Baby Tender II -- not a real boat, but questions...

[Ben Fleis]

I somehow convinced myself to build the Baby Tender II (from Jordan Designs), and have given the plans a lookover, and re-read some of the "boat builders apprentice" to prepare.

First off, anybody here built one of these? Haven't found any pics here, although I did find one blog online:
http://www.charlesneuman.net/wb/bt2/

At the moment, I would like to use cedar for the planks and hemlock for everything else, and finish it "bright", probably with shellac.

In any case, the real questions I have as I get started:

- wood choices

I have 6 longish (10-12 ft.) planks of 3/4" white cedar that I plan to used for the lapstrake planks. These were cut by a friend locally, stored in my garage, but haven't yet been dried inside. They will be milled down to 5/32", according to the plans, so I don't think it's worth spending a lot of effort to dry them inside first. I plan to mill them down to 1/4" and rough cut them to size or so then bring inside for a couple days. From my understanding, white cedar is an excellent choice for the planks, even if this thing will never be sea-worthy.

For pretty much everything else, I was thinking about using hemlock. The same friend gave me four pieces of 2"x14"x6' planks of hemlock that have also been air drying in my garage. I'm sure hemlock is not traditionally boat material, but for this case, it would be mighty convenient. The big question is whether I can finish is cleanly. I've never used hemlock OR shellac, so I have no idea yet how it will look.

- shipping / drying

This cradle will be built in central NY, which varies between humid and dry during spring and summer. I need to be finished by mid august, and ultimately send the boat on to Santa Fe, NM. This is what concerns me most: shipping it without it getting destroyed (it's thin wood after all), and after arrival, feeling safe that the dry New Mexico air won't bring on new damage. Nothing would be worse than putting in the weekends and having it all go to waste. Any and all experiences/thoughts on these would be greatly appreciated.


-b

[Scott Velie]

Your cedar is a great choice. I would rethink your drying approach however.
How long has it been down? how long has it been in plank form?
You are going to mill away 2/3 of the plank (unless you are resawing) so there is going to be wood movement. There is no telling how stressed It is until you mill it so I would do that soon to let it dry as much as possible.
I would not choose Hemlock as the secondary wood. I would use a hardwood such as ash or oak.
As long as you dry your wood prior to building, account for wood movement and seal the wood on all sides you should not have a problem shipping it to a different climate.
You are going to have to build one heck of a crate though !

[Ben Fleis]

Your cedar is a great choice. I would rethink your drying approach however.
How long has it been down? how long has it been in plank form?
You are going to mill away 2/3 of the plank (unless you are resawing) so there is going to be wood movement. There is no telling how stressed It is until you mill it so I would do that soon to let it dry as much as possible.

I don't know all the details, but I've had it in my garage since last fall, and I believe it was (poorly) ground stacked before that for "a while". I plan to resaw it as my first priority. My thinking was simply that at 1/4", it wouldn't take much time to acclimate to indoor humidity, so I meant to suggest that I wouldn't need weeks/months after resawing. My wife just spontaneously bought me a sweet moisture meter, so it looks like I'll have an excellent opportunity to find out how long it will really take.


I would not choose Hemlock as the secondary wood. I would use a hardwood such as ash or oak.

Because I am ignorant, do you mind sharing an explanation for the suggestion? I'm just curious if it's due to finishing qualities, etc.

And yeah, I figured I'm gonna have to build a crate of some sort. I have the pallet that my jointer came on, so I imagine I'll be starting there. But I have a much bigger task to finish before that part matters too much... Thanks.

-ben

[Scott Velie]

The moisture meter is a good thing I would aim for below 10 %.
My comment on Hemlock is a personal one. I have worked with it only a few times but I did not like it. It had pockets of pitch in it and did not work well.
Besides the aesthetics you want this to be an heirloom so hardwood is always a good choice.

[richard poitras]

Ben, Pm sent....

[Bob Smalser]

You shouldn't have any problem with the cedar...it's one of the most stable woods and if it's a little green it'll bend, work and fasten easier. It's also forgiving about warp when resawing, and if it does warp it'll straighten itself out in drying. It's a very forgiving wood.

The hemlock is adequate for framing but will look like crap under shellac and likes to mold if it ever gets damp. For as little wood as you need, I'd recommend ash or H. Mahog. Lighter is better for Mom to vacuum under. As this is a cradle and not a boat, all the framing has to do is hold fasteners.