Translating a US timber selection list for Aussie timer selection

Hi all
AM in the process of getting the materials for my Dudley Dix designed Argie 15 which is a 15 food dinghy that I am building. Stitch and glue method, fairly straight forward.
The materials list calles for various parts and I wnat to check ro change the list depending on the most suitable Aussie substitute.

Marine Ply BS1088 - am swapping for some of our hoop pine ply...X3 cost but I really want to do it with out gear.

Stringers, stifferenrs etc are specified as Maranti or Mahogany. So what would we use here in Australia that is Aussie timber?

Glue is Balcotan 100 glue...not sure there is an Aussie made glue??

then fiberglass and polyester resin...that is imported I'm sure??

Ahhh yes, copper wire for the stitches. Anyone know where I can get that in Melbourne???

Any help in specifications that will make it as "homegrown" as possible is more appreciated.

Regards
Mick

Gday Mick,
For ply you can use hoop pine but another alternative is Gaboon ply which is about 10 - 15 % lighter. A reseller of a quality brand at a fair price is Denman marine in Tassie. They can ship your order for a surprisingly good price.
A timber to use for framing is hoop pine which is available in a few places ( check a copy of Australian Amatuer Boat Builder mag for some suppliers ). I've used this timber myself and find it very lightweight and easy to work/glue.
Boat Cote is an Aussie brand of epoxy which can be used for glue fairing compound and fibreglassing or coating of ply. Check their website. Good gear.
Only possibilty on copper wire I can suggest is purchasing some electrical cable of right diameter and stripping it. Someone else may have a better idea.
Search this website for other ideas and good luck on your build.

Andrew

Mick,

I second Andrew's vote for Gaboon ply from Denman Marine. I have used several brands of Gaboon previously and this is the best quality by far. Not made in Australia though. If you are really strong on that point, Hoop would be your only option to best of my knowledge.

Balcotan is a polyurethane glue. Local equivalent would be Purbond probably, but not sure where this is actually made and have never used either myself. As Andrew said, use Bote Cote epoxy resin for glue (with a filler powder) and for fibreglass without. It is a local product and good stuff to use. You mention polyester resin - don't use this, use epoxy.

Keep asking questions. Plenty of helpful people in here.

Cheers, Cameron.

Another vote for Gaboon. Hoop is beautiful timber, no doubt, but damn it's heavy.

Meranti is easily obtained here as well.

As for glass and resin, I'd ditch the polyester and go with epoxy - Boat Cote is really nice to use with no hassles about amine blush. They also have a range of filleting powders and so on for most applications. There's no need for a separate glue - just thicken the epoxy with an appropriate filler (ask your dealer for advice here)

Copper wire can be found at any nursery which supports Bonzai - there's a couple in the Dandenongs - or you can use plastic cable ties. I like the clear ones as they practically disappear - unlike black :)

Cable ties are much easier to fair in when you cut them off too. As a tip, in case you haven't picked it up yet, use dowels under your ties when first assembling the panels as they will allow a better fit... just remove them individually and re-tension your ties once everything is lined up.

Finally, keep your camera near by and use it often :wink:

You don't need to use copper wire, which is getting costly. plastic wire ties (zip ties, cable ties, etc.) work well, as do many things, such as duct tape, Spanish windlasses, strong string, etc.

Other solid timbers to use for framing are Spotted Gum and Cellery Top...

Excellent. Thank you for your input. There is a shop called marine timbre close to me here and they sell everything we talked about.
So I am getting the hoop pine instead of the maranti and the bote-cote stuff for the epoxy. In addition I found a video from redbarnboats on YouTube where the guy uses normal reinforcing tie wire. Cheap as chips and easy to get. He uses the shave of the screwdriver to do the rowel trick.
So I have the bench built and am going to start lofting on the weekend if I can get the timber home.
Thanks again
Mick

I discovered copper wire in the picture hanging/hooks section at Bunnings on the weekend.. 7m roll for $5.

Good luck with your build :2tsup:

D.

If you haven't already obtained the mercantile or mahogany for your boat I can offer some assistance.
In oakleigh there is a timber merchants called tile importers they have meranti/pacific maple in large length boards of 150x19 mm and other sizes.

If you get it from there get the darker heavier timber from the rack for what you want.
Cheers
Peter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by duncang

I discovered copper wire in the picture hanging/hooks section at Bunnings on the weekend.. 7m roll for $5.

Good luck with your build :2tsup:

D.

---

Your timing is perfect. I got some 1.2mm copper wire and it is snapping too much. Will try buntings. Thanks and happy new year.
Mick