PLASTIC LUMBER for customizing jons

[mreoe4sure]

Easy, the product that is half wood, does not need finishing. It comes with several different types. woodgrain, smooth, with groves and several colors( gray, two color browns, two colors of a red brown ) and a few others. All fade to a little lighter color. They can be glued with 5200 etc. They are popular because of low maintenance , you just wash with soapy water, no finish.. They will stain because of the wood and there are cleaners to rid stains. If you buy any, make sure they are from the same pallet, because they don't always use the same hardwood from one run to the next. They wont fade to the same color. There are so many companies making these products now and Home depo and Lowes, buy from whoever is cheapest this month. STEVE

[Petros]

most of the plastic decking lumber is made from recycled plastic, and is mostly polythene. There are not many glues that will stay bonded to that, different thermal expansion rates with whatever you bond it to would eventually pull it off anyway. If I was to use it I would install deck screws to hold it in place.

It is also heavy, and does not have much stiffness, and more expensive than cedar or treated decking lumber. It should hold up okay, but I have seen it erode away in harsh weather environments, especially in places with frequent freezing, and plastics break down with exposure to sun light. Might hold up okay if you store the boat inverted, or out of the weather.

I have considered it for the deck of a boat as well, but there is not much data on it for this application. Another "deck" product I would consider is Geacoflex (sp?), with a layer of heavy polyester fabric over treated wood. It is a two part gray rubbery polymer with ground walnut shells to give it a rough surface. designed for protecting wood decks. But it is pretty costly, about $60 a gallon.

[thedutchtouch]

starboard. but it aint cheap.

[single-dad]

Thanks for the info guys, guess I'll be staying away from the plastic wood when the time comes. I might just go with aluminum sheets and bend the it to form the supports.

[Mark F. CheneyM]

I build with "trex" all of the time. It is way heavier and has no tensil strength. It has great compression strength. There is a lighter version that also lacks tensil strength but has fair compression strength. Simple fir or spruce works very well and will out last you for durrability if sealed with something once in a while.

Aluminum is really the material of choice for a jon boat and isn't that difficult to get familiar with, It is easier to buy than suitable boat building wood.

Mark F.Cheney

[nillo]

I have worked with trex as well and I hate it. The boards aren't flat. They bulge in the middle so miters are a pain. Also, the boards I have gotten had tiny pieces of metal in them that would mess up the chop saw blade. They also fade more than most people would think. The rest (floppy,heavy) has already been mentioned.

[keithw52]

Check out King Plastic Corp. Then look for a distributor in your area. This material will not glue but can be welded. It also has very good screw retention.