Starboard

[macojoe]

How strong is Starboard??

I have to fish boxes in the floor of my boat that have the oringal Teak wood covers. One borke last year and I repaired for now.
But I was thinking of just making some out of Starboard??
They are about 3 feet long and about 20 inches wide?? This is a guess as the boat is still covered up. They have at least a 1/2" lip all the way around the edge and they need to be walked on all the time!
Do you think it is strong anough to take what I can dish out which will be alot!

[chumbucket]

Not structurally strong enough for that cover MJ. Not without some sort of reinforcement anyways.

[macojoe]

maybe I will make some out of ply and glass them over?? I am so confused ???
Like I am going to have time this year any way :-/

[Mac_Attack]

MJ Go to http://WWW.tacomarine.com/support/St..._starboard.htm Go to questions and answers, first question. Bill Mc

[Crusher]

Macojoe, I too will be needing some type of material for a prodject I want to try. Noticed in some newer commercial rest rooms the partitions are made of some type of heavy plastic (?) type sheets 5/8" to 3/4" thick. Comes in different colors white, cream, green, etc. May be someone on here knows an source for this, may be cheaper with out word marine in it, Wawa convenience stores is the first place I saw it. Also just read a article in a new N.J. fishing mag. that list three different grades of Starboard for different types of prodjects. Crusher

Some polyethylene sheets such as starboard are UV resistant. 8) Some others are not. :-/

[chumbucket]

The problem is, Starboard, although UV stabile is not a good structural material to handle loads. Most plastics aren't unles they are rotationally molded or molded with some sort of strengthening gridwork to keep it from deflecting.
The Starboard material would work for this project, but it would need something attached to the underside to keep it from deflecting when stepped on it.
I used some Starboard for a smaller project and I can tell you that it's very nice and easy to work with. No special tools are required. Just basic woodworking tools. You can cut it with table saws, route the edges, pretty much anything similar to woodworking.
If you can find a plastics distributor in your area, they will generally sell it cheaper than the marine stores do. I bought mine at a plastics place here in Boston.

[macojoe]

The Teak covers were made of 4 tounge and grove pieces of teak with two stringers under holding them toghter, cross the opposite way.
What if I made the covers from star board and eaither use star board or wood stringers under it??
Do you think it is strong anough on the edges to hold in place?? it has a 1/2 to 3/4" lip all the way around the edge that keeps it in place??

[macojoe]

Well I just went to there site and watched a video on some aplacations. They seem to use it for everything! They make stairs, swim platforms, hatch covers, and and even saw a floor cover!!
But that said I noticed it was a small floor covers and that the swim platform was also small?? So I will have to call tec suport for advice on this?? They have 3/4 that might do the trick?? I have to see how think the wood was? I don't want to have a lip to trip over all the time!
I can do that all by myself! :o

[chumbucket]

The teak wood strips underneath attached might work okay. You might also consider going to Home Depot and getting some thin (say 1/8" thick) aluminum angle strips to attach underneath too.