Using Plywood To Make Stringers?

[mspring]

Has Anyone Used Plywood To Make Their Stringers?

 

[KnottyBuoyz]

Re: Using Plywood To Make Stringers?

Has Anyone Used Plywood To Make Their Stringers?

Absolutely. Very common actually.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Using Plywood To Make Stringers?

Plywood is routinely used to make stringers. I however, recommend against it. Plywood does not hold up if it gets wet, it delaminates quickly and completely. So, if you do have a defect in the floor, and the plywood gets wet, you can have a serious, rapid loss of strength.

Solid pressure treated lumber is nearly as strong as plywood, and can be sized to be as strong as plywood. The worst solid lumber will do if it gets wet is to slowly rot away. You will notice the loss of rigidity, hopefully, and have time to fix it.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Using Plywood To Make Stringers?

I would use pressure treated. Its getting more common in production boats to find pressure treated lumber as stringers and transoms.

I think a great way to make stringers is to use 1" styrene foam board (the pink stuff from the home center). Cut and trim to the stringer size, the wrap the entire stringer in epoxy & glass. Build up 5 or 6 layers, then bed the stringer into the hull with epoxy putty. It should outlive the rest of the boat.

 

[BillP]

Re: Using Plywood To Make Stringers?

Another yes for the string. Plywood stringers have been in use in high and low end boats for a long time...standard and pressure treated.

Here's a pic of two 3/4" pt ply side stringers and one 2"x12" pt center plank stringer sitting on a bottom core of 1/2" pt ply. Look hard and you can see the ply stringers.

 

[ebear]

Re: Using Plywood To Make Stringers?

solid yes on ply. I did a complete rebuild on a 25 foot aluminum ctr cnsl. just spend the extra money on a good marine grade.

 

[Robj]

Re: Using Plywood To Make Stringers?

I used exterior grade douglas fir PT ply for my stringers, two pieces laminated together with matt and resin. Worked great. Just make sure it is DRY before starting. If you are going to use regular ply, I recommend using douglas fir, exterior grade.

Have a great day,

Rob.