plywood for a 1436 jon boat and waterproofing it

I beleive you are mistaken.... Spar Urathane is what you want, varnish is not a good water protectant at all.

boater1234 said:

I want to put a floor in my boat what it the best water sealer for it as i hear spar varnish is one of the best anyone ever use this stuff?Also will 3m spray stick on the wood after the use of that stuff?I have used thompsons and think it is no good for long term,i have used bher water sealer and it has held up so far 2yrs but i hear about this spar varnish and how it is the best so i came here to find out if anyone used it before.

Click to expand...

I used Behrs when I ran out of urethane. I'd prefer the latter over the former, but both will get the job done as long as you coat everything, especially the edges and fresh cuts. I then used carpet glue on top of that without problem, but I can't specifically address the 3M stuff. The Behrs/urethane will be fine for a long time provided you don't let water sit on the deck and cover the boat when not in use. Thompson's is probably every bit as good as Behrs, too.

boater1234 said:

The spar varnish is what a guy over at iboats used and like 10 other people backed him with that,unless it was just the brand he was talking about.Who knows i will just stick with the bher i guess.

Click to expand...

Spar varnish is an older formulation of varnish vs. Urethane Varnish is a modern formulation of a tough clear coating used primarily on wood surfaces exposed to outdoor conditions. Marine varnish is just another name for a similar product -- naturally intended for protecting wood surfaces under marine (wet)conditions.

Beleive what you wish...... woodworking is one of my passions. Also a Spar Varnish never actually fully hardens. I built and sold many outdoor peices last year, and if I would of used varnish they would be useless. Reason being is that if say a bench I built was out in the sun for a few hours.... if you sat on it you would have to peel yourself off of it :lol: cuz it gets tacky, again becuase it does not fully cure, and is designed to not fully cure to allow for flex. just my .02.

Here is a summary of why the word varnish has never been in my vocabulary for outdoor use. But I was taught woodworking from the old school, so I guess now a days spar varnish is not even varnish

:LOL2: ....funny this post turned into this debate as I was typing on the subject.

Check out the topic I just posted on varnish vs urethane in the Boat House. Maybe we can turn it into a great resource on the subject for new members and not have to hunt through a bunch of posts to find it.

just put some fiberglass resin on it REALLY good and you are good to go!

I agree with perchin. I don't know if by todays standards, spar varnish is varnish. I had a bad experience with spar varnish over 50 years ago and have never used it again. There are so many products on the market today and they can claim just about anything. I try to stay with products that I have confidence in, but when I'm in doubt I can always find advice from someone who knows firt hand. That's why TB is such a great resource.

I used 3M and its perfect, but go by the directions, you wait before applying it after spraying, let it get tacky and bamm your off.

Also keep in mind you still need to use staples if you plane to wrap around the sides.

I used it on the carpet to wood and carpet to aluminum

Three thick coats of SPAR URETHANE and you'll be good to go.

boater1234...... Dude, are you for real??? I didn't take it as anything more than trying to help. I've long overlooked the past with you. The debate was not with you, or some mod from some site, it was about varnish vs. urathane, I even used the oops face, meaning that who knows what varnish really is now a days... grief... Furthermore I think your just looking to lash out at every remark made. I'll curb that by making this the last post I ever make on one of your threads........ good day.

Another option would be automotive urethane clear. I has UV protection and is flexible. It cost more, but with the hardener it cures quick. I put 3 coats on my transom in 10 min and it dried in the sun in 45 min. I popped in the boat right after that. 1 qt. cost about 50.00 with the hardener. I am finally working on my 16 Alumacraft again, I will be posting pics soon. Thanks everyone for great info!