Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

[MikePNJ]

Hi gang,

I've been lurking the forums for a few years here and enjoy the advice and information everyone has provided.

I have a question about the restoration job I'm doing on my boat. I've searched the forums first before asking and only saw one thread,I just wanted some input.

I'm replacing the seat bases on my 20DX Wellcraft Excel bowrider. I removed the old vinyl and foam and the wood was rotted and in horrible shape. I just purchased new foam cores 4 inch thick medium density foam for the bow area.

I plan on making a filler cushion also for the center section.

#### The questions here ####

1) - I purchased 3/8 marine plywood and cut the wood bases out for the bow. I also purchased Behr deck and fence stain Acrylic latex rated 5 yrs for decks 15 yrs for fences. Can I use this to seal and protect the wood bases INSTEAD of fiber glassing the wood?

2) - Should I cut out 1/4 plywood and screw them to the 3/8 marine plywood I already cut? Will 3/8 work or did I waste my money on it by not using something thicker?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

It's your boat and only you can make the final decision. My experience tells me that 3/8" MP should be fine. It might flex a bit depending on the span of the seat and the type of support underneath. I would recommend that you get some epoxy and at the very least coat the edges of the ply. This is the main source of water penetration. Coating the wood with two coats of epoxy would be the best method, however, if you use the Behr product it should last for quite a while with proper care and maintenance.

 

[MikePNJ]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

What type of epoxy do you suggest? What brand should I look for?

Thanks!

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

What type of epoxy do you suggest? What brand should I look for?

Thanks!

Welcome to Iboats Mike ..

There are many epoxies out there .. depending on your location some can be readily available ( or you might have to order ).

2 part epoxy resin system is what you want.. NOT 2 part epoxy Glue..

Epoxy the wood a few times as suggested.. see where that gets you ( sometimes it takes 4 coats of epoxy to seal up the wood ).

You dont need glass on cushions .. you will never get the staples to go through it.

IF you need to..you can add strips of ply to the underside of your seats ( as long as those do not interfere with anything of cource ) .. epoxy coat everything and you should be good to go.

YD.

PS. Tip your seats up when not in use..never store them Flat..

 

[MikePNJ]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

I wanted to post a follow up. I found a gallon of 3M fiberglass resin and hardener in my garage that I believe I bought at the end of last season for this job.

I read the label and it states that it is designed for boat restoration etc.

Wow this is some really bad stuff. I used a nitrol gloves and a respirator with it. The stuff smells very strong and it ate through the plastic cup I was using to measure out the amounts I was pouring / setting up with the hardener.

It also ate up the foam brushes I used to coat the wood decking with. The directions say it can be sanded 2 hours after application. (I don't plan on a nice smooth surface / its just the wood for the seat cushions.

Did I use the right stuff?

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

if it ate the foam it was polyester resin, without fiberglass it is brittle and will not hold, you should use a 2 part epoxy, I use Aeromarine 2:1 epoxy( http://www.aeromarineproducts.com/ ) you can get 1.5 gallon kit for around 100 bucks. you probably wont need that much, so might look at getting 2 kits of the 1.5 quart for 40 bucks each, more expensive this route, so if you think you might have use for more buy the bigger one, as long as it is stored properly it has a long shelf life.

 

[MikePNJ]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

Thanks Judge.

Do I need to remove the resin I put down or just put the 2 part epoxy right over top of what I did last night?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

Poly resin, which you used, has no strength without glass. Epoxy does. Epoxy sticks to poly but not the other way around. So you should be good to coat over it with epoxy although it's a bummer you blew the chance for the first coat of epoxy to be able to soak into the wood

 

[MikePNJ]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

Thanks ezmobee, just the info I was looking for.

I coated the edges and 1 side last night, so I guess I can get some soaking in from the bare side I didn't do.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Boat seat bases and Behr deck and fence stain

use plastic mixing container, and plastic roller pan for the epoxy, once it cures it can be peeled out in one piece, and reuse the same cup and pan...epoxy wont stick to plastic. Don't use the plastic roller pan inserts, it does stick to those, I think because they are just epoxy casting resin made...