| Author |
Topic: ELCO 80' Decking Types |
|
BobPic
New Member
|
  
Posted on: Apr 18, 2010 - 7:12am
|
Sorry folks, I surely mispoke. But I really do not remember ever seeing construction sheets of plywood being used on the boats. I apologize to djwhite and thanks to JeffD. I suppose my memory lapse is partly due to the fact this subject didn't seem important at that time. Otherwise my memory is perfesc...now what the heck were the wings made of?
|
Total Posts: | Joined:
Unregistered | IP
Logged
|
|
Jeff D
Moderator
|
 Posted on: Apr 18, 2010 - 11:50am
|
Your memory is great Bob, I try to think back no where near that many years and draw mostly a blank... and you're right in that most decks were planked except the ones listed.
The wings were plywood, the 103-367 was 27/64" and curved wings on later boats were 5 layers of 5/64" birch plywood glued over a mold. I'm not sure if the earlier boats were layered over a mold also.
Another area of the boats that made extensive use of plywood was the chart house and day room top, sides, and fore and aft walls.
|
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined:
Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am | IP
Logged
|
|
 |
Jerry Gilmartin |
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 18, 2010 - 2:57pm
|
Hey guys,
I think I saw in Frank Andruss' awesome book "Building the PT Boats" a photo taken at Elco that shows the entire deck as one giant piece made of plywood that was installed as a single piece onto the boat all at once. All of the holes were precut etc, so it fit like a glove in place onto the boat. Frank could probably provide more info on this, but I think this was on the late war 80 foot Elco boats. I am unsure what series. There did not appear to be any 4 foot by 8 foot pieces ever being used in the picture. Just as a related side note, we are redecking the PT658 Higgins in Portland right now. We considered replanking it as a 2 layer planked mahogany deck, but the cost of materials and labor was too prohibitive to do so. We decided to do the next best thing by decking it with custom ordered Marine Grade 12 layer 3/4 inch thick mahogany plywood in 5 foot by 10 foot sheets, which will have the seam down the centerline of the boat. Then we soaked it liberally with clear penetrating epoxy sealer several coats inside and out and on the edges too. Here is a picture of her in the process of being redecked. Jerry
Jerry Gilmartin |
Total Posts: 1472 | Joined:
Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm | IP
Logged
|
|
Dick
Moderator
|
Posted on: Apr 18, 2010 - 4:22pm
|
Denny . . .
As stated very well by Jerry above, there is also the "Giant Killer" video I uploaded to YouTube a couple a years ago. On video 2 of 3 at about the 7 minute mark they talk about and show the continuous length of plywood being laminated and applied to the boat (ELCO).
Catch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e6Ei5UvLqI
Other parts of the video and other PT Related video:
http://www.youtube.com/rjwgdi#p/u
DIck . . . .
|
Total Posts: 1417 | Joined:
Aug 27, 2006 - 6:36pm | IP
Logged
|
|
djwhite
New Member
|
Posted on: Apr 18, 2010 - 5:31pm
|
Thank You all for your input.
Bob, Sir I was by no means insulted in any way, only confused. I relish hearing and learning from anyone who was there.
I have been gathering information to help me build the interior of the 80" Elco by Italiari.
I intend to display it very much like Dicks poster from PT Boats Inc. David W. and Jerry B. have been helping me a great deal. They are the ones who introduced me to this forum and I have gathered enormous amounts of information from everyone here.
I am thinking of seeing if I can purchase four actual cartridges to hold the deck up and behind the open hull. With a mirror under the deck showing the bottom of the deck which I hope to light with a fiber optic light set up from another model set. I hope it will show the space that these men had to work in.
I have almost printed every page of Jeff D.'s pt103 web site for reference material. I hope that is all right with you Jeff?
|
Total Posts: | Joined:
Unregistered | IP
Logged
|
|
Jeff D
Moderator
|
Posted on: Apr 19, 2010 - 1:10am
|
Sure thing Denny, glad you find my site helpful.
Dayum Jerry, you got your work cut out for you! Thank you for posting that image, very interesting seeing under the deck.
|
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined:
Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am | IP
Logged
|
|
|
|
Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 19, 2010 - 10:12am
|
Jerry
When that deck is completed how hard will the outer layer be, and how often will you need to do maintainence on it. If I remember, didn't PT 486 do the same thing to their hull.........
|
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined:
Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am | IP
Logged
|
|
 |
Jerry Gilmartin |
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 19, 2010 - 11:31am
|
Hi Frank,
I did not really mean to hijack this thread. But I will answer you questions about PT658 decking. The deck will add to the stiffness of the boat quite a bit. The hardness of the mahogany plywood should be the same as the two layers of mahogany that was on there originally. (I think originally it was 3/16 thick spruce under 1/2 inch mahogany planks) We are also considering adding a top layer of heavy fiberglass to help waterproof the entire deck. It will be painted over and we are getting a pro to do the installation. We are making sure to liberally soak the entire structure, inside and out with the epoxy (Smiths) before we apply any other covering. So several professional boat builders have been consulted in this and this seems like the way to go. I am really happy with the design which will keep water from being trapped between the edges of the deck and the covering board and rub rail. On our last installation, water was trapped there and contributed to the rotting of the structural members of the boat. Here is a photo showing the new deck being coated with Smiths epoxy. That is me with the roller! Jerry
Jerry Gilmartin |
Total Posts: 1472 | Joined:
Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm | IP
Logged
|
|
Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 19, 2010 - 2:30pm
|
Jerry
With the epoxy being put on, and then the advent of Fiberglass, that should really solve any problems you may have with water down the road. I seem to remember PT-486 when it was the SIGHTSEER that the previous owner used epoxy and fiberglass on the hull to seal it. With that type of process your chances of springing a leak or water damge from rot are not to nothing. I am sure we all appreciate seeing the photo's you have put up, so by all means keep them coming. Thanks for the information...........
|
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined:
Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am | IP
Logged
|
|
|
