Plywood for replacement helm door

[potoboat]

Hi all,

I'm looking at building a replacement helm door for my 73 Pearson Portsmouth. The existing door is rotted along the foot. The aluminum frames and hardware are actually in decent shape or can be easily refurbished, and the door itself is plywood, so it seems like a pretty straight-forward project. The previous door has a white laminate on the exterior side, thin and hard. I'm not sure if it's vinyl, gelcoat or something else, but I've also seen it used quite a bit in houseboat construction which makes me think it is (or was) a commonly available product. Does anyone know what it might be and how I could acquire some?

 

[SteveK]

My guess it is a sheet of laid up fiberglass. My brief stint in a boatyard job saw some done on waxed surface gelcoat is applied and then one/two layers of mat.

 

[Bmarler]

Interesting. It almost looks like Formica.
I wouldn’t do it that way. I like to fully fiberglass over the door inside and out. I like silver tip epoxy (no amine blush), then use their epoxy fairing compound and a long sanding block to make it nice and flat.

 

[Delta Riverat]

I'd say it is Formica. Looks way too sharp and uniform to be fiberglass. I like the stuff, easy to work with, standard wood working tools, extremely durable.

 

[potoboat]

I'd say it is Formica. Looks way too sharp and uniform to be fiberglass. I like the stuff, easy to work with, standard wood working tools, extremely durable.

Agreed; it is definitely factory produced, too uniform (both thickness and finish) to be a hand-laid fiberglass job. I'm not very familiar with formica other than for countertop surfaces. Do they make variants that would be appropriate for external siding, i.e. UV resistant?

 

[potoboat]

My guess it is a sheet of laid up fiberglass. My brief stint in a boatyard job saw some done on waxed surface gelcoat is applied and then one/two layers of mat.

Hmm, I suppose that might work. I've done several hand layups, including gelcoat on a waxed smooth surface like you describe. But that's a lot more work than a laminate sheet, with all the sanding and stuff.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Mr. p. Indeed, double clad Formica would be a lot easier BUT one has to be concerned about the material being completely and 100% water proof.
Best is to get in touch with manufacturer. Laminate for the Marine Industry | Formica Group