Deck Planking, part 1

Well, this is how I decided to solve my deck planking dilemma on my Sun Wind Vintage Marblehead RC Sailboat.

The king plank and sheer planks are going to be mahogany wood instead of Jatoba (or whatever it is that I found at Edensaw Lumber). The Jatoba was just too hard and too brittle. Also, when it was cut thin enough to use, ended up being very wavy. The tension in the grain must be incredible, and the wood ended up curving in many different directions. Too much of a bother to use.

So I switched to mahogany. It's traditional and relatively easy to work with compared to the jatoba.

I'm using small bits of dowel as fasteners for the outer, sheer rail planks and for the king plank. They will sand down pretty easily. Yes, you will see yellowish dots, but that will only add a nautical look... right?

Tomorrow I will start in on the main deck planking. I'm using Alaskan Yellow Cedar. Should look pretty nice against the mahogany.

Cheers!

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