what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

[Abe Froman]

Home Depot is walking distance from my office here in New Orleans. I'm picking up some 3/4" marine plywood to rebuild the transom. $95 per sheet !!!!!!

so, I'm gonna walk over to Home Depot to get a saw blade and other stuff and I was wondering if they sell epoxy and what kind should I use ???

I really wanna get the transom rebuilt this weekend.

Also, I'm probably gonna use 1/2" treated for the floors and stiffen them with 2x2's underneath. I know everyone says not to use PT wood - that's why I'm splurging for the transom wood, but the 1/2" will only contact the aluminum where it sits on it and I could epoxy those spots. If I can get the 1/2" in marine grade and it's not much more than PT, I'll get it, but I dont think that will be the case.

I can't find "exterior grade" plywood anywhere !!!

anyway - I'd appreciate info on the epoxy from home depot.....if they have it..

cheers

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

Most any exterior plywood will work in that once you encapsulate it, it is sealed from the weather. Using marine plywood is fine, but it is an expensive that one typically doesn't need. Others are going to weigh in here, I am sure. Regarding epoxy and other product you will need. West Marine if you have one. If not, US Composites in Florida (they ship). Home Depot is a house hardware store and not a marine supplier.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

Home Depot is walking distance from my office here in New Orleans. I'm picking up some 3/4" marine plywood to rebuild the transom. $95 per sheet !!!!!!

so, I'm gonna walk over to Home Depot to get a saw blade and other stuff and I was wondering if they sell epoxy and what kind should I use ???

I really wanna get the transom rebuilt this weekend.

Also, I'm probably gonna use 1/2" treated for the floors and stiffen them with 2x2's underneath. I know everyone says not to use PT wood - that's why I'm splurging for the transom wood, but the 1/2" will only contact the aluminum where it sits on it and I could epoxy those spots. If I can get the 1/2" in marine grade and it's not much more than PT, I'll get it, but I dont think that will be the case.

I can't find "exterior grade" plywood anywhere !!!

anyway - I'd appreciate info on the epoxy from home depot.....if they have it..

cheers

If I were you, I would PM a Moderator, and kindly ask them to move your question to the restoration section. It would also be wise of you to put a couple hours aside and read some of the restorations over in the resto section if you haven't already done so. They will give you tips on procedures, and where to find the best supplies for the cheapest money.

As far as placing PT wood on aluminum, no matter how you try to pull it off, it's just not a good idea. The new copper treated PT eats aluminum.

 

[Abe Froman]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

oh, sorry, I posted here because it's starcraft, but I'll post accordingly in the future. thanks

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

I have not seen epoxy resin in HD. If there isn't a marine hardware facility nearby you can purchase it on-line from many sources. You'll find a number of posts that reference brands and sources.

I can't believe that you can find a source for marine ply, but not exterior ply. Home Depot has exterior ply, although it may be C-D or similar grade that would be too low grade for your use.

 

[barato2]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

Abe, this is the right place to post, no problem. BUT your idea to use any PT wood anywhere on the boat is a bad one, esp since you'll likely be using boat in/near salt or at least brackish water (Pontchartrain etc lakes). i've seen a photo of a hole corroded in an alum gas tank by a penny that fell on top of it....galvanic corrosion is bad news. just avoid it.

maybe NOLA is so funky that they don't bother specifying "exterior" grade plywood, but just use the same stuff everywhere, inside and out....?

doubt you'll find epoxy at HD other than in tiny pricey tubes. in your coastal area, any boat repair/parts place will have it altho it will be cheaper to order it from USComposites or Aeromarine or even West. in fact, isn't there a West Marine store in your area somewhere?

 

[Captmills]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

The guy at lowes told me that the plant that makes ext. plywood burnt down to the ground and did not know when it would reopen. I used oak plywood for the transom and dash but sealed it to within an inch of it's life and hoping for the best, would rather had ext. but not an option here.

 

[heyyou325]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

Home Depot here sells epoxy, but not marine epoxy. You need marine. If memory serves me, and it usually doesn't, water will seep thru epoxy, not fast but will seep, Marine is a lot slower,tougher, and won't break down as fast. Then paint afterwords to seal the water and uv rays out.

 

[cutbait76]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

Personally I can't see any advantage of Marine ply over exterior grade when both products are covered in epox..

Marine is no doubt the best choice, but at 95 bucks X's 5 sheets runs 500 bucks without the cost of epoxy to Exterior at 25 bucks for five sheets is 125 bucks...

375 dollar difference for what?,,,, a few years of longevity 20 years down the road that we all may be so lucky to still be alive by then and have probably moved on to bigger and better boats???


No thanks! I'll pick the ext. grade all day long!!

I bought my epoxy on Ebay for 52 dollars shipped a gallon. I bought one gallon a paycheck so the initial 100-200 dollar epoxy buy didn't sting so bad..

 

[barato2]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

not sure where you're getting ext for 25/sheet. that Arauco most of us used is about 42/sheet for 3/4 at local lowes (or was, before the fire at the factory)....still substantial price diff but not as huge. but i definitely see your logic. i'm not about to test it on my boat, but i suspect that even INterior grade plywood could be made to last for 10 yrs or so if slathered with enough epoxy......

i think everyone has to make their own choice depenindg on where boat will be used, how, size of waters, size of payload, storage facilities, budget, etc etc etc.

 

[JD in Milwaukee]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

Is this the sausage king of Chicago? Great name! Do not use pressure treated wood over aluminum. It will eat the aluminum right up. Like others have said, use exterior grade. If you've got the bucks and want the best then spring for marine grade. But it's really not necessary, especially after sealing with marine epoxy.

oh, sorry, I posted here because it's starcraft, but I'll post accordingly in the future. thanks

 

[VanderLaan]

Re: what epoxy to use on transom ? from home depot? need info asap..please...

PT is a bad idea. Just get some exterior grade ply. Cheaper and you do not have to worry about corrosion. Marine ply is great if you are building a boat out of it. I used it all the time when I was building duckboats that were all wood. The benefit of marine ply is that there are no voids, which can be a problem if you are only sheathing it in glass. You have tin on both sides of your transom, so if you coat the exterior ply in epoxy and then sandwich it in tin, you are really over-building it and can save some cash for other parts.

I used to use RAKA epoxy and was really happy with it. Good prices and great service. It has been a few years, but I would think they would be worth checking out. If I remember, they are in Florida (could be wrong), so shipping should be minimal.