building a boat from scratch... indecisive

cyclops2

Banned
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
1,237
Re: building a boat from scratch... indecisive

I would NOT attempt doing the bottom with just foam & layers of glass cloth . UNLESS you know how thick it needs to be.
Can not make a wild a-- guess on your abilities.

My friend did EXACTLY what you want to do. Fantastic shaped blue foam piece first. Then 2 layers of glass cloth. Beautiful hydro racing fin. His fin was a long tail fin. No walking around or standing with both feet close together.

You are crawling out on a unknown construction. You could make the boat TOO LIGHT. Then it would tip over if you leaned over to grab a bigger fish & lift it up & over.

Foam is not cheap nor cloth & layers of glass. Sanding glass is VERY BAD for your THROAT & LUNGS. Need a full rubber facemask. & grinding goggles that have a seal ALL AROUND the edges to keep the glass grindings out of your eyes.

USE A GOOD SIZED FLOOR FAN BLOWING the dust outside of a building. We grind just before & during a good rain storm or set up a spraying garden hose. Keep the dust ALWAYS out of the shop or where people can walk in it.

I vote EXTERIOR Plywood & several coats of polyurathane paints. You will not screw up your body.

NO PRESSURE TREATED wood. It is just as toxic as GLASS. Possibly worse.

This is to be a safe boat & carefree boat to build, not a toxic waste site starting up.
 

jason41987

Cadet
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
9
Re: building a boat from scratch... indecisive

i was thinking of using balsa for a core.. but that would cost more than im willing to spend, i can get rigid styrofoam pretty cheap and would turn out a similar material to GRP... i wonder if i could press some metal rods into the floor piece to make it much stronger and more rigid without adding too much more weight
 
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