Date:         Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:31:27 -0800
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: slightly OT - wood interiors
In-Reply-To:  <1385706653.89286.YahooMailNeo@web122301.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
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On Thu, Nov 28, 2013 at 10:30 PM, MICHAEL H <vwdash80@yahoo.com> wrote:
 the deciding factor is cost. it just is cheaper to mass produce trim
bits near exact sameness using plastics.   mike, considering 'warming'
up the Vanagon cockpit  (still/again)
________________________________
>  From: James <jk_eaton@HOTMAIL.COM>

> One reason wood has become less popular is maintenance - wood interiors, and moreso wood exteriors, need regular, time-consuming care.
>
> James Eaton

   Friday now,

I think Mike almost nailed it..(pun intended)  Wood doesn't lend
itself to mass production well, though now with laser-replicating
cutting machines they are able to feed whole logs into 'house
factories' that produce kit post and beam houses. The machine-cut
parts (called Bents) are spit out the rear.  Like
this..http://www.sloansmill.com/  3-D replicating router-machines can
duplicate wooden items also...

   Wooden boats?  The marine (and that means freshwater, too)
environment is very different than a camper van or a house.   Wooden
boats, assembled and finished in the traditional way, these are/were
certainly high maintenance items.  The marine environment is very
harsh indeed. Traditional wooden boats are constructed (as they had to
be) with old-time techniques developed before epoxys, etc.,  making
them very vulnerable to water and UV degradation when not maintained
properly.

 With the introduction of modern adhesives and coatings, however, wood
can be just as durable (and impervious to water) as many other
substances.  When properly utilized by a skilled craftsman or
knowledgeable  engineer, it is often a superior material.   Wood is
being used again now in many composite and laminate applications,
sometimes adding beauty when finished clear, but also being used as an
engineering material just for it's weight and structural
characteristics.
   Wood is not a homogenized substance though.  It does not lend
itself well to mass production.  It does take some skill to work with
it and produce an attractive and utilitarian product, and those skills
aren't common any longer.

   Wood also takes skill to finish properly.  Yes, if you just slap on
some paint, stain or varnish, willy-nilly, a finish that you've gotten
from Home Depot or Lowe's, it likely won't tend to last very long, but
if the wood is finished correctly and a quality product is applied, it
will last a long time.
   To really insure extremely long lasting finish on fancy wooden
stuff I often use epoxy as a base coat, having learned this in the
boat building trade.   Teak is a very gorgeous wood but it is
notoriously tough to keep a good varnish finish on, especially when
it's  exposed, but we discovered that with careful prep and a couple
of undercoats of WEST System epoxy,  good varnish would last, in full
sunlight on the deck of a boat, for multiple seasons.

   I have white oak kitchen countertops, with  couple of undercoats of
epoxy and quality varnish on top...No refinishing needed yet. They
look today, after almost 18years, almost like new....no issues at
all...Yes, you have to be aware to not put a red hot pan on them
except with a trivet...but we like the look over those 'so-called'
Granite tops that seem to be the rage...(Granite tops are actually
made from epoxy) and the Oak was about 500% less costly..

   My limited production Alaskan Camper (older) has a lot of wood
inside it, very nice work, but not so well finished.   I think the
more recent Alaskan Campers are more like Sportmobiles with lots of
vinyl and plastic laminates..Progress?

   What I find especially silly is when an inorganic material is
configured to emulate real wood.   Like Hardy Plank siding with the
'simulated wood grain'...Why bother, just stucco the house and be done
with it...Or use 4x8 sheets of waterproof cement board or corrugated
galvanized steel ...You'll never have to paint it!  Vanagon content:
We have wood grain formica inside our westies, don't we?