Getting a perfect surface with wood?

[TrentePieds]

Chotu:

Your #28 posted while I was writing #29. Do you know how to make scaled dimensioned plans? Do you know how to make patterns and templates? What are the particular wood working tools at your disposal?.

Answer me those questions, and I'll see if I can get you off to a decent start. Doing this kinda thing - cabinets from scratch, particularly those with curvy edges and odd angles-- relies like painting on SCRUPULOUS preparation. "Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance" someone said.

Thought costs nothing. Paper is dirt cheap. Pencils are all over the place for free. A flexible ruler from Staples must be all of ten bux. A protractor, three bux maybe. Go hog wild and buy a pair of navigator's dividers. You will need them anyway. For years I got by with a part sheet of MDO for a drafting table Not ideal, but in a cost-saving pinch, it works. And you have all summer to ride out the Covid situation. Once you have thought it all through, because that is what drafting it compels you to do, the shop work will be SOOO much easier and the waste SOOO much less!

And there are lotsa people here who will be quite willing to give you pointers.

TrentePieds

[mitiempo]

I would rough out your ideas/plans on paper first. Then using cardboard and a hot glue gun mock it up in the boat. Not hard or expensive. No sense spending too much time detailing a drawing that ultimately will not work in the boat.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

If Chotu is stil interested:

FormaPly (also known as MDO) in 1/2" thickness weighs about 37 lbs PER SHEET, which is about 1.15 lbs per square foot. There is no trick to calculating the "footage" (number of Sqft) required for your interior.

Do you have a spec sheet for Formaply?

Granted, I've only used a few types of MDO, but all were a lot heavier than 37 lbs. The most common brand that I've found readily available in the US is from Olympic. Their spec sheet for two faced MDO is 50.6 lbs for 1/2".

https://wp-kxvovjpo98.pairsite.com/w...62017FINAL.pdf

Just pointing out that the OP may want to check the weight before he buys his panels.

Matt

[ggray]

Looked back at your first post.

This is on a catamaran, so you want to keep it light. I don't know how big these items are to be, but if you size the thickness to the strength needed, you can probably use 1/4 Okoume for a lot of it.

You said bookshelves. Depending on length of shelf, you might need to go with solid wood for the shelf board itself, for strength.

Maybe you could use fabric curtains for doors on other cabinets, save weight, time, and have better ventilation.

Ready made cabinets are going to be too heavy for a cat, I think.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by ggray

Looked back at your first post.

This is on a catamaran, so you want to keep it light. I don't know how big these items are to be, but if you size the thickness to the strength needed, you can probably use 1/4 Okoume for a lot of it.

You said bookshelves. Depending on length of shelf, you might need to go with solid wood for the shelf board itself, for strength.

Maybe you could use fabric curtains for doors on other cabinets, save weight, time, and have better ventilation.

Ready made cabinets are going to be too heavy for a cat, I think.

1/4" Plywood with a stiff fiddle on the edge would make pretty strong and lightweight shelves.

Matt

[tomtriad]

Mitiempo and GGray have good advice on this page. Cardboard templates and mockup, which you can fit closely to the hull, then proceed with lightweight materials, 1/4" ply, curtains or fiddles instead of doors on cabinets. A fellow sailor made a storage system for his tri with shelves fronted by a single sheet of ply with oval cutouts, and the cuddies separated by thin plywood baffles. No curtains, no solid fronts, no problem with ventilation or access. Whatever you make in the shop will have to be spiled and fitted to the hull carefully.

[Buzzman]

You should look at the thread on here by atoll who has been building a Prout 37' for ages, and to an exacting standard.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...103739-39.html

[blazing928]

Seeming that you want gloss white, why not look at some commercial or residential building products. There are sheets for bathrooms, pretty much like Formica that would do the job. If you’re just painting over the wood, why go thru the hassle of finishing it and the maintenance ?

[LooseGoose]

On a boat, if wood, and especially plywood, cabinets are subject to moisture, you have to,start by completely sealing the parts before assembly. I use thin epoxy on all 6 sides. Then sand the epoxy to provide "tooth" for a filler. Then flatten surfaces with a good orbital sander, progressing from 180 to 320 grits. Prime surfaces as a witness coat. Sand again to guarantee flatness, then paint using either the roll and tip method, or spray. Don't forget to seal any screw or fastener holes during assembly.

There are some really good airless spray options if you can rig up a small spray booth. Check out the HomeRight Super Sprayer on Amazon for instance.

[Fore and Aft]

Chotu I have had good results with automotive spray putty on plywood. I started using the spray cans you can buy from auto shops, it's great stuff and sands easy. Epoxy high build is the best but your allergy rules that out.
A brad gun with stainless nail's works well, along with that foaming glue.
As a boat builder it's all about sanding to get that perfect interior.
Cheers

[AKA-None]

Ok folks no epoxy at all. Can you build frames? Use framing for strength then used thin materials for finishing such as the stuff used in rv’s

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Ok folks no epoxy at all. Can you build frames? Use framing for strength then used thin materials for finishing such as the stuff used in rv’s

Absolutely!!


What is that stuff? What are they using on RVs? That’s the thing. I don’t know any materials to use. People from Australia and New Zealand always have these amazing premade panels they talk about. We don’t have these in the United States. Or if we do, it’s $600 a sheet.

Stick frame seems to be the fastest possible way to make it. And also not expensive. And not incredibly time-consuming. But I want it to look like a nice beautiful piece of plastic. Like an iPhone or something. You know? Glossy and pretty. And not to fall apart from humidity and high temperatures. Is that even possible with wood? I don’t know much about working with wood. But I’m sure I can learn after building a whole boat.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by LooseGoose

On a boat, if wood, and especially plywood, cabinets are subject to moisture, you have to,start by completely sealing the parts before assembly. I use thin epoxy on all 6 sides. Then sand the epoxy to provide "tooth" for a filler. Then flatten surfaces with a good orbital sander, progressing from 180 to 320 grits. Prime surfaces as a witness coat. Sand again to guarantee flatness, then paint using either the roll and tip method, or spray. Don't forget to seal any screw or fastener holes during assembly.

There are some really good airless spray options if you can rig up a small spray booth. Check out the HomeRight Super Sprayer on Amazon for instance.

Spraying Epoxy would probably kill me in 30 seconds flat. LOL

I can use polyester only.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by blazing928

Seeming that you want gloss white, why not look at some commercial or residential building products. There are sheets for bathrooms, pretty much like Formica that would do the job. If you’re just painting over the wood, why go thru the hassle of finishing it and the maintenance ?

Definitely. I’m looking for things like this. I have looked at taking Wilsonart or Formica and gluing it to foam. That’s not going as well as I would have hoped. What types of light weight premade sheets like this are available? I can’t find anything. If I do, it’s $600 a sheet. And it’s still weighs about as much as thin plywood. Only a little less.

The spray adhesive compatible with foam doesn’t really stick that well. The laminate sheets try to curl up off of it.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Chotu I have had good results with automotive spray putty on plywood. I started using the spray cans you can buy from auto shops, it's great stuff and sands easy. Epoxy high build is the best but your allergy rules that out.
A brad gun with stainless nail's works well, along with that foaming glue.
As a boat builder it's all about sanding to get that perfect interior.
Cheers

This I have never heard of. It might be good. What is it made of? It’s not just polyester resin is it? With a filler? Like sprayable Bondo?

By the way, Bondo works extremely well for faring the walls. I have tried that out. And it’s great. Bondo isn’t an any horrible thing. It’s just polyester resin with some silicone and stuff in it. It’s just like mixing your own polyester bog. But it’s pre-mix.

The only thing I don’t know is if the wood absorbs humidity and heat and start moving around a lot, will it all fall apart?

I know I have a lot of trouble with my windows because they are Lexan. They move all over the place from Thermal expansion. It’s extremely difficult to keep them sealed up and not leaking and falling off. I don’t want a similar situation inside the boat.