07-03-2017, 07:37 AM
Looks like some in the diy driftboat community are switching from plywood over to plasticore. Anybody ever tried that on one of the Stevenson designs? Pro's/Con's?
07-03-2017, 07:37 AM
07-03-2017, 12:56 PM
Plasticore has been touted as a low cost core replacement, but it's of dubious value. Typically this stuff has low modulus, poor sheer strength and doesn't bond well to most adhesives. There's a couple of types; polypropylene and polyethylene.
The reason the driftboat guys are playing with this is the engineering approaches usually taken; one is a stiff, rigid bottom the other a more flexible bottom. A stiff hull is usually cored and rows well, because the energy expended isn't eaten by boat flex and the more flexible method, absorbs impact damage better. Driftboats, if used regularly tend to need repairs in fairly short fashion, so a cored hull isn't the most economical technique (a pain to repair). Lastly, the reason you're seeing this stuff in the driftboat crowd is they're a bunch of cheap bastards and also mostly broke, otherwise they put an engine on a boat and not have to manhandle it out in a crazy running river . . .
The reason the driftboat guys are playing with this is the engineering approaches usually taken; one is a stiff, rigid bottom the other a more flexible bottom. A stiff hull is usually cored and rows well, because the energy expended isn't eaten by boat flex and the more flexible method, absorbs impact damage better. Driftboats, if used regularly tend to need repairs in fairly short fashion, so a cored hull isn't the most economical technique (a pain to repair). Lastly, the reason you're seeing this stuff in the driftboat crowd is they're a bunch of cheap bastards and also mostly broke, otherwise they put an engine on a boat and not have to manhandle it out in a crazy running river . . .