The reason for reluctance is two fold. First off, the sitka spruce that is cut for aviation use gets special handling to avoid damage or excess stress to the wood grain starting with the way the tree is dropped. They don't just fell the tree the way other lumber is dropped. It is supported and gently laid down to the ground. It gets special handling like that right up to the point that it goes into the shipping crate to you.
Secondly, and this is only my observation for which I am sure there are many exceptions... Most builders that start off to fabricate every little detail of the aircraft to save a couple of bucks here and a couple of bucks there, never finish. That may be because it simply takes so much longer to complete all the details that the project outlives them; It may be that builder fatigue sets in; Or it may be because they are so underfunded that when the reality hits of building an engine and buying avionics they give up for financial reasons. I can't say for sure. But it has been my observation that very few of those builders ever finish. That's not intended to discourage you. But instead to ensure you are getting a realistic look at what you are proposing. The extra $$ spent to buy the spruce for the airframe is but a drop in the bucket towards a finished aircraft. FWIW, to save a few $$, my KR used birch plywood as a less expensive alternative to the mahogany ply called out in the plans. Clearly I am not against using alternatives. But putting a lot of extra labor into the project to save a couple of bucks may be the death nell of your dream. -Jeff Scott Los Alamos, NM ------------------------- Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 7:22 AM From: "Robert Russell via KRnet" <krnet@list.krnet.org> Subject: Re: KR> yellow cedar I am not sure what the reluctance is to look at options ( or if there is one ) but even Wicks has offered up hemlock because they know spruce is very expensive. So, a guy walks into a bar........ Bob _______________________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at https://www.mail-archive.com/krnet@list.krnet.org/. Please see LIST RULES and KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html. see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change options. To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@list.krnet.org
