before last season, we replaced our polycarbonate plastic boards which had lasted 15+ years but we’re getting supper brittle.
we used starboard, which is uv stable hdpe. we could only find it in 8’ sheets, so we had a seam we used biscuits to make the connections. it was easy to cut and router out around the fittings and for holes
for the straps. super happy with it!

King StarBoard Marine Board HDPE Sheets and Custom Cut : TAP Plastics

Looking for the toughest thermoplastic to use in marine applications? Look no further than King Starboard and our assortment of cut-to-size HDPE sheets today.

www.tapplastics.com

 

I’m curious about your polycarbonate decking.

Was it UV stabilized?

You’re the first person I’ve ever heard of using it for raft decking. Other than the embrittlement, how did you like it? How thick?

My understanding is that UV stabilized PC lasts much longer than non stabilized.

Again, I have access to wholesale pricing, so that’s not much of a factor.

 

What about this? Testing out using foam for the side decking on a raft frame | Eddyline Welding

 

That’s just foam that you stock on top of whatever your boards are made of. It does seem nice but I I need a decking base to put it on. If I do wood, I probably won’t cover it in foam since the aesthetic of the wood itself would be the reason to use it.

Thanks though.

 

One problem is that just about any clear finish (that I can think of at least) on hardwood or nice plywood gets brutally worn down by the sand and grinding, especially if you strap boxes and such on them. Multiple coats of paint do better but then you might as well use marine plywood. Which is what I am going to do very soon to replace my first set of decks that I tried treat with spar varnish.

 

Penofin. I learned about it from River Rat Ray, it's simply the best coating for wood on a boat that one can find. Not cheap, but then it lasted on the decks of my cat, which were kept on the frame outside for 15 years.. Not slippery like Poly or varnish, and seals the wood really well.

Wood Finishes, Wood Stains & Wood Preparations | Penofin

Penofin - PURE LIFE. PURE STYLE. Our exterior wood finishes, wood stains and wood care products set the bar for quality, durability and ease of maintenance.

www.penofin.com

 

We use 0.090 Diamond plate and it works great. Powder coat any color on the cardinal color chart.

 

Kennel flooring, hands down. Lightweight, zero maintenance, really comfortable to walk on, and is basically nothing but strap holes so your rigging options are off the chart. Super tough stuff, I've been running mine for 5 years now.

DURA-SLAT® Poultry & Kennel Flooring - 24" x 49.5" - Black Overlapping

An excellent choice for poultry breeding houses or dog kennels, 24" x 49.5" Black Overlapping Dura-Slat Poultry and Kennel Flooring is made of high impact, wear resistant polypropylene plastic.

www.qcsupply.com

 

+1 on this. i have zero regrets using this for decking on my frame. i used the versamat brand from murdoch's ... $20 for a 2'x4' panel.

 

I would really advise against trying to laminate something. As a point of reference I've built two wood boats and had multiple sideboard variations. I've had by far the best luck with Starboard. This is an extreme environment, not the place to try and get fancy with trick wood working. Marine ply is a second choice but a lot of work to maintain and will check badly if you let it get away from you.

 

I would really advise against trying to laminate something. As a point of reference I've built two wood boats and had multiple sideboard variations. I've had by far the best luck with Starboard. This is an extreme environment, not the place to try and get fancy with trick wood working. Marine ply is a second choice but a lot of work to maintain and will check badly if you let it get away from you.

When I say laminate, I don’t mean sandwiching. I guess I’m technically joining sawn boards.

More something like this

 

I just use cedar boards. I think I have 1" but it might be 3/4". Naturally rot-resistant and takes a stain to add some character. I restrain the tops every year and stain the full board every couple. Think I have 5 years on them. It is a softer wood, so they will get dinged up if you are strapping hard-sided gear to them.

 

Ipe and cumaru are crazy hard. These go through a planer like a gang of bikers go through a yuppie bar. The bar will still be there when the bikers leave, but there will be teeth on the floor. Steel tooling is too soft. You have to use carbide. Also, ipe and cumaru have high oil content and almost no pores. This is a bad combination for glue. As single pieces, they are bomber tough but I strongly advise against lamination for boat deck. They will laminate, but not with confidence. Cutting boards, jewelry boxes, yes. Structural panels, no.

I don't know about weather stability of ipe and cumaru. Some hardwoods warp severely in an outdoor environment. I built a frame out of oak once... BAD CHOICE. Don't ever put oak on boat.

There are species tried and true for boat decks. Teak is used the world over on sailboats. Philippine mahogany is super stable outdoors. It's not as hard but is easy to work and reasonably priced... if you can find it. You don't coat these woods. You seal them with penetrating oils. Teak oil, tung oil, rosewood oil --all of which will burn down your shop if you leave fresh used rags laying around. Spontaneous combustion is very real.

Cedar is also very stable. It is soft and friendly, doesn't splinter hands and eliminates the need for finish. It is also lightweight, which is nice but tends to split when thin... which means it needs to be thicker which kind of negates the weight savings but cedar is a viable option.

Nothing is more sexy on a boat frame than well crafted wood decking. Get some!

 

I'm running 3/4" MDO covered in a Deckover like product on my WMW frames. I'm happy with the cost, durability and function so far. Great traction for the kids to run laps around the boat but won't cut them if they fall on it. I tried some 5/8" MDO but it had a little too much flex on the larger spans for my taste and the weight wasn't a huge difference.

 

I went 1/2 inch ACX with several coats of deck correct paint blended with sand for no-slip surface. I just repaint or touch up every so often. Even made a custom river table with gliding legs that adjust up to 40” height out of it.
A double rail frame would make it more bomber as mine is only single rail. With that table I have a huge front seating area for the family. All in all super inexpensive and a fun project to do with my son who helped jigsaw all the cut outs and corners. It’s not perfect but it works.

yes - 4 cup holders! Bimini slide rails mounted to deck so I can slide the bimini fore/aft as needed.

 

What chair is that?

 

Looks like a bleacher seat, or stadium chair..

Amazon.com

Is one, there are many to choose from out there.

 

Sites-WestMarine-Site

West Marine

www.westmarine.com

 

Seems to be about the same stuff as long as you don't topcoat it, I only have experience with the penofin though

 

I was a true believer of Sikkens Cetol. I've HEARD, but not confirmed that the newer formulation isn't anywhere near as good as the stuff from a few years ago.
Do your own research.

 

Mo toxic, mo betah.

It seems to be a theme that so many old
Formulations we’re simultaneously way more toxic, and way more effective.

Why can’t the innocuous, edible formulations of said products be as skookum as the old stuff?

Hard to even find decent solvents these days…

 

Fortunately I can actually find Toluene and Xylene on the shelf at the hardware store.

Can't buy real lead paint, though...but enamels are pretty darn good still (especially after I add hardener and thin with xylene!)

 

@gloominati
here's an old pic of when i first installed kennel floor decking. not sure if it's helpful - if not let me know and i'll try to dig up others. FWIW, this was from 2018. decking is still going strong with zero issues.

 

@gloominati
here's an old pic of when i first installed kennel floor decking. not sure if it's helpful - if not let me know and i'll try to dig up others. FWIW, this was from 2018. decking is still going strong with zero issues. View attachment 97433

Is there cross bars running under the decking or just resting on the sides of the double rail?

 

I'm a big fan of the King Starboard. Sure, it's heavier and more expensive than plywood... but over the years it holds up and requires zero maintenance.

 

Is kennel flooring stiff enough to build a table and/or bench out of?

 

no table or bench unless supported with Aluminum or some other material.

 

Coosa Composite hands down. 30 to 50% lighter than plywood and substantially stiffer than plywood. Less than 1% water absorption. Will never rot. Can be worked with normal wood working tools. Just finished my side deck project. Check it. The stuff on top is SeaDek. The decks are undermounted using a wood wedge between frame rails and T-nuts with fangs on the top surface before application of SeaDek.

 

Coosa Composite hands down. 30 to 50% lighter than plywood and substantially stiffer than plywood. Less than 1% water absorption. Will never rot. Can be worked with normal wood working tools. Just finished my side deck project. Check it. The stuff on top is SeaDek. The decks are undermounted using a wood wedge between frame rails and T-nuts with fangs on the top surface before application of SeaDek.

very nice. where are you/where did you source the material? i was thinking mdo for my next set but now more research!

 

1/2" ACX plywood coated with deck paint. I just re-paint it every couple years or so. Height-Adjustable legs were bought here: :: Ebco Products Corp - Table Legs & Folding Legs ::

The legs were $97 back in 2021 but are now $111. HS-20-ADJ

I can raise/lower this table up to 38" tall which is great for a large kitchen table.

 

1/2" ACX plywood coated with deck paint. I just re-paint it every couple years or so. Height-Adjustable legs were bought here: :: Ebco Products Corp - Table Legs & Folding Legs ::

The legs were $97 back in 2021 but are now $111. HS-20-ADJ

I can raise/lower this table up to 38" tall which is great for a large kitchen table.

Any idea how much the table weighs? Thanks!

 

I posted this on another thread recently. These 3/4" CDX decks were made nearly 20 years ago. Sprayed with a 50/50 mixture of Thompsons water seal and linseed oil. Stored indoors when not in use. I've been considering adding legs and doing a recoat at that point.

 

That's still on the original coating after 20 years? Dayum!

Even if you only do one multiday a year, that's 20 weeks (2 summers) worth of sun and water exposure.

 

Yep, original coat. Lay it on thick with a sprayer and that's what you get.

 

I did linseed/thompsons/turpentine on my trailer decking, it's lived outdoors for 6 years, but it is graying. I should reapply. Thompsons really does a great job of repelling water.

 

Though I have diamond plate aluminum for the decks above the tubes, I love natural wood. My frames were better with the aluminum. So what if you have to re-finish annually. My gear platforms are A grade plywood so I refinish them before each season.

 

This is great, looks great! exactly what I wanted to do this year on my double NRS side rails. Decking with Seadek on top. Do you have any photos of the attachments your used and described above? Thanks.

 

I go with wood. plywood is relatively cheap. Varnish every few years.