you guys crack me up 
fur ... lol (ross).. FIR does seem like it is prone to rot, though whether the rot I've experienced is premature, is open to debate. I have pictures of that same 'sprit dating back to 1981 so I assume it is the original timber. Joseph, I just personally feel that though the use of laminates may be fine for furniture from IKEA, my experience with them in the housing industry ie. particle, waffle and ply woods is that they don't play well with moisture. The plys tend to separate even in merely humid environments and once a fissure between plys occurs, the veritable 'seal' is broken and the separation travels quickly. The primary reason for not going the laminate route, however, is aesthetics. I have a lot of wood on this yacht and I hope that a well varnished piece of solid timber will not only look nice but, because I do not intend to paint it, any moisture 'seepage' will be immediately apparent through the varnish coat and quickly dealt with. what you say about warping, however is a point of concern. Something else to worry over... thanks buddy! Liam.. i did consider hard mounting a brass 18 pounder cannon in its place, to deal with those pesky pirates! But seriously, while steel is practical, it wouldn't quite fit the 'theme' I am trying to maintain. Thanks for all the responses people! I'm going to pick out my timber this afternoon. Ill keep y'all posted
fur ... lol (ross).. FIR does seem like it is prone to rot, though whether the rot I've experienced is premature, is open to debate. I have pictures of that same 'sprit dating back to 1981 so I assume it is the original timber. Joseph, I just personally feel that though the use of laminates may be fine for furniture from IKEA, my experience with them in the housing industry ie. particle, waffle and ply woods is that they don't play well with moisture. The plys tend to separate even in merely humid environments and once a fissure between plys occurs, the veritable 'seal' is broken and the separation travels quickly. The primary reason for not going the laminate route, however, is aesthetics. I have a lot of wood on this yacht and I hope that a well varnished piece of solid timber will not only look nice but, because I do not intend to paint it, any moisture 'seepage' will be immediately apparent through the varnish coat and quickly dealt with. what you say about warping, however is a point of concern. Something else to worry over... thanks buddy!
Liam.. i did consider hard mounting a brass 18 pounder cannon in its place, to deal with those pesky pirates! But seriously, while steel is practical, it wouldn't quite fit the 'theme' I am trying to maintain. Thanks for all the responses people! I'm going to pick out my timber this afternoon. Ill keep y'all posted
