What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

[ezmobee]

I know epoxy is the official iboats sealer of choice however I'm not looking for a 20 year solution and would like to avoid the cost and inconvenience of dealing with epoxy. What the second best choice?

 

[TheWoodCrafter]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Polyester resin.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Epoxy not only waterproofs the wood, it stabilizes the wood fibers so they are less inclined to check and crack, thus allowing moisture intrusion into the interior. IMHO, there are no shortcuts here.

 

[fishie]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Good point WizeOne and epoxy really isnt an inconvienence, I applied 2 coats to my deck today. Super easy and really fast! Definately the way to go!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Alrighty, I'm looking for something I can buy locally. Will this work? http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...r=90431&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

 

[gcboat]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

It might, but it is just a primer. It will give no strength to your wood at all and yield no waterproofing benefits. Please don't use just plain ole' poly resin on there without the glass mat - it will crack, eventually. It was never formulated to be used as a stand alone product.
Home Cheapo and maybe Lowe's carries marine epoxy resin in one quart containers ( at least mine does ). Thinking the price was about 30 bucks. You'll get more than enough to do a small transom like yours.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

That's what I was afraid of. And I know not to use just polyester resin. No strength without mat so there's no point. I haven't seen what I need at our Lowes/HD but maybe I'm not looking in the right place? What brand/product am I looking for?

 

[i386]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

I've never seen epoxy resin at Home Depot.

I think some of the boat dealers here sell it but it's West System which is expensive. I ordered mine online. It does cost more, but I don't think it's inconvenient at all. My thinking is epoxy is better suited for a novice because there's only one way to mix it. With poly, an experienced user can vary the amount of catalyst to adjust cure time. Pros probably like that aspect of using poly whereas I find it a little intimidating (probably just because I haven't used it before).

Is this for an I/O or outboard? I/O don't have that heavy engine hanging off the back of it.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

It's the boat in my signature. Outboard.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

How long do want it to last? If your not looking for a 20 year job (most people don't keep the boat that long) and you just want 5 or so years, just paint the plywood with floor, or porch paint. Primers like the one you attached normally have no UV resistance, so it won't last long in the sun.

 

[i386]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Oops, I should have saw that.:redface:

Well, I use epoxy because I know it's strong and it's going to stick. I am not an expert. I tend to over engineer things when I'm in doubt. I am sure you'll find plenty of guys here that will tell you poly is just find for what you're doing. Those same guys have a lot more experience than me.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

After looking at the link to your boat, it seems you've done a good job of cleaning it up and getting it back into shape. So why would you want to take a short cut on a simple thing like putting some epoxy on plywood?

I thought this may have been a little beater boat that you just wanted to get a season or two out of.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Because god willing I'll be able to trade up to a bow rider sooner rather than later! I HATE the layout of this boat. A closed bow is the dumbest thing ever. But I got it for $200 and the motor is great so I've lived with it. But I want it structurally sound to use for another year or two and so I can confidently sell it with no problems. I'll try to find some epoxy but I really don't want to have to order it.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Try exterior acrylic latex paint. Just looked for a website that I had seen previously describing the advantages of acrylic but cannot find it. Will post it if I can find it again. Good luck.

 

[Coors]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

I get MAS epoxy at the local discount marine store; try the phone book.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

You could just use marine plywood (if you can find it), uncoated. Or use pressure-treated and insulate it from the aluminum (roofing paper?).

I know you don't want to order the stuff and would prefer a local vendor, but I'm pretty happy with my US Composites epoxy. Buy a gallon and the pumps for $70, and be done w/ it. Any do-it-yourselfer will find a use for this stuff all over the house, plus you might need it for your next boat. I keep a stack of paper bowls and a box of Harbor Freight $0.10 chip brushes next to it.

 

[Coors]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Marine is only needed when bending the ply. Any cdx will work, just fill the voids in the edges, then coat ALL sides with epoxy. Including any holes you put in it.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Finally found the website I mentioned in my previous post. Take a look at:

www.simplicityboats.com/latexcarnel.html

Sorry it took so long. Good luck!

 

[gunner1]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Any pics of the new transom? I'm going to be starting mine soon....

 

[wca_tim]

Re: What to seal my new transom wood with? (other than epoxy)

Just go with the cheapest epoxy resin you can find... i have seen it at our lowes and home depot, but the local discount boat place has it for the cheapest. it is probably just as easy as any other method and has the benefit of having the best chance of working well. Besides, are you going to want to trade your boat in or sell it knowing that it's goig to rot to pieces on someone else in only a few years? how would you feel on the other side of that? Just my two cents, I've no place to judge your decisions...