Edensaw Woods has over 30 years in the marine lumber, plywood, and veneer industry. Please sail into our showroom or shop online and let us help you with your marine projects.
marine lumber LUMBER SPECIES USES
STRUCTURE
TOOLING
ABILITY TO HOLD FASTENINGS STRONG POINTS
Purpleheart
deadwood, caps, rails, decking
very hard and dense
hard on tools
extremely well, must be pre drilled
hard, stiff, very durable, very rot resistant none
Honduras Mahogany
house sides, planking, joinery, interiors, trim
moderately hard, consistent grain
well
well
stable durable, all around very good
beoming very difficult to obtain
Meranti
house sides, planking, joinery, interiors, trim
hard interlocked grain
well
well
reasonably priced, good material if correct species
beware of imposters
Eastern White Oak
framing, structural deck beams.
well
well
very good
very good steam bending, stable
can be difficult to get
Teak
decks, trim, interior, planking
moderately dense
silica is hard on tools
well
durable, beautiful, very stable
cost
Douglas Fir
planking, decking, framing, structural
straight grained, dense for conifer
easy to work and easy on tool edges
well
strong, stable, glues and paints well, readily available
quality material is expensive
Western Red Cedar
planking, decking, ceiling, canoes strips
very straight grain, soft and lightweight
very easy
poor to fair
very stable, rot resistant, glues well
none
Sapele
house sides, planking, joinery, interiors, trim
moderately hard, consistent grain
works well, easy on tools
well
relatively dense, durable, finishes beautifully
none
Apitong/Keruing
sacrificial decking, chafe guards
dense, interlocked grain
a bit hard on tools but works well
very good
hard chafe resistant, inexpensive
none
Ash
inwales, outwales, paddles, and tiller handles
dense, interlocked long grained
hard but works well
very good
very resilient, can bend and take heavy side loading
not to be used long term under water
Alaskan Yellow Cedar
planking, decking, deck beams, frames, knees
very straight grain, moderately hard and stable
very easy to work easy on tools
well
very stable, rot resistant, works well
can be hard to paint, availability difficult
Sitka Spruce
mast, spars, oars, canoe strips
soft, very straight grain, very high strength to weight
easy to work, easy on tools
poor to fair
lightweight, high strength to weight, works well
none when used for spars
Iroko
decks, trim, joinery, cabin soles
interlocked grain, quite hard
difficult to tool
very good
strong durable, used as a teak replacement
may cause allergic reaction
African Mahogany
planking, decking, interior
consistent grain, medium density
well
well
stable, durable, stock
none
marine plywood
WEAK POINTS
*BS 1088 Material has thicker face veneer and generally more plys per given thickness. No less than 1.0mm face after sanding. The exception is a 3 ply panels in which the combined thickness of the other plies after sanding shall not be less than 40% and not more than 65% of the normal , unsanded thickness of the panel. **BS 6566 Material has thinner face veneer but uses the same material and same glue, as 1088 with fewer plys per given thickness. 0.65mm face prior to sanding.
PLYWOOD SPECIES
SIZES
STRUCTURE
TOOLING
APPLICATIONS
STRONG POINTS
Okoume BS 1088*
4mm to 25mm 4’x8’, 5’x10’
lightest in weight
easy to work and machine
hull and deck components, structural bulkheads and hatches
light and strong, ideal for weight savings for light weight craft.
Hydrotek BS 1088*
4mm to 25mm 4’x8’
medium weight
works well
hull and deck components, structural bulkheads and hatches
good rot resistance and strength, use when weight is less important
Aquatek BS 6566*
4mm to 24mm 4’x8’
medium weight
works well
cabinetry, good under glass cloth, use in areas not directly exposed to rain and sea.
good rot resistance and strength, use when weight is less important
Teak
3mm to 18mm 4’x8’
medium weight
works well, although silica in teak will dull edged tools quickly and the natural oils in teak will load up sandpaper
structural and interior components, desirable as “bright” finished transoms, hatches, and visible components
very rot resistant and medium density
Teak and Holly
6mm to 18mm 4’x8’
medium weight
works well, although silica in teak will dull edged tools quickly and the natural oils in teak will load up sandpaper
desireable as finished cabin soles and hatches
looks very nice installed as traditional cabin sole
Sande
6mm to25mm 4’x8’
medium weight
works well
Structural interior components. Desireable as “bright” finished transoms, hatches, and visible components
rot resistant and medium density
Tricel Marine okoume
1/2” to 1” 4’x8’
honeycomb kraft paper fiber core
machines well
bulkheads, soles, hatches, doors
lightweight
Tricel Exterior Meranti
3/4” to 1 1/2” 4’x8’
honeycomb kraft paper fiber core
machines well
joinery bulkheads, soles, hatches, doors, cabinetry, and furniture
lightweight
Banova Balsa Core
12mm & 18mm 4’x8’
very lightweight
easy to work and machine
bulkheads, soles, hatches, doors
lightweight
Edensound Sound Deadening
12mm & 18mm 4’x8’
heavy okume marine w/ rubber cork core
easy to work and machine
bulkheads, soles, hatches, doors
sound deadening
211 Seton Road, Port Townsend • (360) 385-7878 • (800) 745-3336 • www.edensaw.com • info@edensaw.com Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
2014 WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL • 5