Amount of SITKA SPRUCE needed:

[JIM MATHIESON]

I'm considering building a twelve stave Sitka Spruce mast using the birds mouth technique.Each stave will be one inch thick,by1.45 inch wide by 33 1/3 feet long.This gives me a 5 1/2 inch dia. mast 33 1/3 feet high.Adding about 20% more for waste and scarfs ,Im wondering how much Sitka do I need and how much would it cost?Thanks Jim:eek:

[Noah's]

The Sitka we stock is in 2? x 8? x up to 20?, cost is $ 12.44 bd ft. Best would be to figure your best yield out of that dimension.

[topsa1l]

Do you mean an 8 stave mast like the kind described in Wooden Boat Magazine #149?

We just built 2 using Douglas fir and the birds mouth technique,
a 30' and a 33', for a cat ketch.

[JIM MATHIESON]

Topsail ;yes I mean the similar method as the 8 stave but will use 12 stave as shown in Boatbuilder mag May/June 2001 and July/August 2001.:) The 12 stave is a little stronger and a little thicker due to using 12 staves so we are going that way.Did it take you long to sand the mast -do you have any special sanding tips for this project that would help us?
thanks Jim

[agiannelia]

I am just rounding my 8 stave mast. How did you get the 30' mast round? Elbow grease? Special technique?