Marine grade or not????

[Boatsb]

Unless you can roll it out extremely well or vacuum bag i have seen it and contact cement allow bubbles in the veneer after 10 or 15 years.

It's also not worth the time as I can get afromosa plywood for just a bit higher cost.

[Walter P]

I totally agree with you Scott, on both counts...vacuum bagging or rolling carefully to eliminate any possible air trapped is very important but I also agree that buying plywood with the veneer already on it is the best way to go and I think it's much cheaper in the long run when you add in the extra cost of the glue, applicators, bagging equipment and of course mostly lots of additional labor. The problem is that veneered plywood with the wood of your choice is not always readily available which was a concern of Gus's in his original post of this thread.

Walt

[Tim Powell]

Unless you can roll it out extremely well or vacuum bag i have seen it and contact cement allow bubbles in the veneer after 10 or 15 years.

It's also not worth the time as I can get afromosa plywood for just a bit higher cost.

correct i put it on the frig and freezer had a hard time getting the bubles out of it. I used the peal and stick stuff and still had a hard time.

[q240z]

I was surprised to discover that even high end custom marine interior cabinet shops that supply Weaver Boatworks use 3-ply 1/4" plywood, with just one face pretty. The construction method is no different than the cheapest Luan you can buy at Home Depot. I used that in the V-berth, but everywhere else I've used cabinet-grade double-faced (A grade on the front, B on the back) and it's 5-ply. As others have said, there's no need for marine grade in the interior except for (IMO) floors that face the bilge. And I edge seal everything. That's one funny thing about Chris Craft--they edge sealed every piece of solid stock, from frames to cleats...no exposed mahogany anywhere. But then they left the edges of all the plywood unsealed. Guess what tends to rot??

Because veneers can sometimes let loose after a few decades, I'm thinking of using a technique they use at Weaver, where they apply a very light coat of epoxy. They wait for the epoxy to get tacky, then apply the veneer and vacuum bag it.

[Gusshr]

Where do you guys find the Afromosia plywood sheets?

How do you finish the Afromosia? Varnish only? or stain and varnish?

[bobk]

Where do you guys find the Afromosia plywood sheets?

How do you finish the Afromosia? Varnish only? or stain and varnish?

I have used Watco Teak Oil for all the modifications on Chateau de Mer. I used a little Minwax cherry stain as others recommended, but it turned out a bit too red IMO.

Afromosia was from a supplier in Ft Lauderdale if memory serves. Goggle....

Bobk

[Gusshr]

I have a feeling that the original boat funish is only Varnish with no stain. Can anyone who worked with Afromosia confirm?

[Toolsntoys]

I'm in the middle of an afromosia project right now. I bought the plywood from Roberts plywood in Long Island. I used them since they are only a couple hour drive from me. It's rather pricey. 400 a sheet. In my case I played with different minwax stains and found that 75% gunstock and 25% red chestnut matched In some spots I increased the chestnut to darken a little. It seams that not all the wood is exactly the same color. The Afromasia will darken over time and with different exposers to sunlight the color may vary