luan plywood

[dwilfong]

Going to build my first rigger from kep's plans. Bought some luan ply from Home Depot 1/4x 2x4 sheet $3.50 do you think this will work for tub sides and bulkheads.

 

[optimax]

It will work fine I used this wood for the tubs also. Make sure you seal the wood.

 

[Mark Leyde]

I would not use that junk for building anything. It has voids in the inner ply's. I have tried to use it to build fullsize boat plugs and it is just plan junk.

 

[glenng]

I would not use that junk for building anything. It has voids in the inner ply's. I have tried to use it to build fullsize boat plugs and it is just plan junk.

Gotta go with Mark on this one- 1/8 Birch over 1/4 Luan any day. Glenn

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I guess that makes three of us who say take it back and get your money back

 

[Brad Christy]

David,

Here's a better option: 1/32" birch ply on either side of balsa (you pick the thickness). It's light and very stiff. Before you laminate them, make cut-outs in the balsa and insert birch plywood where your motor mount bolts go through and around the where the boom tube holes will be. It's a fairly simple process with a little bit of pre-planning. Send me a PM and I'll go into further detail........

Thanks. Brad.

Titan Racing Components

BlackJack Hydros

 

[jeff baham]

david, they should have the 1/4 birch ,i bought a sheet from them from $28.00 four years ago.

 

[dwilfong]

Thanks every one for all the good advice.

Went to Lowe's today and saw the birch and oak 1/4 in. ply in 2x4 sheets very cheep. Made pieces out of luan to day just to get the feel for it. You are right voids in the ply. Good practice any way. Kinda on a tight budget right now got layed off 2 weeks ago. Have lots of time just no money.

What would be better oak or birch ply.

 

[jeff baham]

which one do you like , either is good , oak is pretty with a clear coat and birch paint better.

 

[Marty Davis]

Thanks every one for all the good advice. Went to Lowe's today and saw the birch and oak 1/4 in. ply in 2x4 sheets very cheep. Made pieces out of luan to day just to get the feel for it. You are right voids in the ply. Good practice any way. Kinda on a tight budget right now got layed off 2 weeks ago. Have lots of time just no money.

What would be better oak or birch ply.

You might consider using Door Skins. Ed Hughey build all his boats out of that for MANY years. It is light, looks good, glues well and is CHEAP. Not very good structurally.

Marty Davis

 

[taber]

David,
Here's a better option: 1/32" birch ply on either side of balsa (you pick the thickness). It's light and very stiff. Before you laminate them, make cut-outs in the balsa and insert birch plywood where your motor mount bolts go through and around the where the boom tube holes will be. It's a fairly simple process with a little bit of pre-planning. Send me a PM and I'll go into further detail........

Thanks. Brad.

Titan Racing Components

BlackJack Hydros

Hello Brad, would this construction work for a .45 or .67 rigger ? If so and you have the time please send me a pm, as I am about to build a new 67 size rigger.[ basically a .45 cajun bullet enlarged a little]. thanks John.

 

[dwilfong]

Thanks every one for all the good advice. Went to Lowe's today and saw the birch and oak 1/4 in. ply in 2x4 sheets very cheep. Made pieces out of luan to day just to get the feel for it. You are right voids in the ply. Good practice any way. Kinda on a tight budget right now got layed off 2 weeks ago. Have lots of time just no money.

What would be better oak or birch ply.

You might consider using Door Skins. Ed Hughey build all his boats out of that for MANY years. It is light, looks good, glues well and is CHEAP. Not very good structurally.

Marty Davis

Door skins wow that a great idea. Youcan buy a cheap door for next to nothing it would keep me going for a long time. Can you use this for sponson covering to or would it be to heavy.

 

[dschigoda]

Marty Davis

Door skins wow that a great idea. Youcan buy a cheap door for next to nothing it would keep me going for a long time. Can you use this for sponson covering to or would it be to heavy.

Door skins are laun plywood.

 

[mercguy]

Thanks every one for all the good advice. Went to Lowe's today and saw the birch and oak 1/4 in. ply in 2x4 sheets very cheep. Made pieces out of luan to day just to get the feel for it. You are right voids in the ply. Good practice any way. Kinda on a tight budget right now got layed off 2 weeks ago. Have lots of time just no money.

What would be better oak or birch ply.

You might consider using Door Skins. Ed Hughey build all his boats out of that for MANY years. It is light, looks good, glues well and is CHEAP. Not very good structurally.

Marty Davis

Marty

You might want to check the door skins carefully. I looked at them at Home Depot and Lowes both and they were a very thin luan veneer over what looked like paper or thin cardboard backing. Birch door skins used to be available too but noone seems to carry them anymore.

Bill

 

[Ray Sametz]

Just go with aircraft plywood http://www.balsausa.com save yourself a lot of trouble. Better off in the longgggg run. B) B)

 

[Bill Gibson]

I just had to get in on this topic as it is very interesting....guess i still remember the days when i had to build model boats as CHEAPLY as possible...soooo...Im the first to absolutly agree that aircraft ply is the BEST type of wood to build a model boat with..hands down..HOWEVER doorskin or luan which i do believe is very similar if not basically the same will work if one wants to build a boat on a tight budget! It can be a little more difficult to work with and will compress but so will plywood if one leans on the wrenches hard enough. I knew a great guy by the name of Charlie Lockett who scratch built 20 and 40 tunnels and inboards with nothing but luan..he even SKINNED em with the stuff and his boats lasted for YEARS. Ive built a number of Dumas boats using nothing but the material that came with the kit and by SEALING the luan with epoxy inside and out i still have a 20 Pakynpak that is 28 years old and is still in one piece! Ive even seen Classic Thunderboats built with doorskin and they seem to work fine. The areas that take stress such as the transom or turn fin area can be backed up or skinned with plywood but whatever is used it must be sealed because even plywood will swell if it isnt protected, and one takes the time to DRY the boat out as well as possible after a days running... The other kinda good thing about a softer wood such as luan is that it does absorb vibration slightly better than harder woods. As long as I can afford to, ill build my wood boats with a/c plywood, but if times get tough (and that can happen anytime in this lousy economy) Id build a doorskin boat in a heartbeat!! Just my penny and a half cause thats about all my opinion is worth!!

 

[Tom Foley]

I just had to get in on this topic as it is very interesting....guess i still remember the days when i had to build model boats as CHEAPLY as possible...soooo...Im the first to absolutly agree that aircraft ply is the BEST type of wood to build a model boat with..hands down..HOWEVER doorskin or luan which i do believe is very similar if not basically the same will work if one wants to build a boat on a tight budget! It can be a little more difficult to work with and will compress but so will plywood if one leans on the wrenches hard enough. I knew a great guy by the name of Charlie Lockett who scratch built 20 and 40 tunnels and inboards with nothing but luan..he even SKINNED em with the stuff and his boats lasted for YEARS. Ive built a number of Dumas boats using nothing but the material that came with the kit and by SEALING the luan with epoxy inside and out i still have a 20 Pakynpak that is 28 years old and is still in one piece! Ive even seen Classic Thunderboats built with doorskin and they seem to work fine. The areas that take stress such as the transom or turn fin area can be backed up or skinned with plywood but whatever is used it must be sealed because even plywood will swell if it isnt protected, and one takes the time to DRY the boat out as well as possible after a days running... The other kinda good thing about a softer wood such as luan is that it does absorb vibration slightly better than harder woods. As long as I can afford to, ill build my wood boats with a/c plywood, but if times get tough (and that can happen anytime in this lousy economy) Id build a doorskin boat in a heartbeat!! Just my penny and a half cause thats about all my opinion is worth!!

That's because you have never used the Pay n Pak !!!!!!!! anything will last in a TIME CAPSULE !!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Tom Foley]

I would not use that junk for building anything. It has voids in the inner ply's. I have tried to use it to build fullsize boat plugs and it is just plan junk.

Exactly !!

 

[PHM Racing]

I would not use that junk for building anything. It has voids in the inner ply's. I have tried to use it to build fullsize boat plugs and it is just plan junk.

Exactly !!

If your going to use that junk atlest you can put a door handle on the radio box to gain access :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: , sorry , what you need is 1/8 or 1/4 baltic birch 5 ply you can't go wrong and in a time capsule it will last a life time :lol: :lol: , sorry agian , i couldn't resist.

Do it rite the first time not the 2nd

Mike

 

[dwilfong]

Well it seams like Thar are two sides to every coin and I think I have seen both of them now.

Going to use luan for my first try. It will probably end up in pieces any way the way I set up boats.

Heard a lot of very go advice any one else want to jump in need all the help I can get. What till I go to kmart and get carbon hunting arrows for the booms.

Still trying to find foam for the sponsons. thay only have the 3/4 at Lowe's and you have to buy a whole sheet.