wagonmaker Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Good morning builders , My question is wood choices for the top sides bright work on my skipjack. I know teak is always a choice , but price & availability to me without ordering is one thing to consider. The other is that I don't really care for it's look much. I am thinking maybe between mahogany, white oak or even cedar. I want to use it on the small forward deck area, rub rails, & around & on a forward hatch. Another question is attaching it to the boat. I know it can be attached in many ways, no problem..................but the possibility of having to replace at some point because of breakage , wear etc. Should I use screws, brads , marine sealant , or a combination ?? Should it be bedded into a sealant or not? I just want to avoid a maintenance, replacement problem in the future. Thanks for any help.....Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Jones Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Mahogany works well, is a fairly traditional choice and looks really well varnished. Ash does too. I'd screw it on and use a caulk, NOT an adhesive like 42 or 5200 under it. Rub rails are by nature expendable and while they should be caulked under to stop water intrusion, you wnat them to be reasonably easy to remove. I'd use 3M 4000 or Sikaflex. DON"T use silicone- that's horrible stuff on boats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Walters Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 DON"T use silicone- that's horrible stuff on boats Charlie, I have steared clear of silicone on my boat, as I have heard this before, But what does it do to a boat? I am just curious. Brian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Jones Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Silicone is pretty much forever. Once it gets onto a surface, you'll never have success painting there, or glassing there or anything. Once it's in the pores of the surface, forget getting it out. Plus it isn't a really good sealant anyway. It DOES make a good gasket, but it doesn't have good long term adhesion. There are MUCH better things on the market that will do anything silicone will, without the later problems. Including sealing plastic portholes, etc. As a furniture refinisher we abhor the stuff by the way. Have to go to great lengths and actually ADD silicone to the finish to get the new finish to stick. Ya get things called "fish eyes" which are simply places where the new finish will not adhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Oak can look nice, but if water ever gets to it the staining is fast and dark. Cedar looks nice varnished but is soft. If used where it may get chafed or banged it won't stand up well. Mahogany is great for varnish and wear. Another choice which is little used but is hard, rot resistant, works well and varnishes nicely is locust. Most all Concordias have some locust, and some have a lot of it. They use it for toerails, coverboards, cockpit combings, handrails and even coach house sides. BLAH!!! Silicone makes me shudder just to think about it. It was the first effective bedding/caulking, and in its day it was a wonder material. But with today's technology it should be made illegal! I like polyurethane caulks as well. My favorite is Sikaflex 291. Be careful if you choose Sikaflex, they have recently come out with 292 and it is their competitor for 5200, and it is very tenacious. Anything you might ever want to remove, especially if you can fasten it mechanically does not need the adhesion of 5200 or 292 and is much better if you don't use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Turpin Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 In my WW Potter P-15 restoration project, I'm replacing the old tired mahogany with Sapele. I'm just giving it an oil finish, but I bet it would look pretty nice in varnish too. Sapele is sometimes referred to as African Teak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Colter Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 G'day All. I'd use 3M 4000 or Sikaflex. Charlie, would one be better than the other for seating the centerboard pin caps, and the centerboard trunk top? Thanks, Norm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Jones Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I'd think either would work well for that. You might be interested in reading the West Marine advisor for sealants- it's online here- http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/westadvisor/10001/-1/10001/selectsealents.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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