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Hexagrip ply - suitable for exterior use for engine hole cover?


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I want to use this as a cover for the engine hole on my cruiser stern narrowboat

I have previously used exterior grade 18mm ply. Although I have seen hexagrip used for engine covers and for seating and steps the manufactures don't recommend it for external use.

Have you used it and have you found it to be weatherproof?

Thanks in advance

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I want to use this as a cover for the engine hole on my cruiser stern narrowboatI have previously used exterior grade 18mm ply. Although I have seen hexagrip used for engine covers and for seating and steps the manufactures don't recommend it for external use.Have you used it and have you found it to be weatherproof?Thanks in advance

just buy a bit of Ali chequer plate do it once and forget it
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But you would have to put something under that as well so it's rather more complex.

 

Phenolic ply seems to be the technical term for hexagrip, and I think buffalo board is similar.

 

Probably best to use 18mm phenolic ply and bank on changing it every few years as a service item :)

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Hi ya,

I'm not sure if it's the same stuff your talking about, but does it look like this -

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wv3j7bgha2248ce/IMAG0944.jpg?dl=0

If so I have used it on my Aft deck do over 7 years now, Yes it's a bit worn, but all I done was Cut to shape, and Coat the cut edges in glue.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/672tm1l6ig2hk8j/IMAG0945.jpg?dl=0.

Not painted, or Coverd.

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I have used buffalo board on a platform that spends 12-14 hours a day getting soaked with salt water and having people walk / jump on it every 4 minutes (so fairly harsh usage), in 6 years it's faded a little with the sun but its showing no signs of weakening.

 

hexagrip was used by one of my competitors (almost identical layout & conditions) failed within 2 years, I don't know the reasons behind the failure.

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I'm still after some for mine, I had some on order, pre cut from a company but they used Yodel as a courier and after 4 attempts at waiting in all day I got my money back!

 

Any one know of a good London firm? (The one that failed was based in Northamptonshire, One-stop DIY, nice guys but they tried to pass on the fault to their couriers even though the contract is between them, grrrrr!)

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really when it's used for the treads on outdoor staircases and many jetty,s and pontoons are covered in it, the front wings on my landy are covered in it, the whole purpose of the chequering is for grip.

I used it on the engine boards of Innisfree and it's been OK, true it's slippery when icy but so was the original boards. Depends to some degree on footwear.

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I'm still after some for mine, I had some on order, pre cut from a company but they used Yodel as a courier and after 4 attempts at waiting in all day I got my money back!

 

Any one know of a good London firm? (The one that failed was based in Northamptonshire, One-stop DIY, nice guys but they tried to pass on the fault to their couriers even though the contract is between them, grrrrr!)

Get in touch with Jason at Denham marina

He will make them to fit with all fittings lift rings and sealed edges.

Mine were made from cardboard templates I supplied.

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really when it's used for the treads on outdoor staircases and many jetty,s and pontoons are covered in it, the front wings on my landy are covered in it, the whole purpose of the chequering is for grip.

Yes I know what the chequering is designed for, but it's well known that it can also provide less actual surface area contact and in the the wet it can be very slippery.

I used it on the engine boards of Innisfree and it's been OK, true it's slippery when icy but so was the original boards. Depends to some degree on footwear.

Yes it depends on the footwear and also on what boards are painted with. A good non-slip paint will have a much greater coefficient of friction than aluminium chequerplate.

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I have a genuine Hexagrip rear deck board on Aldebaran. I had a close look at the edges the other day to inspect for rot as I was chatting to someone asking exactly the same question about durability.

 

The edges of mine are just soft/rotten enough in places to dig a fingernail into, 1mm or so. It is six or seven years old and I still haven't got around to sealing the edges blush.png

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Did you take it to a man with a workshop to get it folded? I suppose with thin stuff one could hammer it over.

We moored next to the workshop and it was folded on the machine, downside was the machine could only fold at 90 deg. i,e. the plate would only fit a square engine board but our engine 'one was a bit out of square. Managed to fit it reasonably accurately in the end.

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One advantage of chequerplate fitted over ply is the ability to fold the edges over to give an effective drip into the drainage channel, since I did that the engine bay has been bone dry.

 

Can do that with ply also, glue some 'hockey stick' or wider ali strip onto the edge, to form a drip edge.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited by smileypete
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Can do that with ply also, glue some 'hockey stick' or wider ali strip onto the edge, to form a drip edge.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

True though in my case I needed a thin but strong edge as our engine boards are in two halves with a narrow drainage gutter between them which doubled up as a locking mechanism.

 

Too complicated to describe and the drawing makes you gp cross-eyed :)

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One advantage of chequerplate fitted over ply is the ability to fold the edges over to give an effective drip into the drainage channel, since I did that the

engine bay has been bone dry.

You don't necessarily need checkerplate do that. I did it with some 20mm aluminium angle stuck on with marineflex.

 

 

Edited by blackrose
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