David Allen
Active member
Does anyone have a grass rail pattern they will share. I have plenty of ash from which to cut them.
Grass rail pattern
- Thread starter David Allen
- Start date
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
David~
One thing to think about is how much grass you want to carry on your boat - and what kind of grass you will be using. I like to use only as much grass as I need to cover everything up - mostly because it can get heavy when wet, especially late in the season.
I use Salt Hay (Spartina patens) with the occasional bunch of Cord Grass (S. alterniflora) mixed in. I found - though trial and error - that the optimal space between the bottom of the thatch rail and the deck was 3/16". If my spaces were 3/4" high, I'd need several times the volume of hay.
I do not lash the grass - just the tight fit and friction keep it where I put it - all season long, with hundreds of miles of highway trailering. I round over the upper corners of the rails with my router but not the inside corners. If you will instead be lashing bundles of grass to your rails, rounded corners and larger spaces are probably immaterial.
This is not a great photo but it shows my existing rails. I put the spacer blocks (I glue blocks on - and do not cut them out of a single piece) every 8 inches - primarily because the decks flex too much - which is the same reason I put the white oak up on edge and fastened with carriage bolts - to stiffen the deck from above.
I plan to replace the decks (next year?) and then make new thatch rails. I will make them out of cypress - because it's light, rot-resistant and holds paint well - and the width of the rails will be greater than the thickness (probably 1-1/4" x 3/4").
Hope this helps,
SJS
One thing to think about is how much grass you want to carry on your boat - and what kind of grass you will be using. I like to use only as much grass as I need to cover everything up - mostly because it can get heavy when wet, especially late in the season.
I use Salt Hay (Spartina patens) with the occasional bunch of Cord Grass (S. alterniflora) mixed in. I found - though trial and error - that the optimal space between the bottom of the thatch rail and the deck was 3/16". If my spaces were 3/4" high, I'd need several times the volume of hay.
I do not lash the grass - just the tight fit and friction keep it where I put it - all season long, with hundreds of miles of highway trailering. I round over the upper corners of the rails with my router but not the inside corners. If you will instead be lashing bundles of grass to your rails, rounded corners and larger spaces are probably immaterial.
This is not a great photo but it shows my existing rails. I put the spacer blocks (I glue blocks on - and do not cut them out of a single piece) every 8 inches - primarily because the decks flex too much - which is the same reason I put the white oak up on edge and fastened with carriage bolts - to stiffen the deck from above.
I plan to replace the decks (next year?) and then make new thatch rails. I will make them out of cypress - because it's light, rot-resistant and holds paint well - and the width of the rails will be greater than the thickness (probably 1-1/4" x 3/4").
Hope this helps,
SJS
David Allen
Active member
Thanks.
I may switch the material to cedar in consideration of weight.
I feel a little silly that I did not check the build section below.
I may switch the material to cedar in consideration of weight.
I feel a little silly that I did not check the build section below.
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
David~
I wish white cedar were easy to get around here. And, one thing about thatch rails - even if you do step on them in use, they are unlikely to crack IF they are filled with grass.
All the best,
SJS
I wish white cedar were easy to get around here. And, one thing about thatch rails - even if you do step on them in use, they are unlikely to crack IF they are filled with grass.
All the best,
SJS
David Allen
Active member
Some things are hard to come by, but fortunately here in Maine cedar is around if you know where to look. I just priced some for a bed I may build as a Christmas present. Cost of a 1 by 6 by 8 foot was 3 bucks. I'll check on what 4/5 decking costs.
Tom Russo
Active member
As with Steve said, make the gap just enough to cover the boat. Some test gaps will save grassing time later. I have white oak rails that I dato'd out the gaps and used 1/4" ss carraige bolts to attach. I started out with a 3/16" gap but because 1. the dato left a rougher edge than a router would have made (so the gap was 3/16"+) and 2. the rails are mounted on a ridge on my boat (that shape needed more grass to fit tight than on a flat deck) I ended up needing about twice the grass other folks with the same boat used. I removed the rails and sanded down the block sections to reduce the gaps.
Also, I use 1/4" gaps on my flap boards so there is extra grass where it overhangs the cockpit etc. which helps it hold up better.
Tom
Also, I use 1/4" gaps on my flap boards so there is extra grass where it overhangs the cockpit etc. which helps it hold up better.
Tom