Basic Tutorial Needed For This Please

[kalel76]

I'm putting in a new deck on my boat. I've read TONS of posts on this website and I think most of them come with basic assumptions. I hope there are no stupid questions on this forum because I don't want to be too embarrassed. Here I go.

I'll be using 3 sheets of 3/4 inch marine grade plywood to redo my floor.
Is 7 Ply good?

What's the best way to create a template?
When do I attach the 3 sheets of my new floor together? Outside the boat, using epoxy? Or do I put it in the boat first and then epoxy? My understanding is I'll have the complete floor put together with epoxy, glassed top and bottom THEN put it in the boat. THEN glass all the seems. Is that correct? I'll be putting carpet over top.

I guess I'm looking for a basic guide with no assumptions made on how to put in a new deck.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

more plys are always better yes
lay a piece of ply about 2 feet wide down the centre of your boat
with a long rule make lines across it an any angles, and on the edge write the distance to your hull side, , the more points and measures the better
now lift it and lay it onto you new ply, tranfer the measures
Now your floor is NOT, it is the sole ok:) I,ll leave the bit abt the glue to others

[PAR]

I use strips of door skin ply or 1/4" luan. I usually rip them into 3" wide strips and cut them to size as I go. Space them close to the edge of what you want a template for. Use a hot glue gun, screws or nails to hold the pieces together, tossing in a brace or two to insure it doesn't "rack" or loose shape when removed. I then find the biggest gap and using a block of wood (wider then the biggest gap), I scribe the template material using the block as a spacer.

Remove the template then repeat the process but place the block of wood on the other side of your tracing line. Then draw the shape onto the wood.

In the event of straight lines I just use a starting point (corner of a piece of template stock) and an ending point (ditto) and don't bother putting a piece of template material in between. I just connect the two points with a straight edge when it's time to draw it out on the wood.

Judging by the size of your helm area, your boat doesn't look that big. Don't be tempted to use over size plywood (thicker) in an effort to make it stronger, because the majority of the time it doesn't, but just adds weight, which is no good for small boats.

Have you checked the stringers? Is the flotation foam filled with fuel and water? While you've got the sole ripped up, it's a good time to address these issue too.

Epoxy the wood after it's been cut and finial fitted to shape. Coat everything, the screw holes, inside cutouts and notches, every square inch, with special attention to end grain areas (which will need more epoxy). Apply epoxy until every square inch has a shine on it, meaning you've got it sealed. Then don't drill any more holes, or if you do, apply epoxy to these as well. You want to embalm it in plastic goo, so water can't get at the wood. Even a little screw hole will eventually cause problems.

[kalel76]

From the front to the back of the deck measures 12 feet. I figure thats 3 sheets of 4x8, cut to fit templates, fitted to three sections.

How do I attach these 3 pieces? With Epoxy after I've coated all 3 sections? Braces? Screws? How will the seams underneath get coated?

When do I attach thes 3 pieces? Before I put them in the boat or all together as one BIG piece?

Thank you so much for your posts! I'm going to post a step by step guide with lots o pictures when the whole process is done. I hope to help others out to return the favor of all the good advice I've gotten from here. Thanks again.

[PAR]

There truly isn't a step be step guide for this sort of work. It's an assembly of several different skills.

Many web sites (epoxy manufactures, boat building, plan sellers, etc.) have articles about how the individual steps may be done. This site has many previous threads covering all the things you'll need.

Books can also provide you with the information.

Try the "how to" section at www.WestSystem.com or www.Glen-L.com and http://www.addall.com/ for books on the different subjects.

[timgoz]

kalel76,

Welcome to the forum. There is alot of good info here as PAR states.

Speaking of PAR, you would do well to look through alot of his previuos posts. His information is always detailed & accurate.

Good fortune with your project.

Take care.

TGoz

[alan white]

Just a note... everything else has been well taken care of. Plywood is always oriented with the most layers going the long way (obvious, since each layer is right angles to the last, and both sides are oriented the long way).
So... whereas 3/4 might have seven plies, and so is more equal in strenth both ways, thinner ply might have five plies, and there's a bigger diffrence in strength between the long direction and the short direction.
As such, if you are attaching to framing, it is best, if you can, to run the ply fore and aft with cross framing, and athwartship when framing runs fore and aft.
Also, if you epoxy the sheets with a roller or a toothed trowel (lays an even coat that's thick) BEFORE you cut it, you won't raise as much "rag" when you cut, which makes a neater job. After, you can seal all the edges (as said, more is better!) and the holes. Then, as an extra measure, a dollop of caulk in the screw holes before setting screws in them will fill any gaps from overdrilling, which is necessary if epoxy is poured through them after drilling and countersinking.

And good luck. Must be warm down there. Use a tropical hardener with the epoxy to extend its working time. Waiting is better than smoking epoxy!

Alan

[JR-Shine]

We made a basic tutorial for this ...

http://bateau2.com/content/view/144/28/

[kalel76]

Thank you so much guys for all the info. I'm going to post pics of the process soon, I've made one small batch of epoxy to test and it is some powerful stuff!

[kalel76]

Here is a picture of the back compartments filled with foam. As you can see, the water and fuel has gotten in so I'm cutting out all the floatation foam. I've already ordered and received my new pourable foam and it's waiting to go in!