Creating proper plywood thickness for transom?

[sutor623]

Hey guys,

Got a bit of a conundrum that I am trying to work around.

So I went to the wood distributor last week. I have a tinny I am restoring. I have a transom thickness of 1 3/4", and floors 3/4" thick. The supplier told me that they had marine grade douglas fir in 1" which actually measures out to 7/8". I thought, perfect!! Ill put in a nice grade marine ply in the transom and double her up. Wood was special order.

Well, I got the wood in and it measures a actual 1"!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!! So now if I slap her together I will have a 2" thick transom. Wood manufacture says they cant do anything because it falls in the tolerances that they have. $137 piece of plywood. %$*&%&$^&*#*(%)!!!!!!!

I have 4 sheets of ACX pine that is 3/4" thick that I got for the floors. I should have enough to slap a 3/4" piece to the 1" douglas fir to make my transom. If I do that I am putting pine in there when I wanted to spend the money to put a better grade wood in there. Irritating.

Other option is to buy a sheet of 3/4" doug fir for another $100. Then I will have two peices of doug fir 3' X8' laying around!!

I was thinking about cutting two pieces of 12" wide by 6' long for the transom out of the doug fir, then trying to get two layers of ply off one sheet to get the thickness that I need. Does that sound crazy and impossible?? I can lay a piece of that 1" sideways and run it down the table saw, then do it on the other side, and then run a sawzall blade through the center to get the veneers off..............

 

[Woodonglass]

Well I'd just use 2 - 3/4 pieces of Doug Fir Ply and sandwich a 1/4" piece between em and call it good.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would find someone with a planer or a time saver and run your wood thru

 

[sutor623]

Wood, I wish I had 3/4" Doug fir but I only have 1".

scott, can you run plywood through a planer?

 

[Mad Props]

You can run plywood thru a planer but it's pretty ugly unless you can fit it thru at a 45 degree angle so the planer blades are never parallel to the grain or it will tear it to crap.

a wide belt sander as Scott suggested would work... however you don't wanna end up at a thickness where a glue layer is exposed... personally, I'd just use the 1 inch and a layer of 3/4 acx and call it a day. Doug fir marine ply isn't any more rot resistant than acx, it just doesn't have any voids inside and less face veneer defects

 

[sutor623]

Thanks for the input Props. I think you may be right. The bummer here is the amount of cash I spent on marine grade just to slap it together with some pine. Anh live and learn!!

 

[mickyryan]

can ya return the marine grade?

 

[kcassells]

So you don't mention if it's an outboard or not? If outboard there is no issue. If other then return the wood.

 

[Scott Danforth]

he mentions tinny in post 1, assume the issue is with the transom cap. if thats the only issue, 30 seconds with a bottom bearing router bit and your all set.

 

[kcassells]

Got me but that sounds about right...I dunno?

 

[sutor623]

It's an outboard. Wish I could return it but it's special order..... Scott, actually if the thickness of the whole price of wood isn't correct then it will throw off all of the aluminum splashwell panels. I think I want to at least try and get 1/4" off one of the boards. It is only 11" x 6'.

 

[Woodonglass]

There's lots of people working on boats. I'd try to sell the MG and Use ACX as I described. If not...then use it with another piece of 3/4" It'll be just fine.

 

[alldodge]

Outer skin is at least 1/4, inner glass layer will be another 1/4, then 2 pieces of 3/4 ACX (add bonding agent thickness) from HD or Lowes and I'm good. Your right at 2 inches, or at least I was after my rebuild

 

[sutor623]

Thanks for all the input folks!!

I ended up turning the ply sideways on the table saw and cutting it down to 3/4" thick on all sides. Then I clamped it down and stuck a 12" sawzall blade straight through the center to get where the table saw couldnt reach. Took 3 blades on the sawzall, but I kept it nice and smooth and made a clean cut. Hit it quick with the belt sander and then with the palm sander, then glued them and clamped them. Got my 1 3/4" douglas fir transom board now!!!

 

[KJM]

after all that trouble i think i would glass over the top edge of that new transom rather then use the metal cap that will eventually let in water and rot....

 

[sutor623]

Good idea buddy

 

[kcassells]

You.. you animal! ha ha ha Good job! That'll do it. Seal all edges well, fill any voids and have a great day!

 

[sutor623]

You.. you animal! ha ha ha Good job! That'll do it. Seal all edges well, fill any voids and have a great day!

:lol::lol::lol: Thanks man!!! Hahahaha

 

[Redtruck12]

That’s some pretty fancy cutting

 

[sutor623]

That’s some pretty fancy cutting

Hah, thanks!! Gotta do what ya gotta do! I figured Id at least try and if it didnt work out Id have just slapped some 3/4 ACX on there.