360 Days And Counting Till Cast-off

[Nausikaa]

Good point well made!

Thanks for this valuable information Michael.

Members take note for your own sakes and please spread this information.

Aye // Stephen

[Trim50]

What is it about hardwood dust that will kill you? I know for a fact that I have ingested my fair share of teak dust over the years!

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Trim50

What is it about hardwood dust that will kill you? I know for a fact that I have ingested my fair share of teak dust over the years!

Dunno about death, Ken, but several woods have dust that, because they're so fine, can mess up your lungs. Example that we worked with is Alaskan Yellow Cedar--very fine. Other woods can quickly bring on allergic reactions similar to mold and other more common allergens. I know a fellow whose throat closes down and needs an epi- shot if subjected to dust of Greenheart. The (professional woodworker) fellow who helped my husband with planking the boat and many other woodworking tasks was quite sensitive to the Sapele (African Mahogany) that we were using for all that work. As well as having mold allergies, I'm personally sensitive to redwood dust (face turns red, rashes, and sinus headaches). I suppose its a matter of being exposed to something extensively for most people--at some point they can have an allergic reaction.

[Trim50]

Interesting about the African Mahogany...we have a lot of it aboard Trim. It took us years to figure out exactly what kind of wood it was because it was so dark without stain. It is a deep brownish red all the way through apparently from age...makes very nice T&G.

[attachment=1994:galley_t...scale_1_.jp

g]

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Trim50

Interesting about the African Mahogany...we have a lot of it aboard Trim. It took us years to figure out exactly what kind of wood it was because it was so dark without stain. It is a deep brownish red all the way through apparently from age...makes very nice T&G.

g]

There are a couple different woods referred to as African Mahogany. The Sapele is closest to Honduran mahogany in looks, rot resistance, etc. Another wood commonly called African Mahogany but isn't really in the same family is Kaya. The wood isn't nearly as pretty, nor rot resistant, though. We used Kaya to replace our white oak quarter logs on the stern as we could get large chunks of it (8" x 12" cross section) which was preferred to gluing up smaller dimension Sapele or White Oak for that purpose.

The reddish brown color is how Sapele looks when you get it from the lumber yard. When exposed to water (especially with iron content) it will turn black in the eposed area, as will all mahoganies. The difference between African Mahogany and Honduran Mahogany is that when exposed to UV light the African Mahogany will lighten but the Honduran Mahogany will darken in color. Both Sapele and Honduran can have that very distinctive ribbon graining pattern which I think is very pretty.

You're lucky to have such a pretty interior! Ken. Is this one of the things that drew you to this particular boat?

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by redbopeep

You're lucky to have such a pretty interior! Ken. Is this one of the things that drew you to this particular boat?

Actually, when we found the boat, the interior was completely trashed. Most of the wood was in a pile and the engine was on an a-frame in the galley. All the head liner was pulled out and wires were hanging down where lights once hung. Our friends thought we were insane to buy the mess.

What attracted me to her were her flush decks, aft cockpit, and clean shearlines with overhangs...basic classical sailing vessel lines...you know the ones of the old J-boat days. At 25y/o, I pictured myself laying the teak decks on her and painting her midnight blue. Over 10 years later I finally got around to doing it.

I have a bunch of pictures from when I first found her that I need to get out of storage, scan into digital format and put together a before and after collage.

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Trim50

Actually, when we found the boat, the interior was completely trashed. Most of the wood was in a pile and the engine was on an a-frame in the galley. All the head liner was pulled out and wires were hanging down where lights once hung. Our friends thought we were insane to buy the mess.

What attracted me to her were her flush decks, aft cockpit, and clean shearlines with overhangs...basic classical sailing vessel lines...you know the ones of the old J-boat days. At 25y/o, I pictured myself laying the teak decks on her and painting her midnight blue. Over 10 years later I finally got around to doing it.

I have a bunch of pictures from when I first found her that I need to get out of storage, scan into digital format and put together a before and after collage.

I'm glad that you've done such a wonderful job with the boat! Can't wait to meet you in person and see the boat out at Catalina Island!

You're lovely interior reminds me of how much work we'll continue to do once launched--we look like a giant fish hold in comparison!

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by redbopeep

I'm glad that you've done such a wonderful job with the boat! Can't wait to meet you in person and see the boat out at Catalina Island!

You're lovely interior reminds me of how much work we'll continue to do once launched--we look like a giant fish hold in comparison!

Keep in mind I've been working on her for almost 20 years...hard to believe really. There were a hand full of years I let her go, but I eventually came back around.

[MMNETSEA]

Mahogany and others

Sapele= Entandrophragma cylindricum

African Mahogany= Khaya anthotheca

Tropical American Mahogany (Real Mahogany)= Swietenia macrophylla

Sapele (pronounced sa-peel-ee) is a hardwood which comes from eastern and western Africa, and grows in a range of climates from the Ivory Coast to the Cameroons, and eastward through Zaire to Uganda. Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) is of the family Meliaceae which includes mahagony. Although some may refer to it as sapele-mahogony it is not a member of the genus Swietena and therefore is not considered a true mahogony by purists.

http://www.exotichardwoods-africa.com/sapele.htm

However the one of the very best woods is Kiaat or Mukwa :- http://www.countrywoods.co.za/Kiaat_mukwa.htm

Health hazards and wood :- http://www.ubeaut.com.au/badwood.htm

[Trim50]

I was in storage the other day and saw the old pictures. I forgot to grab them when I locked-up. I promiss to do it this weekend.

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Trim50

I was in storage the other day and saw the old pictures. I forgot to grab them when I locked-up. I promiss to do it this weekend.

Pictures, pictures! we love pictures! Its been difficult lately for us to take any good pics of what we're doing in the boat--too many piles of stuff sitting on top of the finished projects

I take it you have "before" and "after" pics? goody

[Trim50]

Always take before and after photos of each project...no matter how small. One day you will look back on this period as the best years of your life. Even though they seem like hell now.

I REALLY miss the refit days...every weekend ended with a tremendous sense of accomplishment.