Varieties and design of ship plywood

Surface preparation

Before impregnation plywood from moisture its surface must be prepared. This process consists of several stages:

Drying of the plate is in progress. It should be such that the plywood is protected with high quality.
This is followed by surface grinding. Before impregnating the plywood for moisture resistance, it must be well cleaned. To do this, use fine-grained sandpaper.

For the convenience of work, it is fixed on a wooden block, and the surface is sanded with such a device.
Particular attention is paid to the ends of the sheet. All chips and burrs are removed

If the chips are quite large, you can use wood filler.

It is advisable to acclimatize the plywood, how long this process will take depends on the temperature. If the material is intended for indoor use, then one day is enough for drying, outdoors at a temperature of 80C and below - 3 days.

Now you understand how to process plywood in order to increase its moisture resistance and hydrophobic qualities at home, and it is not necessary to buy expensive brands. You can use the rather effective processing methods presented above.

Peculiarities

There are many options for such a material, they all differ in their width, coating and manufacturing features.

In order to choose the optimal product, you need to pay close attention to the study of the characteristics. Plywood is an ordinary sheet that is created using wood

In turn, it goes through several stages of processing, which gives the product its unique properties.

The process of gluing the layers is due to the use of special compounds, which are usually obtained on the basis of resins. The result is a lightweight material that can also boast of its resistance to temperature extremes.

Among the main advantages of such a product are the following.

• Resistant to moisture, so the material can even be used to decorate a bathroom. This can be achieved due to the fact that upon contact with water, the plywood sheets do not delaminate and do not lose their shape.
• Ease of processing and installation. This material is famous for its strength, so you can use any tools for processing without fear. Plywood can be easily cut, sawn or drilled, which favorably distinguishes it from the background of other materials.
• The ability to combine with other materials. It should be noted that film faced plywood is very often used as an additional material, therefore it is perfect for finishing the ceiling, floor or roof. Most experts use this plywood in combination with natural wood.
• Huge scope of application. Film faced plywood can boast of its unique performance characteristics, which makes it possible to use it in the process of finishing works, in the production of furniture and decorations.

A distinctive feature of moisture-resistant film faced plywood is that it takes much longer to process during the manufacturing process, and is also covered with thicker paper. This paper is impregnated with a special composition, which makes the finished product durable and allows it not to lose its properties for a long time. In addition, it provides water resistance.

Film faced plywood differs from other materials in that it is almost not susceptible to temperature changes, therefore it can be used even in a bath.The special layer also protects against the effects of cleaning agents, including aggressive abrasives. Another feature of such plywood is that it contains a minimum amount of phenol. As a result, a more elastic and durable material is obtained, which also has a varnished protective polymer layer.

Body kit

Plywood boat construction.

If, as a result of the operation of a plywood boat, the frames were damaged, then they also need to be repaired. They do not need to be changed, but you will need to install special overlays that will duplicate them. This assumes that they will have the same cross section. Typically, these pads are attached with rivets. The defective area must be covered. For this, a stock is made when preparing a part of 200 mm.

If the frames are in poor condition, they should be replaced. You shouldn't use regular overlays.

Frames are quite complex structural details. When preparing them, it is imperative to hold the workpiece for some time in hot water, which is poured into a special pipe. If we talk about details that are small in size, then you can use wet rags for wrapping. As a result, you need to get wood that will deform without problems. It needs to be bent along the body contour.

Sometimes special rails are used to attach a new frame. They will also have to be bent. This will require hot water. They can be installed both on glue and on self-tapping screws.

What plywood is used for formwork?

Plywood is divided into types depending on what kind of glue is used in its production. For the construction of the formwork, the following types of this material are used: plywood FBA, FSF, bakelized.

FBA

This is a type of plywood in which layers of veneer are glued together with albuminocasein glue. This makes it environmentally friendly and ranks among natural materials. It can be laid in living quarters. However, for repeated use as a formwork material, it is not the best option, since it is not resistant to moisture.

Environmentally friendly FBA plywood is used indoors, but not practical as a reusable formwork material

FSF

This type of plywood is moisture resistant. The layers in it are glued together with phenol-formaldehyde resin, which determines its moisture-protective qualities. It is recommended to use it for outdoor work, including the creation of formwork. It will withstand many cycles of use. Phenol-formaldehyde resin is toxic, therefore it is not environmentally friendly to use such plywood indoors.

Formwork made of this type of plywood can be reused

Laminated plywood

A lamination layer on the plywood surface improves its moisture resistance. Usually, FSF plywood is laminated from hardwood, more often from birch. Such plywood can have a smooth or corrugated surface, which gives it anti-slip properties. It is film faced plywood that is often used for formwork.

Lamination increases the moisture resistance of plywood

Unfinished plywood can be unsanded and sanded on one or both sides. The main purpose of grinding is to improve the aesthetic qualities of the material. It also removes minor surface defects and, as a result, makes the material more resistant to mechanical damage - chips and warpage.

Bakelized plywood

In it, the layers are glued together with bakelite resin. It gives the material special strength and resistance to aggressive environments. Thanks to this, it can be used in different climatic conditions. Bakelized plywood can withstand temperature changes, even significant ones - from -50 ° C to + 50 ° C. It is used in humid tropical climates and conditions of the far north. If construction takes place in one of these regions, this type of plywood will do just fine.

Bakelized (bakelite) plywood is used in extreme climatic conditions

Russian or Chinese plywood?

Plywood of Russian, Finnish and Chinese production is presented on the domestic market. The first two practically do not differ from each other in quality; plywood of some Finnish brands is even produced at factories in Russia. At the same time, the cost of the Russian one is significantly lower. Chinese plywood can be used in low-rise construction as an economy option. Its quality is low. It is unsuitable for repeated use in multi-storey construction.

Materials (edit)

Most of these sheets are made from veneer. It can be of different varieties. The most expensive and high-quality models are considered to be veneer made of exotic wood species (first of all, okume or keruing).

Materials created from such a base are distinguished by a special level of durability and reliability. But these models are produced exclusively abroad, so it is rather problematic to purchase them. For one square meter of such plywood with a thickness of about 3 millimeters, you will have to pay about 1200-1300 rubles.

The domestic analogue is plywood made of birch veneer. Such materials are affordable, their cost is about 2 times less than the cost of the previous option. But the level of strength and durability will be much lower.

Manufacturers

In Russia, several enterprises are engaged in the manufacture of Finnish plywood. The technological process is based on the use of domestic raw materials. Its processing is carried out using Finnish equipment.

1. Holding "Ivestlesprom", which owns the Vyatka plywood plant. This company produces high-class Finnish film faced plywood only from excellent quality birch veneer using Finnish equipment.
2. OOO Zavetluzhie. The Nizhny Novgorod woodworking company has been operating since 2005. The product range includes types of plywood of 1–4 grades, as well as finished products made of it.
3. Production group "Sveza". It is the largest domestic manufacturer, whose plants are located in various regions: St. Petersburg, Kostroma, Vologda Oblast, Perm Krai. Sveza's products have international certification.
4. Syktyvkar Plywood Plant LLC is also one of the largest domestic manufacturers of large-format plywood and wood-shaving materials. The goods of this enterprise are produced in accordance with high international standards.

Finnish plywood requires the use of sophisticated expensive equipment and belongs to a high class of wood building materials. For this reason, its price per sheet is slightly higher than that of other types.

The table shows distributor prices for laminated Finnish plywood, depending on the thickness and format of the sheets.

Choosing Finnish plywood, it is recommended to focus on the domestic version, as a better, safer and more environmentally friendly one, made strictly in accordance with GOST. Similar materials made in China from poplar or bamboo veneer, despite the lower cost, emit more formaldehyde, since they are processed with cheap adhesive solutions and are less resistant to external influences.

Building a boat

Of course, first of all, we consider material options and here we will immediately make our choice in favor of plywood. We will not list the advantages of plywood sheet, just say that we need FSF sheets of various thicknesses. This is a moisture resistant material that we will process with various means in the process of work.

Model selection

Here we can do little to help, every lover of walking on the water has his own preferences, however, we will give simple parameters of the floating craft that we will have:

• The length of our structure will be 3500 mm, we will translate it into meters for a better reference point - 3.5 meters.
• 1350 mm - width, or 1.35 meters, which is quite suitable for a boat.
• Board height - 50 centimeters.

We will dwell on this option for now.

Boat example

Purchase of material

Regardless of the type of boat, its structure and the number of seats, we need basic materials in which plywood for the boat will be in the first place.

So, in order:

• FSF plywood 4 mm thick. We choose the dimensions of the sheet 1240x2450 mm for the agreed dimensions of the structure, and we need three such sheets.
• Epoxy resin at least 5 kilograms.
• One kilogram of your choice of hardener.
• Two to three liters of microsphere is a filler for epoxy resin.

Cutting

There is nothing complicated in the cutting process, we do all the markings on a plywood sheet and proceed to sawing the material. By the way, for cutting we need a jigsaw.

If you try to make a cut with any other tool, then this will most likely lead to:

1. An uneven cut line;
2. The material will be chipped.

An example of cutting And, despite the fact that plywood boats, of course, are processed and painted, let's still cut it properly without defects and damage to the material.

We cut out the bottom and side elements. Here we need to understand one important point, we are working on our own, we still need to either make the drawing ourselves, having shoveled a mountain of literature, or order it by contacting specialists.

From experience, we can say that the second option is more preferable if we ourselves do not have such experience.

What it is?

Ship plywood is a laminated veneer sheet. In this case, the direction of the fibers changes from one layer to another. For the impregnation of individual layers of material, a special bakelite composition is used, therefore, such products are often called bakelized plywood.

Such wood sheets have a high level of strength, they are quite hard.

Marine plywood has a number of important properties.

• Fire resistance. The material practically does not burn. It can only be charred, while emitting a little smoke, which does not contain a large amount of toxic components. This can happen at temperatures of at least 350 degrees.
• Water resistance. Bakelized sheets are not destroyed or deformed under the influence of a large amount of moisture. At the same time, the minimum service life of such materials, subject to operation in contact with an aqueous medium, can reach 15 years.
• Strength. The strength level of this type of wood practically coincides with the strength characteristics of steel sheets.

The material is characterized by good resistance to impacts and significant loads. In addition, it is almost not exposed to harmful atmospheric influences, so it can be used to decorate furniture structures that will be placed outdoors. Often, whole garden kitchens and gazebos are built from such a tree.

Ship models can also be used to lay indoor flooring, walling and ceiling coverings. But in this case it is recommended to give preference to thin laminated sheets. For the manufacture of the deck part for boats, a special grade FBS ship plywood is taken.

The thickness of these wooden sheets can vary from 4 to 40 millimeters. The length of products can reach 1500, 4400, 4900 mm (but there are also extended versions - 5600, 5700 and 7700 mm). The width of one plywood sheet can be 1250, 1500, 1550 mm.

Increasing the strength of the yacht

For those wishing to build a cruising ship, it is better to make the inner cladding of plywood with a thickness of 9 mm, and increase the thickness of the skin to 18 mm in order to increase resistance to damage.In this case, it is advisable to increase the thickness of the skin outward, and not inward, then the additional weight of the structure will be compensated by the increased volume of the underwater part, and the draft will not increase, despite the increase in displacement.

False keel

The false keel has a "deep delta" shape with a bulb, which allows the ballast to be lowered as low as possible. The leading edge is formed by a strip, inside there is a pair of inner thick-walled pipes, which provide a very strong set for subsequent sheathing. I made a false keel box in the garage without using any
equipment for metal bending. Lead ballast was melted in an iron boiler over an open fire and poured into a steel casing.

Impressions about the project

The yacht was launched and set sail for the first time at the end of 1995. Within three months, a crew of five covered almost 10,000 miles and made two transatlantic crossings. The first - from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro - took 21 days with tailwinds, the best daily result was 240 miles and a speed of 17 knots. On the way to Rio de Janeiro, only one boat of this size bypassed us - a 38-foot composite trimaran, and of the monohulls - an IMS 42 class racing yacht. The return trip was carried out together, and it took place mainly in strong wind and tacking conditions. At this stage of the race, one yacht sank and two lost their masts.

The next year a yacht with a crew of two married couples and my 19-year-old daughter took part in the coastal cruise regatta, and my Didi 38 proved to be strong and fast - in every race in the series we won prizes.

1994/95 cost of hull, deck and interiors materials was $ 7,000, including wood, adhesives, epoxy coatings, interior and exterior paint, fixings, slipways, all temporary structural elements, etc., and value added tax 14%. Only occasionally did I manage to achieve noticeable discounts when purchasing materials. The total cost to build the yacht, including the rig and electronics, is approximately $ 45,000 (the author quotes South African prices. - Ed.).

But labor costs turned out to be unusually low. It took about 3,000 hours of work to build the yacht from start to launch, mostly unaided and in my spare time, and was completed in 24 months from start to finish.

We all complain about the rising cost of yachts, and we use it as an excuse that we are still on shore. I built my first keel yacht in 1970, and spent only 40% of the cost of an equivalent boat launched from the shipyard's slipways - and there was no big difference from the factory design. This proves the practical possibility of building and launching a yacht on your own, although it is not worth underestimating the costs and finances and time. Work will not be successful without complete dedication.

I must warn you that a decision cannot be made hastily. It is good if you have the opportunity to seek professional advice when doubts arise during construction. Modern means of communication can help with this.

The principle that guided me in designing my yachts is to increase the bonding surface over standards while reducing structural weight where appropriate. As a result, the design becomes more "tolerant" of the builder's inexperience than usual.

Dudley Dix, Yacht Designer, South Africa.

Share this page on social media. networks or add to bookmarks:

Requirements

In the production of marine plywood, some important requirements for the quality of the material must be taken into account. They can be found in British Standard 1088/66. And also all of them are enshrined in the domestic document GOST 11539-83 of 1985.

The standard provides for several separate grades of marine plywood.

• FBV.This type is a sheet, for the impregnation and gluing of which special water-soluble compounds are used. Most often it is a phenol-formaldehyde resin. But at the same time, it is applied only to the outer parts of the material.
• FBV1. This type is similar to the previous one. However, here the phenol-formaldehyde resin is applied to both the outer and inner sides.
• FBS. This grade of marine plywood is glued using alcohol-soluble phenol-formaldehyde resin. Only the outer parts are treated with this impregnation.
• FBS1. A brand of this type is treated with alcohol-soluble substances on both sides.

Ship plywood can be divided into 2 large groups - classic and non-classic brands. These types have different requirements. So, the first version is made of a special Okume veneer. The products are distinguished by their relatively low weight, high level of flexibility and durability.

The classic version has a laminated surface treated with waterproof compounds. It is often used in combination with epoxy and fiberglass. This plywood is comparable in strength to carbon products. It is distinguished by special decorative properties, which determines its high cost.

Non-classical plywood is made from a variety of hardwoods, including beech, birch, and poplar. Cedar and pine are sometimes used. This plywood can be of a combined type. In this case, the top layer of the products is made of special peeled veneer, and the inner part is already made of hardwood.

This variety should not be used for structural tasks - it is most often used for interior decoration or furniture production.

In addition to the above requirements, there are other important nuances that should be taken into account when manufacturing and installing materials. The outer layers of the sheets can only be made from solid veneer strips. In the internal structure, splicing of different elements with each other is permissible. In this case, the width of each strip must be at least 400 mm for the FBS brand or 200 mm for all other varieties.

In this case, the longitudinal rows of the internal splicing should not coincide. Only in this case the product will be as strong and solid as possible. The outer surface of plywood should not have areas that are not covered with clear varnishes and other special compounds.

Even small bubbles and unpressed areas should not be present on the surface of the sheet. Overlaps or irregularities with a height of more than 1 millimeter are also prohibited. All sheets can only be cut at right angles. In this case, the deviation per running meter should be no more than 2 millimeters.

The ends of all sheets must be carefully processed.

Finnish plywood

Film faced plywood is called Finnish. The fact is that in the USSR such material began to be supplied to the domestic market from here. The name is firmly entrenched in the construction vocabulary. Finnish moisture resistant film faced plywood is of high quality. It has a special film that additionally protects the material from destruction.

The presented material is made from rotary cut veneer. This allows the creation of thin workpieces. They are thoroughly dried. Before that, the sheets are cut to the specified formats. Thereafter, the material is impregnated with bakelite resins. When this procedure is completed, the sheets are stacked exactly one on top of the other and hot pressed. After that, the sheets are cut again. They acquire the appropriate dimensions. For example, it can be laminated moisture-resistant plywood 1500x3000 mm or another standard size.

A protective film is applied to both sides of the sheets. The ends also require proper protection. They are covered with special waterproof paint. This completely eliminates the ingress of moisture into the material. It is durable, high quality plywood.It has a wide range of applications.

The presented material is used as a formwork when creating various objects from cement. Moreover, it can be used both indoors and outdoors. The material is well protected from various adverse weather conditions.

The presented material is widely used in shipbuilding, auto and car building. The lamination film can be smooth. In this case, on both sides, the surface of the sheet will have this texture. This material is used to create formwork.

However, in some cases, mesh film is also used. It is applied to only one side of the sheet. The second side must be covered with a smooth material. This smooth-mesh type of plywood is used in the automotive industry. It is used to make the floor in the back of trucks. The mesh surface is characterized by high adhesion rates. This increases its adhesion to other materials.

Manufacturing process

Plywood of this type is a plate that is very rigid in bending. The main properties of the building material, which ensure its high popularity, are strength, lightness and water resistance. Birch veneer is used as a raw material. In the lower grades, the core of the plywood sheets may consist of softwood. Finnish moisture resistant plywood is made only from birch. After drying, the veneer is cut and impregnated with alcohol-based or water-based bakelite resin solutions. Such processing protects wood from fungal attack, rotting, exposure to aggressive environmental factors, including moisture, high and low temperatures. Impregnation is carried out by dipping the veneer or smearing it on both sides. The adhesive composition must be at least E1 safety class. Then the sheets are stacked and treated with hot steam under a press. In this case, the veneer layers are glued together, forming a strong conglomerate. The presence of exfoliated fragments, bulges and air pockets in it is not allowed. The finished product is cut in accordance with the established standards and a protective film is applied to the surface - laminated. The transverse edges are painted over with an acrylic moisture-resistant compound.

Technical properties

Material thickness varies from 6 to 40 mm, standard sheet sizes are 2500 × 1250 and 2440 × 1220 mm. Density per 1 m³ - 650 kg. Along the wood fibers, the modulus of elasticity of the material is at least 6000 MPa. The outer surface of plywood can be smooth or embossed. The latter is more convenient for cutting, it is used in cases where sliding of the material is undesirable, for example, when installing the floor. A characteristic feature is a light brown or reddish brown shade of the surface due to the covering film.

Film faced plywood is not inferior to low-alloy steel or plastic in terms of wear resistance. Its advantages:

• the ability to withstand temperatures in the range from -40 to + 50 ° С, resistance to melting and combustion;
• moisture resistance;
• environmental friendliness;
• dielectric properties;
• high hardness and strength;
• ease of processing.

Assembly

Next, we need to process all the symmetrical elements of our structure with a plane. To do this, you can use an electric plane, and do everything calmly. After processing, we start drilling holes that will help us sew the body.

We process the ends

We drill the holes so that the plywood boat is also visually attractive, but most importantly, we maintain an equal step of 100 mm between them, and we drill at a distance of 5 mm from the edge of the workpiece.

Bottom stitching can be done with nylon thread, and there are reasons for this:

• Nylon thread always has high strength.
• Capron feels great in water, it is not subject to rotting or corrosion.
• After the filament has been impregnated with epoxy, it will act like a reinforcing element.

Now that the bottom elements are sewn, it's time to glue them, and for this you need an impromptu slipway. When gluing the parts of the plywood boat together, do not forget that we need to remove the fillet, and this can be done very simply using a plastic spoon. The resin gradually sets and takes shape as we build the boat out of plywood.

Stitching example

Manufacturing of parts

We cut the fiberglass strips and prepare them for gluing the seams. Until we start gluing, we need a transom. This will be the bottom of the stern that we can hang the motor on. We will have both a motor boat and a rowing boat made of plywood - as we want to go on it, we will go, but we will still cut the transom.

To make a transom, we need a sheet of thick and thick plywood, choose 10 mm, mark everything and also cut everything out with an electric jigsaw.

Design

As a rule, models of such plywood have good decorative characteristics. They can be made in different colors, ranging from light beige to chocolate and red. Some models are produced in black colors.

Marine plywood is coated with a special varnish. Such samples have a slightly rough surface. Fully laminated products have a completely smooth surface. Corrugated sheets are also produced today. They are used for laying flooring, as they are considered the safest for humans - it is almost impossible to slip on them.

For information on how to choose plywood, see the next video.

Output

Judging by the above material, the construction of the boat can be quite successful, which is not strange if there are precise drawings and the basic design requirements are met. Therefore, we will clarify once again that it is necessary to build according to the finished project.

And of course, one cannot fail to note the unspeakably low cost of the structure, because the price includes the project and materials, and everything else is our work! And we can lead it without haste, paying maximum attention to details and elements.

The result is a great boat that can last for years! And in the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic (also find out what aviation plywood is and what it is used for).