Why Did My Plywood Supplier Go Ballistic on Me??

[dskira]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

I have shopped my order to 2 different suppliers for the 45' cat I'm building.

The second supplier, seeing that I needed 160 sheets of 3mm Luan ply nearly jumped through the phone and smacked me!

He said, "I'd never put my family and friends or risk my life on a boat where the hull was constructed of Luan plywood!" "That stuff isn't marine grade!" "It's made with glue that isn't waterproof!"

I think you have the answer of your thread title
Daniel

[dskira]

Originally Posted by captainmorgan

Basically you are building a plastic boat.

You can use that plywood because of the amount of glass and the amount of layers you are putting on.

The strength in your boat will come from the glass and not the plywood.

As far as the Coast Guard and insurance companies are concerned you are not going to have a problem and it will be insured as a glassboat not a wood boat. Insurance companies are moving away from wood boats because of fire retardant issues. ie glass doesn't burn as quickly.

Strange, my insurance company never told me such a non-sense.
Don't dream Capt., wood is here for ever, and insurances will still love it.
By the way, did you see a plastic boat burning? it is quite being close to a napalm bomb. And insurance company love it? Because of fire retardant?
And the Coast Guard do not care about the material of construction as long the engineering is right. You should know that. (I worked with them)
Captain, Ho My Captain.
Daniel

[tunnels]

Originally Posted by captainmorgan

Basically you are building a plastic boat.

You can use that plywood because of the amount of glass and the amount of layers you are putting on.

The strength in your boat will come from the glass and not the plywood.

As far as the Coast Guard and insurance companies are concerned you are not going to have a problem and it will be insured as a glassboat not a wood boat. Insurance companies are moving away from wood boats because of fire retardant issues. ie glass doesn't burn as quickly.

Why do people make such dumb comments like the glass is all the strength !! think again and think long and hard !! Every part of a hull is important ,the ply core and the skins are all important and work together as one , Even the glue bonding the skins of the plywood are important , most layers of glass are just a protective skin to add strength to the ply core .
Its not a plastic boat!!, its a wooden boat with a layer of glass reinforced resin on the outside and possible the inside .Peoples lives will be risk and its sound and true advice we should be giving not our personal opinions Glass dosent burn its the resin that burns !! though resin is not easy to start to burn , once it does start to burn it has a lot of heat and can be difficult to put out !! and the smoke is very toxit !!
Fire proof doors used in buildings are made of wood core because it is slower burning and is a good heat insulator !!