Tim,
I'm loving the work you're doing on your daysailor project. The underside of your decking looks to be standard beaded ply that's painted white? Are you not using an exterior or marine grade version of this product?
I've been trying to decide on a material for covering all of the plywood bulkheads and headliners on my Islander and have wanted something like a nice beaded ply that I could stain to match the mahagony trim. I really wanted to go for the all-wood look but I've been unable to find anything that I'm really happy with. I'm afraid of using oak because of it's tendency to really split and show grain with moisture, and pine just seems too pedestrian not to mention it stains up horribly.
I have also mulled over the possibility of just using 1/4" ply with a mahagony veneer, but am worried that my veneer job won't hold up to the moisture.
Tim, The beaded ply you're using on your daysailor?
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Tim
- Shipwright Extraordinaire
- Posts: 5708
- Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 6:39 pm
- Boat Name: Glissando
- Boat Type: Pearson Triton
- Location: Whitefield, ME
- Contact:
Good hardwood suppliers often have a far better selection of plywoods. I know that you can find nice smooth birch beadboard, which would finish up more nicely than the cheap fir. The fir is really only good for paint (and then only with a lot of prepwork and painting), and I wouldn't recommend staining it. Find a good supplier of hardwood plywood and see what they offer. The lumberyard might have something for the building trade too; I know my local yard sells the birch stuff (for $40+ a sheet, as of a year ago).
Of course, your hardwood plywood supplier will have all sorts of veneer plywoods: cherry, mahogany, teak, etc. Some come in marine, or exterior, grades; some do not. For bulkhead covering, I see no reason to require a marine grade. Use it if you can, but otherwise don't worry. For structural applications, I believe it needs to be marine grade only.
The fir beadboard needs to be kept dry, and the way I install anything on the boat myself, I can guarantee that it will. What some future owner does...well, no guarantees. But nothing is forever, particularly when the nameless, faceless many are brought into the picture.
To my knowledge, there is not an exterior grade of this product, but who knows. I probably should have just avoided mention of this stuff in my building process, as I knew there would be questions about its use.
Here's the deal, once and for all: no, this stuff is not suitable for use in a structural or weather-bearing situation. It is interior grade, and is basically junk. While I can't truly say that it has no bearing on the structure of my boat--obviously, since it exists it has a bearing--I can say that the boat does not need whatever structure it provides. The next layer of decking, which will go on this week (I hope), is Meranti plywood, multi-ply, void-free, marine-grade, BS 1088 standard. This is the good stuff, and is what will supply the "real" structure of the daysailor deck. The second layer will be laminated to the first with epoxy, and screwed through the first layer into the deck beams.
In addition to that, I plan to install a couple layers of fiberglass (epoxy) sheathing over the entire deck, and wrapping over the hull-deck edge. This will provide the weather surface, as well as significant overall strength.
Of course, your hardwood plywood supplier will have all sorts of veneer plywoods: cherry, mahogany, teak, etc. Some come in marine, or exterior, grades; some do not. For bulkhead covering, I see no reason to require a marine grade. Use it if you can, but otherwise don't worry. For structural applications, I believe it needs to be marine grade only.
The fir beadboard needs to be kept dry, and the way I install anything on the boat myself, I can guarantee that it will. What some future owner does...well, no guarantees. But nothing is forever, particularly when the nameless, faceless many are brought into the picture.
To my knowledge, there is not an exterior grade of this product, but who knows. I probably should have just avoided mention of this stuff in my building process, as I knew there would be questions about its use.
Here's the deal, once and for all: no, this stuff is not suitable for use in a structural or weather-bearing situation. It is interior grade, and is basically junk. While I can't truly say that it has no bearing on the structure of my boat--obviously, since it exists it has a bearing--I can say that the boat does not need whatever structure it provides. The next layer of decking, which will go on this week (I hope), is Meranti plywood, multi-ply, void-free, marine-grade, BS 1088 standard. This is the good stuff, and is what will supply the "real" structure of the daysailor deck. The second layer will be laminated to the first with epoxy, and screwed through the first layer into the deck beams.
In addition to that, I plan to install a couple layers of fiberglass (epoxy) sheathing over the entire deck, and wrapping over the hull-deck edge. This will provide the weather surface, as well as significant overall strength.
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LastMango
Thanks Tim... The Birch may be my ticket. I haven't seen it at the local lumber yard so I'll have to dig around. My use is purely cosmetic since the structural bulkheads are all done in marine grade ply. I'm just looking to warm up the cabin areas. The deep mahogany trim and white painted marine ply just looks too sterile for my taste.
Regardless of what I do I'll probably stain down the birch then coat with West systems epoxy with thier wood covering additive. I'll do this after cutting the peice but before mounting so I can be assured of sealing the end grain and the rear of the peice.
One of my quandries is how to line the walls of the v-berth. The shape of the hull would prevent me from simply attaching the top and bottom of the ply. I'm thinking of glassing in some 1" firing strips, cut from marine ply, along the arch of the hull, then using this to screw the beaded ply down.
Regardless of what I do I'll probably stain down the birch then coat with West systems epoxy with thier wood covering additive. I'll do this after cutting the peice but before mounting so I can be assured of sealing the end grain and the rear of the peice.
One of my quandries is how to line the walls of the v-berth. The shape of the hull would prevent me from simply attaching the top and bottom of the ply. I'm thinking of glassing in some 1" firing strips, cut from marine ply, along the arch of the hull, then using this to screw the beaded ply down.
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Commanderpete
- Rough Carpentry Apprentice
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 8:58 am
- Location: Brightwaters, N.Y.
The Daysailor is starting to look like this custom Hinckley, selling for only $2.75M.
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/ ... slim=quick&
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http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/ ... slim=quick&
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