> I'm wondering which types of wood (i.e., besides cedar) would be
> acceptable for a strip-plank boat using strips for reinforcing ribs (i.e.,
> the old-fashioned method... no fiberglass). I assume that cedar is the
> usual choice due to its strength and the ease with which it can be split
> into planks (?) ... but which other types of wood would also be practical
> to use? Thanks for any help. Allen

Simple answer: What kind of wood do you have handy? Use it. More complicated answer: For the ribs you might be happiest with any hardwood that can be easily steam bent. Ash and hickory I think are two good ones. A passing co-worker, reading over my shoulder as I type this, suggests oak. I think there was a discussion of good woods for steam bending, and tips on steaming equipment in the list archives. In that there was a discussion on the merits of red oak and white oak. I have never tried steam bending cedar.

Usually the ribs were stream bent to match a form, then the strips were added and nailed into place. As I understand, the outside planks were cedar for looks, resistance to rot, and availability in long lengths. Ability to be split had nothing to do with it, as the strips were usually sawn, not split. (Cedar shingles, or shakes, are split. You have no kerf to deal with but the pieces are pretty rough. Definitely not the surface you would want to kneel on in a canoe).

Ponderosa pine, Southern yellow pine, spruce and fir are pretty easy woods to work with and can be obtained in long clear lengths, allowing you to avoid scarfs. Avoid knotty pine, though. If a knot pops out you'll spring a leak.

You'll nail through the plank and into the rib. You want wood that won't split easily. The ability of the wood to `grip` the nail is not that important as the end of the nail is bent over or clinched (some say clenched), making the copper nail serve the same function as a rivet.

From what I have read on this, traditional hulls had the strips individually fitted with mitered edges. I assume they were glued, but it is possible they were not. From the pictures, I've never been able to tell if they chinked the seams with some kind of material, or just made them very accurately. The wood would soak up a small amount of moisture and swell, forcing the strips together tightly, keeping the seams sealed. This was the kind of boat you left in the water. Take it out to store it and the wood would dry and shrink, leaving you with many leaks the next time you launched. I have assumed that the modern woodstrip on rib boats I've seen were sheathed with a thin layer of fiberglass cloth on the outside of the hull, not for strength, but to avoid these problems and give a little extra resistance to dings, dents and scratches.

Are you thinking of individually mitering the strips? I've thought that by using cove and bead strips you could save a bunch of time over individually matching angles as the strips' edges would have great contact area, even when bent over a reasonable radius. If you wanted, and were careful, you could even pack a very thin chinking material between the strips (it would be hidden inside the bead/cove mating area) to fill any small gaps. Instead of using a plane to take off wood where the planks taper, use your router with either a bead or a cove bit, so that you maintain the matching surfaces. As the wood swells it should seal tightly.

Even if you skip the glass cloth, using epoxy resin as a base coat under the finish should seal the wood and seep into the joints enough to give a good joint. It would be my first choice, rather than sealing the wood with varnish.

Hope this helps.

Paul Jacobson