Thread: celery top or white beech

White beech is well known as a decking timber, it can be used wet as its shrinkage is negligible: the local Wauchope Tafe is re-doing an old boat and Mal is supplying the 4 inch wide timber for its deck.
Don't know much about its use in boats apart from decking.

Greg

I recently replaced the beech deck on my ketch it was the original deck and had lasted 60 years so beech can't be too bad, and yes I did use beech on the new deck.

Rob

Greg , who is Mal ? is he a supplier / miller of beech
Rob , who did you get your timber from ? I like what I hear about white beech , if it lasted that long ,Rob ,it must be able to take quite a lot of punishment .
Brendan

Dear Greg,
I purchased the beech from a local timber yard in Newcastle NSW who also milled the timber to the required size. I am think he ordered it from somewhere in Queensland
I replaced the deck mainly because it had become near impossible to seal the seams due to shinkage ect.The old deck timbers were then used to build a dinning room table top that looked really good.

Rob

Originally Posted by HUON

anyone had any experience using either of these materials for a deck (good or indifferent ) are there any other native ( to oz ) timbers suitable to the task , you know , lightweight - strong - impact resistantish , durable etc . etc
cheers all

Whilst I haven't used it myself I have been told many times to consider Flindersia Australis for decking. It looks similar to, and has a greasy feel like teak. It is often sold under the trade name Australian Teak or by its correct name Crows Ash.

From Bootle:
Density 950 (kg/m3)
Hardness (Janka) 11 (kN)
Impact Resistance 17 (J)

Slow to dry, negligible collapse, shrinkage 3% radial 4% tangential. Not easy to work, hard to glue due to its greasiness. Does not hold nails well for the same reason. Wears very well.
Durability grade 1. Strength grade 2.
Uses: flooring (specially good for dance floors), decking, boatbuilding, outdoor furniture.

Compared with Burmese Teak:
Density 700 (kg/m3)
Hardnes (Janka) 4.5 (kN)

Dave , do you know of any suppliers of Oz teak ? Is it a tall tree (can you get it in resonably long lengths) ? Thanks for the info
Cheers for now .

Most of the methods of decking that use teak are applicable to white beech.

So either full fastened and payed traditional structure,

Or ply subdeck with beech veneers sikaflexed to the deck with sikaflex between the beech boards. There is an important technical trick with the sikaflex to prevent it from splitting away from the timber.

Or ply subdeck with quite thin beech veneers glued with epoxy. Then either sikaflex or epoxy/graphite powder mix between.

MIK

Mik does the sikaflex data sheet/s describe the important technical trick to stop timber splitting ?
I'm favouring the traditional methods of boat building for Werona's restoration , after removing her deck and cabin (amidships to stern were epoxied over ply) I've decided to stay away from epoxy and ply . After seeing the resultant damage , due to poor application of these materials , I don't trust my limited skills with these materials . I do trust my skills with good old solid wood .
Cheers for now ,Brendan .

The trick is to stop the sika from splitting away from the timber under the loads of expansion/contraction of the timber during wet/dry cycles.

It should be in the technical sheets and involved putting a release tape along the bottom of the groove you are planning to fill.

Also using the Sika Primer to increase the bond strength.

I have it documented on this page.

Wooden boatbuilding methods and troubleshooting

Best wishes
MIK