materials selection help
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Posted by: bluewing ® 02/27/2006, 02:51:24 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Hi everyone, I'm looking at redoing the deck on my duck boat this year. I originally created it using 3/4" PT Plywood and well...it's heavy. If you look at my 3D drawing you can see how it's currently setup. The deck currently measures 6'x6'. I primariy use the space underneath it for decoy storage. Since I really don't need the front part (pink area) for structure I could use aluminum skin. My delimma is what to use for the deck. We primarily get in/out of the boat via the deck and it needs to handle the weight of a 220lb man, wearing extremely cold weather clothes and wet waders. Plus I need to make sure my waders won't get snagged on the deck. I thought about expanded or perforated aluminum, then saw something about aluminum panel with honeycomb core. I had planned on bracing the deck with perforated square tubing and bolting it down. I'm just not sure if i will remove much weight. Any suggestions or ideas?   Modified by bluewing at Mon, Feb 27, 2006, 10:08:51

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Re: materials selection help
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Posted by: randykimball ® 02/27/2006, 16:43:27 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Aluminum honeycomb will reduce the weight many fold and will be amazingly, unbelievably strong.... and will not need bracing. However, I would protect the exposed edges by dropping them down into the gunnals, and perhaps place one angle or channel beam cross brace under the honeycomb across the bow where the new deck forms the opening to prevent denting or damaging this exposed edge. If the edge is mashed or hit it will lose its strength. Enclosing this edge in between angles or in a channel should do the trick. 1" thick honeycomb weighs almost nothing compared to plywood... and it does not rot out. Be advised the top layer of the honeycomb will be easy to dent or stab. You may want to consider a protective layer of Lexan (not poly-carb [Lexan will not break!]) or a similar product to protect it with resistance to breakage. That top layer (as all layers) is very thin. /←randy→/ The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, never let suggestions go unsaid nor fail to listen to them.

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