Help! Drift Boat!

[FcStory]

Im going to do it what ever you gents say lol.. just because im stubborn and would rather sink trying then to not try at all..

Can I (will it work) build a drift boat out of plywood and 2x4's.. ?

Like 1/2 in ply from lets say home depot..

Then seal it with resin and boat caulk..?

Thanks guys!

[Ike]

The simple answer is yes, but I have to ad the caveat, it depends. How big will this drift boat be? 1/2 ply and 2 X 4s is pretty big stuff and would make a very heavy boat. You may not be able to bend 1/2 ply around the curves on the sides and bottoms. If this is a trailerable boat I would go with 3/8 and stitch and glue construction (eliminates the 2 X 4s) You could get ply from home depot but it would have to be the best exterior grade. You would have to make sure it is well sealed with epoxy resin.

You don't need caulk if you use stitch and glue construction. You can make an epoxy putty with epoxy resin and wood powder and use that to fill the seams. None of this is rocket science and fairly easy to do.

[Mr Efficiency]

Are there still shops that scarf-joint ply sheets ? Maybe you have to do it yourself........

[cthippo]

Like Ike said, Sure it can be done, but half inch is probably not the answer. The plans for a 15' sliding seat dory I have call for 1/4" on the sides and 1/4 or 3/8ths on the sides. I would also use 1x4s rather than 2x4s.

A coat of fiberglass or two on the finished boat and it should work beautifully.

[FcStory]

Ok, Im back with some concerns..

I have read a few places that it will cost 2,000 or more to build a drift boat.. But by my calculations, I can see it costing a ton less..

4x8x1/4 marine ply can run me about 34.00 a sheet..
I'd need about 6 of them.. 204.00

200.00 for fiberglass kit..

and 50 for various bracing 1/4s


Or would stich and glue be just as strong? and I dont have to use beams..

[gonzo]

I find stich and glue to be time consuming. Chine logs are faster and fairly easy to work.

[Ike]

Stitch and glue would be just as strong but the cost would be about the same. The cost of epoxy would probably be about the same as the cost of the wood. So it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. Personally, I prefer stitch and glue but as gonzo said, others like regular wood construction.

[michael pierzga]

Im going to do it what ever you gents say lol.. just because im stubborn and would rather sink trying then to not try at all..

Can I (will it work) build a drift boat out of plywood and 2x4's.. ?

Like 1/2 in ply from lets say home depot..

Then seal it with resin and boat caulk..?

Thanks guys!

Sure you can build from lumberyard stock. Its never the best but then again...you didn't ask for the best.

This drift boat design quotes 84 dollar materials from Home depot. Looks like you can build in a weekend.....Get to work...ask Santa for a gallon of epoxy

http://www.spirainternational.com/hp_mack.html
Merry Christmas

[cthippo]

Sure you can build from lumberyard stock. Its never the best but then again...you didn't ask for the best.


It is possible to get decent lumber, but you can't just pick it off the top of the stack. However, if you go through carefully and examine each board, you can get decent stuff. Also, if you look at the appearance grade stuff (it's in with the molding) that can be pretty good. You may have to destroy an entire unit to get enough good boards, but they get paid to clean up after customers :D

[tinkz]

http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/3sd/3sd.htm 3 sheet dory
http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/2sd/2sd.htm 2 sheet dory

"hannu's boatyard" site is pretty darn good for small boat builds.
dont know if "drift boat" is exactly synonymous with a dory, but reading there a couple days is worth the time for all the construction tips and illustrations.