In developing sources for building the Solo commercially, I have found
reasonable solutions to several of the time consuming parts on the boat.
The first, and one everyone seems to be clamoring after, is a reasonable
source of quarter-inch clear cedar bead and cove.
I have arranged to import clear flat-grained old growth cedar from Canada in
rough form, saving substantially on the duty. The strips will be cut using
a glue line kerf blade and not surfaced after cutting. There will be
nominal saw kerf marks, which will easily sand out as you finish the hull.
The bead and cove are the standard quarter inch bead and cove.
Here¹s the Solo Class Package
350 strips (175 @ 16¹ & 175@ 14¹) for 5250 lineal feet. .26 a lineal foot.
$1365 a kit.
Plus freight and packing costs.
Strips will be shipped in 12² sona tube (round cardboard concrete forms).
The strips will be banded, wrapped in plastic, banded again, bundled in
bubble wrap and placed in the tube. This will be fairly bomb proof. Kanaka
Creek Boatworks, Ltd has a preferred shipping rate with FedEx. Fed Ex Ground
Freight should allow cross-county shipping to NE for under $200 in four to
six days. This is a business-to-business rate. There is a $58 charge if
the drop off is a residence. You are welcome to find and arrange your own
shipping and pick-up. Packing cost will be $75 a kit. If you live in the
NW, you¹re welcome to drop by my shop in Stevenson Washington to pick up the
strips. Even if you pick them up, I would suggest you allow us to pack them
in a tube for transport.
For those who want to cut their own strips, I will keep some cedar on hand.
The raw material is a full 1-inch by four inches, rough cut. The retail
cost is $5.50 a board foot. When you compare, remember this material is a
full inch (not 3/4 inch) and a full 4 inches (not 3 1/2 inches). There is
roughly 20% more material in a rough board foot than in a yard board foot.
This is clear old cedar. Great stuff. In half 16¹s and half 14¹s, it takes
180 bd. ft to cut 350 strips.
The cost of setting up the millrun is substantial and I will be running
stock once a month or so, as I need and as orders accumulate. At this time,
I have enough orders to schedule a run. The first run will be in three to
four weeks, when the lumber arrives from Canada.
As part of the first run, we will be running some mahogany, cherry, walnut
and yellow cedar for accent pieces. These will be priced relative to the
current board foot rate at the time of the run, but should be ordered prior
to the run.
For those wanting a strip kit out of this run, please contact me as soon as
possible. To secure a kit, we will need a 50% deposit and the balance plus
packing and freight on shipping.
For those out of North America builders, I suggest you check into duties,
and I can check into the FedEx rates to your area if you contact me with
your address. FedEx overseas is fairly reasonable if you tell them the
package is not time sensitive and they can bundle it with other large
freight. A package takes a couple weeks rather than two days. The cost is
a quarter of the regular rates.
If you want to talk to me, my home phone is 509-427-2201, shop is 427-5242.
Feel free to call.
I hope this solves the wood problem for those who are looking to buy strips.
Keith Liggett
Kanaka Creek Boatworks, Ltd
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