Roseburg Plywood from Manards

Hi All,

I think I finally found some "marine grade" plywood from Manards. It is about 2 hours drive, but I think if it works will be worth my time. It is called Roseburg Marine Grade plywood.

I do not want to do any fiberglassing, so will be basic glue and screw boat with battens. Anyone use Manard's ply before?

 

Why do you dismiss fiberglassing? It is not really difficult or prohibitively expensive relative to boat cost.

 

Building boat in my barn for 1 which have chickens, they might get sick with the sanding, working. Only making Jon boat style boat, and yes never fiberglassed, a bit scared of the itch factor

 

Calvert City Lumber in western Ky. sells marine plywood.

 

Fiberglassing is over-rated and often used as an "easy method for amateurs". There is nothing wrong with fitting pieces properly so they won't leak. Menard's plywood will do OK for a jon boat.

 

Thanks Gonzo. And yes I am quite experienced in woodworking, and use Gorilla glue on joints, my last boat didn't leak a drop, but then I used only PT wood as it was my first boat for the experience. Working on 2nd boat now learning to bend ply, and my next will be the "real boat" with marine grade lay, and some cool ideas I have in mind.
Will check Calvert City Lumber as well.

 

Calvert City Lumber only has 3/4", a bit too thick for my needs, so Menards here I come.

 

I don't have any problems with their stuff... except that the 3/8" is 4 ply rather than 3 or 5. I would prefer an odd ply count rather than having two of the plies glued together be of the same grain orientation.

 

If Gorilla glue works for you on boats, that is great, but my experience with it for marine use was very unfavorable.

 

What do you use Wayne for your glue? I have tried tribune III, but doesn't seem to do as well and not very sandable

 

When I tried Gorilla glue it foamed up and failed to fill the joints; then the remaining glue in the bottle hardened when the bottle was only half empty. Perhaps I need to learn from you on its proper use.
I have successfully used resorcinol, Titebond III, and epoxy. Resorcinol requires tight-fitting joints and some clamping pressure. I only use Titebond III for well-fitting joints that will not be constantly exposed to water (no exterior hull joints) or under constant stress, but I have never had a Titebond joint fail. It is easy to use, clean up, and requires no mixing. Of course, epoxy is the wonder adhesive; it will do it all. The main drawback of epoxy is the need to work very clean; avoid drips or contamination.

 

Another good glue is the urea formaldehyde family. Search for the Aerolite family of which the 306 is usually available in realtively small ammounts. It has the advantage of drying glass clear so if you want near invisible joints, it is a good choice. It does not have the cohesive strength of epoxy but plenty strong enough ie stronger than the wood in shear. If you use a lot of it be sure to rinse your hands in water, as the formic acid based hardener can lead to pretty sore fingers!.

With reference to the comment about 4 ply. I probably prefer 5 ply but have used, made and run into quite a bit of good 4 ply. A lot depends on the orientation of the veneers, they do not have to be at 90 degrees remember. A lot of old Mirror dinghies use 4 ply bottom planks at 5mm approx thickness and they are fine.

Resourcinols and phenols are other good waterproof adhesives. I'm always a bit suspicous of PVA based glues which tend to 'soften' with continuous exposure ie Titebond. Also I do not like Cascamite which used to be based on the whey in milk and again softens over time - maybe 10+ years. Had to scrap at least 4 boats as peeling apart as the glue was failing to hold the wood together.

 

I have tried tite one III, but that boat is not finished yet, so have not tested that. But from what I can see and tell, it does not seem very strong, and doesn't sand well at all.
The Gorilla glue was my first boat, and that held up good except for the transom after adding motor it split a bit on top. . Might try my hand at epoxy, any picticular brand you guys use?

 

I have read consistently good things about Aerolite, but it has never been available in my area. Resorcinol has almost disappeared from the stores here.

Not sure why the sanding characteristics of Titebond are important. I use it for bonding inside joints; it is never visible where it needs to be sanded. I wipe up any drips while it is still liquid immediately after bonding, so I don't need to sand it off.

There are several good brands of epoxy. I use West system but that is mainly because I got started using it 35 years ago and have never felt a need to change.

 

After trying several different brands, I've personally been using RAKA (www.raka.com) epoxies with great satisfaction. I pay the premium for the 350 low blush hardener. Their standard hardeners are good too.