alum or wood

well just got done painting my new 1436 jon boat now Im not sure if I should use wood or alum for my deck and my mods will wood be to heavy and how long will wood last thanks ...

headhunter954 said:

well just got done painting my new 1436 jon boat now Im not sure if I should use wood or alum for my deck and my mods will wood be to heavy and how long will wood last thanks ...

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I used wood (3/4 inch) on most of my major decks and it is heavy. The boat rides good with it and handles the weight well. I wish I had the skills to do it with aluminum, I would have used that!

For a 1436, go aluminum if you can afford it. Don't deck too high though or you'll be top heavy (I wouldn't go higher than the seats at most!)

What Wasilvers says.... If you can afford it, use alum.... you will never regret it. I found my alum at a metal working company and they gave me their scrap pieces at a great price... Its more work and much harder to work with, but much lighter.
good luck

yea well we have a lot of alum at the yard where I work but I can use wood also. it is a ease to work with but does it last a while and should I use like a PT wood or just seal reg wood , or spend it on marine grade

Depends on how long you plan on keeping the boat. A 1436 is too darned small for most folks, figure it's a good starter boat with a 2yr lifespan before you outgrow it if you are using it regularly. Maybe some 3/8" plywood with some cheap carpet and lots of 2x2 stringers. 3/4" is way overkill for the size of the hull, way too heavy per square foot too. Use contruction adhesive and coated deck screws. Note, coated screws will self tap into the stringers. Expect the wood to last 2-3 years, 4-5 in a covered enviroment.

Jamie

headhunter954 said:

yea well we have a lot of alum at the yard where I work but I can use wood also. it is a ease to work with but does it last a while and should I use like a PT wood or just seal reg wood , or spend it on marine grade

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Don't use pressure treated wood, it will react with the aluminum an cause pitting (my boat is a witness that this does happen.) You might want to use wood first. I'm on year 2 and my boat gets wet often, the wood has held up so far. I expect it to go 10 years - and by then, I'll want a different boat anyway :roll:

If you have access to aluminum and the ability to work with it....I'd go for it.

Wood will be heavier and eventually need to be replaced. I went with aluminum and never looked back on my first boat.

headhunter954 said:

and how long will wood last thanks ...

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Ext grade plywood will last a long time if done right and not in constant exposure to water, such as water logged foam, or letting the boat fill with rain water. If you just leave your boat out in the elements, then aluminum will be a better choice. Depending on use, aluminum might not save much weight.

I used aluminum for my main floor and wood for my casting deck. The aluminum is nice and ill never have to replace it, i coated the wood in two coats of fiberglass, so it will be a long time before I have to replace it. The only thing with aluminum is, you need a thicker aluminum (at least 3/16" IMO) and aluminum is not cheap. I paid $55 for an old aluminum roadsign at a metal salvage yard locally.

my floor support


the sign


cut to fit. it was a little short for the area, BUT we had to trim 5" from each side width wise that allowed us to rivet to the end to make up the difference


you can see the mixture of wood and metal. the sides are 1/8" plywood coated in fiberglass resin


finished

Knowing what I know now, I would go with aluminum bracing and a sturdy, corrugated sign-making material such as Alumalite for my decks.

Back in 2005 I used wood on my 1436, mostly because I didn't know better. I used several coats of Helmsman spar urenthane to protect and my results are mixed. The front deck is just as strong and sturdy as the day I put it in.

I did have to replace the board that I screwed directly to the rear bench. Water got trapped between the bench and board and couldn't escape. Eventually the board warped and buckled.

I'm happy with my wood deck...I'd be happier with something lighter that won't eventually rot, warp, etc...

my boat: https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=20316