I'm a Boat Builder! G-L Ski Tow under construction!

[mrintense]

How timely can you get!! I was just researching options for my V berth installation. I want to screw it down to the hardwood structure underneath rather than epoxy the plywood into position permanently. I was considering stainless steel threaded insert nuts which are a different flavor of a T nut. Seeing the difficulties you are having, I am wondering now if this is the best idea.

However, I do want the plywood to be removable.It seems that installing the screws by hand is the way to go. Slower and more tiring, but fortunately not something that has to be done everyday.

[Bill Edmundson]

Carl

Stainless is fine. But, do use anti-seize on the threads and don't get carried away tightening them. For boats it seems that 316SS is always the choice over 304.

Bill

[Mark-NJ]

316 is better.....no doubt.

But since I'll never be in saltwater, and since finding 316 T-nuts for a reasonable price was just about impossible, I did everything in 304, thinking that this was a not-very-critical application.

"Who knew?", right?

Still, I think SS is fine for your application (and mine!)...just need to know about this little peculiarity! And, yes, anit-sieze looks to be a "must have" in the toolbox.

[Hercdrvr]

I'm getting worried about this approach to securing the floor boards. If its going to argue and fight you this much in the workshop it might not be sea ready. We live in a world of cordless impact screw drivers. Somebody down the line is going to torque those screws in as fast as they can.
I try to keep all systems usable by the least knowledgeable person possible operating it. When I see my 11 yr old fumbling with a latch, I think, I should have made it easier to use.

Not giving up on the problem, just think it might time to step back and let our creative minds see other options
.
Just one amateurs thoughts
Fun stuff, stay with it.
Matt B

[Mark-NJ]

My whole "floorboard design" is just a proof-of-concept.....I'm not married to it. I'll give it a worthwhile trial this August, but I can easily see this whole idea being crap-canned if it doesn't work out perfectly.

I don't, however, see anyone but me turning a wrench on this boat, so as long as I can remember (and, believe me, this will be hard to forget!) AND I use some anti-sieze, I think I'll be OK....

[SunFun]

Mark,
I'm bummed out that the Tee-nuts didn't work as I believe I was one who suggested them. Since I'm not even building yet, I almost feel like I'm using you and the others to test my wild ideas for me!
I hope your new method works out for you.
If you are struggling with the nuts spinning, they also make rectangular weld nuts that would offer some resistance to spinning. The recessed holes would be more complicated, but it might work.

The boat is looking great, and I hope by the time I get building I can end up with a finished product as good as yours!

Scott

[BayouBengal]

Pretty much the whole interior of my boat (floorboards, seating, and sidewall paneling) is held in place by threaded insert nuts and screws. I wanted to do this so the boat can be stripped down to the hull for maintenance and then have everything go back together just as it was. I've screwed the screws in and out quite a few times during the fitting process and they've generally worked very well. I pretty much always start them with a manual screwdriver to insure that I don't cross thread. I've only had a few instances where the threaded insert has worked themselves loose; but when this happens, it's typically after I cross threaded and then stripped out the insert with the impact driver.

I've used some T-nuts in places where the board is not thick enough for a screw insert. I try to avoid them as I have a problem with them popping out. I do like your idea of sealing them in place with epoxy, but in places that are deep enough to do that, I prefer using the threaded insert nuts.

[Mark-NJ]

My daughter came for a visit this week. She's studying inorganic chemistry and doing her research in metals & metallic bonding on a level that my brain cannot comprehend. I showed her the seized screws and got a "well, duh, dad" reply. Something about electrons and entropy and quantum mechanics and free space and oxide transformations and friction and thermodynamics. Made my head hurt.

But that's not to say T-nuts won't / didn't work. They did! You just can't create friction / heat when you drive them. Slow & steady (and some anti-seize) is the secret.

Anyway, the floors are finished, T-nuts epoxied, screws hand-tightened. All good! The center 4 boards in the rear section come out as a separate unit for bailing, as this design *should* encourage water to flow center & to the rear. We'll see.




Next Saturday we're buying a trailer! So now I need to remove the floors to shed weight so she's again liftable, then figure who I'm "inviting to dinner"....with the plan that they have to help lift the boat from the building platform to the trailer. From there, it's just final assembly, affixing deck hardware, clean & scrub....done!

Next pictures should be the "dinner (trailer) party"...then launch pictures! Hard to believe.....

I suppose I should add: if anyone needs a building platform in the NJ / NYC area, this one's about to become available.

[JimmY]

Hi Mark,

Very slick design. It looks like a lot of careful planning and craftsmanship to make a very serviceable interior. Nice job.

[Mark-NJ]

Check it out!

As ZZ Top said, "I'm bad...I'm nationwide!"

[DrBryanJ]

Nice Mark. Where do you get the trailer from?

Bryan

[Mark-NJ]

Camp Marine in Pt. Pleasant in Rt 35.

Perry Camp was super helpful (since I knew NOTHING about trailers & what I needed), and offered a very good "cash-or-check' price.

Today I'm going to take it to a big, empty school parking lot & figure out how to back up. It's tricky.....

[mrintense]

Nice Mark,

I used to tow aircraft around and had to place them in hangars. You'll get the hang of it fairly quickly.

[chugalug]

Just don't get in a hurry to launch boat and undo strap to bow eye before backing up .I saw a few guys at the folk's launch ramp do that and boat rolled off trailer,landing on concrete ramp.nothing touched the water.ouch.helps that there is alot of watchers. just too big of a hurry.

[Bill Edmundson]

Mark

Go slowly and watch for the first movement of the rear of the trailer. When it starts going the way you want start turning the wheel slowly the other way/following the trailer. Some people say to hold the bottom of the steering wheel.

Bill