Wooden Boat People

By McKenzieDriftBoat.com

Best way to strenghten bottom of 16ft. Don Hill DB

Im in the middle well more towards the begining of a Don Hill build.I drove about two and a half hours to pick up my plywood that they had loaded on my trailer for me 1/4 inch okoume for the sides and what i had thought was 1/2 inch hydrotec for the bottom when i reach home i went to put it away until the weekend so i could start scarfing them together realized that the 1/2 inch was 3/8 seven ply i don't want to drive all that distance again if i don't have to so I'm asking whats the best way to strengthen the bottom (3/8) and do i use anything other than fiberglass or graphite additive to the west system epoxy i will run mainly in the rivers in Michigan

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Permalink Reply by AJ DeRosa on August 16, 2016 at 6:19am

Google plasticore.
Covered the entire bottom using epoxy.
Because we epoxy to a plywood bottom you don't need to create large panels. Small pieces work just fine butted up to each other. Full size sheets are 4x8 and expensive to ship. Cut to 4x4 ships at less than half the price.

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on August 15, 2016 at 5:00pm

I`ll clarify what I did a little better. I did 2 coats of epoxy to seal the plywood and seal in any gasses prior to the glass after I scarfed the bottom before I installed it on the frames. (I used 5200 on the chine logs, each frame, the stem and transom when I installed the bottom)

That 12 oz biax glass is some thick heavy narly stuff. When I layed it on, I did the bed coat and the next few coats of epoxy with a west roller, so the coats were not super heavy with the epoxy. Even after like 4 coats of epoxy over the glass the bottom was still pretty rough looking as far as texture. The last 2 coats I rolled on the same way but with a little graphite mixed in and the bottom is still somewhat rough textured, but that doesnt matter. Its plenty slick as far as that goes. To get that glass smooth finished you would have to trowel on the epoxy thick, which you really dont want to do anyway.

Honestly for our rivers I think any more than that is overkill. I hit some big rocks and a couple stumps today on the PM river, no damage. We dont have the out west conditions with the big rapids where the boat is up in the air 3 ft and then comes smashing down on rocks.

I can mail you a scrap of the 12 oz so you can see what it feels like. I never touched the 18 oz, so I cant comment on it.

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Permalink Reply by James Prepura on August 15, 2016 at 6:06pm

thanks for the step by step helps allot Ive seen the biax glass so you wont have to mail any but again thanks I to don't think ill be in water any rougher than the PM (by the way how did you do) so I don't need to be over kill but don't want to put a hole in it either you guys have all been great thanks for all the input

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Permalink Reply by tungsten on August 16, 2016 at 6:18am

Dont forget the bubble buster roller,this helps to get the glass fully wet out the first coat.

Make things even faster by rolling on peelply after wet out,you get a nice flat surface ready for paint all after one coat of goo.