Plywood or particle Board

Its Me · Post by **Its Me** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 9:37 am

Ok the plans are in and the barn is about to be cleared out. For strong backs and forms the preferred material is?... explain your answer.

KARKAUAI · Post by **KARKAUAI** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:25 am

Hi, "me"....is that "mini me"?
I used 3/8" plywood on a 1x2 fir frame which came as the crate my strips were shipped in. The station molds were 1/2" MD fiberboard. When I do my next one I'll make a strongback a la Canoecraft using 3/4" plywood and use it for the next and the next canoes. I'll use 1/2 to 3/4" plywood for my station molds because it holds screws better.
Happy building!

Bassbug · Post by **Bassbug** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 1:04 pm

We are building our first canoe and used 3/4 plywood for the strongback and 1/2" MDF for the station molds. I love the strongback and will not change that. However, I'd go with 1/2" plywood for the molds. MDF works OK, but screw-holding issues and durability (re-using the molds) concerns would make we change.

Juneaudave · Post by **Juneaudave** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:45 pm

I used 3/4 ply on the strongback per Canoecraft. I really like the stability. An earlier post asked if it was OK to mount wheels and move it around. My thoughts were that once you had the molds squared up and set, the Canoecraft strongback was solid enough to take most moving, shoving, and pushing you might do and not lose the relationships betweeen the molds. Regarding molds, I used 1/2 AC ply on my first canoe. The molds worked well but the soft fir face of the ply made it a little difficult to mark the mold outline. The pencil wanted to track off along the grain and not follow the fair curve. I also have noted some warping on the molds this summer as they were improperly stored. AC ply doesn't do well in moisture and we have plenty of that up where I live. On this winters project I am using 1/2 particle board (not MDF, but the cheap stuff). This stuff is cheap, but it cuts nicely, holds staples and screws well, and I have been favorably impressed. The smoothe face makes it easy to trace the mold lines. The particle board was less than half the price of AC ply. On the mold materials, I think you can easily get by with the el-cheapo particle board if your only going to make one, two or three of the same canoe. In my case, I probably won't ever build two of the same canoes. If I were to be building a lot of the same model, I would probably spend the bucks to get some good cabinet grade birch faced ply. That would give you the smooth face and assure thet there weren't any voids in the edge of the ply...Juneaudave