: Well T. I like you already. I'm still using teak I dove for 30 years ago. I
: think the only question not addressed is waste. I think the consensus here
: is that the a table saw is easier to get a good product from and while
: there is less initial waste from a band saw, you'll give it back to the
: planer or sander. I agree that you might want to try to sell or swap you
: mahog for some cedar or pine. Mahogany is getting very scare and expensive
: and should bring a good price in the sizes you have. Then you'd have the
: best of both worlds the mahog for your patterning or trim and lighter wood
: for the major part of your hull. Good luck.
: Geo. C.

I agree with George. Sell the mahogany to buy cedar and save some mahogany for cockpit and accents.

I guess it's irresistable to collect beautiful free wood. I had a stack of cut-off mahogany board edges at a local cabinet shop that I used on a boat.

The problem is that using odd pieces and short lengths is A LOT!! of extra work to mill and makes any kind of color/grain match impossible.

I built a kayak with a mahogany deck. The mahogany strips were a lot more work to deal with than cedar and the weight of the mahogany doulbed the weight of the boat. I will never use any wood other than cedar for my boat decks and hulls.

Doulbing the weight of your boat is a significant disadvantage.

If you choose your western red cedar carefully, you can get colors that look as good as mahogany. All the dark wood in the pictures of boats on my web site are of western red cedar.

Free materials are more expensive than high quality, high cost materials.

It may take you 10 years to learn this however.

All the best,

Rob Macks
Laughing Loon CC&K
www.LaughingLoon.com