Hi again and thanks for the help with my previous questions! My situation has changed and I may be able to build sooner than I thought! So, more questions.
I want to build in a very bare-bones way. I don't have a garage, shop, table saw, etc. I have a backyard where I can put up a plastic shelter.
I have heard that this boat, the vacationer, has been built in as little as 5 months with as little as 4000 dollars. I aim for something similar.
1. has anyone here built it with ACX or similar exterior plywood, and how long has your boat lasted?
2. What tools will i absolutely need, besides my handheld jigsaw, drill, router, and handsaw? I assume a sander, for one.
3. how important is epoxy in this project? it is on the expensive side, and my climate is cool.
4. how much does the trailer cost? roughly.
5. I know there have been a lot of discussions of paint on this board. I hear lots of different things. Some say latex house paint is fine for the whole boat, is this true?
PS the boat will be used mainly on saltwater if it matters.
Thanks so much,
Casey McGovern
Tacoma, Washington
I built my weekender with only the basic tools shown in the video, and in the back yard under a plastic cannopy.
Having nice tools is a real bonus and can sometimes be a time saver but .... All you need is basic tools. If you don't have them ... I found the following tools almost required....
Circular Saw (with rip fence [very important])
Hand Drill (two is better, one to drill one to screw)
JigSaw
Random Orbit Sander
Belt Sander
Tape Measure
Angle Finder
Protractor and compass.
Socket and Wrench Set/ Plyers/Screwdrivers etc..
I would have been better served by more than 5 basic spring clamps but I built my boat with only those clamps until I got to laminating my mast.
I built and cut most stuff using plastic five gallon buckets as saw horses. You can saw right through the bucket when cutting your wood and you can sit your boat right on the buckets... After all was said and done I ruined three buckets with the weight of the boat... I Still use the other 10 buckets.
Building under a cannopy is just fine cause. It's the way I've seen several boats built
The weather in Florida is a bit nicer than the weather in your area though.
Problems I had building under a plastic cannopy were mosly with the finishing steps, painting outside attacted insects and dust. In general is was a bonus to be working outside, there was less dust to breathe and even though it was a hassle in the finishing steps, I didn't have to clean up sawdust and shavings off the bare dirt (we call sand dirt here). The only other major problem with cannopy building was that the wood at the bow and the stern got very slightly wet during heavy blows.. I started with a fully enclosed cannopy and ended up with a lot of rotten tarp material on the sunny sides of the shed. (over 2 years)
Hope this helps!
Caset Mc Here is my two cents worth.
Yes a shelter will work. 5mo. I would question. $4000. you will have to watch what you are doing. Yes some of these boats have been built with ACX. Life of the boat depends on TLC and how much it is in the water,(or the water is in it.) You can get it done with the tools Mr Cruse named. (if you are going to get er done in 5 mo. you might need a chain saw.) Epoxy and cloth will extend the life of your boat a lot, and it is a little pricey. Trailor cost any place between $250. and $2500. depending on how good a trailer you have to have. Paint my thought on paint, if you are going to put $4000.+in it put in another $25.and use boat paint for boats house paint for houses. Bud. :wink:
I sure appreciate the answers. What about fasteners, I guess everyone uses stainless screws but I thought brass or bronze was better for boats?
I built my boat out of ACX and if you are careful with it it will last a long time. I used stainless screws because I heard that brass or bronze screws will eventually crumble away, something like that. Anyway stainless worked well for me.
Brass has very limited strength and will de-zinc in salt water. It's fine on interior trim. Monel and bronze are the hands down best materials to fasten with, stainless being a distant second place. Galvanized fasteners will work, but must be hot dipped, not plated and you'll have to live with rust stains and the limited life span they offer.
Most everyone uses the hardware store variety of 316 stainless. You really want the low carbon stuff, but you'll have to order it. Bronze will have to be ordered as well. Bring a magnet along with you and run it over the stainless you're buying. If it sticks, it's not 316 and very prone to pitting and corrosion. Stainless has a nasty habit of breaking with little to no warning. If stainless is installed in wood and the wood gets wet, it will rust just as fast as a mild steel fastener. Stainless requires air to circulate around it to remain "stainless". In a salt water environment, low grades of stainless don't last very long at all.
ACX plywood is a very low grade panel, about the lowest in fact. If you use it, you will have to seal it up with 'glass and "hope for the best" in regard to the internal quality of the panels.
Acrylic (latex) paint is fine, many use it. Flat acrylics will absorb moisture so use a high gloss and dull it after it's applied. The high gloss acrylics are more water resistant. It will "chalk" up pretty quickly is it sees a fair amount of use, but it's cheap enough to recoat annually. Porch and deck enamel is often used, which wears a little better then standard house paint. Except on work boats I don't recommend acrylic paints be used. They just don't last very long, don't look very good for very long and when they fail, they fail in a big way. Marine grade for the exterior of the hull at least, would be my suggestion.
Thanks everyone, and thank you Paul for all your help. I'm getting excited to build... should be able to start the keel next month!