Mahogany...

Howie

Wooden Canoe Maniac
Anybody have a source nearby to Upstate-NY for mahogany suitable for inner/outer rails for a 16-foot Veazie long deck? Thought I'd check here first...
 
You can check with Lakeshore Hardwoods in Pulaski, though I don't recall if they carry the really long mahoganies.

Also M.L. Condon, down in White Plains.
 
Thanks Dan.
It just occurred to me that although I've used mahogany before I don't know too much about it. like, do I have to worry about knots in long pieces? sounds like a dumb question... all the stuff I've had were smallish and had wonderful fine and even grain.

and is there a similar looking wood that'd be better suited for in long and steamble lengths?
 
Many of the Mahogany alternatives are next to impossible to steam successfully. Anything other than a very gentle upturn could cause problems.
Proper mahogany steams ok. Here in the Uk, real mahogany is very expensive IF you can get it. My best option would be buying old furniture - a wardrobe perhaps and splicing lengths to get what I need. Now that victorian mahogany type furniture is out of fashion, things like this can be picked up quite cheaply. One small book case that I got free is now In at least 3 boats as decks, seat frames and thwarts.

Sam
 
Nuts... Thanks Samb - though that's not what I wanted to hear. I had hoped the cheaper alternatives would take to bending. The rails on this old Veazie look gentle, but experience tells me they'll be a lot harder to bend than it looks.
 

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I think you'd struggle. This was Sapele. It had about a week soaking - and I even tried soaking in paraffin, but it was still a real struggle to get this bend
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is there a similar looking wood that'd be better suited for in long and steamble lengths?
It's closed rail. How about using spruce for the inside rails and staining them to look like mahogany? They will be partially covered. Morris was known to use color stains....
Ideally you should use mahogany but for the more challenging inside rails maybe cheating a little bit would be ok.
That would not solve the problem of sourcing the rails caps...you clearly don't want those to be spliced.
 
Right... I'd forgotten it had rail caps.

You know, I did splice together rails caps on one of the other Veazis I did a few years ago. I cut 'em at 45deg from the top to get more area to grip. Used TightBond.

And I believe I've showed you the electric heating pad I use to help bend wood - I've mentioned the technique several times here. Gets to about 200+ deg I believe - steam is created if there's moisture. I'm thinking I'll get some Sapele, shape them, then soak 'em in the pool for a week or so, and try to bend them using the canoe (or a form) with the heating pad. Might work... Could make an one & split it for the caps.
 
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