Swim Platform Materials

[southkogs]

I need to rebuild or replace my swim platform. The one on the boat was an add-on by the previous owner that they got salvage. It works/ed pretty well, but it's in need of some serious help, if not a complete replacement. A couple of pictures for reference:

The center section opens on a piano hinge (which has been nice at some times, but isn't critical to operation).

I've looked at some used platforms online and they are ranging into a couple hundred bucks. This platform is missing some pieces and losing some integrity. I was thinking of building a new one but teak is EXPENSIVE.

Anyone ever built one out of marine plywood? I've considered mahagony too, but this boat is 40 years old and I'm not sure I need to put quite that much into a platform that will last 20 years ... boat may or may not be around that long

Any thoughts?

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

I built a swim platform out of 3 layers of 1/2" 5-ply exterior plywood, very strong. Laminated the ply with Titebond III, epoxy sealed it and painted it with automotive paint. Cost around $200, with about half of that being paint supplies, could have done it with a Rusto paint job for $150.)

 

[southkogs]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

Thanks fishrdan! I did a search on swim platform threads but never saw that one. Nicely done.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

Here's my thinkin' on the deal. Since you'll be encapsulating it in epoxy you can use just about any wood you want. Not sure want kind of wood working tools you have but if you have a planer or a jointer, and a tablesaw, I bet you could cruise the alleys of your city and in a few days find enuf discarded Oak pallets to have enuf Oak to make a replica of that Platform out of oak and ir wouldn't cost you a dime. Stain it a nice Mahogany color and then apply 3-4 coats of epoxy and voila' a Swim Platform that'll last as long as you need it.

Just my 2?!

 

[southkogs]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

Cool - I don't have a bunch of woodworking tools at all, but I have access to a shop AND I can also have stuff CNCed pretty cheap. So I've got some options.

Woodonglass - that's the answer I was hoping to hear. I've got to explore some options for wood.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

One nice thing about the raw wood platform you have now is that the wood provides a natural anti-slip surface. Some elbow grease and it would be looking good on the cheap, barring any major defects.

I have some rough sawn tropical 2x8 boards (mahogany, IPE, possibly teak, something of the sort) and it was a toss-up between making a traditional slatted swim platform, or the epoxy sealed plywood platform.

What ever you do, make sure it's slip resistant. I had to go back and paint the tan area of mine adding as much anti-slip as I could, to get it gritty enough. First time around I didn't add enough anti-slip...

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

If you epoxy the wood, you can add some sand to the final coat of epoxy and make it anti-slip. Works Great, and still lets you see the natural beauty of the wood.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

One nice thing about the raw wood platform you have now ... Some elbow grease and it would be looking good on the cheap, barring any major defects...

That's the rub actually - I don't know wood well enough, but I think it's just too far gone. It's missing a few pieces on one hand, and on the other I've actually sanded it down once and oiled the dickens outta' it. It's not original to the boat. The PO snagged it out of a junk yard and put it on. All things considered, it hasn't been bad and would work well enough another season at least. But I have to rebuild the dog-house over the engine this year and figured, "as long as I'm gonna' be covered in sawdust anyway..."

If you epoxy the wood, you can add some sand to the final coat of epoxy and make it anti-slip. Works Great, and still lets you see the natural beauty of the wood.

That's the plan ... and I can have the ply cut with slats too. I have the access to a CNC for cheap and can write my own vectors. May require a little extra sanding, but that's why I have a kid. :thumb:

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

I'm with you on the raw wood platform, that's why I didn't make one, even though I have plenty of the right type of wood to do so. They look nice, but they require maintenance every year or 2.....

I can have the ply cut with slats too. I have the access to a CNC for cheap and can write my own vectors. May require a little extra sanding, but that's why I have a kid. :thumb:

I thought of cutting slats in my plywood platform, but figured they would create a huge finishing nightmare, getting enough epoxy soaked into the endgrain of the cutouts, sanding, painting.... They only reason I was going to do cutouts was to allow for air to escape when waves hit, but I opted not to do cutouts. I did leave the platform about 1.5" away from the transom so the air has a patch to escape, the gap gives swimmers something to grab onto also.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

...getting enough epoxy soaked into the endgrain of the cutouts, sanding, painting....

I hadn't thought of sanding, then painting the edges, then applying the epoxy. I could do that in a white or black and it might look nice. Would that help the epoxy on those edges?

Depending on how my (engine) trim winds up working out, the stern of this tub REALLY digs in when trying to plane out. The platform was an afterthought, so sometimes it really plows in back there. Makes a pretty cool lookin' wake pattern tho.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

It can be done, just a hassle working inside of the narrow slots, epoxy/paint dripping through, etc. This might not be too terribly bad if you are just epoxying/sanding/painting the platform, but I laid a layer of fiberglass on my platform and the cut-outs/slots would have created a lot more work.

Not trying to discourage you, but I'm glad I didn't do cut-outs. I guess it's all depends on how you want the platform to come out. I'm kind of a perfectionist, which can be a real pain in the *** at times.

I mean, it's just a friggin swim platform, so it doesn't have to look perfect/pretty, just needs to be strong and non-slippery.... I could have built something just as function in 1/4 of the time, but what fun would have that been. :facepalm:

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

That's a nice swim platform! Refinish the teak and maybe replace some of the hardware Boat Tubing & Rails - iboats

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

That's a nice swim platform! Refinish the teak and maybe replace some of the hardware Boat Tubing & Rails - iboats

^^^X2, looks to be a teak platform. Very expensive if you were to want to have one build out of the same material. Teak is beautiful when restored and is very easy to restore!!! Teak will also outlast most other wood products over the long haul, but I am a huge teak fan obviously. I bought one off fleabay a couple years ago and coated with spar varnish after getting tired of teak oiling. It is a lot of work and if done properly won't need stripped and redone for many years.

Here is a couple pics of my bow pulpit and my swim platform after refurb. Yours could look just as good! Boats and teak just go together imo.

By the way, mine looked just as bad as your before refurb. You can use the dust from sanding mixed with some waterproof exterior glue and make a paste to fill any voids before final finish is applied.

You can also add non skid to the varnish so its not as slick on the platform if needed.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

^^^X2, looks to be a teak platform....By the way, mine looked just as bad as your before refurb. You can use the dust from sanding mixed with some waterproof exterior glue and make a paste to fill any voids before final finish is applied.

You would have to show up ... your boat is the one that got me thinkin' about this in the first place. But I'm way shallower on the woodworkin' skills than you. You've done some amazing work on that boat.

I don't mind re-working the teak, it's repairing the pieces that need replaced that I'm not sure what to do with. Will new teak piece(s) blend with the old?

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

You would have to show up ... your boat is the one that got me thinkin' about this in the first place. But I'm way shallower on the woodworkin' skills than you. You've done some amazing work on that boat.

I don't mind re-working the teak, it's repairing the pieces that need replaced that I'm not sure what to do with. Will new teak piece(s) blend with the old?

Maybe I need to start a refurb shop, you ship and then I charge you lots and lots of money and then send it back repaired and ready, hehe jkg

If its older teak, you will want to try and get some older teak to replace the bad pieces. The beauty though is it doesn't have to match perfectly because its teak. Can you take some pics of the bad spots close up. I may be able to help you out with some old pieces of teak depending on what size you need and how many.

I promise you, wood working is very easy after you dive in. Takes minimal experience to work with teak especially because it is pretty forgiving. If you decide to go forward on building something else, sell the teak platform, its worth some money to someone.

Now all that being said, I will add, when I did my platform, the sanding took very little time, one day. But the spar varnish took many coats per day over several days. Also, you will have to varnish the underside as well or the top varnish will delaminate from the wood eventually.

Thanks for the complement as well.

 

[Sea Stomper]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

You would be surprised at how easy it is to make a piece of wood fit into a void or cavity where a piece came off. I made a mistake putting my pilot house on my boat and had to splice a piece back into a place where I cut too much out. I shaped the splice piece using a 36 and 50 grit disk until it fit perfectly and glassed it on. You had to look closely to be able to see the splice lines. Working wood is easy. The problem happens when you over think the project. Just starting in and doing it usually fixes that problem.

And the finish on it? Sand and coat. It's that simple. Looks like the Chris Craft guy put maybe 15 or more coats on that stuff. Looks nice.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

Maybe I need to start a refurb shop, you ship and then I charge you lots and lots of money and then send it back repaired and ready, hehe jkg

Some of us would pay it, like I said - you do some nice lookin' stuff.

II may be able to help you out with some old pieces of teak depending on what size you need and how many.

That's very kind, thank you. Might be worth a trip up to pick it up personally and meet you.

I promise you, wood working is very easy after you dive in.

... You and Bob almost got me talked into it. It'd be a good learning experience anyway. I'll get a few pictures of the broken stuff in a little while (there are some connection issues too) and post 'em up. Then we can go from there.

Now all that being said ... the spar varnish took many coats per day over several days.

Time isn't too big of an issue. She's going into dry-dock between now and end of the month, and I've got several projects I wanna' do over the winter. My day job has been keeping me going (good thing, that means business and business means I can afford a boat) so time gets a bit scarce to do things all at once.

Thanks for the complement as well.

Well deserved.

 

[Mdinz]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

Did you ever consider making one out of aluminium? Water jet machining is becoming pretty common now and the price is getting affordable. You could make it out of 3/16, have any pattern you want cut in it, and have a 1.5 or 2 inch strip welded to the edge. Either leave it bare aluminum, or paint it any color you want with a quality automotive finish. Just bolt it on and call the project complete. I've used these guys to do one off stuff for me :All Cut, Inc. Waterjet Cutting Services The price has always been fair, and they had no problem doing my one or two pieces. I know these machines are all over the place now, so it may be worth looking around your area.

Mark

 

[southkogs]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

^^^ Yeah, I thought about a couple of other sub-straights, but I'm too much of a geeky-purist. I want the wood look. There's a little wood up at the front of the boat, and the platform at the back ties it in.

I've got to decide what to do with my dash too. I've got some bad gauges (the tach being one) that I need to replace and I've still got a fuse block and may need to go to breakers. I don't think I'll find anything to fit in the old OMC panel, so I'm trying to decide if I go wood or black.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Swim Platform Materials

Will new teak piece(s) blend with the old?

That's the beauty of wood, no 2 pieces are exactly the same, difference in color and grain gives it character. I wouldn't worry about new pieces looking a bit off or their tone being different.

Look close at CC254's swim platform, lots of difference in grain pattern and color of the teak pieces, but it looks fantastic!