PocketShip.net

Hi all,

I am planning to expose the okoume wood on my boat...likely topside of wood rail, and also show wood for bulkheads, cockpit benches and inside of cabin...one thing I love about the okoume is the beautiful grooves and grain..I want to show that off.

Do I simply stain and varnish or do I also need also to epoxy? I don't want to stain too much or epoxy too much to take away from the natural wood grain swirls.

Thanks. Dan

I also love the wood look and am leaving a few 'accent' places showing the natural wood.

I am sure you will need to epoxy all of the wood surfaces. Most of them will have a fiberglass coat anyway for strength. In any case, the varnish is not enough to completely seal the wood from water incursion - and getting any moisture in the plywood can be extremely bad for your boat. The Okume/Mahogany plywood is strong and lightweight for boat building, but it is very prone to severe swelling and rot if it gets wet. You'll need at least 2 coats of epoxy to keep the wood water tight.

Sand them down, then add the varnish coats on top of the epoxy where you want - if you sand down to 220 or 320 grit, you won't be able to tell there is epoxy there after the varnish - it is that smooth and clear.

Last, make sure you get a varnish that has UV protection - the epoxy will degrade and start cracking and flaking if exposed directly to UV (sunlight). Those exposed areas will need to be examined carefully and perhaps re-coated with varnish every year - that maintenance is why a lot of builders just paint all of the exposed surfaces.

Ok so it needs stain, epoxy, fiberglass, and varnish?

Most of the time, yes - except for the stain. Try finishing a small piece of scrap plywood without stain - it looks great completely unstained, as do the mahogany rub rails, and toe rails. The natural mahogany does not need stain.

Most stains and epoxy don't mix well, especially oil based ones. CLC carries Beahan stains that don't cause problems with the epoxy adhesion. Be careful and test before using anything not made for the purpose.

Chris

I wouldn't risk the stain. Too much can go wrong. And even if you don't affect the integrity, it probably won't look right. Some people have had success with veneers (a very thin piece of wood you'd epoxy onto the ply). That would be a safer way to go if you wanted to change up the look.