Sealing plywood edges

[Big Steve]

I just got some hexagrip phenolic coated plywood to make some new engine hatches. What's the best stuff to seal the cut edges with, or is it best to have some sort of trim around the edge? (Hardwood, metal, plastic or something? any suggestions appreciated.)

[paulcatchpole]

I just got some hexagrip phenolic coated plywood to make some new engine hatches. What's the best stuff to seal the cut edges with, or is it best to have some sort of trim around the edge? (Hardwood, metal, plastic or something? any suggestions appreciated.)

 

Out of cheeky interest, would you mind telling me what you paid for a full sheet of Phenolic ply? The best I can manage so far is about £60 inc vat / sheet, collected from a depot in the Midlands, which seemed okay to me. We need 1.5 sheets at least for our full rear deck!

 

PC

[Malarky]

Paint.

Structurally hardwood's fairly pointless, as that stuff is pretty hard, and trim will involve makeing holes in it. If you like though, it will handle most options. Hardwood can be positioned with brass tacks, holes drilled to recieve them useing one as a drill bit, and glued. Ally trim is best angle section, countersunk screwed but fulfills all its functions best if used to clamp a matting to a more basic board.

Probably best just paint it to match then later on in life have the option of repairing any chipped edges by trimming and maybee makeing it look even better than new.

[DHutch]

I would even go as far as to say it proberbly doesnt need anything doing to it at all.

- If i was going to do anything i would use some sadolin or simular goey wood gumums stuffage.

 

 

 

Daniel

[Keeping Up]

I just got some hexagrip phenolic coated plywood to make some new engine hatches. What's the best stuff to seal the cut edges with, or is it best to have some sort of trim around the edge? (Hardwood, metal, plastic or something? any suggestions appreciated.)

I've always just given the edges of mine a quick coat of Ronseal outdoor varnish every year. Seems to work OK.

[Big Steve]

Out of cheeky interest, would you mind telling me what you paid for a full sheet of Phenolic ply? The best I can manage so far is about £60 inc vat / sheet, collected from a depot in the Midlands, which seemed okay to me. We need 1.5 sheets at least for our full rear deck!

 

PC

 

Thanks for the advice chaps, a dollop of Sadolin or something will do then.

 

18mm Hexagrip, shiny one side, nice hexagonal pattern the other, cost £58.75 (inc VAT)from Lathams in Ossett. They have yards all over the place I believe. If I'd gone for the "digestive biscuit finish" It was a bit cheaper, but can't remember exactly what.

 

I was quite surprised at the cost as B&Q are asking £50 for a mediocre bit of 8x4 plywood.

[Bullfrog]

18mm Hexagrip, shiny one side, nice hexagonal pattern the other, cost £58.75 (inc VAT)from Lathams in Ossett. They have yards all over the place I believe. If I'd gone for the "digestive biscuit finish" It was a bit cheaper, but can't remember exactly what.

 

That's not quite what Lathams "Advanced Technical Panel" subsidiary told me!

 

 

http://www.advancedtechnicalpanels.co.uk/I...mationA.74.html

 

They said they only delivered to "end-users" like truck fitters or boatyards, not to an ordinary timber-yard. Delivery charges were horrendous. So since our local boat-yard were out of stock I ended using another of their products "Buffalo Board" which is more readily available. Got it from local timber yard "Chiltern Timber".

 

This has a fine mesh pattern on it and might be what you refer to as "digestive biscuit" though I prefer mine with chocolate on one side!

 

Oh, to answer the original question, I sealed ours with ordinary black gloss , 3 coats.

Edited July 30, 2008 by Bullfrog

[Big Steve]

That's not quite what Lathams "Advanced Technical Panel" subsidiary told me!

 

 

http://www.advancedtechnicalpanels.co.uk/I...mationA.74.html

 

They said they only delivered to "end-users" like truck fitters or boatyards, not to an ordinary timber-yard. Delivery charges were horrendous. So since our local boat-yard were out of stock I ended using another of their products "Buffalo Board" which is more readily available. Got it from local timber yard "Chiltern Timber".

 

This has a fine mesh pattern on it and might be what you refer to as "digestive biscuit" though I prefer mine with chocolate on one side!

 

Oh, to answer the original question, I sealed ours with ordinary black gloss , 3 coats.

 

I collected it myself, they were quite happy to deal with me. Yes buffalo board is the technical term for digestive biscuit (digestive biscuit was the description used by Lathams)

[Ex- Member]

I've always treated plywood ends with Unibond or wood glue (same thing) but diluted 50/50 especially on the ends cut with not so sharp saw blades or drill hole edges. The unibond soaks into the end grain really well and sealing up any loosened grain caused through sawing. When dry rub down smooth and apply whatever you like, it's an excellent sealer prior to varnishing though, and you'll get a shiny sharp looking edge if required in a couple of coats, not using a sealer you'll be coating it over and over, but it will just suck into the endgrain and leave a fluffy looking edge.

 

Better still though is gluing on some thin H/wood beading, again though, seal the end grain first before actually gluing the H/wood and it will stick extremely well. you can get beading at the same thickness as plywoods 18 & 25mm so it's an exact fit, just mitre any ends. B&Q do it but pricy, some of the smaller chain diy shops are cheaper, or a good hardwood merchant will have it as stock in 3metre lengths.

[bag 'o' bones]

You could try thinnned 2 pack acrylic laquer.

 

Not actually designed for sealing the edges of ply but does a marvellous job.

 

Sets by chemical reaction rather than air dry so is a lot stronger.

 

I've used it on MDF to seal the material from damp. Soaks up very quickly leaving a water resistant surface to apply furthur decorative coatings. Not disimilar to Thompson water seal.

 

I've used it extensively to seal scumble - leaves an incredibly tough shiny finish - which you can tone down to a more satin finish if you wish. Far superior to any of the air drying varnishes including the expensive ones.

 

I apply using a proper car type spray gun but if you avoid adding thinners it can applied by brush equally as well.

[fudd]

Try Cascamite. It's a boat builders glue. Nothing better IMHO. Good luck.