Da$^$%# Luan and Garbage Glue
 

#2 MiniCup developed a crack across the cockpit bottom where I had not
yet glassed it. Turns out the crappy 1/4 luan (bathroom underlayment)
is giving way. Removal of the paint reveals that the stuff is really
disintegrating. The remaining Gorilla Glue is also disintegrating. I
have enough 4 ounce/sqyd glass to do the entire boat. Will remove all
remaining Gorilla Garbage Glue and replace with epoxy fillets as well.

DO NOT use luan or gorilla glue if you value your life in your
homebuilt boat.

It seems that many people consider the MiniCups to be disposable boats
but I refuse to throw away anything I spent that much time on. The
boats are nearly two years old but the luan was a bad idea as was the
Gorilla Glue.. I shoulda used marine ply and epoxy from the beginning.

DO NOT use luan or gorilla glue if you value your life in your
homebuilt boat.

Don't know about gorilla glue. I've no complaint with the plastic resin
(urea formaldehyde) or polyurethane (PL Premuim) glues (more properly
adhesives). The painted (no resin coating) Dogskiff I made in 1999 out of
lauan underlayment got its first fibreglass delamination patch, about a
foot long adn 6" wide, this season. The boat is stored indoors in the
garage when not in use. It was used often up until this year when I've not
been able to get out on the water much. For the money and time put into
the boat it has paid for itself well. I'd expect to get another few years
out of it.



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"William R. Watt" wrote in message
...

DO NOT use luan or gorilla glue if you value your life in your
homebuilt boat.

Don't know about gorilla glue. I've no complaint with the plastic resin
(urea formaldehyde) or polyurethane (PL Premuim) glues (more properly
adhesives). The painted (no resin coating) Dogskiff I made in 1999 out of
lauan underlayment got its first fibreglass delamination patch, about a
foot long adn 6" wide, this season. The boat is stored indoors in the
garage when not in use. It was used often up until this year when I've not
been able to get out on the water much. For the money and time put into
the boat it has paid for itself well. I'd expect to get another few years
out of it.


My luann/gorilla glue boat projects are both holding up fine. I had to
paint them again this year. They are stored outside and upside down when
not in use. I put a couple slabs of treated wood under them or set them on
top of plastic boats to avoid ground contact. One is my daughters kayak...
I put more faith in it than my life depending on it, the life of my kid
(though she wears a life jacket at ALL TIMES). A home built boat is only as
good as they are built/maintained/inspected.

Ed

The difference may be that we have absurdly high humidity and temps for
a lot of the year here plus about 65" of rain each year. The only time
I "store" them is in the summer when there are too many thunderstorms
to use them.

"Crappy Luan" is really a type of mahogany, which is looked down on
because it's used for door facing. I've built a few racing dinghys from it.

It's really good stuff. I've never had any of it fail.

I would only use epoxy glue.



wrote:

#2 MiniCup developed a crack across the cockpit bottom where I had not
yet glassed it. Turns out the crappy 1/4 luan (bathroom underlayment)
is giving way. Removal of the paint reveals that the stuff is really
disintegrating. The remaining Gorilla Glue is also disintegrating. I
have enough 4 ounce/sqyd glass to do the entire boat. Will remove all
remaining Gorilla Garbage Glue and replace with epoxy fillets as well.

DO NOT use luan or gorilla glue if you value your life in your
homebuilt boat.

From what I can tell, areas of the luan have voids beneath the top
layer. Where these areas get exposed to water via a scratch in the
paint, the stuff gets saturated very easily. Areas where there are no
scratches in the paint seem to do ok. I abuse my boats but I expect
them to last. Anytime you beach your boat on an oyster bar you are
gonna get scratches. Having to apply a coat of paint more than once a
year is absurd.
In some areas, the voids seem to run in a linear pattern and then the
stuff is hopeless and the only solution is glass.

I am no expert, but my observation is based on the boats I've built from
luan, and other woods. Luan is great stuff to build a small boat with.

wrote:
From what I can tell, areas of the luan have voids beneath the top
layer. Where these areas get exposed to water via a scratch in the
paint, the stuff gets saturated very easily. Areas where there are no
scratches in the paint seem to do ok. I abuse my boats but I expect
them to last. Anytime you beach your boat on an oyster bar you are
gonna get scratches. Having to apply a coat of paint more than once a
year is absurd.
In some areas, the voids seem to run in a linear pattern and then the
stuff is hopeless and the only solution is glass.

There ARE voids. It isn't spec'ed as no-void. Typically they are very
small. Pretty often, they can be filled with (waterproof) glue or a
combination of glue and sawdust, or paint even. Given the proper level of
care, a luan boat can last for years... many years. If the use (or abuse)
of the boat dictates alternative materials, don't be a cheapskate. Buy
better plywood. Sheesh.

Ed