Xpress 1546D Makeover... -- SOLD!

[270Handiman]

I tried to find you an actual explanation of what the stuff is:

https://www.insidewoodworking.com/mdo-and-hdo-plywood.html

We use HDO at work for making reusable concrete forms, and it lasts forever. You should be able to get it at any real lumberyard (ie-not the blue and orange box stores). Thay may not have it in stock, but they can get it for you. We buy it at our local lumberyard and they always have it in stock. Also, you could check at any sign making company.

Here is another discussion of it on "another" forum:

https://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-building/mdo-plywood-3573.html

 

[dyeguy1212]

Am I misreading it, or is it similar to particle board?

 

[russ010]

I kept reading it as a cross between veneer and MDF... but I could be totally wrong.

I'll just keep playing around with my $20 sheets of plywood.. if I'm going to spend $50 for a sheet, I'm going to go ahead and get marine ply (which I'm not doing)

 

[270Handiman]

I'll just keep playing around with my $20 sheets of plywood.. if I'm going to spend $50 for a sheet, I'm going to go ahead and get marine ply (which I'm not doing)

Well, it's actually better than marine plywood. It's rated the same, but it has the smooth surface from the high density veneer overlay on the top. Just for kicks, next time your driving down a lonely road, stop and look at one of the road signs made of wood. That will be HDO plywood. At least you'll know what it is and what it looks like. It's good stuff.

Am I misreading it, or is it similar to particle board?

The outer veneer is basically a form of particleboard made with high strength resins, and this gives it a smooth, flat blemish free surface. Other than that, it is just basically plywood.

 

[CrewCabMax]

so you put the hydro turf over plywood or alum sheeting?? I was thinking about using it over plywood, but didnt know how it would affect it. I REALLY dont want to use carpet in my boat. Its going to be mostly a duck hutning boat, but fish in the spring and summer. A LOT easier to clean up hydro turf than carpet. Thanks!

 

[russ010]

so you put the hydro turf over plywood or alum sheeting?? I was thinking about using it over plywood, but didnt know how it would affect it. I REALLY dont want to use carpet in my boat. Its going to be mostly a duck hutning boat, but fish in the spring and summer. A LOT easier to clean up hydro turf than carpet. Thanks!

In the front where I have it, that was the existing factory aluminum deck. You can put it over plywood too with no problems, I would just recommend sealing the wood prior, then using a glue or that spray adhesive... if I were to do it over again, I would pay the extra $25 for their 3M adhesive backing already on there.

 

[russ010]

Ok fellas... hang with me here - I've got a ton of pics.

Before I get started, I decided to ditch the 15/32" ply that I was using because I didn't like the warping of it. I don't want to start off with a bad product, so I just used what I had already cut as a layout for everything. I picked up 2 sheets of 23/32" expensive A#$ plywood. I don't remember what it was called, something like ACX. $35 per sheet, but I get 10% discount at Lowe's, so a whopping $7 in savings. I decided to go with a thicker board because I'm not going to use much bracing because I'm going to have 3 hatches right behind the livewell, and they are going to be made of this ply.

I got the holes cut for the aerator and all before I did any cutting just so I could see what all needed to be cut out. I ended up cutting almost the whole section of flooring out because I wanted to run wires and everything underneath it and wanted to atleast be able to run a wire snake under it.

I got the back deck cut out, as well as the front cover. I'm going to put one speaker on this side, and then I'll put the other speaker on the extended front deck so that they are facing each other. I've still got a lot to do before next weekends tourney, but I think I can get most of it done. Bad part is, I've got a function to go to tomorrow night, then I leave Friday for drill in South Carolina. So it will be some late nights next week.
Enjoy the pics - you can see more here, I'm not posting every single one - https://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/russ010/Xpress Boat/

BlueWaterLED lights... these are red. The picture after this with the wire is where I came out at the top and used 3M 5200 to seal around the hole. It doesn't look as bad in person as it does in the picture.

This is the warped board that I ended up using as a template

And then the new stuff... a little on the heavy side, but I like it

Not only does he stand behind it... I can stand on it. One foot just showing all my weight is on the livewell.... no give

Here is where I have marked the cuttings for my 3 rear hatches. The lids on the ends will open up towards the front of the boat. They are just access to the onboard charger and the livewell pump on the other side. The middle hatch has a battery in it and it's also where I'm going to put my scales and culling balls. it will open up towards the rear seat.

Here's the front, and then the front with the speaker in place... I already ran the speaker wire from the front

 

[dyeguy1212]

Looking good! How are you securing the livewell to the decking (or are you even going to bother, since its not going to take much of a pounding with only TMs?)

I'm planning on drilling 2 or 3 holes on each side on the thick area and carriage bolting it in.

 

[russ010]

I haven't decided yet to be honest with ya... I did get some stainless steel self tapping screws (phillips flat head). I don't want to put anything on top that I might trip over.

The other option I was thinking about was using some of the industrial strength velcro... well the coarse side since this will be on top of carpet. I dunno... I might figure something else out like figuring out a way to attach it to the floor.

More than likely it will get the screws in the top though... I do have a 20HP motor that I run with on the big lakes

 

[Doug]

russ010,

The mods are coming along well. The livewell and hatches look great the way you've got them.

 

[PhilM]

I have used MDO for years making traffic signs, you can buy it in 1/2" or 3/4" single or double sided. (MDO, Medium Density Overlay (engineered plywood)). Lasts years outside and has a great smooth finish. What I like about this product it is usually very flat and not warped like other plywood products.

It is pricey though $42.00 for a 1/2" sheet at Menards. Just checked the price last night. :beer:

 

[Troutman3000]

Looking good Russ.

 

[dyeguy1212]

I haven't decided yet to be honest with ya... I did get some stainless steel self tapping screws (phillips flat head). I don't want to put anything on top that I might trip over.

I guess I should have been more specific.. I'm planning to use carriage bolts. They won't sit completely flush, but they're smooth and toe-stubbing resistant. :lol:

 

[russ010]

I understood what you were talking about.. I just keep coming up with so many different ideas I don't know what I'm going to do.

On the front where the speaker is, I don't think i'm going to attach that to the aluminum angle. I think I'm going to velcro it and make everything behind it accessible. I've done that with velcro before and it worked great. I've also used velcro for the top deck - surprisingly it never flew off

 

[Nick Jones]

looks great man!

 

[Brine]

I understood what you were talking about.. I just keep coming up with so many different ideas I don't know what I'm going to do.

On the front where the speaker is, I don't think i'm going to attach that to the aluminum angle. I think I'm going to velcro it and make everything behind it accessible. I've done that with velcro before and it worked great. I've also used velcro for the top deck - surprisingly it never flew off

I"ve used the industrial size velcro strips for a multitude of projects. My experience is the adhesive will fail on the strips before the connection ever will, so make sure to prep the surface correctly before adhering the strips. Might be worth the effort to use an additional adhesive depending on the situation. IMO, heat would be an issue on the self adhesive back (at least on the brand I have traditionally used). Can't remember the mfg, but I've bought it at Home Depot.

 

[russ010]

I use screws to attach the velcro - along with liquid nails... that's how I got around that problem

 

[russ010]

got a little bit done this morning before I left to come to South Carolina.

I drilled one 1" hole in the side of the boat for the livewell pump. I wanted it to be in the back of the boat, but hoses nor pipe would go under the rear bench, and I drilled a hole in the rear bench to see what was there, and it was full of foam that proably should come out, but I'm not fooling with it, so the pump is on the side. It's on the opposite side of the aerator... not because I wanted it over there, but the ouput of my aerator pretty much takes up the whole side where I have it mounted.

I still need to put the drain in the livewell, then run it out the side of the boat... it's going on the same side as the livewell pump. I've decided to not put on a overflow drain... I'm not going to fill it up that high, and being mostly an electric only boat, I dont' want to drill another hole in the side of the boat. I was actually going to use a T and run the overflow into the livewell drain, but I don't think there would be enough pressure to push it out since the drain plug would be under the water line.

I got all of the back deck cut and ready for stain. I still have to stain the underside of it all, but it's recommended that you put 2 wet coats on, so I put it on thick and it should be dry and ready for the underside coating when I get home late Sunday night. I know I still have to cut the lids more to fit for carpet, but I'll seal it again after I get the cuts right. Here is the stain that I'm using - https://www.opwdecks.com/twp-100-series-1-gallon.htm. It says it's only $30 now... I'm pretty sure I paid A LOT more than that when I got it a few years ago. It's some good looking stuff - it's what I was going to finish my front porch with... but you see what get's first dibs on it.

 

[dyeguy1212]

Starting to look really good. Glad to see the infamous badass drill make a reappearance lol

 

[russ010]

if you look close enough in pic 3 & 4, you'll see both of them