How well will black walnut work as cabinet tops, trim, and gunwales in a boat? It will be covered in epoxy and then coated with several coats of high gloss UV blocking varnish, but I am interested in knowing if it is resistant to rot and such.
Thanks!
I would think it would have similar properties as mahogany. And UV protection will be the same. They have used walnut in boats and boat trimming for many years.
Here is a page to view:
Philski
For what it's worth, there's an old maritime superstition that black walnut is unlucky on boats.
Tom Dacon
Walnut is hard, tough and very resistant to decay. See
Should I worry that Black Walnut is only 1010 on the Janka hardness scale where White Oak is 1300 and something?
Maybe I should just use Purple Heart or Padauk (both higher on the hardness scale than white oak)...... but I really am leaning towards the color of the walnut. I can already see the dark brown, brightworked gunwale contrasting against an ivory paint on the outer hull.
Hardness is not an indicator of rot resistance. I'm sure cedar and cypress come in much lower but have good resistance.
I'm not a boat builder, but it doesn't seem like a big deal considering the application and considering you are going to put some tough finishes on it. You could use Jatoba as well. Very hard and durable and it has a nice color.
As the boat I am working on is a drift boat the gunwales may see some abuse. I want a fairly tough wood with good shock resistance.
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