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Wood Source for my Build

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hawser
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Hawser

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Hello!

I need to know where I can source the wood needed for my project. My 48" Tug has frames / bulkheads, on the drawings, that have a notch cut-out for the Keel, measuring 1/4", needless to say when I put the Port & Starboard frame together, I'll have a 1/2" notch for the Keel. I'd like to make the frames / bulkheads, Keel out of plywood, using 1/4" ply. Where is a good place to buy this lumber?

Thanks
Lou
 
If you are building a 48” long tug, either you have a big place to display it or it’s going to be a working model. If the latter is true, at least the keel needs to be made from marine or exterior grade plywood. That means that the glue between the laminations is waterproof.

1/4” thick plywood is stocked by suppliers of building products. I would first visit your local lumberyard or home improvement store. If you live where there is a Menards that would be my first choice otherwise Home Depot. There you can browse the stock and at least at Menards talk to someone knowledgeable.

Plywood also has a bad habit of warping so you want to be able to take the actual piece before you buy it and lay it flat on the floor. Also, some suppliers are also selling metric thickness and labeling it with nominal fractional thicknesses. I bought some 1/16” plywood on Amazon that actually measures .078,” take your carpenters rule with you.

It would seem that the plywood will be invisible on the finished model so I would be more interested in durability than fancy wood, like Baltic birch. Also since you need a piece at least 4ft long, if you buy it on line, it will be expensive to ship.

Roger
 
If you buy "1/4 inch" ply from a big box store be sure to take a measuring tool with you. A lot of what they sell is not a full quarter inch.
 
Hawser said:
Hello!

I need to know where I can source the wood needed for my project. My 48" Tug has frames / bulkheads, on the drawings, that have a notch cut-out for the Keel, measuring 1/4", needless to say when I put the Port & Starboard frame together, I'll have a 1/2" notch for the Keel. I'd like to make the frames / bulkheads, Keel out of plywood, using 1/4" ply. Where is a good place to buy this lumber?

Thanks
Lou
Click to expand...
Hawser said:
Hello!

I need to know where I can source the wood needed for my project. My 48" Tug has frames / bulkheads, on the drawings, that have a notch cut-out for the Keel, measuring 1/4", needless to say when I put the Port & Starboard frame together, I'll have a 1/2" notch for the Keel. I'd like to make the frames / bulkheads, Keel out of plywood, using 1/4" ply. Where is a good place to buy this lumber?

Thanks
Lou
Click to expand...
You can try Rockler. Besides selling online, https://www.rockler.com/wood, they do have local stores throughout the country. They often have two grades of Baltic Birch in different thicknesses. I have found that the staff at their stores are very knowledgeable and much more helpful than the ones you might find in a big box store. They also usually have a stock of different types of hardwood in thicknesses and widths useful for modeling. Great selection of woodworking tools and finishes also. My only complaint is that I can’t go in there and resist buying something.
 
Baltic Birch. I used it for decades on scroll sawing projects. No voids in the plys. That is if your tug is not going to get wet.
 
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