras, Black walnut, Port Oxford cedar, Those are reasonably hard. Among the softer woods are northern white cedar, atlantic cedar, red pine, larch or tamarack. There are so many choices beyond teak that you may be happier if you investigate the many species and find a saw mill that can supply them for you.
know what is available for local wood. Oak has a tannin reaction with iron that makes black spots and streaks on the wood. There are many very nice wood species suitable for boat interiors. These are durable enough for interior work in a boat. Ash, Cherry, Cypress, Oak, Sassafras, Black walnut, Port Oxford cedar, Those are reasonably hard. Among the softer woods are northern white cedar, atlantic cedar, red pine, larch or tamarack. There are so many choices beyond teak that you may be happier if you investigate the many species and find a saw mill that can supply them for you.
Wood
So many different wood have been used for interiors. I suspect that most hardwoods would work fine and it boils down to personal choice. Ross made good point about seeing what is available in your area. I saw a lot of boats at the boat show using a light colored cherry that was very attractive. I would contact McGregor for the headliner and windows since you the advantage of a manufacturer still in business.
So many different wood have been used for interiors. I suspect that most hardwoods would work fine and it boils down to personal choice. Ross made good point about seeing what is available in your area. I saw a lot of boats at the boat show using a light colored cherry that was very attractive. I would contact McGregor for the headliner and windows since you the advantage of a manufacturer still in business.
watch it on the Oak
Per Ross, Oak can blacken w/direct water contact. Most boat interiors you see these days are 95% veneer which helps the stability. Solid hardwoods move around a lot with moisture changes. Very generally, the softer the wood, the greater stability. Teak, Cypress, White Pine, softer Cedars, are pretty stable. Black Walnut ($$$) & Cherry pretty good. Oak, Ash, Maple, Hickory are going to move on you. A lot does have to do with where you live. North bone dry in the winter, wet in the summer. As you go south, less fluctuation, stays damper.
Per Ross, Oak can blacken w/direct water contact. Most boat interiors you see these days are 95% veneer which helps the stability. Solid hardwoods move around a lot with moisture changes. Very generally, the softer the wood, the greater stability. Teak, Cypress, White Pine, softer Cedars, are pretty stable. Black Walnut ($$$) & Cherry pretty good. Oak, Ash, Maple, Hickory are going to move on you. A lot does have to do with where you live. North bone dry in the winter, wet in the summer. As you go south, less fluctuation, stays damper.
The price of local wood is always more attractive
then the wood that is shipped in. Walnut is very stable(used in gunstocks)and locally no more costly than oak or soft maple. I did not mention gum because it is notorious for wandering around.
then the wood that is shipped in. Walnut is very stable(used in gunstocks)and locally no more costly than oak or soft maple. I did not mention gum because it is notorious for wandering around.
Would you believe Home Depot.
I've gotten some plywood from Home Depot called Luann that is "water resistant"..it's actually a form of Teak thats not very expensive.I sealed the entire form (structure I cut) in Polyeurathane,more than 5 coats and after 3 years it looks good as the day it went in.Check into it..might work for you too. >>>> David
I've gotten some plywood from Home Depot called Luann that is "water resistant"..it's actually a form of Teak thats not very expensive.I sealed the entire form (structure I cut) in Polyeurathane,more than 5 coats and after 3 years it looks good as the day it went in.Check into it..might work for you too. >>>> David
Phill. Mahog. is actually a cedar, i think.
Phillipine Mahogany is actually a form of a cedar if memory serves me correctly. Lots of things i'm too lazy to look up, but anyway, keep in mind that it is a low grade plywood and should not be used in high stress areas or where strength is required. Although luan may be fairly water resistant, this is only on the outer veneer. The other plys are usually made from various trash woods which may or may not rot easily. Depending on your eye for beauty or your particular needs, luan plywood is difficult to get a nice slick finish on unless you are skilled and knowledgeable about finishing techniues. The urethane or varnish tends to stay on the high spots and not fill in the pores. Wood grain fillers can solve that problem. Keep in mind that luan is most commonly used as a door skin on cheap low quality doors. With the amount of effort required for redoing the interior of a MAC, or any boat for that matter, the $100 or so for a sheet of genuine mahogany (usually Honduras Mahog.) or the $150 for a sheet of teak plywood becomes worth it, at least to me. This is , or should be a one time event. Whatever your choice, enjoy yourself. Tony B
Phillipine Mahogany is actually a form of a cedar if memory serves me correctly. Lots of things i'm too lazy to look up, but anyway, keep in mind that it is a low grade plywood and should not be used in high stress areas or where strength is required. Although luan may be fairly water resistant, this is only on the outer veneer. The other plys are usually made from various trash woods which may or may not rot easily. Depending on your eye for beauty or your particular needs, luan plywood is difficult to get a nice slick finish on unless you are skilled and knowledgeable about finishing techniues. The urethane or varnish tends to stay on the high spots and not fill in the pores. Wood grain fillers can solve that problem. Keep in mind that luan is most commonly used as a door skin on cheap low quality doors. With the amount of effort required for redoing the interior of a MAC, or any boat for that matter, the $100 or so for a sheet of genuine mahogany (usually Honduras Mahog.) or the $150 for a sheet of teak plywood becomes worth it, at least to me. This is , or should be a one time event. Whatever your choice, enjoy yourself. Tony B
Wow , I don't know if I want to step in here.
Lauan is phillipine mohogany and is very water resistant and it is not cedar. The underlayment (lauan that has been made prior to now has been very water resistant.) I would look into Just about any thing. It is interior so if you have leaks under control, Pine would be fine, cherry would look nice and mellow through the years, white oak will stand some moisture, Teak will look nice and also cut into the sailing budget. If you have more info on what you want to use it for that would help with better answers. If you are having trouble finding wood at a reasonable cost, let me know. I have a wonderful lumber yard that deals in specialties. Mars Lumber. He was working on a web site but I can't find it. I buy lumber there on a regular basis. r.w.landau
Lauan is phillipine mohogany and is very water resistant and it is not cedar. The underlayment (lauan that has been made prior to now has been very water resistant.) I would look into Just about any thing. It is interior so if you have leaks under control, Pine would be fine, cherry would look nice and mellow through the years, white oak will stand some moisture, Teak will look nice and also cut into the sailing budget. If you have more info on what you want to use it for that would help with better answers. If you are having trouble finding wood at a reasonable cost, let me know. I have a wonderful lumber yard that deals in specialties. Mars Lumber. He was working on a web site but I can't find it. I buy lumber there on a regular basis. r.w.landau
Trev
Lowes sells full and partial sheets of birch or maple plywood that will take a nice finish but I would coat everything in epoxy before assembly if it is not marine grade. I'm currently working on an interior project and I gave up looking for teak plywood locally. I bought a teak board, 4/4x7"x7' for $64 this weekend at a local sawmill/hardwood dealer. My nav desk had a teak plywood bottom. I'm using it for my project and replacing it with a piece of that Lowes plywood (coated in epoxy of course). If you are starting from scratch and not trying to match the existing interior I'd stay away from teak because of the expense. Mahogony is nice and the price is much better. Luan plywood is a cheap form of mahogony but okoume plywood is a better, marine grade of mahogony. You didn't say where you are. There is a large hardwood dealer in Reading, PA called Industrial Plywood. Chesapeake Light Craft (clcboats.com), in Annapolis sells the okoume plywood. Search the internet for them if you are close enough to pick-up. The shipping on a 4'x8' sheet of plywood has got to be astronomical. Tom s/v Orion's Child
Lowes sells full and partial sheets of birch or maple plywood that will take a nice finish but I would coat everything in epoxy before assembly if it is not marine grade. I'm currently working on an interior project and I gave up looking for teak plywood locally. I bought a teak board, 4/4x7"x7' for $64 this weekend at a local sawmill/hardwood dealer. My nav desk had a teak plywood bottom. I'm using it for my project and replacing it with a piece of that Lowes plywood (coated in epoxy of course). If you are starting from scratch and not trying to match the existing interior I'd stay away from teak because of the expense. Mahogony is nice and the price is much better. Luan plywood is a cheap form of mahogony but okoume plywood is a better, marine grade of mahogony. You didn't say where you are. There is a large hardwood dealer in Reading, PA called Industrial Plywood. Chesapeake Light Craft (clcboats.com), in Annapolis sells the okoume plywood. Search the internet for them if you are close enough to pick-up. The shipping on a 4'x8' sheet of plywood has got to be astronomical. Tom s/v Orion's Child
The Cheap way
Ok I am going to go in a little different direction than most on here. I had a 1985 Mac 25 that had that stark white interior. I was looking at doing the samething and adding some wood to the inside. I wanted something to make it feel a little warmer and wasn't looking for any added strength. The solution...I used a very nice looking wood grain contact paper. I know it sounds bad but it turned out very good. It gave us the warm rich look we wanted for very little in cost or labor. It took us a couple of hours and it was done. The contact paper held up for the four years we had the boat. It is easy to maintain because it is vinyl and washable. If you get a bump or a nick just peel that piece off and stick a new one in, that way it always looks new. It comes with the glue already and it. If you don't like it just peel it back off and you will never even know that it was there. Just a thought and it depends on what your goal is. To me I have a very inexpensive boat and didn't want to put a lot of money into it that I would never get back out of it. When I did sell it I got a lot of positive comments on the interior and how rich it looked. I also made $1800.00 when it sold so maybe it helped. Either way good luck!
Ok I am going to go in a little different direction than most on here. I had a 1985 Mac 25 that had that stark white interior. I was looking at doing the samething and adding some wood to the inside. I wanted something to make it feel a little warmer and wasn't looking for any added strength. The solution...I used a very nice looking wood grain contact paper. I know it sounds bad but it turned out very good. It gave us the warm rich look we wanted for very little in cost or labor. It took us a couple of hours and it was done. The contact paper held up for the four years we had the boat. It is easy to maintain because it is vinyl and washable. If you get a bump or a nick just peel that piece off and stick a new one in, that way it always looks new. It comes with the glue already and it. If you don't like it just peel it back off and you will never even know that it was there. Just a thought and it depends on what your goal is. To me I have a very inexpensive boat and didn't want to put a lot of money into it that I would never get back out of it. When I did sell it I got a lot of positive comments on the interior and how rich it looked. I also made $1800.00 when it sold so maybe it helped. Either way good luck!
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