Buffalo boards

[pedroinlondon]

Hi

Is there a material that can be used to replace repair the top layer of the boards?

These are beyond painting...

Thanks

[matty40s]

Yes, new boards

[mrsmelly]

As matty 50s says, they are knackered.

[WotEver]

Most decent timber merchants could supply boards, for instance https://www.chilterntimber.co.uk/product-category/buffalo-board-suppliers/

 

You might get lucky and find a company who builds trailers or fits out vans or lorries and be able to purchase an offcut from them if you only require a small piece.

[Sir Percy]

What quantity of Buffalo Board do you need?

[dmr]

Aluminium chequer board sheet. Ideally get the edges folded and corners welded so that they totally protect the board inside (which provides the strength). However once you have these custom made aluminum outers you will likely want to the bin those buffalos and get some nice new plywood ?.

 

.................Dave

[pedroinlondon]

Hi

Thanks a lot for the replies and apologies for this late reply... internet issues

 

Indeed the best option is to replace them, but I thought of asking in case someone knew of an easier and quicker way out as the present boards are still fit for purpose, just not very good looking really.

A steel plate over would save them from early decay but the added weight would be a big inconvenience. It's a widebeam and I often need to lift them the middle one :)

 

Thanks again

[TheBiscuits]

15 minutes ago, pedroinlondon said:

Hi

Thanks a lot for the replies and apologies for this late reply... internet issues

 

Indeed the best option is to replace them, but I thought of asking in case someone knew of an easier and quicker way out as the present boards are still fit for purpose, just not very good looking really.

A steel plate over would save them from early decay but the added weight would be a big inconvenience. It's a widebeam and I often need to lift them the middle one

 

Thanks again

 

Turn it over ...

[WotEver]

2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Turn it over ...

Stop being sensible...

[dmr]

You can do some impressive repairs with epoxy, but the cost, and certainly the time and effort involved, makes a new board the best option. In general things are best replaced with new unless that have heritage or sentimental value.

 

I know a man who says the same thing about wives but I ain't going to go there. ?

 

..............Dave

[Col_T]

With apologies for high-jacking the thread . . . 

 

On 13/06/2020 at 20:17, dmr said:

Aluminium chequer board sheet. Ideally get the edges folded and corners welded so that they totally protect the board inside (which provides the strength). However once you have these custom made aluminum outers you will likely want to the bin those buffalos and get some nice new plywood

 

This sounds like a solution for the front locker on our narrowboat. The plywood lid is delaminating as just paint clearly didn't do a good enough job of keeping water out. The lid hinges upward, so would the chequer board sheet be physically attached to the plywood, using glue of some sort, or would it be just laid in place with the screws for the hinges keeping everything together?? I kind of like the idea of gluing, to minimise holes in the aluminium.

[Tony Brooks]

assuming the hinges sit on top of the board I would drill through the plate and board and fit little machine screws, nuts and washers. That will help hold the two together

[dmr]

1 hour ago, Col_T said:

With apologies for high-jacking the thread . . . 

 

 

This sounds like a solution for the front locker on our narrowboat. The plywood lid is delaminating as just paint clearly didn't do a good enough job of keeping water out. The lid hinges upward, so would the chequer board sheet be physically attached to the plywood, using glue of some sort, or would it be just laid in place with the screws for the hinges keeping everything together?? I kind of like the idea of gluing, to minimise holes in the aluminium.

For my locker lids I used quite thin ali, about 1.5mm, mostly because I wanted a "propeller" pattern rather than the usual "5 bar" and that was only available in thinner gauge. I got a sheet metal worker to fold the edges and weld the corners to make a tray, I think he charged £60 for both sides (I supplied the ali). I made the plywood inserts a be a good snug fit so they hold themselves in place, though with the recent hot spell one has worked a bit loose. I will probably do silicon sealant round the edge to hold it in place a seal it. These are free standing locker lids, no hinges

 

The   only thing I got a bit wrong is that the edges are not quite deep enough, they only just overlap the ply, a sometimes a bit of water gets in with capillary effect etc. I suppose slightly thinner ply would fix it but I don't want to loose the strength.

 

..............Dave

[WotEver]

2 minutes ago, dmr said:

The   only thing I got a bit wrong is that the edges are not quite deep enough, they only just overlap the ply, a sometimes a bit of water gets in with capillary effect etc

Seal it with West Systems epoxy, or the plywood WILL rot

[Col_T]

Good info, chaps.

 

Many thanks.

[ditchcrawler]

4 hours ago, WotEver said:

Seal it with West Systems epoxy, or the plywood WILL rot

But that costs money. I have made the same comment as you in the past

[WotEver]

39 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

But that costs money. I have made the same comment as you in the past

Yeah, but £60 for a welder and then skimp on £20 of epoxy to make it last...

[Col_T]

A bit of a random thought has occurred.

 

The locker is about 15" / 35-ish cm deep, as in front to back, and pretty much full-width just by the gas locker, so maybe 5' / 1.5 m wide. I weigh about 70 kg, my lady wife considerably less -  would something like 3 mm aluminium chequer plate on its on work as a locker lid e.g. not wrapping a board?

 

The locker has drains round three drains, so the aluminium would need an edge that folds into that channel, for drainage. Sound feasible?

[Sir Percy]

15 hours ago, Col_T said:

A bit of a random thought has occurred.

 

The locker is about 15" / 35-ish cm deep, as in front to back, and pretty much full-width just by the gas locker, so maybe 5' / 1.5 m wide. I weigh about 70 kg, my lady wife considerably less -  would something like 3 mm aluminium chequer plate on its on work as a locker lid e.g. not wrapping a board?

 

The locker has drains round three drains, so the aluminium would need an edge that folds into that channel, for drainage. Sound feasible?

bolt some square tube underneath, that'd stiffen it up.

[pedroinlondon]

I ended up finding a Builder Depot a mile away who sell phenolic ply and I'll stick a roll or anti slip ribbed rubber matting on the cut sections later.

If any of you needs some, please note that they seem to sell individual boards if paid and collected in store. Delivered there's minimum quantity of 5 boards.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

https://www.builderdepot.co.uk/18mm-phenolic-film-faced-shuttering-grade-plywood-2440mm-x-1220mm-8ft-x-4ft

[ditchcrawler]

30 minutes ago, pedroinlondon said:

I ended up finding a Builder Depot a mile away who sell phenolic ply and I'll stick a roll or anti slip ribbed rubber matting on the cut sections later.

If any of you needs some, please note that they seem to sell individual boards if paid and collected in store. Delivered there's minimum quantity of 5 boards.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

https://www.builderdepot.co.uk/18mm-phenolic-film-faced-shuttering-grade-plywood-2440mm-x-1220mm-8ft-x-4ft

Make sure you SEAL the cut edges

[pedroinlondon]

15 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Make sure you SEAL the cut edges

Yes, and two coats of floor paint.

[Sir Percy]

17 hours ago, pedroinlondon said:

I ended up finding a Builder Depot a mile away who sell phenolic ply and I'll stick a roll or anti slip ribbed rubber matting on the cut sections later.

If any of you needs some, please note that they seem to sell individual boards if paid and collected in store. Delivered there's minimum quantity of 5 boards.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

https://www.builderdepot.co.uk/18mm-phenolic-film-faced-shuttering-grade-plywood-2440mm-x-1220mm-8ft-x-4ft

Had some nr Regents Park I could have sold you, but never mind.

[blackrose]

I know there have been a few threads on the subject in recent years but this was a recent one that came up in a search.

 

When people talk about buffalo board, are they just using the term generically to cover phenolic ply in general or is Buffalo a particular brand that implies quality?

 

Is there any brand or manufacturer that people would recommend for a good quality board that will resist the elements? Yes, I know that any cut edges have to be treated.

 

Is phenolic ply all much of a muchness or should one avoid unknown brands? I was going to buy some of this from ebay but I've no idea whether it will be any good or not.

 

Phenolic Plywood Russian Birch Plywood Rhino Mesh Anti-Slip - All Sheet Sizes | eBay

[PaulJ]

6 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Is phenolic ply all much of a muchness or should one avoid unknown brands? I was going to buy some of this from ebay but I've no idea whether it will be any good or not.

 

Phenolic Plywood Russian Birch Plywood Rhino Mesh Anti-Slip - All Sheet Sizes | eBay

My local woodyard had some bargain phenolic ply and assured me it was exactly the same as Buffalo board (quote ' its just not got the writing on it' )

Lasted one winter and delaminated worse than the many years old board it replaced. And yes I did use Wests epoxy on the edges- I also mix in black powder to make it match.

Replaced with proper Buffalo I got from Chilltern Timber.