I didn't see this come up on the list even though I sent it before. I
added something at the end and sent it again.
MW
**********************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Weeks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> OSB is pretty good stuff, but marine ply is much better.
>
I don't trust OSB, but that's because I had a bad piece. I had a piece rot
in a motorhome; it turned to the consistency of wet leaves. Wood products
are not all created equal. I've had luck with some products, and not with
another....my guess is that it's due to who manufactured the product. I've
had
good plywood, and really lousy stuff too (it delaminated badly). I think it
would be best to take potential floor material and bury them in the ground
for a while. Find a piece of swampy ground and take a 1 by 2 foot (or any
other convenient size) piece of wood and bury half of the piece in the
ground and let the other half stick up in the weather unprotected. See how
it holds up after a few months ....or however long you want to continue. I
wanted to test a piece of luan plywood for potential boat building. I left
it in a bucket of water for nearly a year. The bucket would dry up and I'd
refill it. The plywood never warped or delaminated ...so I built the boat
out of it. The boat still floats! My Dad built a boat out of marine
plywood and oak frame. The oak rotted away after 20 years, but the
plywood that was right next to the rotten oak held up fine. I'd say marine
grade plywood would be a good bet. Coat the edges of the plywood (or maybe
the entire thing) with epoxy resin, and I 'd guess it would hold up long
enough so that the next generation wouldn't have to worry about it either.
Right now, the best piece of plywood I've experienced is the "treated"
plywood I made my utility trailer's floor out of. It sits out in the
weather, often with rotten wood debris from firewood sitting directly on it
....and often with several inches of water sitting in it when the drain
holes get plugged up. I can't see any deterioration in it at all. I think
it's been about 6 years (maybe 8) so far. It was heavy and smelly, however.
I stated before that I'd be leery of using this product in the enclosed
space of a trailer. I used regular exterior grade plywood for the sides of
the trailer. They are showing signs of deterioration even though I painted
them (the treated plywood is bare).
Harvey just said he was going to use epoxy to repair a floor section. I read
in one of my boat books that, yes indeed, epoxy soaks in better than
polyester. Epoxy is more expensive ....but it IS better. I had said I
favored polyester before ...but that's because I'm cheap. The BEST way is
with epoxy. I have a Clark Craft (out of Tonwanda, NY) boat kit catalog here
someplace that explains the differences. they talk about moisture content,
glass cloth, etc..
When putting in a new floor, I would think that sealing the edge with epoxy
would be the way to go. If you were starting with the frame off, I would
imagine that the longest lasting floor could be made coating the entire top
surface and the edges (especially) with epoxy ....and if you really wanted
to make it strong and impervious to water, put a layer of fiberglass cloth
over the entire surface, wrap it around the edge, and lap it about 3 inches
on the underside also. Would that work? (I've never had to go this
far! )
MARC WEIMER
Punxsutawney, PA
#15767
1963 Globe Trotter
1971 Globe Trotter
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