Plywood (Seat) Question???
 

Well, As some of you already know I have started to restore my 38 Special. One of the projects I'm on now is redoing the interior. So far I have stripped the interior from the boat and stripped the covers from the seats, side panels, and engine hatch. What I found was the Plywood (that looked to be original from 1993) was completely ROTTEN!! It does not look like the plywood was coated with anything. (Well the side panels looked like they had something on them - But nothing else did)

What I plan to do if I'm lucky is use the old wood as a template to make new bases. My question is what kind of material should I use??

- Regular Plywood (except coat it with fiberglass resin on all sides)
- Marine Plywood (Expensive! and Heavy!!)
- Starboard (basically uses like plywood but is plastic that will never rot. Hard to find here in Kansas!! Cost???)

*Remember, I don't plan to leave the boat out in the elements uncovered like the last guy!

I'll post pictures of my progress soon!!

id use regular plywood and protect it and be done with it.

later

were did you buy the baja from?

later

I bought it in Baltimore and it was a Repo out of New Jersey....

Here are some pictures....

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7 This shows that it had some kind of "something"on it at one time......

This seat looks OK from a distance - a very long distance!!

looks like a project.
the reason i asked is my uncle took me over to look at a 38 special around the 19mm and it was rough, he passed on it.

later

Then in this picture you can see the ROT!! Thank God the Floor, stringers, and everything else I've checked so far have been OK!!!!

Interior refurbish
 

FunHome,
Been down that road before. I coated everything with fiberglass resin. I put two coats on. The plywood was given to me and I was told it was marine grade. I think regular plywood will be fine, but definately coat it. Finally, those rusted t-nuts shown in your photos are also made in stainless steel. I purchased mine at Sears hardware. Not cheap but worth the money.

Starboard is very expensive. I looked into using it.

Good luck
Paul

You can use Wolmanized plywood. It has waterproof glue and it will not rot. Star board is great stuff but it is $$$$.

Funhome... you're right. Marine-grade plywood is not necessary, but be sure to use an exterior grade plywood. The glue used to hold the ply's together is waterproof. I re-did my hatch cover on the Baja a few years back. Got the material from Shutte Lumber on Southwest Blvd. Also, as stated above, the "T" nuts do come in stainless steel. Get them from Strasser Hardware, just down the street from Shutte on Southwest Blvd. Oh, and another thing, be sure to use stainless steel staples as well. Original staples were not and had rusted. Either get a electric or pneumatic stapler or your hand will feel like it's about to fall off!

Exterior plywood is fine. Minimally, coat it with a sealant(ie valspar polyurethane) to seal out water. A coat of fiberglass cloth and resin is even better.
Dont count out starboard so fast. Check with a few plastics dealer in your area. There are a number of different products similar to starboard available in various strengths, densities, sizes, and prices made by several manufacturers. It can be very cost effective in rot prone areas and where it will be seen (no painting/finishing required).
Gary

I replaced the floor of a 19' open bow boat i use to have and coated it with fiberglass cloth and resin. The original manufacturer did the same thing (that's where i got the idea) but then thay cut a hole in the center to hold the skis and didn't seal the freshly cut ends they exposed. So it rotted from the inside out but it took 15 years and it wasn't completely rotten it was just getting soft.

You'd be silly not to use marine plywood. Do not use wolmanized or pressure treated exterior plywood. There is a difference in the glues and in the quality of the wood. Marine plywood uses water proof glues as opposed to the others which use water "resistant" glues. Also, marine plywood is typically better quality with no voids that can (and will) trap moisture. it also tends to be far more dimensionally stable.

Also, with regard to coating the wood to prevent moisture, forget it. Woodenboat Magazine published a study several years ago that documented that moisture will enter the wood regardless, that there is not true moisture barrier, and the coatings will prevent it from fully drying - which results in mold and then rot even sooner.

Look at the wood that's in the boat now. If it's not too gone you ought to be able to identify it's origin, marine or interior/exterior and the grade. With a production boat such as a Baja it wouldn't surprise me to see non marine wood used as a a cost savings measure. My 1990 Baja has interior grade wood in the seats. Then think about the age of the existing wood and how long you expect your project to last. If you're OK with using the same or perhaps better wood for the duration the existing wood has been in the boat, why go to the additional expense or labor in coating it?

I whole heartedly agree with using SS T-nuts. They can be tricky to install though. Always use the bolt to pull them home rather than hammering them in from behind beforehand. If the least bit crooked the bolt will crossthread and you'll be in a world of hurt. Don't ask me how I know...

Good luck!

I re-did the seats ina boat about 3 yrs ago with extrior plywwod that I had coated with resin on both sides and edges. Was in great shape when I sold it about 6 monthes ago. Seal the edges well as that is are very important. I did it too save $$ and I knew I was getting rid of boat in about a year. If you love this boat and plan on keeping it a long time, I would try to buy starboard. More $$ for sure, but last forever with no PITA (pain in the a#@). As far as SS T-nuts try McMaster Carr. (mcmaster-carr.com, I think just doa google search). They have Great prices on all types of stainless hardware.

-Mike

I'm with JohnJan on the Marine grade plywood. For the amount of time I was spending building seats, I didn't see the point in saving a few dollars getting exterior grade vs marine. Take a good look at marine plywood, you'll be hard pressed to find gaps. Not to mention the stuff i found was sanded on both sides with no broken corners. I didn't have to spend a bunch of time looking thru a stack to find a good sheet either.

Lot's of good points in this thread.
DS

Wolmanized lumber won't get eaten by bugs or fungus.... but get it wet enough and it will delaminate... besides... that stuff stinks... get regular plywood and coat it with west system epoxy... works better than fiberglass resin... more money though... but seals much better...You can "reduce" the first coat with a little acetone... it will penetrate the lumber better... wait a few days... scuff and coat again... good stuff... then use all stainless staples and t-nuts.

The big advantage of marine grade lumber is it is so damn flat and straight... no bows or warping... for small things like seat bottoms... if you are using 5/8 or 3/4... the regular plywood is way strong... if you are trying to make everything thin and light... definitely go with the marine ply..

Use regular plywoods and coat with fiberglass resins, and do be sure to seal all cut edges. Use stainless t-nuts and staples with pneumatic stapler.

exterior ply is fine if coated. I may try this on my next project.

http://www.elfproducts.com/press.html

Marine plywood is the best if you can't properly seal every little place water could enter. Using a good grade plywood and coating it with cloth and resin will last many years but remember, everywhere you drill to put the tee nuts in will allow moisture in. You can't completely seal moisture out if you drill holes in it. Most boats use exterior grade plywood in stringers and than cloth and resin and after 20 years the plywood is like new. But all screw and bolt holes must be sealed. You can't seal the tee nuts properly. Also keeping the boat covered or inside storage when not being used helps.