I am trying to find redwood, but not having much luck in Tampa. Anyone have a lead? I’ve googled an yahoo’d and all are in CA. Thanks.
I may give up and use a heavier wood.
Greg,
I googled for redwood a few weeks back for my balsa stringer with no luck. I called alot of east coast suppliers who specialize in"exotic woods" who were unable to help me. I might have to source some red cedar instead.
Interested to see what this thread uncovers…
Greg,
I’ve used WESTERN RED CEDAR, SPRUCE, BASSWOOD, and SPANISH CEDAR, in place of REDWOOD. The Bass, and Spruce, being ‘‘white’’ look best with a colored glue-up. I even did a three stringer board with Black Walnut, for a friend, many years ago. But, only that one. What a nightmare, with wood that hard next to foam. I think POPLAR could also be used, with success. I assume you will be milling the wood down to 1/8th, or 1/4th inch thickness. Any weight difference would not be significant, IMO, when compared to Redwood.
You might try Brevard Hardwoods. I got some redwood there a long time ago. Super nice people.
PM me if you want their phone #, don’t know about web presence.
Mike
Bill, Thanks. Yes, I am running out of ideas on finding redwood. But the colored glue up idea opens up other possibilities for using lighter colored wood.
I had also thought about very thin hardwood, but the local mil shops are not too excited about milling to 1/8 inch at 9-0 lengths. What if I got them to do short pieces, say 2 ft by 4 inches by 1/8 inch, then butted them end to end and lifted them to match the rocker as I glued them to the blank? They are not structural anyway. And once glued would it matter? Maybe stick a 1 inch piece of blond wood between each 2 ft piece to add eye appeal?
I saw a board that Jim Phillips had done over at the LongBoard House. Must have been 6 walnut stringers about 1/16 inch. Amazing. Most guys just walk by and don’t know what they are looking at or what it would take to build that board.
I do not know if you have to order quantity, or what the shipping charge might be.
But, if you must have redwood, I’d contact Liberty Cedar in Rhode Island.
You will probably need to have it milled locally.
Here’s a list of the species they carry:
Greg,
If you do butt joints, do the butts at 45, or 60 degree angles, for a little more strength, and to offset the alignment of the joints. For thin, decorative strips, the joints will be almost invisible. Check with a high school, or junior college wood shop teacher, for access to their thickness planer, or thickness sanders. Two foot, or ten foot lengths, should be no different in processing through the thickness planer/sander. I’d recommend wood wider than 4 inches, so that the desired rocker can be cut into the stringer. That way there will be no stress in the wood when doing the glue up.
Just a confirmation to Mr. Thraikill’s assumption about poplar, it does made a fine stringer wood. I use it often on EPS blanks, and have done some T-bands with mahogany and poplar in pu blanks a few years ago. Mahogany looks just great, especially in multi-stringer boards, but it does tend to splinter and split. A cabinet shop can do the sawing/planing for you, although for just a couple of stinger pieces the rate will likely be through the roof. Have you tried on-line? I actually had some very thin stringer wood (of various types) simply rolled loosely on itself to about a 20" diameter and sent in a cardboard box from a specialty vendor. Made for very inexpensive shipping fees.
How about finding an old pop out longboard and using that old growth VG redwood. Most of the redwood in lumberyards has flat grain.
Not a bad suggestion, as a source of quality old Redwood. The irony is, that even those old popout boards have become ‘‘collectible’’, and therefore not an economically viable source. Crazy, huh?
Great idea. I had looked on line, but now I am thinking thick rolled veneer in a sandwich. Possibly dark bamboo. Could that be how Jim P did it? (Not bamboo, but rolled veneer for stringers?)
Bill, which of those woods is the darkest in color? (I’m not much of a wood guy) I looked up cedar and it is comparable in weight to redwood. However, if I can find thick veneer in rolls, I may have the problem solved. thx
Greg,
Jim has access to both a thickness planer, and a thickness sander. I have seen him produce 1/8th, 1/16th, and even 1/32nd inch material for stringers in his custom glue-ups. Jim Phillips is easily one of the most skilled practioners of the surfboard building craft.
Greg,
Western Red Cedar, is quite dark, Spanish Cedar is a lighter colored wood, halfway between Balsa and Redwood in color.
Great, thanks Bill. I’m still on my quest to build one of everything (boards). Not sure I will tackle agave, though. I think you were the one that told me it can give you a bad rash.