> Hi All,

> Has anybody tried using basswood for stripping a hull? Any comments about
> basswood's suitability for a kayak?

> I'd like to see some spec's to compare it to the more typically used woods
> if somebody has them.

> Thanks,

> Hank

Hank,

Basswood was commonly used by the Peterborough Canoe Co. in the "good old days" to build cedarstrip canoes (with ribs, shiplap joints, no fibreglass or other covering). Go for it.

If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download a PDF document from the US Forest Service at the site below which lists a LOT of info on wood specs. (Look at Chapter 3 - 500k to download.)

Some comparisons:

basswood - 0.38 specific gravity atlantic white cedar - 0.34 S.G. northern white cedar - 0.31 S.G. western red cedar - 0.33 S.G.

LOTS more info in the document (thermal properties, decay resistance, shrinkage, workability, ELECTRICAL properties!, NUCLEAR RADIATION! etc, etc, etc ..... what more could you want to know?!)

Michael