Has anyone built a boat using Coroplast???

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richg99
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Has anyone built a boat using Coroplast???

Post by richg99 »

While I love wooden boats, and even built a 16 foot dory some many years ago..I've become impressed with Coroplast. You know, the stuff they make real estate and political signs out of.

Corrugated plastic is what it is. Strong; shiny; inexpensive; totally waterproof. Seems to take epoxy well, after a cleaning with Acetone first and some light sanding.

I've built a couple of smaller R/C airplanes out of it and there is a good following for the stuff in the R/C community. Model airplanes with wing spans of six feet or more are often built using Coro. I kind of envisioned a "Pea pod" style boat using stitch and glue construction.

You can buy a 4 x 8 sheet (4 mil) in Houston for under $15.00 in a variety of colors.
It is available in 2 mil; 4 mil and 10 mil thicknesses. Joining sheets would have to be butt joints ( with epoxied food skewers buried in adjacent flutes) and no doubt double thickness sides so one could get a good glued over-lap. I'd imagine that the framework would be wood, with the Coro being the sheeting.

Anyhow..Anyone else here ever look into the material for small boats?? thanks Rich
Last edited by richg99 on Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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gerald
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Re: Has anyone built a boat using Coroplast???

Post by gerald »

Hmmmm...interesting question. I wish I knew more about the stuff. I know that there is a corrugated sheet--something like cardboard and they also have an expanded PVC sheet. I suspect the expanded pvc sheet would be too heavy. That would leave the corrugated sheet. Since you already have some experience with it I'd say that makes you the coroplast guru. My only concern would be the adhesive integrity of epoxy with the pvc. I happen to have access to a plastic welder so that might be something to think about, but probably not. I don't know. I guess a mock up is something you'd need to do and try it out. Thanks for the question. I believe I'll check further into the material. I HAVE built a boat using corrugated cardboard (funny coincidence since I work at a box manufacturing componay). I used epoxy on it--no fiberglass. It worked a lot better than you think it would. Hmmm....special cardboard and we might have another good idea here. I love alternate methods and materials! Keep us posted. I hope you do some experimenting.

Actually--at that price for a sheet ($15) I may even get some and see what I can use it for....
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Pogo
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Re: Has anyone built a boat using Coroplast???

Post by Pogo »

Yeah, me too .... where do you get it?

The world of R/C model airplanes and homebuilt full-size aircraft have all sorts of cool ideas, great materials and neato tools that we can use as boat builders (or telescope makers, or fly tiers/lure makers, or banjo mechanics, etc., etc.).

And speaking of alternate methods/materials, I know a man who builds pirogues out of a pine slat frame, aluminum roof flashing for "skin", plywood for the bottom panel, and miscellaneous screws, nails, and epoxy to put it all together. His 14-footer took something like two weeks to build, and weighs just a little over 20 lbs. His 12-footer weighs less than 20. Both look really surprisingly sharp, are reported to be "dirt cheap", and seem to be durable enough at least to last the year I've known him without showing any wear I can see. He paddles them pretty often, mostly for bayou fishing, and that's how I met him. I have asked, and he has agreed to, my taking a camera over to his place for a full report one of these days, so now we're just working on how/when to get together and make it happen. But one or the other of us is forever getting busy with other stuff, you know the story.

Hooray for innovation! Wood is cool, but it ain't the only show in town! :clap:
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JEM
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Re: Has anyone built a boat using Coroplast???

Post by JEM »

I've worked with it for packaging related items.

If it's the same stuff you worked with, then it's pretty much "plastic corrugated cardboard". That new G-flex epoxy from west is supposed to stick to it. I question... only because I don't have first hand experience... how well epoxy will bind to it. It is plastic. But I make a point to be wrong at least twice a day so this could be #1.

It would be very puncture resistant but if doesn't seem like it would take to bending very well. But again, i may be off track. Are there any websites showing how they used it in a model airplane?
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Re: Has anyone built a boat using Coroplast???

Post by Dogpaddlin »

Pogo,

This website says it can be heat welded (I assume that means plastic welded). This would be pretty cool!

http://corrugatedplastics.net/48x96whit ... heets.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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richg99
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Re: Has anyone built a boat using Coroplast???

Post by richg99 »

More than you could ever want to know about using coroplast is at the
SPADTOTHEBONE.com...however, that site is dormant. It's creators have moved on to other SPAD sites. Another one that is active and has lots of information is http://spadworld.net/forum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; SPAD means Simplified Plastic Aircraft Design....

A LOT of different adhesives have been used. Many use Super glue; other use Gorilla glue or the Borden's equivalent. Interestingly, they use a tool on a roller that punctures little holes into the coro. Then.... the Gorilla glue expands into both holes and forms little rivets. Since the polyurethane glues are totally water resistant, if not complete water proof. ..that approach holds some interest for me. I am up North, up on the ILL/WISC. line for a couple more weeks. I will experiment more when I get back home to Houston.

Where to buy...well, in both Austin and Houston ( and maybe other Texas cities, ) you can buy all you want for good prices at Regal Plastics. Your local sign shop will be glad to sell you a sheet for $35.00 or so. They just buy it from Regal for $15.00 or so.., as best as I can see.

If anyone wanted to experiment, just look around for older political signs that have never been removed. You'd be doing all of us a service if you'd get them out of sight. Also, bars and gas stations often get Coro signs that get outdated, and then just thrown away. I picked up a couple of 4x4's from my local gas station. You can clean the printing off with a liberal application of Acetone, along with some elbow grease.

I stocked up after the last political campaign... a week after-wards. Lots of 2 x 4 and 4 x4 pieces. Not good for boat building...but great for airplanes; boat-building stations; and just experimenting. I'll keep this thread up when I get back home. regards, Rich
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Coroplast size changed to 4 mil

Post by richg99 »

Please note that I amended my original post to show 4 mil rather than 6 mil. I was confused. The FOAM that we build airplanes out of is usually 6 mil .....the Coro is normally 4 mil .... Just in case anyone is calling around for material. regards, Rich
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