Occume finish

Has anyone finished BS1088 Occume with
only primer and paint (no epoxy, no glass)
and how has it held-up?


Thanks

 

Okume is the latest trend as far as Marine quality plywood is concerned.I would use a two part epoxy based primer over joints already filled with epoxy.Your Epoxy fillets inside would be critical as to how your outside finish will stand.Otherwise natural flex in any of the Okume lesser than 3/4 inch will develop crazing within 3 years.No epoxy whatsoever will result in a traditional finish requiring maintenance every year.Much depends on the size and displacement of your boat,coupled with your skill in assembly with proper bronze or stainless fasteners.Without fabric this is what I'd do.Unthickened West System rolled onto bare wood with foam roller and tipped off,two coats.Sand and clean with 100 grit and Coleman fuel(white gas).Then,Interlux Primercoat or Barrier Coat( wear a good respirator or do it in fresh air).Then paint it with whatever you have,it won't matter,for a time.

 

Okoume finishing

Pungolee's counsels are gold. Besides epoxy is not so expensive; a good epoxy resin has no solvent, a paint has 50 % solvent. When you compare prices of epoxy and paints, multiply the price of paint by 2 for comparing the price of the product that will remain on the wood... you'll be surprised.

Old marine plywoods like the SNBCC were in khayam mahoganny. This wood is pretty durable and a lot of small boats of the 50's lasted a very long time with oil paint and a lot of dedication. I know some of about 40 years old and always sound.

Okoume is a light and strong wood for plywood but not very durable. It won't last a long time with just a common paint, and you'll have a lot of maintenance.

The plywood being protected by a primary of epoxy, you can use after a common paint easier to apply that a 2 component polyurethane and that will last. For example on a compounded 3mm okoume plywood catamaran with 3 coats of epoxy inside, a 6oz cloth and 3 coats outside and a finishing of 3 coats of oil (urethane) paint like the old interlux, the paint job will last 5 years without problem before refreshing (= light sanding and 2 more coats of paint).

Look at www.raka.com for the prices of epoxy. I'm a happy customer of their basic resin.