I am by no means a purist nor am I addicted to wood. I cheaper out and used the rubber flooring at Home Depot. It's teak flavored.
It used to be easier than this
- Thread starter Calif. Ted
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Here is real 8/4 edge grain solid teak and ash (instead of holly) cabin sole. Plank thickness is 3/8" and the entire sole was epoxy glued, screwed and plugged. One picture is during construction, the rest are 27 years later and half way around the world.
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that is some nice wood working Neil that really is old school marine woodworking ......
regards
woody
Thanks all. Take a close look at the table. It took me a month to build - just the table. It's herringbone black walnut with padauk and maple stripe inlay. There's a bit of a surprise if you examine it closely.
Good eye Luz. There's a self elevating dish and utensil bin in the center of the table. The teak box underneath houses it.
To stay on the topic of cabin soles, the broker put together a video that has more views of the sole:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJkrtM_R5VI
Kind of embarrassing compared to the work of Neil and the others posted but I finally took some pics. The center sections are still the old teak and holly that's been refinished, notice the woods have reversed color. I was going to do the other sections but so far everyone says they like it as is, they are probably just being kind.
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WOW! This is bad news. I just bought new teak handrails for my Oday a few months ago. They were the only place that made direct replacement for that brand that I could find. This is a huge blow to the sailing world.
We are partly to blame and I admit to being one of the worst offenders. While we're shopping the net for the best price or making parts ourselves these iconic businesses that have supported the sailboat industry are disappearing one by one.
Sadly, H&L Marine Woodwork is gone. Before that and some time ago it was Western Woodcraft, owned by the same guy who owned Elk Brass (marine castings, thru hulls, shafts). The first of this year Crystaliner called it quits. Crystaliner was a fiberglass materials supplier in Southern California (where the industry began) dating back to the late 50's. They were located literally across the street from the MacGregor plant.
I worked in the industry in it's heyday in Southern California and things were booming. Stainless fastener suppliers were on nearly every corner, there were three significant marine hardware chains, Southern Marine, Balboa and Kettenberg (all swallowed up by West), artisan machine shops turning out fittings and chainplates everywhere, fully loaded mast trailers were a common sight, tanker trucks with resin too. Tank manufacturers, rigging shops, upholsterers, keel manufacturers, trailer manufacturers, engine distributors, all gone. It's like a ghost town now in terms of a once vibrant industry.
Sure, market pressures, EPA stresses and immigration took their toll but these days WE are the market. There's very little sailboat manufacturing to support it anymore.
Just in the town of Costa Mesa we had Columbia/Coronado, Ericson, Islander, Jensen Marine (Cal, Luhrs, Ranger, Defever, O'Day), Yankee, MacGregor, Westsail, Sam Morse (Bristol Channel Cutter), Coastal Recreation (Aquarious, Balboa). Expanding the radius beyond the city limits there was W.D.Schock (Santana), Clipper Marine, Lancer, Capital Yachts (Newport, Neptune and Gulf), Pacific Seacraft, Challenger and Blue Buoy Yachts (Del Rey 24 and 50).. That was all within a 30 mile radius and I'm sure I missed a few. Catalina was a little more distant but they were supported by the same vendor network as the rest. And that doesn't count the power boat companies of which there were probably an equal number.
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Now the MacGregor building is up for lease, saw the signs yesterday.
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Nice job!Kind of embarrassing compared to the work of Neil and the others posted but I finally took some pics. The center sections are still the old teak and holly that's been refinished, notice the woods have reversed color. I was going to do the other sections but so far everyone says they like it as is, they are probably just being kind.
I need to replace the teak and holly sole on my boat and I am considering the option that you describe. I wonder if you could elaborate a little about how you created your panels. Did you glue the snap and click boards together? Was the wood unfinished?: you mention heavy use of your belt sander. Were the boards solid wood or a wood veneer? What did you finish them with?
Sorry to bother you with so many questions...
The flooring was pre-finished, called "engineered hardwood" here sometimes, 3/8 inch hardwood plywood with an oak veneer, 3 inch wide planks. The tongue and groove is a "click and lock" design that kind of locks them together. I'd cut the planks for 2 center rows and glue the T&G, clamp the plank rows tight together with bar clamps. After glue dried, clamped center sections down to the old flooring panels. Using the old panels as a pattern, cut, glued, and clamped the other planks up against the first rows.
The new panels being glued up and clamped directly to the old I had the contours but had left the curved edges slightly "bold". The straight edges were right on, but I'd left a little extra on the curves. The belt sander was used to match up those curved edges as exact as I could.
The underside of all curved edges also had to be "eased" (slightly rounded) because they laid down at the junction of fiberglass floor and sides which doesn't make a straight corner but a rounded one.
Used old panels as patterns to drill and countersink screw holes and 3 inch hole for table pedestal base (big hole saw). Stained raw edges and countersinks, then a coat of varnish on all sides.
The top coat of varnish on the prefinished surface may have been a mistake, I can tell already it's not as tough as the factory surface. I wanted to match the sheen of the other stuff already refinished, should have maybe gone the other way and matched old to new.
I was also keeping everything clamped down to a table to ensure it was coming out completely flat.
The new panels being glued up and clamped directly to the old I had the contours but had left the curved edges slightly "bold". The straight edges were right on, but I'd left a little extra on the curves. The belt sander was used to match up those curved edges as exact as I could.
The underside of all curved edges also had to be "eased" (slightly rounded) because they laid down at the junction of fiberglass floor and sides which doesn't make a straight corner but a rounded one.
Used old panels as patterns to drill and countersink screw holes and 3 inch hole for table pedestal base (big hole saw). Stained raw edges and countersinks, then a coat of varnish on all sides.
The top coat of varnish on the prefinished surface may have been a mistake, I can tell already it's not as tough as the factory surface. I wanted to match the sheen of the other stuff already refinished, should have maybe gone the other way and matched old to new.
I was also keeping everything clamped down to a table to ensure it was coming out completely flat.
Thank you for the comprehensive description of what you did. A couple of questions though:
When you say "I'd cut the planks for 2 center rows and glue the T&G", are you saying that you ripped your 3 strips into 2" strips. That would seem to eliminate the strength of the T&G. Also is all of your flooring supported underneath, or does any of it have to span any open areas, like a portion of the bilge?
Thanks again!
When you say "I'd cut the planks for 2 center rows and glue the T&G", are you saying that you ripped your 3 strips into 2" strips. That would seem to eliminate the strength of the T&G. Also is all of your flooring supported underneath, or does any of it have to span any open areas, like a portion of the bilge?
Thanks again!
All areas are supported by the fiberglass floor pan, except the center sections which are over the bilge and are 1 inch thick, haven't replaced them yet.
I meant I cut 2 center rows to length, then when gluing T&G on others I could clamp them up tight to each other reducing any gap between them.
One reason I used 3/8 " was to maintain the matched heights of the various sections.
I meant I cut 2 center rows to length, then when gluing T&G on others I could clamp them up tight to each other reducing any gap between them.
One reason I used 3/8 " was to maintain the matched heights of the various sections.
Thanks, I read/interpreted that as 2" on center for some reason. It all makes sense - I'll look for some flooring that I like and go for it.
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