Re: Tore the transom ...how to repair? (pics)
Then some frustration hit.
I discovered that I had cut the aft floor section about 3/4 to an inch to narrow (measured abeam) so it wouldn't sit well on the lip of the hull and therefore the corners flexed.
So I needed to get a new sheet.
The first sheet I bought at a specialty store (because they were the only place that had the marine grade ply for the transom). I paid $35 for a 4x8 sheet. The quality didn;t seem that great to me (see pics later). But that store is a long way away, so for the replacement I just went to the local lumber yard. I asked the kid working there for "the best grade 1/2" exterior plywood (non treated) that you have". He charged me $52 for something he said was "spruce, fire grade". It was late and had been a long day so I didn't look to closely at it when it was loaded. Got home and the next morning realized it was crap! FULL of big knot holes. No good side.
So I took it back and explained what I was really after. The girl working sent me to the back to get a sheet of "fir, good one side" and refunded me $18 as it was cheaper.
Interestingly, and amazingly, this turned out to be the nicest sheet of ply I have ever seen. I can't even tell which side is supposed to be the good side - they are both good.
Pics:
The original sheet from the specialty store. This is the "good" side.
The "bad" side:
But the "good" side had a lot of these ovals glued in:
And a bunch of this filler used to make the "good" side:
I didn't take pics of the "fire" ply...but trust me it was terrible.
Now, here is the cheapest sheet, from the local place:
One side:
and the other:
Now, I'm happy to have a nice sheet for the aft floor. But I wish I had known that the specialty store would sell poor quality and overpriced at that, and I wish I had gotten the more helpful (knowledgable) girl at the local place - because that way I would have bought 3 really nice sheets for all the floors!
Live and learn I guess.
