First Boat Build, First Question

G

Greg B

New member
Hey guys, I'm Greg and am new to the forum. This is my first post. I'm planning to start my first boat in a few weeks. It will be 9.5 feet long, 46 inches wide. Basically a small marsh boat with a transom. Main goal is a stable boat with little weight.

Question: Can I use 1/4 inch birch (interior grade) for the bottom and sides if properly coated with epoxy and glass?

I have looked at several plans and read many, many threads. I've seen that many folks say to stay away from birch, but some swear that it's great. My only other option locally is exterior pine and it seems a bit heavy and not as smooth.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Greg B
 
Greg,


Welcome to the best site on the web for hunting and boat building ! I built a 14 foot cackler using Meranti plywood , i would think birch would be ok as long as it was sealed well with epoxy . Are you planning on a motor or just padleing the boat ? I personally would try to locate some Meranti Mahoganey plywood but if you are not looking for a heavy boat go for the light stuff . Good luck and post up some pics we love them around here .


Dave M
 
Thanks, Dave

The boat will primarily be used to drop into areas around a local lake which we usually can't get into, even with my mud motor. I will likely start out just paddling, but will install a transom so that I can use a trolling motor if necessary to reach a little further out.

The boat is small enough to transport in the back of my truck and carry, pull, or drag to the water. It will be about 12 inches deep, so will have a low profile. I've looked at many commercially available boats, but think I would enjoy the challenge of building my own.

I just built my sawhorses tonight and purchased an orbital sander, so I'm gearing up. I will definitely post pics of the progress once I make some.
 
I sure wouldn't use interior grade plywood. The laminating glue just isn't made for outside use in water. Exterior grade should be a minimum. Your time and glassing costs will be the same no matter what the wood costs are. Just my two cents.
 

Greg,
First let’s get it straight -I am no expert on boat building , there are a ton of guys on this sight who have forgotten more about boat building than I will ever know.
I have built 2 kara hummers and assisted with 10+ cajun pirues both of these designs are pretty easy builds.
My first kara I build I tried to cut corners on cost with cheap plywood , fir framing lumber, polyester resin and latex paint. It turned a fun project into pain in the butt . The lumber does not have a straight edge to it even after re- sawing and planning it warps , same story with the plywood its warped and full of gaps both of these factors make assembling your boat a nightmare same goes with the polyester reins they stink- literally and have a short pot life. Polyester resin also add weight to your build. I was not satisfied with the results and I sold it and built a another using meranti
plywood, white oak, mahogany and epoxy resin . This boat was a breeze everything came together easy. The finished project was superior over the first- grant it I had a boat build under my belt. Same with the pirgues I use meranti plywood, solid hard wood and epoxy resin . That's my 2 cents
I think I’m ready build a bigger boat either a blue bill or a bb2 maybe this summer. I got say there is a lot of talent on this sight -you guys make boat building look easy
 
Greg, you won't get a decent sheet of birch plywood much less than a sheet of marine grade meranti or okuume. What I have seen advertised as "birch" at the big box stores is a lumber core or particle board core Chinese birch import. It seems finding suitable materials for a good boat build is the hardest part OF the build..and I own a lumberyard! See if you can locate some decent plywood before torturing yourself. Polyester resin doesn't work well with wood unless you use chopped strand matting and that will end up costing you more $ and weight than cloth and epoxy. All thet said...a small handy knock about boat like you want would work well with a GOOD exterior glue luan underlayment. Did everybody know that Okuume is now being imported to compete with the "Luan" market? It's been running about a 150 bucks less than Meranti, Faveira(sp?) and the other "Luans". Not "marine" though.
 
Wow,

Thanks for the info guys! I'll look into the different materials listed in your posts and see if I can come up with anything areound these parts fitting those descriptions. I'll keep you posted.

Greg B
 
Greg,
do a search on the web under Ply kayak builders. I think you will find quite a lot of info, and the loads and build materials will be about the same. I know some here differ but exterior ply uses the same glue as marine. The problem is in the outer skins. A higher priced sheet will have a more uniform grain and will require much less time to coat and cover with epoxy/cloth and get a uniform finish. The kayak guys have mastered the light weight stuff. I don't think the finish is all that important on a marsh boat so shape and strength come first. A good place to start is the KARA type builds. Ed Askew built a sweet one and it is light. Ed's Hummer
I think if you wanted you could cut off the transom and shorten it up to the 12 feet you are looking for. The original KARA plans are available here. The fun is in the building. Get one done and start the next one.
 
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