A Photo & Discussion Forum for Wharram Design Enthusiasts

Engineered beams?

Anybody out there got any ideas about using pre made wooden beams for cross beams? I have a tangaroa mk4 here in Australia and have laminated 2 beams so far but it's lookin like I need another but trying to avoid the process again due to working space.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Hughes on July 26, 2014 at 6:33am

I have a vague recollection of this coming up before, have you had a look in the archives?

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Permalink Reply by Tam Dl on July 31, 2014 at 8:08pm

There are a ton of reasons not to do it. Like that the beams are engineered to carry a different kind of load. do not have the curved shape, etc... Can theoretically be succesfully wested if the sections of the lams are too thick. Before I considered that option, if the issue is one of the I beams that use extensive lamination to come up with a solid I shape, I would consider using a ply box beam. Those are very fast to build, and very good beams. Sure, you would be off the reservation a little, but nothing like the extent of a glulam. Depending on the size of your boat, there are existing ply beams you could get a substitution order on.

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Permalink Reply by Andy Best-Dunkley on August 1, 2014 at 11:07am

Hi Matt - I have used a factory laminated pine beam for one of the beams on my Pahi 42. I was told they use waterproof glues, and so far after about 3 years it is fine. I have similar space and time problem - the weather here in winter/spring is so cold that I can't do any epoxy work outside until May, and my workshop won't take a 7m beam! My opinion was that the factory made lamination would be far better quality than what I would achieve. It is shaped and covered in 2 layers of glass cloth and epoxy & finishing coats.