please help!! confused about veneer!!

hello my name is justin and i recently bought the glen l crackerbox boat plans. i am having trouble understanding what veneer to use. i dont know if it has to be marine grade or what thickness, i dont know anything about it. also how many layers it doesnt really tell me in the plans. any suggestions will help! thanks.

 

List of material http://www.glen-l.com/designs/inboard/crackerbox-bom.html
Plywood better marine grade than exterior 1/4 and 3/8.

 

The Glen-L instructions list the "exterior veneer" on the plywood specifications. What they mean by this is, the quality of the plywood surface veneers. In this case, they recommend an "A" or "B" grade. This means you should use a quality plywood (with an A or B face), not the cheap construction grades from Lowe's/Depot, which are typically C and D grades. Some Lowe's/Depot stores do carry a BCX grade of plywood. You might get by with this, but because it's not marine grade, it'll have a minimum of plys, lots of panel construction defects and other issues that make this type of plywood much less then desirable, for a light weight, high HP/weight ratio craft, such as that which you're building. You're building a little hot rod and you better put good materials into it or it'll come apart pretty quickly from the forces involved in these little things. Would you build a dragster from tubing intended for lawn furniture? Same deal applies here.

 

i know about the plywood, i should of shown pics of what i wanted. but i just dont understand how to acheve this look of this boat. do i use just the plywood or do i put this veneer on it? any ideas?
http://www.glen-l.com/picboards/picboard9/pic517e.html

check out this pic!

 

You've been given the answer above, what you're looking at in those pictures is the finished surface veneer of the plywood.

If you want a good finish, go for the better material specified in the plans.

 

Those look like separate planks or at last they went to a lot of trouble making every other one, slightly darker then the next. Then again it could very well be a teak and holly panel, it is hard to really tell.

Kiser, building a deck like this is a master boat builder's work of art. The novice builder shouldn't even think about it, unless they have some really serious wood working skills and a solid shop full of tools.

There are a few different ways to achieve this look, but again it's serious craftsmen work, tedious and precise stuff for sure. They fall into two main categories, veneered and laid decking. There are different techniques used for each and each has both good and bad things to consider. Lastly, this is the portion of the build that is saved for the very end of the project. Have you a boat nearing completion, that you'd like to apply a laid deck on? One final note, this is the most difficult type of deck to live with, both in use underway and as a surface that has to be maintained. Be careful what you wish for my boy.

 

the tools i am 100% sure we have. my faimly owns a huge cabinet shop with more stuff than i know what to do with. and if i did choose to go the veneer way what kind of veneer should i get and how thick? also im not sure how to space them and yes i have the hull done on the boat and am working on the deck so in the next couple of months i will be ready to veneer. i just dont want to leave it plywood and paint it cause i like the look of wood. and i have a 1956 24' chris craft express cruiser and its all mahogony and hell to keep up with but worth it. i just love the looke of wood so thats why i want to veneer it.

 

Gougeon brothers on boat building is the book you want.

 

Message me your address and I'll send you the GBBC book.

 

10604 lakecove way knoxville,tn 37922
justin kiser
email jkiser1991@gmail.com

 

Got it Justin, the book is on its way. You can also call our West System technical staff and they can talk you through it. 866-937-8797. Good luck.

 

As PAR stated, this is precision work combined with skill and art and difficult for a less-skilled boatbuilder. It's subtle getting all the curves fair and everything to not only work right, but look right, whether you plank a deck or build a more delicate phony one out of veneer and glue.
I would also like to point out that the violin- excuse me, boat in the picture you linked to spends its life under cover when not in actual use. Either hauled out in a climate controlled building or in a covered berth, this is not something you leave out in the sun and rain, and never let it get wet then freeze. Also the lovely finish is like trying to walk on hot snot when it's wet and very slippery. A textured and dull surface or bare wood gives more safety in actual use instead of looking at.
Many times in the past I had the displeasure of repairing thin bare teak screwed and glued to fiberglassed plywood that had been neglected and failed, and usually recommend an epoxy/fabric/paint solution for ply decks.
Here are some photos of a recent local deck build on a fiberglass boat over a fiberglass deck, not ply. This is planked in Sapele and notice there are no fasteners, but all is glued down with WEST system products.
This boat is intended for outdoor use and it will be interesting following the deck and seeing how long it may last.
If you must continue along your path of dazzling 10-coats-of-varnish show boat deck, follow the Gougeons' advice and procedures closely and you will have a predictable result and a known design life.

 

You can always cheat and use some of the ply that looks like planks for the decks, like this stuff: http://www.australply.com.au/pr_decking.html

Jeremy

 

Hi Kiser, I am also building a crackerbox http://s753.photobucket.com/albums/xx179/fergalbutler/crackerbox/?albumview=slideshow I did the first lamination in 1/4" marine ply BS 1088 and the second in 1/4"x4" mahogany planks with epoxy mixed with graphite power to give me black lines.

 

Nice job! It seems like a lot of work for a very small boat, but what nice lines and overall feel the design has so I can see why you guys love it.
I hope the original poster has all the information he will ever need now.