A better boat building material
 

What we need is a better boat building material than marine ply/epoxy
and glass. I have no problem with epoxy and glass and the combo with
marine ply yields a far better boat than one can buy in a production
boat but I am not happy with marine ply.
Basically, marine ply is really not much better than standard ply.
The only major diff is that there are fewer voids and even that is
questionable. Some of it I have seen simply has the voids (knots)
filled with some sort of non-structural resin that does not add
strength.
I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.

A better boat building material
 

Frogwatch wrote:
What we need is a better boat building material than marine ply/epoxy
and glass. I have no problem with epoxy and glass and the combo with
marine ply yields a far better boat than one can buy in a production
boat but I am not happy with marine ply.
Basically, marine ply is really not much better than standard ply.
The only major diff is that there are fewer voids and even that is
questionable. Some of it I have seen simply has the voids (knots)
filled with some sort of non-structural resin that does not add
strength.
I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.



"I have no problem with epoxy and glass and the combo with
marine ply yields a far better boat than one can buy in a production
boat..."

Care to qualify that a bit, because taken at face value, it's just plain
bizarre. What's wrong with all-glass, or for above the waterline, a foam
sandwich covered by glass that's vacuum bagged?

And for a superior boat building material? Welded plate aluminum.

Now, if you are talking strictly smaller homebrew boats without much in
the way of compound curves, glass over ply is just fine. Bamboo? Carbon
fiber?

A better boat building material
 

On Jul 1, 1:20*pm, HK wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
What we need is a better boat building material than marine ply/epoxy
and glass. *I have no problem with epoxy and glass and the combo with
marine ply yields a far better boat than one can buy in a production
boat but I am not happy with marine ply.
Basically, marine ply is really not much better than standard ply.
The only major diff is that there are fewer voids and even that is
questionable. *Some of it I have seen simply has the voids (knots)
filled with some sort of non-structural resin that does not add
strength.
I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. *Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. *This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. *On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.

"I have no problem with epoxy and glass and the combo with
* marine ply yields a far better boat than one can buy in a production
* boat..."

Care to qualify that a bit, because taken at face value, it's just plain
bizarre. What's wrong with all-glass, or for above the waterline, a foam
sandwich covered by glass that's vacuum bagged?

And for a superior boat building material? Welded plate aluminum.

Now, if you are talking strictly smaller homebrew boats without much in
the way of compound curves, glass over ply is just fine. Bamboo? Carbon
fiber?

As an alleged mechanical engineer, what inherent problems do you see
with using carbon fiber? How can these problems be solved?

A better boat building material
 

On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:09:24 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:

I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.

It's called cold molding.

http://www.cwb.org/cold-molded-boat-building-2009

Been around for years.

A better boat building material
 

Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:09:24 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:

I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.

It's called cold molding.

http://www.cwb.org/cold-molded-boat-building-2009

Been around for years.


Building a cold-moulded wood boat requires...well...the sort of skill
that comes from experience. But it does produce beautiful boats.

A better boat building material
 

On Jul 1, 1:42*pm, HK wrote:
Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:09:24 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:

I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. *Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. *This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. *On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.

It's called cold molding.

http://www.cwb.org/cold-molded-boat-building-2009

Been around for years.

Building a cold-moulded wood boat requires...well...the sort of skill
that comes from experience. But it does produce beautiful boats.

All glass boats are too heavy requiring too much fuel. Aluminum boats
are good but welding them right requires more skill than most boat
companies can afford and they are difficult to repair.
Above the waterline, foam/glass is ok but below the water, no.
Loogy, I am not a ME but a physics geek. Carbon fiber is currently
expensive and if such a boat was struck by lightning, the result would
be bizarre.

A better boat building material
 

Frogwatch wrote:
On Jul 1, 1:42 pm, HK wrote:
Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:09:24 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:
I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.
It's called cold molding.
http://www.cwb.org/cold-molded-boat-building-2009
Been around for years.
Building a cold-moulded wood boat requires...well...the sort of skill
that comes from experience. But it does produce beautiful boats.

All glass boats are too heavy requiring too much fuel. Aluminum boats
are good but welding them right requires more skill than most boat
companies can afford and they are difficult to repair.
Above the waterline, foam/glass is ok but below the water, no.
Loogy, I am not a ME but a physics geek. Carbon fiber is currently
expensive and if such a boat was struck by lightning, the result would
be bizarre.


Loogy's accusing you of being a mechanical engineer, too? That's funny.
*His* engineering skills consist of twisting the throttle on his Lionel
trains.

I thought you were advocating a high tech composite incorporating carbon
fiber. Now you are telling us the results would be bizarre if such a
boat were struck by lighting.

You seem to have a big problem with boat weight, yet you want to boat
offshore in some comfort. You do realize there is a connection between a
boat's weight and how it performs offshore, right?

I agree that welding aluminum plate requires skill, but what's wrong
with that? Oh...I remember, you want to replace workers with robots.

A better boat building material
 

On Jul 1, 2:00*pm, Frogwatch wrote:
On Jul 1, 1:42*pm, HK wrote:





Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:09:24 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:

I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. *Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. *This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. *On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.

It's called cold molding.

http://www.cwb.org/cold-molded-boat-building-2009

Been around for years.

Building a cold-moulded wood boat requires...well...the sort of skill
that comes from experience. But it does produce beautiful boats.

All glass boats are too heavy requiring too much fuel. *Aluminum boats
are good but welding them right requires more skill than most boat
companies can afford and they are difficult to repair.
Above the waterline, foam/glass is ok but below the water, no.
Loogy, I am not a ME but a physics geek. *Carbon fiber is currently
expensive and if such a boat was struck by lightning, the result would
be bizarre.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Frog, that was in response to Harry. A couple of years ago he claimed
right here to have a mechanical engineering degree!!!!!

A better boat building material
 

On Jul 1, 2:12*pm, HK wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
On Jul 1, 1:42 pm, HK wrote:
Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:09:24 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:
I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. *Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. *This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. *On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.
It's called cold molding.
http://www.cwb.org/cold-molded-boat-building-2009
Been around for years.
Building a cold-moulded wood boat requires...well...the sort of skill
that comes from experience. But it does produce beautiful boats.

All glass boats are too heavy requiring too much fuel. *Aluminum boats
are good but welding them right requires more skill than most boat
companies can afford and they are difficult to repair.
Above the waterline, foam/glass is ok but below the water, no.
Loogy, I am not a ME but a physics geek. *Carbon fiber is currently
expensive and if such a boat was struck by lightning, the result would
be bizarre.

Loogy's accusing you of being a mechanical engineer, too? That's funny.
*His* engineering skills consist of twisting the throttle on his Lionel
trains.

Pssst, want to put your diplomas up against mine? Put up or shut up.
Come on Harry, I DARE you. We'll do it right here in rec.boats for
everyone to see, deal?

A better boat building material
 

On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 11:00:40 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:

On Jul 1, 1:42Â*pm, HK wrote:
Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:09:24 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:

I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. Â*Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. Â*This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. Â*On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.

It's called cold molding.

http://www.cwb.org/cold-molded-boat-building-2009

Been around for years.

Building a cold-moulded wood boat requires...well...the sort of skill
that comes from experience. But it does produce beautiful boats.

All glass boats are too heavy requiring too much fuel. Aluminum boats
are good but welding them right requires more skill than most boat
companies can afford and they are difficult to repair.
Above the waterline, foam/glass is ok but below the water, no.
Loogy, I am not a ME but a physics geek. Carbon fiber is currently
expensive and if such a boat was struck by lightning, the result would
be bizarre.

Since you're still interested in the subject I posted a response I had
written to Wayne but didn't bother sending.
In that "efficient boats" thread.
Some weight examples, and my view that FRP is still pretty heavy and a
new material is in order.
Pie in the sky, but maybe you can come up with something.

--Vic