Back cabin step timber?

[starman]

What wood would be suitable? Mounted onto a steel plate base. 

[Phoenix_V]

iroko

 

[WotEver]

7 minutes ago, Phoenix_V said:

iroko

 

Or cedar, or teak, or oak...

[Iain_S]

Or buffalo board ...

[BWM]

I'm fairly sure that the one on ours is a big chunk of ash, i'd personally be wary of hardwoods like Iroko as they are likely to become slippery. 

 Ash was used on top of the cants where you step onto the back deck on working narrow boats, i presume for its non slip quality.

Edited July 9, 2020 by BWM

[David Schweizer]

2 hours ago, BWM said:

I'm fairly sure that the one on ours is a big chunk of ash, i'd personally be wary of hardwoods like Iroko as they are likely to become slippery. 

 Ash was used on top of the cants where you step onto the back deck on working narrow boats, i presume for its non slip quality.

All the drawings of working boats which I have show cants as being of Oak not Ash, probably because it has poor resistance to water  Ash was used extensively in houses for interior stair treads, because of it's high wear durability, so it would depend on how wet the cabin step is likely to get.

Edited July 9, 2020 by David Schweizer

[BWM]

6 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

All the drawings of working boats which I have show cants as being of Oak not Ash, probably because it has poor resistance to water  Ash was used extensively in houses for interior stair treads, because of it's high wear durability, so it eould depenfd on how wet the cabin step is likely to get.

The cants were certainly Oak, i was referring to the thinner piece often seen on top. You can see them on the motor in the attached picture. 

[davidg]

33 minutes ago, BWM said:

I'm fairly sure that the one on ours is a big chunk of ash, i'd personally be wary of hardwoods like Iroko as they are likely to become slippery. 

 Ash was used on top of the cants where you step onto the back deck on working narrow boats, i presume for its non slip quality.

No you don’t.

[WotEver]

Ash isn't naturally durable as an outdoor timber unless well protected (heat or chemically treated). Whereas oak is.

So I doubt it was used on old working boats - they would have been forever replacing it.

[BWM]

4 minutes ago, davidg said:

No you don’t.

Unless you have a sky hook, how else do you get on without stepping over this area?

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

Ash isn't naturally durable as an outdoor timber unless well protected (heat or chemically treated). Whereas oak is.

So I doubt it was used on old working boats - they would have been forever replacing it.

 If you look at the picture you will see it, i would imagine that it would have been replaced when necessary along with many other consumables. It was often scrubbed or bleached i believe. Not everything fitted to these craft was designed to last indefinitely. 

[roland elsdon]

14 minutes ago, davidg said:

No you don’t.

Just waiting for my popcorn delivery.

[BWM]

2 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

Just waiting for my popcorn delivery.

Someone not taking the time to appreciate that i was describing the area of the boat in question rather than a preferred method of boarding!

[Phoenix_V]

1 hour ago, BWM said:

I'm fairly sure that the one on ours is a big chunk of ash, i'd personally be wary of hardwoods like Iroko as they are likely to become slippery. 

 Ash was used on top of the cants where you step onto the back deck on working narrow boats, i presume for its non slip quality.

well it gets wet and iroko lasts a long time even if wet and is relatively cheap, but if you are concerned about slipping why not put some non slip tape on top of the steel

[tree monkey]

1 hour ago, WotEver said:

Ash isn't naturally durable as an outdoor timber unless well protected (heat or chemically treated). Whereas oak is.

So I doubt it was used on old working boats - they would have been forever replacing it.

From my point of view Ash isn't considered a robust tree, it certainly doesn't make much effort against fungi.

[BWM]

31 minutes ago, Phoenix_V said:

well it gets wet and iroko lasts a long time even if wet and is relatively cheap, but if you are concerned about slipping why not put some non slip tape on top of the steel

The step in question is inside the cabin, the wood is warmer and more comfortable to stand on. A slip on this could easily lead to a broken back. 

19 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

From my point of view Ash isn't considered a robust tree, it certainly doesn't make much effort against fungi.

 Being technically indoors, the resistance to fungi is not strictly relevant and once fully seasoned as a useable timber its properties are quite different to a standing tree.

 The purpose i mentioned above is a replaceable wear strip/trim that is still used by some today. 

[tree monkey]

23 minutes ago, BWM said:

 

 Being technically indoors, the resistance to fungi is not strictly relevant and once fully seasoned as a useable timber its properties are quite different to a standing tree.

 The purpose i mentioned above is a replaceable wear strip/trim that is still used by some today. 

Sorry to drag this off topic

but not completely, decay resistance is as much structural as a product of the living processes in the tree, practically a tree is a thin smear of living cells surrounding a functionally dead core.

[Phoenix_V]

35 minutes ago, BWM said:

The step in question is inside the cabin, the wood is warmer and more comfortable to stand on.

just match what else is used in that area and put non slip tape on it

Edited July 9, 2020 by Phoenix_V

[ditchcrawler]

3 hours ago, starman said:

What wood would be suitable? Mounted onto a steel plate base. 

Not sure what mine is but its brown and heavy.

[David Schweizer]

1 hour ago, tree monkey said:

From my point of view Ash isn't considered a robust tree, it certainly doesn't make much effort against fungi.

But as a timber Ash is very strong, and perhaps more importantly very flexible and shock resistant, which is why it is used for things like hammer, axe, spade, and chisel handles, it is also used for sports equipment like hockey sticks, baseball bats, rowing oars, archery bows, etc.

[tree monkey]

Just now, David Schweizer said:

But as a timber Ash is very strong, and perhaps more importantly very flexible and shock resistant, which is why it is used for things like hammer, axe, spade, and chisel handles, it is also used for sports equipment like hockey sticks, baseball bats, rowing oars, archery bows, etc.

Fascinating isn't it

[magnetman]

I thought steerer's steps were elm. 

[roland elsdon]

On our butty it was. But I cut it from an old bottom board. 

We did not have ash strips. Could not be bothered to scrub them. We had thin ply on top of the oak.

[blackrose]

53 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

But as a timber Ash is very strong, and perhaps more importantly very flexible and shock resistant, which is why it is used for things like hammer, axe, spade, and chisel handles, it is also used for sports equipment like hockey sticks, baseball bats, rowing oars, archery bows, etc.

 

Willow is also very springy which is why is used for making cricket bats. But willow is crap for virtually everything else including burning!

 

Why can't hardwood decking be used as back step timber? Much more easily available, cheaper and more easily replaceable than thick lumps of oak, elm or ash, and it's got a ready made non-slip finish. There's loads of it dumped in piles where I'm moored from old caravan verandas, but I guess the traditionalists wouldn't like it.

[magnetman]

I would expect caravans to use the treated softwood type due to the light weight. Hardwood is quite heavy. 

 

Either way it's handy firewood so grab it. Autumn will be here in the blink of an eye

[Tracy D'arth]

1 hour ago, David Schweizer said:

But as a timber Ash is very strong, and perhaps more importantly very flexible and shock resistant, which is why it is used for things like hammer, axe, spade, and chisel handles, it is also used for sports equipment like hockey sticks, baseball bats, rowing oars, archery bows, etc.

Hickory for hammer and axe shafts surely. Ash is brittle.

TD'