What are the best screws to use for plywood boat building and can i use planks for a flat bottom with epoxy.?
I plan to use plywood for the sides and for a template for the shape I would use masonite or hardboard.Also I will use ribs on the inside and incorporate seats into the ribs or visa versa.I would use epoxy for a finish and then sand with aluminum oxide sandpaper.Then i would finish with a few coats of marine paint or at least an oil base paint.Any ideas would be appreciated, especially about the screws.
Brass screws were commonly used in marine applications for years. Stainless steel would be ok as well, but I lean towards brass. I do have personal experience in this and have built several small boats with plywood hulls. Brass has always served me well, and should I again build a boat, I will be using brass screws. Marine epoxy paint would be my choice in the painting of a boat. I don’t think I would again use planks for the bottom. I have built Joh boats with plank bottoms but there are problems with this. Basically, they tend to leak. As long as they are in the water and soaked up, the boards will swell and seal against each other, but they must be kept wet all the time. If they dry out, they shrink and start leaking badly. If you paint and seal the entire plank where it is "waterproof" before installing, it is nearly impossible to mate them tight enough to the adjacent planks to seal completely. Very unsatifactory. I would consider marine plywood instead of planks. I really think you will be happier with the result. I know that there are boat building books availble which would have valuable information for you to consider. I think I would do some serious research before deciding on a plank bottom! Hope this helps! DP
anything coated with zinc use a little oil on the screw before you put it in so the zinc don’t scrape off while you’re screwing it in. counter sink them and add some glue on top to keep them from backing out and so the tops wont rust. sound like ya got the paint thing down
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I’m sure others will also answer but I would think about the treated deck screws. They SEEM to be very good in such applications. What about a urethane finish? I think a boat that had the look of all natural wood would be really nice looking. I am not sure if this has marine uses or not?!
Just a couple of ideas
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Use stainless. Not the cheapest, but in 10 years you’ll be glad.
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Brass screws would be thebest, but stainless steel would d. You can use epoxy on the bottom. West System id good. Avoid masonite around water, but as a template it would do.
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Brass screws were commonly used in marine applications for years. Stainless steel would be ok as well, but I lean towards brass. I do have personal experience in this and have built several small boats with plywood hulls. Brass has always served me well, and should I again build a boat, I will be using brass screws. Marine epoxy paint would be my choice in the painting of a boat. I don’t think I would again use planks for the bottom. I have built Joh boats with plank bottoms but there are problems with this. Basically, they tend to leak. As long as they are in the water and soaked up, the boards will swell and seal against each other, but they must be kept wet all the time. If they dry out, they shrink and start leaking badly. If you paint and seal the entire plank where it is "waterproof" before installing, it is nearly impossible to mate them tight enough to the adjacent planks to seal completely. Very unsatifactory. I would consider marine plywood instead of planks. I really think you will be happier with the result. I know that there are boat building books availble which would have valuable information for you to consider. I think I would do some serious research before deciding on a plank bottom! Hope this helps! DP
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