Boats in MDO

D

Derek Z

Well-known member
Anyone here build in MDO without encapsulating in glass and epoxy? I believe someone here did a cackler/honker a few years back. i am interested to hear any feedback on the good - bad and ugly. Looking at doing a new boat project and seriously considering this option.
Thanks in advance.
Derek
 
Derek,

Seems to me it was Dave Morton but I may be wrong. I used MDO board when I redid the floor and added a casting deck using it in my Starcraft a few years back. I didn't do a thing to the stuff but covered it with vinyl floor covering I bought from Lund. it's great stuff but be careful. The first MDO I bought I ordered from Menards home improvment store and it was great. No voids at all and very solid. I bought some more for another project from a local sign material supplier and it was just crap. Full of voids. Very small voids but voids none the less.

Good luck.

Ed L.
 
Thanks Ed. I know most of the alloy sled builders use it here in a similar way for flooring. I am going to be up in pacific city Oregon in the next few weeks and hope to see how some of the PC dorys in MDO are holding up.
Considering price and the possibility to not be forced to encapsulate, MDO seems like a viable option.
D-
 
Derek, good to see you posting...


Most guys encapsulate it, but in a not structural place (thinking hull here) or a shallow water boat only, I think it would be just fine.

Think about it, most old signs made it 25+ years (until they were all shot up by teenagers) before replacing and they were never repainted.
 
Most sign painters here in florida are using expanded PVC board comes in white or gray. totally rotproof eastern shore commercial boatbuilders are building work boats up to 30 feet or so out of it. They are pretty secretive about what they are gluing it together with. We use a lot for radio and electrical boxes, glues up real well with epoxy. Hope this helps Rich
 
I would think that the most important thing would be a good paint job. John Welsford recommends three coats of primer and three cover coats for his boats. Now there is a fellow in Mich who sells good paint. Kind of a skinny guy with a cowboy hat... I think they call him big Lou. He might have some advice.
 
Lots of good tips and opinions - thanks. I have been talking to a handful of people on MDO and the early feedback is still positive. What I wonder is: if it is so cheap and the ability to avoid epoxy and glass is there, why are more not using it? I have a project coming on board soon and will post as it progresses.
Derek
 
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