I have what is probably an out-of-the-box question. I am a woodworker but not a boat builder. For years I have thought about building what would actually be a sculptural piece for over the couch in my living room. Think of a large sculpted half hull. I’m thinking it would be 5 to 6 feet in length. For both economy of wood and weight I would like to use thin strips and attached them to ribs/panels. My concern is that the grain direction of the strips to the ribs/panels will be at right angles. If I use non-grain material such as particleboard, plywood, plastic, etc. how will I allow for movement (expansion and contraction across the grain) of the strips. Will they not buckle or warp. I live in Michigan where there are extreme differences in humidity between winter and summer. I plan on using cherry. I hope this explanation is clear. Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions you can offer.
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Replies
Well, the planking on wooden ships runs at right angles to the ribs, and it works ok for them. Fasten your planks in the middle, and they will have room to move without cracking. If the planking is to scale, they won't be wide enough to cup.
Thank you
How wide are the planks going to be? If pretty narrow there will be little wood movement across grain. Also consider when you're assembling it. Is it during a high humidity time? If so, put the planks on tight together. If it's low humidity, then you might consider a slight bit of spacing.
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