Ok gents I got a few of my deck pieces cut out from some 3/4 a.c. ply.. should I epoxy them now ? Or wait untill I get them fitted in the boat ? I'm curious how I epoxy them and fasten them to the boat with out compromising the epoxy with the fastener holes
Seal (epoxy) the ply 100% out of the boat. Do the edges w every coat on both sides, so edges get twice as many coats.
If final finish is paint, I'd do that after installation
why screws instead of rivets?
you seal the fastener holes as you go, pre drill, goop 4200 into the hole, put in rivets or screws.
large flange, brazier head, closed end, blind aluminum mandrel rivets
I just used PL Premium. The wood should break before the bond does.
Yeah not a big fan of screwing down decking, rivets are my preferred method. You have to seal the wood first, nothing you can do but add sealer to the fasteners as you go if your worried about the attachment holes.
The decking in your boat should be laid in across the boat with each sheet of ply being cut down to fit the width and angle as the hull changes width. Since each piece of decking will run 4' forward you can run a line in the middle of the support beam and at the ribs you can feel where they are and need to be drilled through. Most of us will use either angle AL for a deck joint seam support or make backers of ply that will support the next piece of decking.
Lots of pics and info in the SC section of the forum. Due to PB and their photo hosting issues some of them may not have pics but there is work around if you find that's an issue.
This thread may help you decide about the rivets you'll need for the job Rivets, rivets and more rivets!