: Hi,
: I'm doing my first SOF, using Cunningham book as my guide.

: 1) Why does he spec the rib thickness at 3/8", when many other
: designs use 1/4"? I realize he has me thinning the bend
: areas to 5/16" but it still seems like overkill. How about
: 5/16", thinned to 1/4" at the bends?

: 2) I'm using White Cedar for the gunwales, keelson, chines. I've
: heard it bends nicely, and wondered if I could use it for ribs
: also? IOTW, are hardwood ribs really necessary?

You need to preserve the cross section amount of each rib. You can make it thinner it you make it wider.
The 'thinned' areas on each rib are for bending purposes. They just make it easier to get the bends in the right place. Not everyone uses them (I did and it worked great).

You might try mocking up a couple ribs with your white cedar and bending them. It will give you a good idea on ease of bend.

Foster