[C320-list] Interesting discovery on cabin floor

[Jeff Hare]

Jack,

As I said earlier, Lonseal has now certified West Systems epoxy thickened with silica as an adhesive.  Their adhesive will be quite difficult to use since the mixture ratio is not intended to be used in batches, but rather all at once.  If you're going to do the job, do it right.  Call Lonseal, they'll send you all the application notes and discuss your installation. 

...or not, your call of course.

-Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of jackbrennan
Sent: Sunday, June 2, 2019 11:37 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Interesting discovery on cabin floor

Hi Doug:

No, it's the original cabin floor on a '98. There is a thicker structural floor. Then there is quarter-inch marine plywood with a teak and holly veneer skin.
I ended up using a good wood chisel to remove the veneer after realizing most of the marine plywood was in fact in good shape. The veneer was delaminating in many places, to the point where I originally didn't think Catalina had even glued it down.
I used fiberglass tape and epoxy to fix the rotten sections;  I decided to encase all of the wood in epoxy anyway, so I figured why bother cutting new wood.
I'm going to end up using epoxy to stick the laminate, even though I have some misgivings about using so strong an adhesive. I have it on hand, and the $80 Lonseal wants for its contact adhesive seems steep.
Tomorrow or Tuesday will be the big day for cutting the Lonseal. Wish me luck. Slow and careful are the watchwords.
Jack BrennanSonas, 1998 Catalina 320, no. 528Tierra Verde, Fl.Dolphin Cruising Club of Tampa Bay









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  On Sun, Jun 2, 2019 at 10:02 AM, Doug Treff<doug at treff.us> wrote:   I love Jeff's ideas. I've been contemplating a similar job. In a few years it will be time. However, I'll say that i've already refinished my floor once. And it looks like the substrate Catalina used on my boat is pretty good stuff. It's pretty thick and it has a water resistant plastic laminate of some kind applied to the underside. and it's WAY thicker than quarter inch. More like half inch, at least. I can see the markings on the underside where I'm fairly certain it was done at the factory because it has my hull number marked on it.

Maybe yours was redone by a previous owner along the way?

--
Doug Treff
doug at treff.us

On Fri, May 31, 2019, at 3:38 PM, Jack Brennan wrote:
> So I’m getting ready to install a new Lonseal teak and holly floor in 
> the cabin. I was steeling myself for a tough afternoon cutting out a 
> pattern of the floor with all of its twists and turns.
> 
> Imagine my surprise when I discovered those screws don’t just hold 
> down the laminate. They also hold down a quarter-inch plywood base 
> that screws into the real cabin floor.
> 
> So the good news and the bad news is that I was able to lift up the 
> plywood base and haul it into my garage, where I will be able to use 
> it to make a perfect pattern for the new floor. Unfortunately, it is 
> cheap plywood that has not weathered 20 years well.
> 
> It looks like I’ll be cutting a new plywood base for at least part of the floor.
> 
> Jack Brennan
> Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320, no. 528
> Tierra Verde, Fl.
> Dolphin Cruising Club of Tampa Bay
> 
> 
>