Free epoxy adhesive!

Mark and Tod: The Penske or Okoosa board is absoloutely the wrong material for this application. It is a urethane foam, it is very stiff which people equate with strength. It is not, it is very brittle. Its saving grace is its high compression strength,which is the reason boat builders use it for transoms on outboard boats or where cleats or other hardware are thru bolted. three quarter inch okoosa or penske board weighs 26 lbs. per cu ft. three quarter h-80 or the equiveland in core cell weighs about 5 lbs. per cu ft. Guys I am not trying to pull rank here but this is what I have been doing for a living for the past 31 years I work with this stuff every day. My projects cost millions of dollars and are done in concert with some of the top naval architects and structural engineers in the industry. None would build either a hull or deck out of penske or okoosa board. Yet I have seen hundreds upon hundreds of big and fast yachts and sportfish built out of divinicell and corecell! a bunch of 150 mph plus racers too! Never any built out of that heavy black stuff. By the way the divinycell h-80 in three quarter inch is 167 dollars per 4x8, the same thickness in the other stuff is$219.57 per sheet, you make the choice. Rich
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I understood what you said Rich on the different corings and purposes and I took it to heart. The coosa vs. penske was for where you need resistance to compression. I'll follow up with you in a few months on exactly what you suggest when I'm ready to do the floor. T
 
Actually Rich, your experience and mine are significantly different. We have build hulls and decks out of the Penske boards. We built them with the biggest boat builders (and well respected) in the world. We've built the same super fast boats and built megamillion dollar yachts. Also built every day runabouts using the material. These boats were significant due to the noise and vibration (and weight reduction) that was eliminated using the Penske board as a constrained layer damper (removal of 15 - 20 dB quite common in the larger vessels). We put it into the laminate, used it as a core, and used it in the transom as you mention. We built MANY boats this way and I can promise you they are still running strong.

The Penske board is reinforced with continous fiberglass strand making it a good product. If you knew what else this board is used for I think you would reconsider your opinion. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying you don't have all the information on these boards as others.

Also, the Penske board can be made to a variety of densities, not just the density you quote. I've personally used 5lb/ft3 board and board with significantly higher densities you mention as well.

The board is very stiff, the boards can also be skived to allow building structures with curves.

My preference of the Penske over the Coosa is based on my experience with the Penske board and the people who made that product what it is. Wendell Baugh and Herman Novak knew what they were doing when they purchased and grew the business. I can't speak towards the present owners of the product. Coosa isn't bad but it is not the same product as the Penske board. There are other manufacturers of this board that I would definately stay away from.

Mark W
 
Actually Rich, your experience and mine are significantly different. We have build hulls and decks out of the Penske boards. We built them with the biggest boat builders (and well respected) in the world. We've built the same super fast boats and built megamillion dollar yachts. Also built every day runabouts using the material. These boats were significant due to the noise and vibration (and weight reduction) that was eliminated using the Penske board as a constrained layer damper (removal of 15 - 20 dB quite common in the larger vessels). We put it into the laminate, used it as a core, and used it in the transom as you mention. We built MANY boats this way and I can promise you they are still running strong.

The Penske board is reinforced with continous fiberglass strand making it a good product. If you knew what else this board is used for I think you would reconsider your opinion. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying you don't have all the information on these boards as others.

Also, the Penske board can be made to a variety of densities, not just the density you quote. I've personally used 5lb/ft3 board and board with significantly higher densities you mention as well.

The board is very stiff, the boards can also be skived to allow building structures with curves.

My preference of the Penske over the Coosa is based on my experience with the Penske board and the people who made that product what it is. Wendell Baugh and Herman Novak knew what they were doing when they purchased and grew the business. I can't speak towards the present owners of the product. Coosa isn't bad but it is not the same product as the Penske board. There are other manufacturers of this board that I would definately stay away from.

Mark W
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Thanks Mark.
 
Penske board still exists, it was just purchased by someone back in 2006 or 2008 - I think it was Alcoa. I still am in occassional contact with the former owners and can find out more if needed.

Mark
 
Guys: this my last comment! google Penske board, see what the applications are, see what the densities are! I am not blowing smoke, My feet are planted on planet earth. I use my real name so you can google me and check my credentials or qualifications. I am just trying to give some sound advice based on a lifetime of boating and boatbuilding experience. My last wish is to get in a pi--ing contest with someone. Make your own decision. Now I know why Da--d C---k got fed up with some of the pseudo experts on this site!
 
Jeez Rich what is your problem? Unless you are King of all knowledge on every topic in the world, there may be others who know something in addition to what you know. You comments are based on real world experience. My comments are based on real world experience. You're not wrong, I'm not wrong either. This isn't a pissing match - just a sharing of real life experiences.

I'm not some flake (or psuedo expert as you call me) who "played" in the boat building industry. I've even been to your facility and you build unbelievably nice boats. I even guarantee you that many of the products you use in the construction of your watercraft are products I've developed for the marine marketplace. Think of whose adhesives, sandpaper, tapes, buffing compounds, buffing pads, paint protection films, lighting, and so on down the line, that you use. I promise you I invented many of those products. Wasn't done by accident by a psuedo expert.

Also, those boards that don't work in the maritime industry - I can also guarantee you they are being used today and in applications you would never dream of. Think US submarine fleet, think US destroyers, Aircraft carriers, how about cruise ships. Yep, that product is all over. I've personally been involved in these type of projects and know for a fact how each and everyone of these polyurethane boards have been used in applications you are not aware of (not necessarily Penske boards).

Sorry you got so upset - it was not my intention. I was passing along MY real world experience with these PU foam boards nothing more. Was never meant as a criticism of you or your product - as I said, your yachts are works of art. I believe I even said you weren't wrong in what you posted, just that you didn't know everything about how these products have been used.

Like you said, the buyer has to make up his own mind based upon available information.

Mark W (aka - psuedo expert)
 
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Now I am going against myself by replying, but here goes! Again check with the people who sell this stuff, they recommend it for its compression strength in outboard transoms and where cleats are to be thru bolted. It is very stiff but has nowhere the shear strength of the other core materials mentioned and they weigh 20% as much as the former penske board now made by airex. I guess someone has built a hull/ deck out of penske board but I will wager money that for every one that has there are a thousand that have built their boats out of divinicel or core cell, with great success myself included. Building major structures out of what was penske board or ocoosa as my supplier has it in his catalog is kind of like building a BBSB out of Lignum Vitae or Iron wood, I guess you could but why?
 
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