# Strength to weight ratio for woods



## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

Hello All,

Anyone know of a good source of information on the strength to weight ratio of woods. I'm really interested in making more paddles and would like a number of woods to choose from while still keeping them as light as possible.


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## Caliper (Mar 12, 2007)

Oh, man. I used to have just such a link but it is entombed on the hard drive of a dead PC. I'll try to find it again. There is also a little book I have seen in bookstores that has all kinds of info by species. It may be The Wood Bible but not sure about that.


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

I think Obi posted something once.. or maybe it was Karson.. or Dick.. or .. hmmm a LumberJock??


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## che (May 18, 2007)

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/strength_table.htm

There are other charts on the web.

I'm guessing that your really more interested in bending stiffness (modulus of elasticity "E") than strength. There isn't much variance between the species.


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## shapeshifter (Aug 31, 2007)

here's a few that are from a water related site:

timber list

density vs strength correlation

design calculations - wood strength

and if you're wondering why i link that particular site? let's just say my next board is gonna be a big one… erm, a *real* big one!


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

how big is big????


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## shapeshifter (Aug 31, 2007)

heheheh… guess that depends on the mountain i put it on.


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## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

Excellent , excellent…..thanks all…exactly what I was looking for.


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## shapeshifter (Aug 31, 2007)

interestingly enough, i've just recently reconnected with a source that can provide me with reasonable quantities of recovered sunken lumber such as five-hundred-year-old premium hardwood including oak, maple, bird's eye maple, beech and birch as well as premium softwood including red pine, hemlock and white pine… the recovery process is ecologically driven for minimal impact to the environment.








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click on the links for a choice of either windows media or quicktime links to a video of the recovery process.

what they have to offer is old growth lumber which has been cured in an oxygen free environment for over a century. the predominant qualities are that the colors are brilliant and the woods are quite a bit more rigid than the norm. déjà vu?


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## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

Sounds really interesting shape. I've heard of a number of operations doing this. There is one that is actually using an underwater chainsaw to cut down flooded trees in reservoirs.


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## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

Sounds really interesting shape. I've heard of a number of operations doing this. There is one that is actually using an underwater chainsaw to cut down flooded trees in reservoirs. Video is stopping shortly after its starts for me. Are these folks doing that as well or are these sunken logs from floating them downstream.


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## shapeshifter (Aug 31, 2007)

you're right bob. same thing happens for me. probably because i may have transposed the quicktime link with the windows media or something. maybe you can try the other link to see if it works for you. it's what worked for me anyway.

i think i know what you are talking about… there's those logging operations which harvest using a robotic submersible from reservoirs created when dams flood old growth forests. i believe that the ones available to me are the logs that have fallen off of barges and sank in the great lakes a long time ago. half the work has already been done for them, the loggers just have to find them and bring them to the surface. my friends buy these logs and cut them into veneer at this small inner-city lumber mill but if i ask them kindly they would gladly reserve some thicker material to form the paddle shafts for our specific purposes.

unrelated and not available through these folks are the ancient buried kauri wood which is mined in new zealand. pretty neat stuff that comes at a hefty price. just thought i'd mention them here since we're on the topic of alternately sourced materials.


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## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

That's the one. The robotic saws are intersting in themselves.

Wow….that kauri wood operation is amazing.


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## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

Lucky you!
What I've seen on recovered wood is prices in the multiple tens of dollars per board foot, some as high as $150/bdft.
Veneer has got to be the way to go at that price.


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