Thwarts & seat frames

[patrick corry]

I'm building an Atkinson Traveler; Rollin Thurlow's design. I recently made a paddle from quarter sawn American Sycamore (Platanus Occidentalis), and am so pleased with it's appearance that I am thinking of making decks, thwarts, and seat frames from it as well. It's shown here on the filled canvas hull of a Chestnut Bobs Special I'm restoring. The dark streaks on the "B" side of the paddle are caused by wood boring insects which allows fungus to enter the tree when alive.

My question is this; which grain orientation would be best? Quartersawn, with growth rings facing up will give the best figure for the crowned decks due to the medullary rays emerging. Will that also give the best strength for seat frames and thwarts, or would flat sawn be preferred to span the width of the canoe?

 

[Gil Cramer]

In bending, flat sawn always bends easier than quartersawn. So for the seat frames and thwarts, I would use quartersawn.

 

[patrick corry]

Thank you. That is as I thought as a carpenter, but wanted to make sure that the flex of flat sawn might be preferable or desirable for weight bearing as in portaging or seating.