Cabin Sole - Teak Holly plywood

[a64pilot]

You sure you want to epoxy it down? Epoxy sounds awfully permanent?

[toddedger]

The problem with teak and holy plywood is the veneer is so thin. I just did one last year for a guy in a J-40. I think if I were going to put it down over glass I would use 5200 not epoxy. When you wreck a piece with a gouge or wear through the veneer you could replace a section much easier. The new anti-bond solvents make 5200 not so permanent.

[BareProductions]

Good advice, yeah 5200 does sound like a better idea.

I'm considering going with 1/2" ply and just laying it in without any adhesive and seeing how it fares. This is going to be a single 2'x8' piece.

I've got build up on all sides, and some intricate cutouts on one end...it might be enough to hold it. If not I'll put something behind it.

[toddedger]

If you don't secure it down the plywood might warp. It might warp a bit just from applying the finish. Seal it all the way around first. I usually use Smiths CPES.

[Tony B]

My sole was carpeted. Uggh!!! Carpet keeps the boat hotter in the summer and seems to stay perpetually dirty and collects tons of dust also.
If your sole is solid, 1/4" will be just fine. The T&H veneer thickness is the same regardless of the total thickness of the plywood.
I replaces all of my floor boards in the salon with T&H plywood.

[ssanzone]

5200? good luck with that. nightmare.

Q: how would you install actual teak or any hardwood?

A: nails, screws or glue (that dries not stays pliable).

-s

[a64pilot]

How about a contact cement? Waterproof and pliable and unless you put way too much down its removable too. Why not brass screws? Seal the flooring first then screw it down brass screws countersunk and spaced evenly may look good.

[Cheechako]

Contact would work. Bare wood absorbs contact quite a lot so you may want to finish it first with something. The problem with 5200 or other type like that is you need to hold it down for a long time while it sets up. If it sits perfectly flat than epoxy would work, if not you will need lots or a thickening agent. I'm not saying dont use 5200 or maybe 4200 eetc. just cautioning.
Regarding grinding the old glue... try contacting Minaret or one of those guys on t is forum... they will know an abrasive wheel that wont clog and work fast. Also ask about adhesive!

[a64pilot]

Before I ever considered even 4200, I'd go with plain ole clear silicone. Whatever I used, I'd want it removable without unusual force. Silicone is actually one heck of an adhesive, plus you could move the piece around a little if needed and or even remove it for awhile, with contact cement, you'd better have everything right, you only get one shot.

[birdsey]

If you have adhesive left you are going to have problems gumming up sandpaper OR grinding wheels. You should find an adhesive remover that will work for you. Lowes has a product specifically designed to remove carpet adhesive. That remover, a good sharp putty knife, and a bunch of elbow grease will be needed before you grab a sander or grinder!

[ssanzone]

a64pilot i would opt for screws too but 1/4" dosent leave a lot to counter sink into.

headroom being headroom... if i ever needed to 'start over' with my sole, i would just lay up the new sole on top of the 1/4" i previously expoxied down.

that makes 4 cents

[Roy M]

a64pilot, brass screws don't work on boats for any length of time. Brass is a blend of two metals, copper and zinc. Zinc becomes leached out of the metal when exposed to seawater, a process called dezincification, leaving a reddish brown remnant of the original screw. Bad news, especially for the poor saps that built their wooden boats with brass screws instead of bronze (a mixture of copper and tin). And, as far as looking nice, within weeks brass begins to oxidize into a greenish metal, unless, of course, you are fond of polishing the screws on your cabin sole. That could be a whole new definition of marine maintenance. And if you covered the brass screws with teak plugs, then you would have no idea whatsoever of their condition, until the floorboards started popping apart. Now, covering the soles with epoxy/fiberglass, then non-skid paint, now you've got a winning combination of seaworthiness and ease of cleaning. But then, who speaks rapturously of non skid soles except people who actually go to sea.

[Ukeluthier]

Put me in the camp that rejects screws.

I'm in the process of replacing the sole in my 13-year-old Menger catboat. It's 1/4" teak and holly veneered ply, and was originally screwed in place over the fiberglass hull liner and poured ballast.

The reason I need to replace it is because it was disintegrating and delaminating from water incursion from the screw holes outward. Even if you do seal the ply on both sides and the edges with penetrating epoxy (as I've done on the replacement pieces) drilling screw holes renders that an exercise in futility. And good luck trying to seal small screw holes after you've drilled them.

When mine goes back down it will be in bedding compound (probably 4200), with no mechanical fasteners. A bunch of sandbags will hold it down nicely while the compound sets up.

[toddedger]

They make a fast cure 5200. Also wouldn't recommend tight fit to hold the plywood in mechanically. The plywood will expand and contract. Not as much as solid wood, but enough to cause trouble. I'm not hypothetically speculating. I only post when I actually know about something first hand. This is what I do for a living. 5200 doesn't have to be permanent any more with the newer debonding agents, but it has a superior combination of strength and flexibility.