plywoodthickness for pocketboat

I,m getting some different priceson plywood . marine grade between 60& 80per 4x8 sheet and regular ply  between 20& 40 bucks a sheet  deppending on thickness ,I figured I look up the price differences while I was waiting forthe plans to my pocketship,  of coarse these are greatnorthwest prices  around Seattle  and the best place toget stuff  so any info is appreciated.Joe

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RE: plywoodthickness for pocketboat

Those prices actually seem quite expensive to me for the thicknesses I'm used to building with.  I don't know about the pocket ship, but most of the smaller boats use 4mm marine grade, which might run on the low end of your price range, but I'd be surprised.  I can get a 4x8 of standard grade 4mm Luan at Home Depot or Lowes (here in VA) for about $15. I've found if I look carefully I can get Luan at plenty good enough quality that I don't need to wrry about "marine grade" woods.  That said, others are far less comfortable with that choice than I am (and I don't do any signficant open water stuff either).  Voids are generally easy to spot, though, and this stuff is epoxied and varnished beyond belief so I feel comfortable with my safety margins.

 

I'd say look online for the specific dimensions you want and you'll most likely find the best price that way.  I like to buy local, when I can, but sometimes you just can't beat the online prices.

 

FrankP

RE: plywoodthickness for pocketboat

Frank, the subject of lauan doorskin for boats is...ahem... controversial. Plenty of folks swear by it. But around these here parts, you will probably find more people who swear AT it. Some (like John Harris) speak from a wealth of knowledge and experience. So, as tempting as that 15.00 per sheet stuff is, I am not going down to the sea in ships made of it, thanks.

RE: plywoodthickness for pocketboat

I fully agree, it's a controversial issue and certainly I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who didn't feel comfortable with it.  I was actually trying to make the point that I wouldn't expect the prices to be quite as high as those listed in the original post if someone was doing some research other than just local stores.  Big box stores carry marine grade plywood in some locations so it's certainly possible to find in less expensive options, even if you feel the need for that level of "quality" certification. 

FrankP

RE: plywoodthickness for pocketboat

Understand, thanks. Anyway, you're lucky to have access to a big box that has marine ply. Out here in the Midwest, they don't. I assume when you say "marine ply" you mean Douglas-fir marine plywood of less than BS1088 quality. It is much cheaper than BS1088 okoume, and for a boat like the Pocket Ship, it sounds more practical than it would for a kayak or Skerry. I don't imagine many builders choose Douglas-fir for CLC kayaks. Not so much because of the quality, but because for most folks, it is much too dense, and because unlike with okoume, with Doug fir both surfaces always must be glassed, which adds even further to the weight.

RE: plywoodthickness for pocketboat

Lauan is absolutely out for the PocketShip. That is a serious, large boat carrying a lot of weight and stress. Some of it, like the 120 lbs of lead ballast is pretty concentrated. No way that lauan would cut it. Not to mention the fact that the wood in many places is substantially thicker than 4mm.

Keep your hands away from the wallet, and back away from the lauan pile.

Laszlo

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