BC plywood for transom??

[boatflipper]

Please forgive me if this is in a post somewhere-I tried searching for it but cam up empty-please let me know if it is in fact discussed here....
I was wondering if anyone has heard of/used BC grade plywood for their transom or deck I just got off the phone with Lowe's and the highest exterior grade of plywood that they stock is BC grade. I was hoping they had ACX becasue I have noticed several people using it but guess what-they dont So, this weekend may not consist of getting the transom in
Any help would be appreciated....
thanks
boatflipper

 

[ezmobee]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

I'll probably use it. I will coat it with a couple coats of epoxy though.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

Try locating a real lumber yard in your area.

 

[andgott]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

Plenty of people use BC exterior- It works just fine, especially if it's saturated with epoxy.

MOST of the lowes in my area also have arauco plywood, which is also an exterior grade, usualy AC. It is better quality than the BC that they have, laminate wise. Some people have said that it's no good because the wood rots too fast- But I've never seen proof of that- Just "I heard..." type stuff on the 'net.

I can tell you that it survived boil testing, and I've had a piece of it leftover from a boat that I built sitting on my back deck for about 16 months that shows no signs of delaminating... Just normal weathering from unfinished wood outside.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

I gave up on those types of stores a long time ago, especially when it comes to lumber.
Go to a good lumber yard and buy better wood, even if its still only BC plywood.
From what I was told by a few buddies that do roofing work, Lowe's and Depot buy plywood made mostly from pine, while most lumber yards sell a better grade made from fir. The one difference I see regardless of the type of tree it came from is that the plywood from Lowe's or Depot warps just sitting around I had two sheets of 1/2" exterior sheathing from there sitting in the shed, totally dry which warped up so bad in two weeks I couldn't use them for anything.

I try to find at least ACX for most transoms, the way I feel is that if I'm going through all that work, a few extra bucks for better wood is well worth it. The wood is the least expensive part of the project especially if your using epoxy.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

I second the vote for arauco... I saw some at Lowes last night.

Generally you will get less warped lumber from actual lumberyards, but that's a generalization.. there are exceptions.

Quality is about the same either way, except that most lumberyards offer a greater variety of plywood that includes better grades and species of wood, possibly including marine plywood if you want to pay for that.

If you can find what you want at Lowes and it's convenient for you, more power to you.

Erik

 

[bikemtn]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

BC grade is fine. The letters refer to the grade of the veneers on the face and back of the panels. So....A has an A grade face with a C back and B has a B grade face and a C back. A faces are more clear and knot free where a B face will have more knots, but they are sound and tight. It is just appearance and has nothing to do with the laminate strenght,boil test, etc.
What you want is a solid, void-free core....or what they call a composed core. Most boat manufactures use panels that are made especially for the industry and they made with B and C veneer with a solid core and we market them as a BOAT PANEL. Marine Grade is overkill and the grade is based off of some Navy specs from before my parents were even born and has nothing to do with specs for the recreational boat.

Buy Fir plywood...AC or BC with a tight, void-free core and none that contains Larch or Pine.

I sell for a plywood manufacturer....FYI

 

[thrillhouse700]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

We used the birch 7 ply for the deck and transom. Stuff was flat, no warping and about 40 per sheet at lowes. If we could do it over we would have gone with something a little cheaper but it worked just fine.

 

[boatflipper]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

When you say void-free does that mean that there are no depressions in the wood?
Thanks for all the responses!!

 

[andgott]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

A void is an area in the internal laminate that there is no material- Most often, it's caused by a missing knot in the veneer... It may or may not cause an actual depression in the outside of the plywood, depending on where it is in the lamination.

You can tell a lot about a sheet of plywood by looking at the edges- If you see a lot of voids on the edge, you can be assured that there will be a lot on the inside as well. But, The edges only show you a VERY small picture of things.

Voids are weak spots, and the fewer the better, but 100% void-free is usually overkill- especially if you're going to glass over it all anyway.

 

[freeisforme]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

I try to avoid the box stores for wood, they aren't any cheaper and the quality is no where near that of a good lumber yard.
I had started one home project with lumber from Lowe's, ran short and went to a closer lumber yard since I only needed a few pieces, only to find that they were much cheaper and had nicer wood that I didn't have to dig through to find a couple of good boards.
When I did my boat deck last summer, I went to the same yard, they were $16 per sheet cheaper for 7 ply fir plywood compared to the pine plywood with only 5 layers at Lowe's. The finish was better, it was rated as AC grade sheathing. Good lumber is much easier to work with and saves lots of time and even more, it saves waste.

I found the same situation when buying PT lumber for a yard project as well, the local yard was way cheaper than the box stores, plus they delivered it for free.

When choosing your plywood, especially for a transom, look for the most plys and the least voids as stated above. I also like to laminate at least a single layer of glass inbetween my two sheets as well as over the inside of the transom. I also use only epoxy, mostly for the added working time more so than just for strength.

 

[boatflipper]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

Ok-so i got off the phone with the closest lumber yard which is 84 Lumber and got some more info on plywood....the best they have in stock is BC grade but it is made out of yellow pine...would that be ok? I know it was said that fir is best but....???

 

[ezmobee]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

Sounds like the same stuff as Lowes so why bother with 84

 

[boatflipper]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

Oh decisions, decisions.....so to avoid driving about 40 miles for a better piece of plywood-would it be ok if I just bought the BC grade that is made out of yellow pine as long as i wrap it up in epoxy/resin/etc and also make sure that is has as few voids as possible?

 

[PaulyV]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

I second the vote for arauco... I saw some at Lowes last night.

Generally you will get less warped lumber from actual lumberyards, but that's a generalization.. there are exceptions.

Quality is about the same either way, except that most lumberyards offer a greater variety of plywood that includes better grades and species of wood, possibly including marine plywood if you want to pay for that.

If you can find what you want at Lowes and it's convenient for you, more power to you.

Erik

I purchased 5 sheets of ACX from home depot. 23.75 a sheet. Its the Arauco and it worked out well for my transom and decking. 2 coats of eposxy top bottom and sides. Thats the best price i have seen and mine did not warp.

 

[Bondo]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

Ayuh,... The wood you're buying is going to be Glued 6 ways to Sunday,+ covered with fiberglass....

For totally sealed/ covered structual wood,... CDX is what I use.....
After all,... About all it's doin' is holding the shape, til the Glass sets up....

 

[mikezohsix]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

My local HD did have some nice 3/4 AC ply show up for something in the mid $20's range after I built my transom and floors, but when I built my transom, I walked away from what HD was offering and what Lowes had and bought at my local lumber yard.

I paid close to $20 more per sheet, and I needed three for my transom, but figured that the extra $50- $60 was worth it compared to the labor, and other costs associated with the work I was doing.

The lumber yard had more plys, less voids, better surfaces, was flatter coming off the pile, and just generally "better" looking. My local material was fir, not sure what the HD stuff was.

Was it worth the difference, don't really know. Will I ever wonder if I when I cheaped out it was going to cause a problem - No!

 

[PaulyV]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

i just dont see what difference you will by using ply from a lumber yard vs ACX from the box. Besides supporting the local guy..once its wrapped in epoxy and cloth..they are both going to last as long as one another. Its all in the prep. If you dont prep that fir 7 ply....that ya spent 60-80 dollars more its going to deteriorate like the 24 dollar 7 ply.. mho.

 

[Zrt1200]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

Please forgive me if this is in a post somewhere-I tried searching for it but cam up empty-please let me know if it is in fact discussed here....
I was wondering if anyone has heard of/used BC grade plywood for their transom or deck I just got off the phone with Lowe's and the highest exterior grade of plywood that they stock is BC grade. I was hoping they had ACX becasue I have noticed several people using it but guess what-they dont So, this weekend may not consist of getting the transom in
Any help would be appreciated....
thanks
boatflipper

I am using (B-C EXTERIOR) for both the floor and transom.
((Do Not use EXPOSURE 1)). Check out the links...

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=352297

http://www.apa-europe.org/Languages/English/Plywood/ProductInfo/trademarkguide.php

http://www.apa-europe.org/Languages/English/Plywood/ProductInfo/gradesguide.php

http://www.inlandplywood.com/products.htm

 

[Fisherball]

Re: BC plywood for transom??

If the yellow pine is "southern yellow pine" it the best type of pine to be used as floor joists in a house being built. I've been told it's a much harder pine than what's sold as "pine."