Help building a wooden flat bottom!

[Wolfgang123]

Hi guys so i am looking into building a wooden flat bottom jon boat. i have a questions about wood mostly. I have access to white wood (wood at lowes) and pressure treated wood (again at lowes) thats about all i have sence i live in the middle of a large city. would these wood be ok to use? i was think there might be some kind of paint that could seal the wood and make it just as good as marine ply wood. any ideas?

Thanks
Wolgang

[Wolfgang123]

ok so i have not started yet but i was thinking i would make the whole thing out of white wood execpt for the floor, i will use pressure treated there. First i would paint with this:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=4069&familyName=Pettit+Old+Salem+2018+Clear+Sealer

after say 2 coats of the above i will put on 2 coats of:

http://www.gulfstreamshop.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=426&PartnerID=2

then paint with say 2 coats of general use spray paint just for color? what do you guys think?

EDIT:

or do you think i should just do 3 coats of this:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=4069&familyName=Pettit+Old+Salem+2018+Clear+Sealer

then spray paint it?

[Wolfgang123]

http://vimeo.com/7049070

thats the way i plan to build my boat how ever i plan to make a couple adjustments to measurements and stuff to make it more stable and less box looking. i also plan to make it wider.

[lewisboats]

1: Standard exterior grade plywood will never be as good as marine grade. Marine grade (contrary to the video) normally has MORE plies and the plies are guaranteed to have absolutely the minimum of internal holes or VOIDS. The glue is guaranteed to be water proof and will not let go even after boiling.
That said...you can build that boat out of regular exterior grade plywood...just expect it not to last like marine ply would.

2: I would never use gorilla glue and I would definitely try NOT to use Poplar...that glue has proven to NOT be very good for building boats. Use PL Premium or Epoxy instead. They are both less expensive as well as being proven better. Poplar is not a rot resistant wood, you would be better off with pine or fir. Your generic white wood is quite likely to be poplar or aspen or some other non rot resistant wood.
That being said...If you don't have expectations of the boat lasting to pass onto your grand kids, and you protect it while in storage (no wet leaves inside, prompt covering of scratches after a thorough drying out of the affected area, covering from the elements while allowing it to breath, etc) and you use a decent paint like exterior porch paint, barn paint or tractor paint, with a good primer...use what is available for wood. Take the building process in the video with a big grain of salt...the guy is clearly a house builder/carpenter pressed into building a box boat. He routinely uses the wrong term for basic boat parts (any knowledgeable boat builder would know these) and clearly shows no proper knowledge of boat building techniques. There is not enough rocker (upward curve) to the bottom of the bow and the bow transom will slap into the face of even the smallest of waves or wakes from other boats. The bottom of the boat is really too thick...3/8" to 1/2" would be fine and quite a bit lighter. The (Red) Oak rub rails and runners he used will soak up water like a bundle of straws...much better to use Douglas Fir (cheaper too). The 3 deg flare aft would be much better if it were around 10 degrees...3 deg is about useless as far as adding heeled stability (or buoyancy). What is shown is the very most basic of floating boxes...much can be done to this with only a little bit more effort. You won't really want to get too much wider across the bottom...it will be a b!tch to handle out of the water and will need a larger motor to push around. 12' long x 4' wide are good dimensions for the bottom and you can widen it across the top to about 4'10" without too much trouble.

3: don't let anyone else fool you...you can still have fun with regular box store wood boats...just remember that the quality isn't up to most folks around here's standards and it won't probably won't last as long as the higher quality materials would.

[alan white]

I agree with lewisboats. The designer and builder in the video appears to know little if nothing of boat terminology, meaning his lack of exposure to those terms also indicates a lack of exposure to boat-building in general.
Agreed about the glue, which is not correct (meaning effective over time) for underwater applications.
Poplar, also mentioned as a poor choice, is brittle (especially as sold in a very dry state). It has poor rot-resistance compared to other available woods.
The term, "white wood" is a marketing term and doesn't belong in any discussion about boat wood since it includes a lot of woods having very different characteristics. Let's talk cedar, pine, fir, yellow pine, and spruce for starters, since all are available nearly everywhere in the US and each will potentially serve some need in the building of A cheap boat.
There's not enough curve to the bow as said. Not enough flare to the sides in my opinion, and the method show of attaching the stern at 3 degrees is absurd if the same angle hasn't been built into the side/bottom angle.
I could go on, but my point is that if one wants to build a jon boat, the best course of action would be to ask the right people what is a good jon boat designer or a designer who has architected one, and then proceed to build it with forum help, which is plentiful and free.
Using good wood and proper methods, the result will be a boat that can last a long time and serve its purpose well.

[Wolfgang123]

ok thanks guys, i could tell by watching the video that it wasnt the best way to go.

- so i will use pine (all i can get my hand on) instead of white wood

- this for "glue": http://www.simplicityboats.com/pl_premium.htm

- at 14:00 i plan to do the 10 degrees instead of 3

- 1x12 as sides, 2x12s for the transom and front (i plan to use steel plate to brace these even more), the bottom is 3/8 inch plywood, screwed and glued front,sides, and back... and to the spreader in the middle and in the back of the boat. For the front of the boat should i cut a 10 degree offset like i would do for the transon and middle support? or should i just add the front on like in the video and just cut it to match up where ever the bends of the boat fall naturally?

- at 0:27 in the video i plan to do a 5 inch offset instead of the 3 he did (more or less what do you guys think?)...then come back 26 inches instead of 24 inches and make the 1 inch offset a 2 inch offset (good, bad?)

- at 7:54 in the video to make the arc i was thinking about a cinder block with a 2x4 on top of the block to form the arc instead of just a 2x4 (again too much too little?)

[Wolfgang123]

ok i was thinking of JUST 2 coats of this nothing else:

http://paint-and-supplies.hardwarestore.com/60-351-deck-and-siding-stain/thompson''s-waterseal-deck-and-house-oil-stain-615387.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=615387&utm_campaign=googlebase

thats what my dad used on our deck like 4 years ago (2 coats) and it is still like new and we use the deck alot.

thoughts?

i read that you werent suppose to prime with deck paint or any kind of high traaffic surface becuase primer is soft and chips easily.

[The copper guy]

Hiya m8
If you are looking to have fun with the boat in the water, Go for it.
In Canada they have a nice tradition of building a Schooner for Les than $1000 and in 4hrs or so.
But if you want something to be proud of and show off but never put in the water?
The best thing is in the middle, Basically if you dobell the cost of the materials you will
Trippel the life expectancy.

[Wolfgang123]

i am going to build one no question. i coulnt care less how it looks

[hoytedow]

Only one of many suppliers of plans. The garvey is a simple nice type to do.

[WesS]

check out this: www.boatbuild2010.blogspot.com

[Wolfgang123]

check out this: www.boatbuild2010.blogspot.com

thats cool but out of my price range. i would be better off buying a boat.

i think i am going to just take my new measurements posted above and just try and see what happens i am having a hard time finding plans that are free and worth a crap. so we will see

[uncleralph]

i am having a hard time finding plans that are free and worth a crap.

As the saying goes - "You get what you pay for".
There are inexpensive plans for jon boats available. Here are two that are less than $30.

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/jim/jon_jr/index.htm

http://www.unclejohns.com/jonboat/default.htm

[Wolfgang123]

i like these = http://www.unclejohns.com/jonboat/default.htm

but only a 30 inch bottom on a 10 foot boat? that seem too narrow to me. also i am trying to aviod fiberglass due to the cost.

[Wolfgang123]

there again i was hoping to add a 15hp surface drive to it. so i might need to fiberglass...the problem is those boat plans dont list for more than 10hp on the transom.

[hoytedow]

http://www.bateau.com/products.php?cat=16

[WesS]

A 15hp godevil or mudbuddy would rock the world off a 14' jon. Anyway, if you go where a godevil will then your bottom will become splintered eventually. I am an avid duck hunter and run the crap out of some sloughs and mud. Good luck... try a kevlar bottom

[WesS]

PS- a 15hp godevil/mudbuddy will definitely blow your budget. Buying a used one is a wase of time. They are all beat to crap. Try taking care of one at 3 in the morning, crushing through ice, half asleep, cold as crap, and trying to get to your hole in time to clear the ice and set the decoys. Not saying they arent out there, but...

[GTO]

You should be pretty close to this outfit.
Quality plywood and spruce.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/wp/plywood.html

Aircraft Spruce EAST
452 Dividend Drive
Peachtree City, GA 30269
MapQuest: Click Here
Tel: 770-487-2310
Fax: 770-487-2308
Customer Service: 800-861-3192
Email: info@aircraftspruce.com

[don4465]

You should be able to find 8 inch wide 12ft long cedar planks at Lowes that would be lighter, last longer and bend easier than white pine. STEEL plate sounds like rust and moisture to me, some aluminum plate would be nicer, you can use narrow strips, say 2 inches wide to keep the cost down. 10 horse on a 10ft boat is flying, remember we sometimes run into things that make the boat stop but the operator keeps flying.
Another option is taking measurements from a boat you like and copying the dimensions with your own build (but there are copyright laws). Good luck searching, I would buy a proven set of plans.

[Wolfgang123]

Hey thanks for all the responces guys. The surface drive I plan to use is going to be homemade as well. I am much better with metal than wood, and I have never had anykind of experiance with boats, but I have been around motors and such all ny life. I can decide if I should buy and old 10 foot aluminum jon. Or make one. The only thing is cost. I feel it might be cheap to just buy a boat. Making one would be fun but I just don't know yet.

[lewisboats]

You should be able to find 8 inch wide 12ft long cedar planks at Lowes that would be lighter, last longer and bend easier than white pine. STEEL plate sounds like rust and moisture to me, some aluminum plate would be nicer, you can use narrow strips, say 2 inches wide to keep the cost down. 10 horse on a 10ft boat is flying, remember we sometimes run into things that make the boat stop but the operator keeps flying.
Another option is taking measurements from a boat you like and copying the dimensions with your own build (but there are copyright laws). Good luck searching, I would buy a proven set of plans.

10 ft boat...9.5 horse motor...26 mph clocked.

[Wolfgang123]

cool ok guys looks like i wil go with a 10-12 footer then, my goal is to be able to do 30mph so with a 10 ft boat and 15-17hp motor maybe i will be able too.

:)

and this site is cool:
http://www.bateau.com/products.php?cat=16

but at an average cost of 50 dollars for one set of plans i think i would have money but just buying a jon boat. those things go for like $200 in my area.

[WesS]

Dang boy! 30 mph in a 10 footer. Be carefull!

[Wolfgang123]

haha i know i will. i have a little minibike right now that does 65mph. you start to get the death wobble when you get going like that, fast and fun as hell though.

[lewisboats]

You gotta be careful with a flat bottomed chined boat. If you take a turn too fast the edge can catch and you " trip" on the chine. Instant flip over...at speed. That is the reason that the Coast Guard rates flat bottomed boats at a lower hp rating

[Wolfgang123]

ohhn thanks i didnt know that :confused:

[jalmberg]

Hey thanks for all the responces guys. The surface drive I plan to use is going to be homemade as well. I am much better with metal than wood, and I have never had anykind of experiance with boats, but I have been around motors and such all ny life. I can decide if I should buy and old 10 foot aluminum jon. Or make one. The only thing is cost. I feel it might be cheap to just buy a boat. Making one would be fun but I just don't know yet.

Wolfgang, don't fool yourself. It's not cheap to build a boat, particularly in terms of time. There is no way you can build a 10' boat for $200.

[Wolfgang123]

ohh yea i could it just wont not be a good/nice boat. haha yeah i figured that out thats why i kinda let the thread go, i did relize that. :(

[robertgrandbois]

there is a really nice free plan here http://sandypointboatworks.com/powerboats.html