: Hi all,
: I,m from near Launceston Tasmania and am working on an Endeavour (somewhat
: modified). If you build with king billy you will have to fork out big
: bucks. It's just about unavailable. Down here in king billy country cut
: planks cost roughly $10 a super foot. That works out to $100 a 3m plank.
: It is a light wood, a wee bit heavier than WRC but fairly featureless. The
: grain runs true, but the colour is even. If you build a whole kayak from
: it it will look bland. It is wonderful wood to bend and is durable in
: water. Whatever you do, have fun.
: John K
Dear All
John is right about king billy being hard to find and pricey, although it can be found somewhat cheaper than $10 a super foot (which is the price for boat quality ie will float without fibreglass), you need to find a small timber supplier and also look at 2nd hand timber. (Not much if any is felled these days.) The color and grain are very even but agree it needs plenty of contrast to make a good looking boat.
cheers
David