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Rick Secombe
13th May 2003, 07:11 PM
:) Ihave been looking everywhere for plans to build a casting platform/ centre console in my boat even just a few hinters to start me off. i would like to make them out of marine ply.

grahame_a
15th May 2003, 11:20 AM
Hi Rick

The last casting platform I built was just a set of beams running from gunwhale to gunwhale at the bow section of the boat with a sheet of 3/4 structural ply screwed to them, cut around the bow profile and covered with indoor/outdoor carpet. If you go for a timber surface you will need to make it non-slip and they get hot in sun - thus the carpet

The beams need to fairly deep to stop the casting deck from flexing and they also were made from 3/4 structural ply. 6 inches deep and made from two pieces of ply laminated together with epoxy.

Note my casting platform formed a flush deck at the bow of the boat extending roughly 3 feet back .

As to choice of structural ply - it is a lot cheaper than marine ply and is made using waterproof glue. Give the whole lot a couple of coats paint or varnish depending on what you prefer.

gilvo01
14th August 2003, 09:13 PM
Some advice for casting platforms. Don't use timber as your frame,especially as you will add conseiderable amounts of weight to your hull. I have a small tinny and made some alloy frames to go from the front seat to the anchor well (under the fore deck). these would only cost a few dollars from a fabricator when made from scrap. I had four frames at the front and back of the boat which support the majority of the weight. this is combined with 9mm ply which is sealed with oil based paint. I finished the job with contact cement and marine carpet. The result was a very professional finish. A tip with the ply is don't be to accurate with the edge measurements as you need about 5mm along the edges for the carpet. This is the third time i have done this to aboat and will do it again in my next project.
Craig

Caliban
26th November 2003, 12:23 AM
use bondcrete as the sealer on your ply. Works a treat.
jim

Wild Dingo
2nd January 2004, 04:09 AM
Okay Im stunned... shocked even!

Bondcrete to seal ply in boats? really?? no Im being flamin serious here Ive had people tell me I must use CPES and all kinds of goop but never once have I heard of someone using boncrete to seal ply in a boat!

Now as to the fishin platform... can I suggest you contact a fella who goes by the nick of Daveflatsboat at woodenboat.com forum? why cause he has just designed and build what the yanks call a flats boat called "Bill the cat" esentially its a cat with a flat deck the front of which is slightly raised from the main deck its 16ft x 6ft by draft of around 3 or 4 inches... takes up to a 25hp outboard and is designed as a centre console... has live bait boxes tackle boxes rod holders within the hull which leaves a completely clear deck :cool:

http://www.davesflatcat.com/Study%20Plans%20-%202.jpg

and the finished boat

http://www.davesflatcat.com/Launch3.jpg

I intend to build one of these things one day soon... plans are pretty full and easily read I got the first set drawn before the boat was built and updates sent as made!} about $25AUD if memory serves... Daves a nice bloke to!

contact him by email at... [email protected]

oh meant to add hes going to put a forward seat on the forward deck and a small trolling motor next to it as he fishes some tight waters :cool:

Caliban
21st January 2004, 08:25 PM
Shane
No I'm serious about the bondcrete.
The bloke at the local builders wholesale centre told me about it, all the professional fishermen up this way use it. So I used ordinary ply in my 16ft tinny (which gets very wet at sea and sits in the weather all year round) and no other sealer or paint and it is great absolutely sealed and no sign of deterioration.
Cheers Jim

Sailor Chris
1st March 2004, 12:02 PM
Gidday hovo I'm really interested in your use of bondcrete to seal. I have been thinking about the possibility for a while, as my 7m ply Waarship is overdue for a paint.
I contacted bondcretes parents, and they didn't want to know.
I need to paint over the base coat - I am thinking of bondcrete, then fibreglass resin (tough & good adhesion) then a marine topcoat. Can boncrete be overpainted with 2 part resin? Or 2 part paint? Or 1 part paint? Or acrylic paint? Or turps based paint? In other words, do you know about its compatability?

Caliban
1st March 2004, 01:13 PM
Sailor Chris
Mate
I'm no chemist so I can't answer your questions. But, The makers of Bondcrete put out a glossy literature sheet extolling the virtues of their product, claiming it is a "universal sealing and bonding agent". You should get hold of that pamphlet.
cheers
Jim

Wild Dingo
1st March 2004, 09:18 PM
hovo and sailor chris...

As a fella who avoids epoxy and other chemical nightmares like the plague I took you at your word... and read the tin!! thats a first :p

And with my 13ft circa 1960s ply freeby dinghy that Im doing up Ive resealed all the ply on the hull with sikaflex aqua goop {the black stuff} bedded it all down nice and tight then covered the whole shamozle with 2 coats of boncrete 1:4 mix {1part boncrete 4 parts water} then mixed another 1:4 with 3 in 1 undercoat primer {1 part bondcrete 4parts undercoat} and gave her 3 coats of that then splashed her with enamal paint x 2 coats and then a final 2 coats of varnish... will she float? will she sink? damned if I know but we decided to paint her "lallow" just in case! :D

So heres the boat as I got her...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3cf22b3127cce8137f05cb7dd0000001610

and with the bondcrete...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4dc26b3127cceb8405e1de74f0000001610

with the first final coat on...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4dc26b3127cceb848a71226960000001610

Done!!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4dc00b3127cceb8a7b897c4c50000001610

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4dc00b3127cceb8ab29c284430000001610

hopefully shes solid as and watertight... still a mess of work to do as I intend laying slats of 1/2in strips over her decks and then a sheoak canopy a great wholloping slathering of varnish over the whole thing {note here above the waterline on the hull hasnt been completed yet that will be a pale blue red waterline with mist grey interior over yellow bilge!! :cool: } find a motor of some discription and drop her in the estuary... now I gotta get all this done and her sold within the next couple of weeks before I head out to Warburton to work! :(