> After a search for reasonble cedar in the San Diego area I settled on
> Redwood. Does anyone have any words of wisdom relative to using all
> redwood? I selected wood with red, dark red and white coloring. I am about
> to begin with my first strip following a quick trip to Home Depot for a
> few last minute tools (fine saw, small planes, jacknife, etc.) and then a
> final decision relative to "Cove" or "bead" edge up. I
> am still trying to decide what epoxy to use. Any suggestions will be
> welcome!

Hi Steve,

I've done 2 yaks out of all redwood and it worked out really well. There are a couple of things to keep an eye on tho....

1. Color variations: When wet with epoxy the color of redwood deepens nicely. I have some strips that turned almost black. If you butt two differnt color strips together it really calls atention to the joint. So before doing a pattern or butting two strips together try to get the closest color match possible. (I laid all the strips out in the bright sunlight and recieved a great deal of assistance from my girlfriend, I saw 4 color groups, she saw about 15, and had names for them!)

2. Density and flexibility: The darkest color stips (the heartwood) tend to be very soft and brittle. The sapwood (white) is harder and more flexible. There tends to be a lot of differences even in strips cut from the same board. On mine I used the white strips for sharp bends or curves-much less breakage. If you staple the strips be carefull with the softer ones, sometimes the staple will sink into the strip, leaving a gouge that must be filled and than planed or sanded out.

3. And if you put the cove side up its easier to glue and a lot less messy but much harder to clamp the strip into place without breaking the cove edges. If you put the cove side down its much easier to clamp and get the strips into place, but more of a mess. I always pick the mess, since a little more mess can't even be detected in my garage.

Good luck and happy building

Bob