Strips - Purchase or machine your own

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Offroad47
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Galesburg Michigan

Strips - Purchase or machine your own

Post by Offroad47 »

The stations are built and the lines trued, now for the challange. Do I purchase my strips or mill my own? I have the equipment and can set up outside to minimize the dust in the house if I mill my own. I'm interested in your feedback about the quality of purchased strips from the boat suppliers vs. ones you've done yourself. Do the purchased bundels have good color and how badly are they damaged when they are shipped to your facility. Is it reasonable to assume you are able to manufacture a better quality strip and therefore a more attractive and uniform hull from your own strips than purchasing something site unseen.

Thank you, Greg
Gene Burreson
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:20 pm
Location: Gloucester, Virginia, USA

Post by Gene Burreson »

Greg,
I have ordered strips twice from Great Northern Craft in Vancouver, BC and had them shipped to Virginia with absolutely no problems. They are beautiful, consistent strips. Also ordered from Newfound Woodworks long ago, also with no damage. I wouldn't worry about damage in shipping and suppliers can probably get more consistent boards than you can find locally. You can probably make strips cheaper if you do it yourself, if you can get good boards. My problem in VA is that I can't find good consistent cedar boards.

Good luck,
Gene
Offroad47
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Galesburg Michigan

Post by Offroad47 »

Thanks Gene,

THe raw lumber is my consern as well. I'm OK with the machining process and would like to say when everything is finished "I did it all" but all things considered, if the quality of the hull could be better with purchased lumber I guess that is my goal. Was the international shipping an issue? There are several locations marketing pre machined strips, soulds like you've had good luck with them. Noah's is going to be the shortest shipment to Michigan as I've seen listed. Anyone have experience working with them?

Greg
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Moonman
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Joined: Wed May 26, 2004 11:24 am
Location: Vandorf, Ontario

Post by Moonman »

I bought my strips for my first boat from Noahs and they were great. Most better known strip suppliers offer good product and take care to package them well for shipping. I know Noahs will also throw in a couple darker strips for accent strips if you wish.

Moonman.
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Jeff in Farmington, MI
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Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2004 3:19 pm
Location: Farmington, Michigan, USA

Post by Jeff in Farmington, MI »

Hello Greg,
I see you are in Galesburg, MI. If you can drive to Ann Arbor, you will find a very large selection of exceptionally clear western red cedar boards at Fingerle Lumber. Ask to see their select grade lumber inside the warehouse. They have clear lengths up to 20 feet, but it is not cheap!

For most of my strips, I scrounged around for some decent boards at the big box stores. However, I did purchase two very dark cedar boards from Fingerle for accents and contrasting strips.

Jeff
Offroad47
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Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Galesburg Michigan

Post by Offroad47 »

Jeff in Farmington, MI wrote:Hello Greg,
I see you are in Galesburg, MI. If you can drive to Ann Arbor, you will find a very large selection of exceptionally clear western red cedar boards at Fingerle Lumber. Ask to see their select grade lumber inside the warehouse. They have clear lengths up to 20 feet, but it is not cheap!

For most of my strips, I scrounged around for some decent boards at the big box stores. However, I did purchase two very dark cedar boards from Fingerle for accents and contrasting strips.

Jeff
Jeff,

Thanks Jeff,

Did you purchase rough sawn 1" from the box stores and mill it to size or did you find 2" in structural lumber and resaw?

Greg
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Gary
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:46 am

Post by Gary »

I bought 2' x 6" x 16' WRC, I paid $100 for 2 boards and spent a very pleasant weekend in the shop, with my daughter, turning them into strips for her kayak.
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Jim Dodd
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Location: Iowa

Post by Jim Dodd »

I shutter to think of the money I would've spent buying strips instead of cutting my own !
I vote for cutting your own !
Not only from the monetary stand point, but the satisfaction you get from doing it yourself !
If you absolutely plan to build just one boat, go ahead and buy strips. But if there is any possibility of another, cut them yourself. I would definitely bead and cove !
Good luck !
Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
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Jim Dodd
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Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:08 pm
Location: Iowa

Post by Jim Dodd »

Check Menards if you have one near by.
They carry 16ft. and allow you to sort !
Good Luck
Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
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Jeff in Farmington, MI
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2004 3:19 pm
Location: Farmington, Michigan, USA

Post by Jeff in Farmington, MI »

Greg,
For my kayak, I wanted a very stark contrast in colors. I decided to use the extremely white colored western red cedar sapwood along, with dark chocolate colored red cedar, and finally some rosey red colored red cedar. I found the white sapwood and the red colored WRC at the big box stores, generally in lengths of 8 to 12 feet, rough sawn on one side, fairly smooth on the other, and an actual thickness of aroung 3/4" to 7/8".
I literally sorted through the boards at every Home Depot and Lowes in the Detroit Metro area looking for the white WRC boards. It is unusual to find clear white WRC boards in any useful length. They are stiffer and more brittle than the darker WRC. I have found them a challenge to work with, but I do like the color!
The very dark colored cedar boards from Fingerle were a bit less than 3/4" thick and smooth on both sides. Their color of their clear cedar boards ranged from tan to red and brown.

I ripped all of the boards into strips about 0.275" thick. Then, I used my belt sander to scarf each end about 1.75" long (across the thickness). I glued the strips into lengths of 17 to 18 feet. I know that shorter strips can be joined together on the mold, but I built my first project canoe with full length strips, and I was comfortable with this process. Finally, I planed each strip down to a consistent 0.260" thickness. This goes quickly if you send three or four strips through the planer at once! The scarf cut joints will all but disappear.

Jeff
Big Woody
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:18 pm

Post by Big Woody »

I figure that the amount I saved ripping and routing my own strips paid for my table saw and router table. Not to mention that the tools were a tax deductible business expense, so I bought a planer too. The tools are now mine to keep and have already paid for themselves on their first job. Plus I used the router on the cut ends of my strips when doing the double herringbone that I did on the football.
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BradRob
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Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Grayling, Mich.

Post by BradRob »

I havent bought pre strips so i cant say as to the quality. My first boat was wood purchased from the box stores and from the local lumber yard. With milling my own i had plenty of extra strips to pick and choose at a fraction of the cost. For my next three builds i got some free reclaimed cedar that i had to tear off a house. Recently i just purchased 24 2x6x14s at an auction for 110 bucks. For me I wouldnt do it any other way. Yes it takes time and there is alot of cutting out knots and scarfing and planning but thats part of the fun of doing it myself. To each their own.
Brad
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BradRob
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Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Grayling, Mich.

Post by BradRob »

One more thing. Its a very addicting hobby.
vann evans
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Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:52 pm
Location: Chapel Hill, NC

Post by vann evans »

I made all of my strips and I think they turned out fine. I got my local lumber yard to specially order clear 1x6(3/4x 5 1/4 actual) western red cedar. with the clear grade, there were no knots and no waste. the boards were uniform 3/4" inch, so all I had to do was rip them in 1/4" strips. I used a frued thin kerf blade and multiple featherboards. after ripping, I used the router bits to create the bead and cove. I was able to color match the strips as they came off the table saw.
I would do the same thing with my next boat. the ripping and router table was not a big problem as long as you have the proper length infeed and outfeed tables or support.
Vann Evans
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Adamv
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Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:40 pm
Location: Owen Sound, ON Canada

Post by Adamv »

I bought my strips from Noah's, and was very satisfied with the quality (although they were quite expensive). However, I always feel like I didn't really do everything myself start to end. And to make matters worse, it's amazing how often people ask how I made the strips. I'm always feel a bit ashamed to admit that I bought them pre-cut and routered. I'm definitely ripping my own for the next build!
Who travels not by water knows not the fear of God --- 17th Century Sailor
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