DIY Wood Transom that will NEVER ROT OR FLEX

[@bushmantheanimal]

Got an old 14ft flatbottom off my grandpas property the other day. It was buried out the woods so its gonna need some work, but This channel has been an amazing resource for somebody like me that aint never worked on boats of any kind before. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Thanks Alexander, glad I could help. Good luck on the boat project and let me know how it turns out!

[@ribeyeadventures]

Good video and links to products. Going to seal my transom today. Got an old 14 ft jon boat from the 1960's i am restoring. Thanks for the info.

[@RowallanSimpson]

Thank you so much, you saved me a lot of money

[@tripplebeards3427]

My project is finally started. Bought ACX wood. Cut in half and liquid nailed the 2 3/4” halves together then screwed the two halves with zinc screws. I plan on drilling out all the holes before I glass so they will be waterproof on the inside of the holes. Better chance of it lasting longer. Been siting for a day glued. I’ll cut out and drill next.

[@adamconnolly4620]

Hey just watched your video. I'm doing a transom replacement on my 1962 yes 1962 Owens 14ft ski boat. Was previously done by old owner with sea cast and it cracked where my motor mounts bolt through. Not impressed lol its only a 62 merc 50hp. I was going to do coosa but after watching your video I'm going with ply and resin coat then bedded with epoxy and silica mix. I'm 45 if it last 15 years I'll be happy. Thanks very much for your videos. I'm also in the end game of a cedarstrip resto. 18ft dual cockpit runabout.

[@wymple09]

That will last decades upon decades.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Yeah it should be fine for longer than I will own the boat.

[@gsh341]

I did my new transom almost the same. I used marine plywood, Titebond 3 to glue the two pieces, screws to hold them together while the glue dried. But I remove the screws because they were where the bolts for the motor were going. I then coated the entire thing in penetrating epoxy to seal it. It's 1,000 times better than the bare wood factory transom.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Sounds like you did a great job on yours! Nice work! It will last for longer than you own the boat.

[@fakevirus8828]

You done a good job apart from the glue. Glue doesn't last on transoms due to being washed with detergents and/or fuel residue getting near it. Epoxy will make the glue turn to rubber too. If you did a good job on the epoxy at the "stuck to boat" end of the transom then you won't have any voids behind the transom for the back most panel to move into so you should be good for years. However if there is any gaps or voids behind the wood then the rearmost wood panel will warp and pull itself off the outside panel. This is common on more modern boats where they skimp on epoxy and filler and around the 10yr mark the transom gets a bend in it and 12yr mark the transom is deteriorated at an alarming rate till its mush. We are just getting to the point now that we are finding out how badly built boats from 2010 are and its frightening to look at, as a boat builder I can see the stunts they have been pulling and it's outrageous to say the least. No joke I've seen socks (socks from your feet) cut up and stuffed in transoms and all they did was soak the sock in cheap poly epoxy, this was on a £230k American made boat that ended up here in the UK and Transom rotted out by 12yr mark with twin yam V6 motors when it was supposedly rated to hold twin V8s. The bracket pulled out the transom he was lucky to save his motors when the failure happened.

[@gsh341]

@@fakevirus8828 my boat is aluminum and you don't glue a transom into an aluminum boat. Also, if the epoxy will turn the glue rubbery, it will do it to the glue used to hold the plys together as well. That defeats the purpose of all epoxy. Also it's easy to hack on someone when you're using a BS account name and have absolutely ZERO content other than comments bashing people. Get a life you jack wagon.

[@garycotz563]

BIngo. I used Bondo Fiberglass resin and did the exact same on mine. Solid as a rock and better than the original piece that was in there... absolutely have less flex and you can feel it when you dump the throttle.

[@greenspiraldragon]

Make sure to seal any holes you drill through the wood too.

[@mikelgeren149]

I enjoy watching someone else work 😜

[@SendItJonBoats]

LOL... maybe I need to start doing that instead of always working.

[@matthewlusk612]

I redid the transom on my Alumacraft 1470 and I used two pieces of Crezon, glued with Gorilla Glue Ultimate construction adhesive. Crezon is an exterior grade plywood typically used for billboards. I work on billboards, so I was able to get it for free. That transom should outlive me.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Oh heck yeah man, that will definitely last forever.

[@fakevirus8828]

Why are all you Americans gluing your transom with inferior glues? Why you not doing it correctly and epoxying the wood together? Your glues DONT withstand fuel or even cleaning agents properly. This is a fact not an opinion. UK boat builders have been telling you for decades to ONLY use epoxy, you just won't listen despite the fact we don't get transom issues in a country with far far worse weather. I'm in Scotland, your glued up transom would last 3yr if kept in the water or 7yr max if out of water every trip. Not one glue any of you use can resist fuel or a few washes with bilge blitz... and that's a problem on any fishing boat. We're still the best boat builders on earth for a reason.

[@gsh341]

@@fakevirus8828 What are you doing that you're getting fuel on your transom? Who in their right mind washes the inside of the transom down? Our transoms are wood inside an aluminum skin. They are not exposed to chemicals.

[@gapingtonbobuah9299]

@@fakevirus8828 we’re just not as good as you ✌️ thanks for watching the videos 😅

[@buckadillafilms]

@@fakevirus8828 show us

[@AppleTechPro870]

Thats exactly what I was thinking to do. Use either plywood or BCX board or maybe lvl beam board and cover it with epoxy resin. And that way the transom will last for a long time.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Been on my boat for a few years now and it's held up great.

[@djmjr77]

That 25 dollar sheet goes for over 70 today.. nutzzz...

[@SendItJonBoats]

I know right, these lumber prices are getting insane! I could probably rip out that transom and sell it for double the money lol.

[@tubejim101]

Which did you end up preferring. The fiberglass resin or the oil paint? If the paint, what kind?

[@thomasroberts5658]

I’m with you bro

[@SendItJonBoats]

Thanks

[@davidbryant2815]

Great Video man; I've have a '77 fiberglass Terry Bass Boat that my dad bought new when we were teenagers then. About 20 years in he made the mistake of leaving his transom travel support at a lake somewhere and went several fishing trips before replacing the travel support and as you would guess, the weight of the bouncing motor damaged and separated the top half of the fiberglass top and allowed water to enter. Anyway, the transom finally began to show serious rot so I completely gutted the boat and am trying to replace the transom while trying to find either a close to original marine treated pc of wood; same thickness, dimensions to cut from, etc. I thought that there has to be a way to do this differently but as effectively. Thanks for the demo and don't pay attention to the trolls that just HAVE to tell you a better way that will have the transom last for billions of years; they can't comprehend that you're just displaying a good way for budget minded folks to DIY on simplicity.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Man that sucks you had to replace that transom! Thanks for watching and glad you learned a thing or two

[@fakevirus8828]

Scottish boat builder here 35yr in the trade. Decent little vid so I'll be nice. See joining the wood with glue its a nonsense use epoxy and use a toothed spreader and pay attention to epoxy thickness before you join them so you dont get voids. The toothed spreaders will put a pattern on the epoxy that allows air to dissipate as you squeeze the wood together, this alone in my opinion will make the difference between needing another transom job later down the line and a transom job that will outsee the boat. Watch what epoxy you use as poly epoxy won't stick properly to actual epoxy resin and if you are fiberglassing then don't use chop strand with genuine epoxy as it won't work right. People love to save a coin I get that but I'd have went with marine ply as it soaks in epoxies and glues better and despite your claim that the transom will be watertight well that's only the case when you put it in, a year down the line there will be ways in for moisture. People hate on guys who buy all the west systems epoxy but they are factually going to have a stronger transom than anyone else since proper epoxy is 20-30% stronger bond than poly or vinyl epoxy and on top of that west systems is 10% stronger (at least) than any other proper epoxy resin. So for the cost is it worth skimping when its guaranteed to be noticeably weaker than west systems guys transom. The wood again I don't like the knots in your wood especially not the one on the edge, knots crumble up in a transom. Cheers.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Thanks for the tips.

[@davidfurst7233]

What brand of epoxy do you use to glue the wood together

[@TheEcorona]

You should make a video showing us

[@timtohyrusso2244]

I have a 14 ft aluminum... About to replace the transom wood on mine. Going to get a nice piece of ply and then cover thoroughly with Dipped rubber coating... Easy... Quick 🤷

[@SendItJonBoats]

Heck yeah! SEND IT!

[@herewegofans]

You have a great setup with this. If you don't add a 90hp and a dozen transducers, will stand the test of time.

[@rjtucker1965a]

Like your style .

[@TheDtrolinder]

Anthony has some fine tips..

[@SendItJonBoats]

Yes he does... He is a good dude, we do a lot of stuff together and got some cool videos with both of us coming soon!

[@Garminrules]

Definately fiberglass resin!!

[@SendItJonBoats]

It's good stuff and smells delicious!

[@hack3outdoors342]

Curious how much you had left over or if you used all of the resin? my transom would be a bit bigger so I was curious if the one quart would be enough. Also wondering how the resin has held up. Trying to decide between this resin and another product. Thanks

[@willlankford3411]

not me laughing at my brother right now over wood

[@SendItJonBoats]

LOL

[@timlong1462]

OK, so I’m about to follow this exact project, but I am going to add one more finishing step and wrap my transom board with fiberglass cloth, then do another coat of resin on top of that. I’ve read further down in some of the comments saying this resin is not 100% waterproof. Is that comment correct? Or do I need to add a layer of paint on top? This is an old boat, and I do not care at all what it looks like, so unfinished it’s perfectly fine for me. I don’t really want to have to buy a $20 pint of paint or polyurethane, but I will if needed. I was going to check the mess up rack at the store, but no oil base was there today.

[@SendItJonBoats]

The comments about it being not water proof is ridiculous, those folks have most likely never built a boat in their lives. Anthony Jones (Brigade Boats) did a video on this a while back and proved that fiberglass resin sealed wood is completely waterproof. I wouldn't worry about it anyways.... we are building a boat, not a submarine.

[@timlong1462]

@@SendItJonBoats I figured it was good enough especially for a garage kept boat. I finished my transom over the weekend and appreciate the response. Got another old Jon boat back in operation thanks to your channel!

[@bobatbilletcreations]

Nice job and thanks for sharing! How has the transom held up over 2 years? I'm getting ready to do the same thing and just wanted to find out if you would recommend doing it this way?

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

Epoxy

[@79gravedigger]

Should have put a send it decal between coats?

[@SendItJonBoats]

Man what great idea... why did I not think of that??? Wish I could go back and do that because it would look so good.

[@ednaheiman1736]

I just bought a little 14 foot job boat there’s no transom on it. I’m not going to have a motor just using oars. Do I still need to make a transom for it?

[@jameshaliday1929]

true true ,epoxy layer fibre glass btwn yahoo seal all holes resin ,glue to metal ,polyurethane adhesives many rivet done ... last 40 years doin mine now valco 14 gonna have coveron bow fuel tnk ,and part cover stern ,new seats ,live well oh yeah,

[@SendItJonBoats]

I was trying to keep it simple and not do the fiberglass, still holding up good so far.

[@htsoutdoors8410]

what causes flex in a transom? Have an alumacraft 1448 that I just put a surface drive on and when I put the weight of the motor on the transom it’ll flex about 1/8 of an inch. (I Put the tbn transom plate on there) the flex is the first 2 inches of the transom and applies weight onto the gussets (motor weighs about 120 or so)

[@davidbrennan5]

I use boards from the old outhouse.

[@SendItJonBoats]

YEE YEE! Give it that nice pee poo smell too! Love it!

[@davidbrennan5]

@@SendItJonBoats The resin seals the smell in.

[@SendItJonBoats]

@@davidbrennan5 Love it

[@tripplebeards3427]

Thanks for the help! I just trailered my Grumman v bottom a few days ago. Noticed that the motor was wiggling. I removed the aluminum top trim and aluminum sheet thst covers the complete inside face of the transom to find if was rotted and crumpled when touched. Can’t believe I didn’t rip my motor off! I have been beating my brain on wood types. BCX 3/4” is &45 and ACX is only $10 more. From what I’ve read the ACX is stronger and is made with waterproof adhesive. My transom is 5’ wide and 16” deep by 1.5” thick. I plan on using liquid nails waterproof roof construction heavy duty adhesive and 1 1/4” stainless screws to put the two haves together and then use fiberglass Rezin like you did. Figure I’ll make sure to drill all my holes first and coat theinside of the holes with rezin before I squirt silicone on my bolts .

[@tripplebeards3427]

Think one of problems is I leave my boat in year around and my automatic bilge pump float failed so I have to manually turn it on….after water has filled up n the boat and soaked my transom.

[@johnhiggins9615]

We should all have skills like this.AAAAAAAAAAAA++++++++++++++

[@SendItJonBoats]

Thank you!

[@zfancher]

Nice work man. I stopped myself before coating my new transom in epoxy resin (UV sensitivity). I would like to clear coat the wood while also waterproofing. How does the Bondo fiberglass resin hold up to UV rays? Will the fiberglass amber like epoxy?

[@SendItJonBoats]

I am not sure what the UV resistance is but I ended up painting it match my boat after this video.

[@fakevirus8828]

You van buy clear epoxy with UV resistance in it. You can also clear coat over epoxy if you can spray paint use a good automotive 2pack clear, it bonds like the proverbial and keeps the epoxy uber clear. What you should have done was used an epoxy paint/varnish on the outside

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

Glass resin will break down. It might last 1 year. Epoxy👍

[@jack0903]

When you seal the wood with rasin. The wood rots from inside? .I'm just gonna paint the 3/4" wood sides .

[@seanhall4098]

Can I use the pop rivets for the knee brace of the transom or the side brace that ties in the board ? Will those require solid rivets or bolts ?

[@SendItJonBoats]

I prefer bolts over rivets for the knee braces.

[@BigD863]

So it’s been 8 months since you posted this how is the transom still holding up? I’m about to use the same fiberglass resin on my transom and was just curious on how it’s holding? Great videos btw.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Actually doing really well. I have put about 10 different motors on it so far and havent had a single issue. I will do all my transoms this way unless I go aluminum in the future.

[@BigD863]

@@SendItJonBoats Side question, when you applied the resin how long did it take to cure so you could flip it over? Mine has been on for more than 24 hours and it’s still tacky to the touch, I’m wondering if I might have not used enough harder, the remainder in the cup got rock solid in about an hour but my wood is still tacky, I’m also doing it in direct sunshine in Florida at 100 degrees lol

[@SendItJonBoats]

@@BigD863 get it out of the sun, thats the first issue. Second you probably didn't add enough hardener. Shoukd be ready to sand in less than a few hours.

[@SendItJonBoats]

@@BigD863 I thought i had already responded, guess it did not send. It should be dry in about an hour or two. If not you need more hardener. I always buy extra.

[@BigD863]

@@SendItJonBoats thank you so much for the advice I took it out of the sun and left it in the shed and it finally hardened, and I did the other side at it also hardened pretty quickly in the shed, now to sand it and apply the final coat.

[@Hazmatguy117]

This music is ridiculous for the content of this video… And I like it.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Im all about some ridiculousness!

[@maineiacoutdoors689]

Great info here, THANKS. Not fan of your tunes, but meh, its all good when I hit the mute key. In the marine grade vs regular plywood argument there's this tidbit. Excerpt from a Plyco blog post: "For greater detail, you can read about this in our “What is Marine Plywood?” blog post, but the summary version is that: (i) there must be absolutely no core-gaps, (ii) the veneers used must be of the highest quality, and (iii) the glue needs to be waterproof. Without just one of these factors present a Plywood cannot be considered marine grade." Bottom line: If you're encasing it in epoxy (or glassing it) it don't matter what you use.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Yeah I don't buy into all that stuff about marine grade, I am sure it is true but I just take the extra time to encase the wood with resin or epoxy then paint it. I am not building submarines, just a boat transom. Not like they stay underwater all the time.

[@davidfurst7233]

I believe you forgot to mention you took the screws out

[@aawindowwashingllc4503]

If I'm just using an electric trolling motor, can injust use a piece of wood rather than building a transom? My aluminum boat doesn't have a transom

[@SendItJonBoats]

You can use whatever you want bud! Thats why this is Merica! LOL I would just use a piece of wood.

[@derickcoia2059]

Smart thinking with the router ! Awesome video. I really would have just used some yacht grade teak though.... bwahahhaha! Just kidding, don't block me!

[@SendItJonBoats]

LMAO.... Yeah my next video we are going to a boat yard with a hack saw to rip off a piece of yacht grade teak for a transom lol! Yall come bail me out of jail right? LOL. Glad you enjoyed the video. many more to come.

[@latetricksessums1312]

I see you have a lot of hater in your comments. Just do your thing and fuck all them hater. Good video

[@SendItJonBoats]

Bring on the haters... we like to have a good time with them.

[@WILKinKC]

My jon I'm rebuilding has a L bracket on the bottom of the transom. Transon is 9 inches tall, 1.5 inches deep and roughly 69 inches overall wide. Would you keep this L bracket or just make the entire back side wood/transom?

[@SendItJonBoats]

I make the entire back of the boat the transom.

[@MrJammor]

Can I use RTD plywood?

[@SendItJonBoats]

I have no clue what RTD plywood is, but sure, use whatever you like.

[@jasonsmith4243]

Is it necessary to screw the wood together if you glued it?

[@SendItJonBoats]

Not really, but a little extra never hurts.

[@fakevirus8828]

@@SendItJonBoats as long as you take them out and fill the holes with epoxy it won't hurt, leave the screws in without drilling the screw area and making an epoxy plug and you automatically introduce a water wick to the wood. Screws, transom bolts and drain plugs are the main reason for transom rot. You want to drill out anywhere you plan on putting things and fill the area with epoxy before then drilling out the original sized hole again, this way the holes are 50x stronger and water will struggle to get onto the core. Another thing I see wrecking transoms is they've drilled the motor/bracket holes without the motor being on, this causes slight misalignment but that's enough for a lot of the motor weight to be pushing overly hard on the hole and that's what causes the cracks to start at the holes or a big crack across the transom between holes. Boat builder 35yr now and seen it all, even the bodge jobs gone wrong it's simple mistakes and denial of needing proper marine ply. I've never known any other wood to last more than 10yr

[@redoak3809]

How do you "trace" a transom when the old one is missing?

[@markpitts360]

Use a piece of cardboard and keep trimming it until it fits nicely inside the transom. Then use that cardboard piece to trace on the wood :)

[@SendItJonBoats]

What Mark Pitts said. Make a cardboard template.

[@josejoakingallastegivilanu9475]

I just finished building the handrail on my deck kzbin.infoUgkxfQ5_mgwq6PcudJvAH25t-I4D-3cTPz4z and used this great little router to clean up the top rail before the final sanding and stain. It was light weight but packed lots of power. Either size battery didn't seem to make it top heavy and I'm a 64 yr old women so I really appreciated how easy it was to use...................... CORDLESS only way to go !!

[@SendItJonBoats]

Thanks!

[@joesmith-fi1sx]

iv got a 14 foot mirro craft. just bought and noticed but overlooked how weak the transom was. it has a 25 johnson and orobabky was towed around with it alot it had two or three metal brackets like triangles from the bottom of the inside of the boat. they are in good shape. but the problem is the top of the brackets have broke where the top bolt was. probably causing most of the bend and flex and damage. trying g to figure the best way to repair it it had the original wood inside where the bracket bolt to it

[@SendItJonBoats]

I would have the brackets re-welded and see if they can be fixed first before I did anything else.

[@fakevirus8828]

If the wood hasn't turned to mush you can fiberglass it to strengthen it. Biaxial cloth is ideal for that 👌

[@joesmith-fi1sx]

@@fakevirus8828 cool thanks

[@feellnfroggy]

Older vid, maybe ignorant question, but since you are epoxy coating, is osb just as good for transom build?

[@SendItJonBoats]

Yeah you could use it, but I like solid ply better for transoms because its seals up a little smoother than the osb. But this is Merica! You can do anything you want bro!

[@gunfisher4661]

I built what turned out to be a very sea worthy jon boat using all osb except for the ribbing. got it registered and licensed , fiberglass coated the outside and painted the inside with an oil based outdoor paint. Put it behind the barn for off season storage when i went to get it out it looked fine but as soon as I touched it it just crumbled away the wood had just disappeared from between the fiberglass and paint where ever the sun had shined on it daily. Never did research to figure out why. But it was a good boat for one season.

[@SendItJonBoats]

@@gunfisher4661 Oh man than sucks! It probably had something to do with the OSB, I hear lots of people saying not to use that stuff and use ply instead. I wonder what happened from it just sitting in the sun.

[@gunfisher4661]

@@SendItJonBoats I`m guessing the reaction between the fiberglass and the cheap OSB . It served me one full season before I put it behind the barn. When I built it i didn`t look for it to last more than 3 years with the OSB. I`ve been around wood boats and repairing for quite a few years and it`s my experience that any thing less than marine grade is severly chincing as marine grade is stronger than other types of plywoods.

[@SendItJonBoats]

@@gunfisher4661 I have never used OSB for much of anything before but I had no idea that it would degrade that fast. That is crazy! I am glad I know now!

[@charliethetuna86]

wood doesn't like to be in an air-tight capsule, it can't breathe, and rot eventually. After your time and investment in epoxy, what's the price difference on marine-grade wood? Not being negative just making conversation.

[@tewksburydriver8624]

the elements, water/sunlight/temp changes etc are really what age and rot, damage, and shrink wood. A tight epoxy job extends it's life, that is the point.

[@SendItJonBoats]

I have yet to have a problem with the wood transom. works fine and will probably outlast me

[@goaheadmakeourdayscooterpe9644]

To all the comments made nagging about that glue and that epoxy and should have used this plywood , It's not the space shuttle it a jon boat !!!!!

[@SendItJonBoats]

THANK YOU!!!!! I tell people that all the time and no one listens to me.

[@nossrc5638]

The wood will rot the same if it gets water through the holes in the base of the motor and any hole you make, you must maintain it every year or two and put it back again 5200

[@SendItJonBoats]

So far no rot and no issues. Been doing transoms this way for years.

[@nossrc5638]

@@SendItJonBoats A new transom will last you 20 years as long as it doesn't get water through the holes, I have a chekmate 21 Starflite and the floor was made and the transom in 3/4 PVC panel .55 is the best and it never rots

[@timkerkman7107]

Did the same thing 2 years ago But used a product called POR15 Much easier with the same result

[@steveadams4009]

Tightbond 3 wood glue is not waterproof it is water-resistant, it lasted two years but it finally gave up. I went back using epoxy and so far after five years is still holding.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Good info, I had no idea. At least the glue is inside the fiberglass resin so I don't have to worry about it getting wet.

[@fakevirus8828]

No idea why Americans use glue anywhere near a boat. Here in the UK especially Scotland (where I am) is strictly epoxy due to the l weather but we also know fuel and even detergents in boat wash ruins glue. Strictly marine ply, epoxy and marine sealant. We won't go near any other wood as it won't absorb the epoxy properly, marine ply is arranged in a way it allows soak in despite what people think it absorbs water faster than normal ply, just it doesn't effect it as much. The other thing with marine ply is no big knots. The guy in the vid said he doesn't care about marine ply so he will find out the hard way in 5-7yr especially with the big knots, knots crumble in a transom also you want to cut the wood so the grain is going as vertical as possible as that's the directional strength of the wood facing the correct direction. Ply will be as directional as solid wood due to how its made the outside laminates the grain matters on them.

[@fakevirus8828]

@@SendItJonBoats that's not how it works. Your transom wood will never be watertight especially not after use. If it was as east to stop transom rot as a coat epoxy then we'd all be doing it mate. The wood rots from the inside or gets weakened then the onset of transom rot begins regardless of what you think of your epoxy finish. Your transom won't see 10yr I guarantee you 5 to 7yr max

[@kennethhudson8013]

I would put fiberglass tape on it.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Not really needed. The wood is strong enough as it is.

[@darrisb1727]

May as well just buy some fiber glass and seal it since you are using resin. Waste of time all that sanding. Sand once before wetting out the board then add the fabric and you are done.

[@darrylb4048]

What the hell are those things on the wall behind you?????

[@SendItJonBoats]

Sample patterns, we call them speed shapes... that was filmed in my Hydro Dipping shop.

[@JoelHernandez-if4lt]

Just curious how you attached it to the transom on the boat though? I have to do this to my boat and was curious how to get it attached.

[@SendItJonBoats]

WE have 2 videos on the channel about how to do it, shows the whole process

[@shawnfarris8908]

The only thing different we did in the factory is use fiberglass matting, everything is is the same.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Oh cool, where did you put the matting? In between the ply layers or on the outside of the ply?

[@fakevirus8828]

What factory? Its called a boat yard for a start and no proper boat builder would use glue or anything but marine ply or they would be outed as cowboys within weeks. You mess up in this game you become famous real quick.

[@shawnfarris8908]

All the Tahoe and Bayliner is what we built. We made one for Bill Dance and all over the world.

[@e954rr2]

Still going to rot

[@SendItJonBoats]

Thanks for the words of encouragement, I hope you have an awesome day!

[@karlatkins5280]

Should work fine as long you don’t put any holes in the wood. I would have resin a piece of aluminum on for the motor clamp cause They will probably crack the resin.

[@SendItJonBoats]

Good idea, never thought of resining a piece of aluminum in. That is smart.

[@sfllife03]

First thing you are so wrong thinking it’s never going to Rot agin you will find out you really don’t have a clue

[@douglasthompson2740]

You have a rude awakening coming. Poly glass resin does not stick well to wood over time unless it is applied with reinforcing cloth. Even epoxy needs a proper preparation and it too needs the glass fiber reinforcement. All the cheaper grades of plywood have voids as well as lapses in laminating glue coverage. All transoms are subject to water penetration from through bolts and add ons down the road. Even when properly bedded they fail. On an aluminum transom there are numerous points of entry for water along the edges etc. The motor working the transom will also lead to points of failure. Yes you can use the cheap wood and it is probably economic to do so but don't fool yourself through ignorance into thinking that it will not be subject to water intrusion.

[@SendItJonBoats]

You could be right, but so far no issues and I know several others who have done it the same way and have not had any issues for years. If it fails it will be a long time from now and I will probably be moved on to another boat.

[@rumnboats7612]

The other big difference between 5 ply and marine grade is rigidity.

[@D-B-Cooper]

That plywood has voids and poor glue. It is easier just to make your own plywood from thin wood glued with epoxy. The resin you used is not a coating and will fail. Polyester resin is not 100% water proof and it will not last long. Use epoxy, 100% water proof, and use a layer of glass on outside and edges. Also paint it because uv rays deteriorate it.

[@timlong1462]

You seem to know what you’re talking about. I have already purchased the fiberglass resin, and a sheet of fiberglass cloth. I plan to follow his steps except to add a full wrap of fiberglass cloth around it at the end. Would it be smart to then also add a layer of epoxy over everything? Or would oil base paint suffice?

[@SendItJonBoats]

Thanks for the tips.

[@D-B-Cooper]

@@timlong1462 if you get moisture in there the wood will swell and crack the seal worse, it will also set the wood on a path of rot. Remember epoxy will stick to fiberglass resin but fiberglass resin will not stick to epoxy. Be sure to seal all screw holes and other holes, I use 5200. Always use marine oil based paint. If you want a permanent job and use fiberglass resin, use vinyl resin, much stiffer, and make it solid. Put plastic on some plywood and keep building it up until it is as thick as you want and then just pop it off.

[@timlong1462]

@@D-B-Cooper so I did my project over the weekend. I did exactly what he did here, put one coat of fiberglass resin quite heavily to soak in, then did another coat and added fiberglass cloth. Then I did two more coats of resin, and finished with a clear coat enamel. All of my screw holes are sealed with 5200. The original transom was just a painted piece of wood, and it lasted since 1985. The boat is garage kept, and I think my job will suffice for the application. It seems like there are tons of opinions on this stuff, and it might matter for a boat that lives in the ocean. I think for a Jon boat what I did is complete and utter overkill LOL.

[@D-B-Cooper]

@@timlong1462 yea, will last longer than you need it to.

[@frankorosz901]

Water always wins. There is no such thing as complete waterproofing.

[@SendItJonBoats]

It's been sitting outside in the rain for a year, flooded multiple times.... aint soaked up any water yet.

[@connorkalwicz3245]

Stop! Metal boat

[@SendItJonBoats]

It is going to rust and corrode and we are all going to sink!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

Epoxy. Fiber glass resin will break down.👎

[@SendItJonBoats]

Still holding up fine for me.

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

​@@SendItJonBoatsI hope it does. Ive seen dry rot.