using plywood from old shipping crates?

Discussion in 'Materials' started by jumpinjackflash, Jul 28, 2014.

  1. jumpinjackflash
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    jumpinjackflash Junior Member

    I think I read about someone building a pocket cruiser outta this before? what kind of ply do they use to build shipping crates?
     
  2. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Cut off a small piece and soak it in water for a few days. If it starts to de-laminate, it isn't going to be much use. If it has a dark glue line it may be OK.
     
  3. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    Just took 20 plywood pallets to the tip 2 weeks ago. I was going to use them for garden retaining work

    After 3 days in the rain, they just fell apart.

    No way would I hang thousands of dollars if epoxy, paint, fittings, etc off them
     
  4. SukiSolo
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    SukiSolo Senior Member

    Many a delaminated 'tea chest' have I seen in the Thames.....;)
     
  5. pdwiley
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    pdwiley Senior Member

    OTOH I have a good collection of knocked down crates weathering in my driveway, been there for 2 years, no sign of delamination yet.

    But I still wouldn't use them for a boat hull. The cost of certified ply isn't that great.

    PDW
     
  6. jumpinjackflash
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    jumpinjackflash Junior Member

    it's quite a lot when you can hardly afford the nails required to build a boat, you gotta take what you can get
     
  7. Steve W
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    Steve W Senior Member

    Probably depends on the crates and where they are from. 40 years ago when they used to assemble automobiles in NZ the pares came in in plywood "car cases" and there was a whole industry de nailing and selling the sheets to the public, most of it was way better than anything ive seen made in the US and sold as marine. The nice thing about plywood is with the exception of the glueline you can visually inspect the quality and make your own judgement, as others have said, you can do a boil test to see if it is exterior bonded.

    Steve.
     
  8. pdwiley
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    pdwiley Senior Member

    Get a job in Maccas or similar and save the money.

    Trust me, if you can't afford the ply, you really can't afford all the other stuff that makes a boat, unless we're talking about a pram dinghy or similar, as a short term limited life 'learning experience' boat. If this is the case, go for it.

    PDW
     
  9. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    If you cant afford the nails, you cant afford the paint, if you cant afford the paint. you cant afford the epoxy or glue .....

    You know what you really cant afford ?

    A boat
     
  10. SamSam
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    SamSam Senior Member

  11. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    Shame they aren't "pocket cruisers" like the OP wanted.

    They are canoes - and metal at that. and without sufficient bouyancy, are death traps in all but the most sheltered conditions,
     
  12. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Those canoes brought back memories of when we were kids at the local creek. The sealing was accomplished by getting bitumen that had oozed through under the wooden bridge planking, heating it to a stage of plasticity, and daubing it the gaps at the stem, and stern, and any nail holes in the corrugated sheet. Once it hardened up, it was ready for use.
     
  13. SamSam
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    SamSam Senior Member

    They are boats also and buoyancy is easy to add. Perhaps jumpinjackflash is resourceful and these examples will be inspiring.
     
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  14. peterjoki
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    peterjoki Junior Member

    You could test the plywood you intend to use.

    European (DIN EN240 D4) standards require the following for D4 (glue rating recommended for marine use):


    After 7 days of curing, dry, test.

    As above, then soaking timber and glue in water for 4 days, test.

    After 7 days of curing then boiling timber and glue in water for 6 hours, then soaking in cold water for 2 hours, test.

    As above, then re-dried for 7 days, test.

    The bond should not break. Material failure or none is a pass.

    Even if your plywood doesn't meet these requirements you can still go with it, provided you take steps to protect it.
     

  15. SamSam
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    SamSam Senior Member

    What is the actual test that is performed, after soaking, boiling, drying, etc?
     
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