which type of plywood for decking?

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Backslider said:
I used 3/4 in exterior grade plywood and coated it with epoxy. I covered it with outdoor carpet and riveted the deck to the rails that support the deck.

Backslider, thanks for the input. I found the same wood at Lowes for like $31. So that will work good for me, price too.
Next question is what to seal it with. Will thompson water sealer work? I saw some posts of Spar Urethane, it's approx. $17 for a quart. You say epoxy, can you be more specific? Also, how much did you need and the price. Thanks.
 
I used West System 105 resin and West System 205 hardener. I bought the pumps that screw onto the cans and they deliver metered amounts in the right proportion. It takes all the guess work out of the ratio of hardener to resin. One pump of resin and one pump of hardener and you have the right mix. I also used their epoxy rollers on a regular paint roller handle. I'd never used epoxy before. This stuff was easy to use. Just pour a puddle and roll it out. I think the pot life is around an hour.

I have a 17' boat with a elevated front deck. I used 4 sheets of plywood, coated the top and bottom of each piece (after it was cut to size :wink: ) put two coats on the top side, also replaced the transom and epoxied the heck out of it too. I used a little more than one can of resin and hardener (Resin 32 oz, hardener 7 oz). The stuff keeps, so I'll use the rest on my next project. I bought it oneline from Jamestown Distributers.
 
Two tips that I can add; 1, buy the thinnest and longest dry time epoxy you can find. 2, When applying the epoxy use a plastic squeegee/spreader instead of a paint brush. Mix it up, poor it on, then spread it around to coat the surface. Let it soak for a few minutes to "wet" the wood, then squeegee off the excess. You only need a wet coat to seal the wood, adding a heavy coat just adds weight and waste product. A paint brush might work better on the edges, just make sure to squeegee off the excess.

My .02 worth!
 
Sounds good. I am def going to look into the epoxy and different tips ya'll provided. I have a 16th flat bottom so I will prolly buy two cans of each as well.
 
Backslider said:
I used 3/4 in exterior grade plywood and coated it with epoxy. I covered it with outdoor carpet and riveted the deck to the rails that support the deck.

Check out my pics...do you think I could get away with 1/2" plywood? Or are the ribs to far apart.. Trying to cut down on some weight. I plan to just lay the plywood across the ribs with insulation in between.
 

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If you get some backing foam in there between the ribs, I'd think 0.5" would be fine. The biggest thing is to be able to support the areas that don't have the ribs.

There was a build on here where someone had a similar style boat that used the blue foam to fill the gaps, and then covered the bottom with a rubberized roofing sheet (which was a pretty cool idea IMO), and it was stiff enough with no problems - and removable.

Either way, make sure you leave a channel down the middle for the boat to drain correctly!
 
I am in the middle of a 1986 16 ft bass tracker rebuild, it had 1/2" exterior grade plywood with foam in between the ribs from the factory. I'd say you'll be fine with 1/2"
It lasted 26 years. The middle sections of the floor were still solid but the outer few inches were rotted out.
 
Scorched said:
I am in the middle of a 1986 16 ft bass tracker rebuild, it had 1/2" exterior grade plywood with foam in between the ribs from the factory. I'd say you'll be fine with 1/2"
It lasted 26 years. The middle sections of the floor were still solid but the outer few inches were rotted out.

ok, thanks. With your input and a lot of others, I am going with foam in the middle and 1/2" plywood.

Are you using spar urethane to coat your plywood?
 
I used the 3/4 inch plywood because I have a couple buddies who weight 275 lbs + and I want to put in pedestal seats. I was looking for a bit more strength in the deck. Also, I put blue foam insulation under the deck for flotation, too. That took out the flex in the plywood near the side edges of the sheets.

Another note, I put my carpet down using Liquid Nails and just I've learned, and as another Tin Boats member said, its water soluble and will come loose in the rain. It is and it did. #-o Luckily the rivets are holding it in place well enough to get by this summer.
 
Backslider said:
I used the 3/4 inch plywood because I have a couple buddies who weight 275 lbs + and I want to put in pedestal seats. I was looking for a bit more strength in the deck. Also, I put blue foam insulation under the deck for flotation, too. That took out the flex in the plywood near the side edges of the sheets.

Another note, I put my carpet down using Liquid Nails and just I've learned, and as another Tin Boats member said, its water soluble and will come loose in the rain. It is and it did. #-o Luckily the rivets are holding it in place well enough to get by this summer.

Yea, ended up reading about the carpet glue debate too. So I went and bought some waterproof adhesive from a local carpet shop, called Anchor 986. It's the same difference as Henry's 263 which has been tested waterproof.

As for the plywood, after reading your post, I just don't know, I keep going back and forth. I am only 160 but by buddy is 285. I am thinking that 1/2" would be fine with foam inserts but I am trying to do the same thing you did and put pedestal seats in. So I am guessing I would need that 3/4" plywood to secure the pedestal plates down?
 
I will probably use polyester resin (fiberglass resin). I have used it in the past for out door projects and it has worked well. Its easy to apply/work with - Set time is very short as well.

Then again, the original tracker wood had no treatment that I can tell and iit was probably good for 10-15 years before it started to break down...doubt if any of us will have the same boat in 10 years, you never know though. Do it once, do it right, right?
 
Scorched said:
I will probably use polyester resin (fiberglass resin). I have used it in the past for out door projects and it has worked well. Its easy to apply/work with - Set time is very short as well.

Then again, the original tracker wood had no treatment that I can tell and iit was probably good for 10-15 years before it started to break down...doubt if any of us will have the same boat in 10 years, you never know though. Do it once, do it right, right?

True, doing it right the first time always is best. You just have to balance that with cost. I plan to use spar urethane but will look at cost to determine that or polyester resin.
 
I like the polyester resin because if worked with fiberglass for years.

There's more than one way to get it done.
 

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