walnut & marine carpentry
sami...@bix.com
X-Newsreader: Galahad 1.3
It struck me today, for no apparent reason, that I've never seen a
reference to use of walnut as a marine material, either in framing and
planking (which I could understand) or in interior cabinetry and joinery.
Is this merely tradition, or is their some inherent incompatibility between
walnut species and the marine environment?
Scott A. Miller
sami...@bix.com sami...@bellatlantic.net
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Glenn Ashmore
>It struck me today, for no apparent reason, that I've never seen a
reference to use of walnut as a marine material,<
Good question. I have built a lot of furniture in American Walnut. It
is relatively stable as far as movement goes, at least as good as
mahogany. It also rates fairly high for biodegradation (rot). It _is_
brittle so not for structural use but probably OK for cabinets.
My main objection is a very dark wood in a small space makes the space
visually even smaller. Being a furniture maker, the quandry I'm in now
is what to use for the interior. As far as the usual boatbuilding
woods are concerend, mahogany is too dark. Teak is expensive and
everyone has it. White oak stains and is high maintenance. Cherry
darkens with age.. I am leaning towards fiddle back ash on the light
side or mesquite for a medium brown.
Glenn
ultradad
Glenn
The mahogany I've been getting lately is very light in color, not like the
Honduras stuff I have that is 30+ years old. You might want to check some
out if you haven't seen it recently. A clear finish will keep it fairly
light too.
Bill
Glenn Ashmore wrote in message <34C54AE7...@mto.infi.net>...
Glenn Ashmore
>>The mahogany I've been getting lately is very light in color, not like
the
Honduras stuff I have that is 30+ years old. You might want to check
some
out if you haven't seen it recently. A clear finish will keep it fairly
light too.<<
You may be right. For years I have been picking through the stock of an
old family run lumber yard for the best boards. I think I'm their only
customer that buys mahogany becaues the stock never changes. Maybe I
should drive up to Atlanta and see what the modern world is using.<g>
I have gotten enraptured by musquite tho. Almost as hard as Lignum
Vitae. Almost zero movement between 20% and 90% RH, beautiful figure
and just the right color. Only problem is it cost more than teak....
Glenn
Matt Pedersen
sami...@BIX.com wrote:
> It struck me today, for no apparent reason, that I've never seen a
> reference to use of walnut as a marine material, either in framing and
> planking (which I could understand) or in interior cabinetry and joinery.
> Is this merely tradition, or is their some inherent incompatibility between
> walnut species and the marine environment?
No reason except tradition. One other poster mentioned that most
shipwrights considered it bad luck to use it. I've heard that
before.
Now, from my authoritive old Navy book (WOOD: A Manual for its
Use As a Shipbuilding Material):
"(Walnut) is heavy, hard, strong, stiff, and has high resistance
to decay. It stays in place well and is easily worked. Black
walnut is used largely for furniture and interior finish."
Sounds like high praise to me.
Matt
Pat Ford
On 20 Jan 1998 20:21:04 GMT, <sami...@BIX.com> wrote:
>X-Newsreader: Galahad 1.3
>
>It struck me today, for no apparent reason, that I've never seen a
>reference to use of walnut as a marine material, either in framing and
>planking (which I could understand) or in interior cabinetry and joinery.
>Is this merely tradition, or is their some inherent incompatibility between
>walnut species and the marine environment?
Interesting question.
It is rarely used in the US and Europe. It is now and always has been
an expensive wood. With the skyrocketing cost of interior woods may
may have come down in relative cost.
I once heard a boatwright refer to walnut as "coffin wood." I believe
this is an oblique reference to a superstition that it is bad luck to
use in joinery.
As to the properties of the wood, it is, as I recall, strong and
durable.
Aestheticcally, I think it is a wonderful wood. It is a dark wood and
that can be a drawback in interiors. It can be finished with oil. One
can finish it to bring up the golden colors which it has instead of
the darker shades. As an accent, it is marvelous.
Many years ago, I once used it as trim with a creamy vinyl grass cloth
wallpaper in a sailboat. Looked great.
Regards,
pcf
Classic Boat Discussion Board at
Pacific Northwest Antique and Classic Boat Society website: www.halcyon.com/pford/acbsx.htm
International Headquarters ACBS: www.acbs.org
Jon Etheredge
Pat Ford wrote:
>
> On 20 Jan 1998 20:21:04 GMT, <sami...@BIX.com> wrote:
>
> >X-Newsreader: Galahad 1.3
> >
> >It struck me today, for no apparent reason, that I've never seen a
> >reference to use of walnut as a marine material, either in framing and
> >planking (which I could understand) or in interior cabinetry and joinery.
> >Is this merely tradition, or is their some inherent incompatibility between
> >walnut species and the marine environment?
>
> Interesting question.
> It is rarely used in the US and Europe. It is now and always has been
> an expensive wood. With the skyrocketing cost of interior woods may
> may have come down in relative cost.
>
> I once heard a boatwright refer to walnut as "coffin wood." I believe
> this is an oblique reference to a superstition that it is bad luck to
> use in joinery.
>
I believe it is not too uncommon to find walnut used in boat
construction on the Chesapeake. When I lived in Maine though I also
heard reference to walnut carrying bad luck when used in boats.
For what it is worth (very little I suppose ;-), my current project has
a walnut inner stem and sheer clamp. Mainly cause I had it on hand but
also due to the rot resistance and workablity.
Jon Etheredge
Matt Pedersen
Glenn Ashmore wrote:
> My main objection is a very dark wood in a small space makes the space
> visually even smaller. Being a furniture maker, the quandry I'm in now
> is what to use for the interior. As far as the usual boatbuilding
> woods are concerend, mahogany is too dark. Teak is expensive and
> everyone has it. White oak stains and is high maintenance. Cherry
> darkens with age.. I am leaning towards fiddle back ash on the light
> side or mesquite for a medium brown.
Try cedar or fir. Both finish up to a nice warm honey color.
Matt
Glenn Ashmore
>>Try cedar or fir. Both finish up to a nice warm honey color.<<
Wish it could be cedar. I have enough left over from the hul to do the
interior twice.<g>
Problem is, cedar is soft. Even with a hard finish, the wood will crush
if an errant tool lands on it. Scratches are one thing but dents are a
pain to fix.
Glenn
Chris Crandall
On 20 Jan 1998 20:21:04 GMT, <sami...@BIX.com> wrote:
: > >reference to use of walnut as a marine material
And Pat Ford wrote:
: > It is rarely used in the US and Europe. It is now and always has been
: > an expensive wood.
Then Jon Etheredge (jone...@inetport.com) wrote:
: I believe it is not too uncommon to find walnut used in boat
: construction on the Chesapeake.
This is true. For example, one of the boats in the Chesapeake Bay
Maritime Museum, a Sharptown Barge, has a completely walnut transom. This
is a long-and-narrow flat-bottomed fish-net-tending powerboat (about 22 ft
LOA and 4'9" beam). A neat boat, and not exactly new.
-Chris
Mark Anderson
Glenn Ashmore <gash...@mto.infi.net> wrote:
> >It struck me today, for no apparent reason, that I've never seen a
> reference to use of walnut as a marine material,<
> My main objection is a very dark wood in a small space makes the space
> visually even smaller.
LFH's favorite interior wood was Butternut. Light color. Nice grain.
Light weight. (Too bad it's soft.)
BTW, if you could get walnut sapwood, it'd be light colored. But, you
might lose other desirable qualities.
--
Mark Anderson
Riparia
"The trouble with good ideas, is that they soon turn into
alot of hard work." Anon.
Donald Haines
>Glenn Ashmore <gash...@mto.infi.net> wrote:
>
>> >It struck me today, for no apparent reason, that I've never seen a
>> reference to use of walnut as a marine material,<
I have seen it used a lot in canoes, as accent stripes in cedar strippers, for
decking, and for thwarts. One of my canoes has walnut yoke. And of course
it gets used in paddles.
Don Haines
Steve Pawlowskis
I found the following reference in a 1936 copy of Howard Chapelle's "Yacht
Designing and Planning" borrowed from a local public library. I quote the
following from the chapter "Construction and Joiner Plans":
"The timber used in joiner work is of endless variety. To name a few, Teak,
Mahogany, White and Oregon Pine, Rosewood, Oak, Butternut, Red and White
Cedar, Porcupine, Bamboo, Cocobolo, Spanish Cedar, Redwood, Birch and
Walnut."
While it's not in the Top Ten at least Walnut made Howard's list.