Laminate Sample #26: Cedar Strip-Planking with E-glass / Epoxy Skins

Laminate Sample 26 shows how strip-planking with wood can make composite parts with compound shapes, good mechanical properties and very little tooling. The strips of wood aren't just a core, they act like a very low density reinforcement ply in the laminate - contributing both thickness and load-bearing capability. The Northern White Cedar used here is very light (20lbs / cubic foot) and provides the primary structural reinforcement. It is effectively a 120oz unidirectional, but it's 0.5" thick! It is also self-fairing and can be bent around molds and edge-glued. Also fatigue resistant, rot resistant, vibration dampening - and it smells good. Wood is good stuff! This method is a common way to build one-off boats because it is relatively light, tough, and requires very little tooling. Of course you don't get any shiny gelcoat surface here - you have to add that with fairing compound and primer! It might not be the right choice for most projects, but it's good to know wood-composite options are available. For one-off boat or budget-conscious jobs it can be a great option. You won't get carbon fiber performance, but you won't pay carbon fiber money either. Check out the EC! website for dozens of article about building with composites: https://explorecomposites.com