Laminated frames material

[Mac Harriman]

I am currently repairing frames on a 45' mahogany on oak sailboat. In all my reading, I have seen recommendations for oak, but saw info on using oak and mahogany strips alternating. I will laminate these on a table using epoxy. Any suggestions?

[paladin]

if you are going to laminate the frames, forget the oak...it will not glue well with the epoxy. If you use the same structural dimensions when you laminate, the frames will be 30 percent stronger than a sawn frame of the same dimension. Use the mahogany, coat each strake with CPES, allow to dry, then epoxy laminate...

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Chuck, I'm not sure why but I remember reading here to not use CPES when glueing structural members. Of course I read that right after putting CPES on the staves of the mast I was glueing up. :(

Steven

[JimD]

I'm epoxy laminating frames with douglas fir.

[Mac Harriman]

Douglas fir sounds interesting as my previous experience w/ oak has left something to be desired - how bout more details on what size and type of boat you are doing.
Any other ideas from others?

[ishmael]

Laminate out of mahogany. I don't know about the CPES, and some claim oak works fine if it's prepared properly, but why not just use mahogany? It can't be that much stock that price differentials would make much difference.

[JimD]

Originally posted by Mac Harriman:
Douglas fir sounds interesting as my previous experience w/ oak has left something to be desired - how bout more details on what size and type of boat you are doing.
Any other ideas from others?Mac, the frames are for a Glen-L Amigo, a 22 foot strip planked pocket cruiser. DF is strong, bends well, and likes epoxy. As I live in western Canada it's easier and cheaper to come by than mahogany. For structural work I expect to use it almost exclusively, at least for the frames. I may use western cedar for the planks but that decision is quite a bit down the road.

[Cecil Borel]

Mac: I also used laminated douglas fir for frames for my 32' sailboat, after test laminations with oak/epoxy delaminated. Douglas fir was recommended by Gougeons, as well, for epoxy laminations.

[paladin]

Steven...I just built two spars this way...the admonition that I wuz given wuz dunno put so much on that it shines...so I just put on one thin coat to perhaps help adhesion....then used T-88 to stick 'em together. I used T-88 'cause that wuz what I used 20 years ago and the sticks are still together...... and the strip planked dink wuz done this way also.......actually I used Douglas Fir also....

[ 05-25-2003, 11:35 PM: Message edited by: paladin ]

[Ken Liden]

I laminated alternate layers of Doug. Fir and White Oak and used Systems 3 epoxy. Material was used in rip sawn finish and cabosil used with the epoxy. Dammed if I can beat them apart. The Oak was used for better screw retention. This was for frame repair in place on a 83 footer.

[cbob]

Mac, Have a 36 ft. '58 strip planked sloop. Philippine mahogany an Aaian spruce, on steam bent oak frames, about one and three eights square. Put in in about 30 sisters laminated red oak, 18 to 48 in. long 25 years ago using a product called Work Horse Epoxy, a few years later about ten more with white oak and West system, no filler. later some complete frames with West. The mating surfaces were as sawn about 1/8 in. thick. They were still there this afternoon, hard as a rock, never any sign of delamination, anywhere. All I can say is I must have been lucky and followed the instructions. No clue as to the previously mentioned problems/failures. Mixing woods sounds like some kind of Hi tec plywood, but for what purpose? Oak was used for it's steam bending ability properties but is tough on the fastenings below the waterline. Why not check out the Goo Goo Bros. literature?