Homemade bunk slicks

F

Florida

Seaman
Joined
May 21, 2007
Messages
63
I launched the boat and saw a rotten bunk floating in the water. I decided to go hunting anyway. For the rest of the day I wondered how I would get the boat back on the trailer.
I decided not to go with carpet for the new bunks. The reason being is that the new pressure treated wood doesn?t use arsenic anymore. Instead it uses more copper. The high copper content has been known to leach out of the wood and eat holes in aluminum boats. The stuff I used is called high density polyethylene. I bought it from a local plastic company for 20 bucks a board. The construction features SS carriage bolts, ss deck screws, countersunk heads and a routered edge. I made a mistake by buying lumbar from Lowes. In a stack the lumbar looks straight because the other 2x4's are holding it tight. When the lumbar dried out it became warped and bowed.
I had to straighten it out with ratchet straps. This stuff is so slick that there is no need to power load anymore. The boat may overshoot the trailer and end up in the back of the truck
fishing019.jpg


fishing020.jpg
 
S

Silver Eagle

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
852
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

Florida said:
I launched the boat and saw a rotten bunk floating in the water. I decided to go hunting anyway. For the rest of the day I wondered how I would get the boat back on the trailer.
I decided not to go with carpet for the new bunks. The reason being is that the new pressure treated wood doesn?t use arsenic anymore. Instead it uses more copper. The high copper content has been known to leach out of the wood and eat holes in aluminum boats. The stuff I used is called high density polyethylene. I bought it from a local plastic company for 20 bucks a board. The construction features SS carriage bolts, ss deck screws, countersunk heads and a routered edge. I made a mistake by buying lumbar from Lowes. In a stack the lumbar looks straight because the other 2x4's are holding it tight. When the lumbar dried out it became warped and bowed.
I had to straighten it out with ratchet straps. This stuff is so slick that there is no need to power load anymore. The boat may overshoot the trailer and end up in the back of the truck
fishing019.jpg


fishing020.jpg
Click to expand...

So who sells this stuff?Do they have a web site?
 
R

rallyart

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
1,179
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

It's often called 'puck board' if you're in hockey territory. You can also get ultra high density UHD polyethylene but the HD stuff is great. Most plastic suppliers will carry it it a variety of thicknesses. With careful use of heat you can bend it in a brake like sheet metal if it's thin.
Good idea for a slippery bunk.
 
J

Jeepster04

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 5, 2009
Messages
481
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

Awesome idea! Got a sheet of this stuff laying around but never thought to use it for this.

Id be careful with those screws being that close to the top.
 
F

fgardinier

Cadet
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
19
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

Good idea. You might turn your 2x4 over though. When building a deck all the sites I viited say to have the growth rings on the wood placed the other direction. That way moisture will not sit between the rings. Not sure this really happens or is a myth? But it is very easy to place the wood the other way.
 
nlain

nlain

Commander
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
2,445
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

fgardinier said:
Good idea. You might turn your 2x4 over though. When building a deck all the sites I viited say to have the growth rings on the wood placed the other direction. That way moisture will not sit between the rings. Not sure this really happens or is a myth? But it is very easy to place the wood the other way.
Click to expand...

The wood will actually curl a little and hold water on the top side the way it is sitting now. At least in deck boards, 2X6 lumber laid on side, I know for a fact. Turn it down and the water rolls off.
 
H

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

Using slicks on the bunks is a tried and true method in salt water, where you don't sink the trailer. We had a breaking trailer with a 19' carolina skiff and one guy could push it off.
 
B

blifsey

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
769
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

Now, that's "slick"!!! :) :) :)

Great idea...
 
R

RadarRick

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 30, 2010
Messages
189
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

I'm interested in trying out the HDPE on my trailer bunks.

When you use counter-sunk screws to hold it on, is there a danger of electrolysis/pitting of the hull where it is in contact with salt water trapped between it and the screw heads?

One could possibly seal the screw holes with silicone.

My boat is used in the Pacific and sits on the trailer for several months over the winter.

The possibility of damage in this situation seems to be a remote possibility, but thought I'd ask.
 
V

vettenuts

Seaman
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
62
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

Wonder if AZEK could be used in the same manner, which is very easy to obtain.
 
R

richg99

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 9, 2004
Messages
181
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

I've made home-made bunk slicks by cutting up a 4 x 8 PVC lattice sheet from Home Depot. Counter sunk and put on top of the old carpet...they worked great for relatively small boats. I used two strips on top of a 2 x 4 laying flat.

Next week, I will do this same project on a 16 Lowe trailer.
This time I will use SS through-bolts and locking nuts.
regards, rich
 
R

Reel Kahuna

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Messages
271
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

I bought the material at Tap's Plastic, bought counter sink drill at Lowes as well as SS wood screws. Very easy project.
Be sure you don't un-hook until your boat's transom is in the water, otherwise it maybe on the ramps concrete :redface:.

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elkhunter338

elkhunter338

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
818
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

Great idea, but I would caution one thing, those of use with rivited boats should not use anything but carpet or rollers.
The reason is I used a similar product on my bunks for about 4 years and about 20-30 launches, what I noticed is the rivit heads starting to wear.
I caught the issue soon enough that I still have enough rivit heads left on the boat where the bunks where, but I went back to carpet.
Also the product I used wore the paint off the boat. The product was a semi hard plastic product. plastic decking material that was smooth and slippery.
For those with welded alum boats with no rivits I think what is shown will work great.
 
M

mfgniagara

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 17, 2010
Messages
92
Re: Homemade bunk slicks

In the restaurant industry, that stuff is used for cutting boards.
I'm not sure I understand how it would 'wear' on the rivets of a boat?
I've been using a similar set up for 10 years now with a riveted hull and not even the paint is off he rivets. There's just not enough weight at any one place to do any damage. My boat weighs in at about 900 lbs and I've had no issues at all. My bunks cross several rows of rivets which hold ribs in place. I replaced a set of bunk roller strips on which all the rollers were split in favor of the HDPE strips taken from a custom counter top at where I used to work. I counter sunk holes in the surface and secured it with stainless carriage bolts, filling the surface with epoxy so there was no holes to catch a rivet head. My leading edges are also rounded off. The boat actually slides better on the plastic bunks than it did on the bunk rollers which would bind sideways from the weight of the boat due to the V shape of the hull.
 
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