companion way drop board

[gary46]

hi,
this is a FYI , called hutch and talked to parts about getting drop board for my 16, they have changed the wood ones that were sold to a plastic type and the cost is a little over 100 now .........time to go to the box store for plywood
gary

[capt_nemo]

gary46,

Go for it! I've used the ½" Birch ply for interior woodwork.

Just recommend SEALING THE EDGES well on drop boards. That is, soaking with unthickend epoxy 'til they won't take any more, letting cure, then sanding lightly between a few more coats. It is well worth the time spent, especially on the bottom edge of bottom board which sits in or in close proximity to water often. If original board was one-piece recommend two or more pieces for ease of stowage. Also, consider downward beveled mating edges between boards to shed water better. Or sealed thin overlapping wood cleats.

Sorry if I went into too much detail. Just sharing my boat woodworking experience, for whatever it's worth.

capt_nemo

[Jon898]

This thread also points out an issue with the plastic ones:

http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=7722.0

[NateD]

It might be worth searching around for marine grade plywood. I tried some oak plywood from a big box a few years ago. I did NOT seal the edges with epoxy, but I did about 6-8 coats of Cetol on the whole thing. I figured if it lasted 5 years, then it would be worth it financially compared to marine grade ply. The board didn't even make it 3 months before the bottom edge started to absorb water and swell. When you add up the cost of the non-marine grade ply, the epoxy, and the time you'll spend soaking the wood, then all the time and materials you'll put into finishing the wood, then cut the expected life of the dropboard by some percentage (not sure what the correct percentage is if the edges are sealed properly), the final calculation will probably show that it is cheaper to start with the more expensive marine grade plywood and get a solid 20 years out of it. At least that is the conclusion that I came to.

[Craig]

Nemo's protocol for soaking the edges is STILL a good idea even w/marine ply. I have seen marine ply go south in a surprisingly short time when exposed to a wet environment. Cetol while a great coating is not as good a sealant as epoxy.

[wroundey]

Last winter I built a new hatchboard for by 16 using some scrap corian - looks great but weighs a ton. I think this winter I will make another one - probably using either some cedar or cherry I have in the lumber racks from other projects.

[Pacman]

I want my drop boards to float.

Wood usually floats better than plastic.

[capt_nemo]

I applied several coats of Cetol Marine Light to my Factory Teak ply boards AFTER sealing all edges with epoxy.

After 4+ years still look'in good ALL OVER!

capt_nemo

[Drescape24]

I just purchased enough teak to construct the 3 piece slide hatch. The cost for the solid wood was $155.00
I will post pics when it's done. I plan to heat tung oil to an almost out then apply many coats.  Then after a 6 week delay I will seal the boards.

[Duckie]

I laminated two pieces of quarter inch luan together a year ago and varnished the whole magilla.  It still looks like new after sitting out unprotected all summer.  And yeah the bottom of the board did stand in some water for a while a couple of times, but plain ole marine varnish did the trick.  It looks pretty nice too.

Al

[capt_nemo]

Found some good quality lightweight (5mm) Luan Plywood in a Big Box Hardware Store and recently used it to build two boats.

The first was a 7 1/2' Portuguese Dinghy from free plans on the Internet and the second was a Freedom 11' Kayak designed by JEM Watercraft.

When properly reinforced with fiberglass cloth in high stress areas, and coated all over with epoxy before top coating with Marine Polyurethane, it is a very useful and inexpensive construction material with which I am quite satisfied.

capt_nemo

[nreamer]

Marine plywood is not magic.  It simply has no voids (theoretically) in the plies to allow moisture to become trapped and allow rot to start from the inside.  Less expensive grades of plywood, properly sealed (as Capt Nemo described) will last practically forever.  Seal the edges, seal any and all perforations, and darn near any wood will last a long, long time.  Plywood of any grade must be sealed well on the edges, as the end grain is like a sponge.  It will soak up water or epoxy, your choice.

[Duckie]

I just finished up a Kaholo SUP board for my wife made completely out of luan.  It came out pretty nice.  I had previously built a puddle duck racer out of the same stuff and found out that unless it is sealed up good it will delaminate pretty quickly.  I have a policy of not using tropical hardwoods on any boat build unless I am recycling someone else's scraps.  However, I have yet to find northern hardwood ply in a 3 to 4 mm thickness, so I just suck it up and use the stuff.  So far all of my builds with the exception of those mentioned have been of regular construction grade pine plywood.  MY weekender is coming up on six years old now and looks better than she did when I launched her.  I expect to let my widow be the one to try to sell her. 

I have always used regular ole Helmsman Spar Varnish from the hardware store on all of my outdoor projects including my dog sleds.  It has never let me down.  Because I am fussy about how my weekender looks, I do a regular light sanding and foam brush a new top coat on every couple years.  That is not a problem because lavishing my care and attention on her makes me happy, so it is a win-win.  I have a technique for varnishing brightwork that works pretty well for me if I am trying to get a finish that makes you go OOOH.  Over a properly prepped base I apply enough varnish to give a thick, deep looking finish without a second thought to dust or brush marks. Basically I just slap it on.  After I have enough varnish on to mess around with, I color sand it with wet or dry 400 grit until I have a nice even translucent finish on it.  I then either wipe a final coat on in good clean conditions, or spray a final coat on as carefully as I can.  Wiping seems to do the best job.  Oh, and I don't sand between coats.  If I want a semigloss finish I polish the color sanded finish until I get the look I am looking for.   I know that this goes against accepted wisdom, but as I said it has never let me down.

Sealing the end grain is mandatory in any case.  Epoxy works just fine, but you can get good results with enough spar varnish applied as well. 

Al