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What is the trade name of the material boat yards use to cover interior walls?


MrPlant

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The material you are talking about is Laminate. 

It is made by a variety of companies including the one that most people will have heard of, Formica. 

It is not easy stuff to work with, especially if you are working on an existing vertical surface in a boat. It is very brittle when it is unbonded and broken edges can be razor sharp. 

You need a fair amount of space to work with it too.

Try Ipswich Plastics.

Recommended tools for working with it:

sheet metal shears for cutting (won't deform and chip the laminate)
Router with a guided bit (for final trimming after fitting and curing)~
Sharp stanley knife and straight rule (more spare blades than you can  shake a stick at)
Hand laminate trimmer

Contact adhesive
roller (for applying even pressure) - a printer's roller of solid rubber is great.
Chinagraph pencils for marking your cut lines
 

There are some very good videos on YouTube for applying this. 

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The material you are talking about is Laminate. 

It is made by a variety of companies including the one that most people will have heard of, Formica. 

It is not easy stuff to work with, especially if you are working on an existing vertical surface in a boat. It is very brittle when it is unbonded and broken edges can be razor sharp. 

You need a fair amount of space to work with it too.

Try Ipswich Plastics.

Recommended tools for working with it:

sheet metal shears for cutting (won't deform and chip the laminate)
Router with a guided bit (for final trimming after fitting and curing)~
Sharp stanley knife and straight rule (more spare blades than you can  shake a stick at)
Hand laminate trimmer

Contact adhesive
roller (for applying even pressure) - a printer's roller of solid rubber is great.
Chinagraph pencils for marking your cut lines
 

There are some very good videos on YouTube for applying this. 

So it is formica, I thought you guys would be using something different, but thanks for the info cheersbar

What are your thoughts/experiences on these flexible veneer sheets, never seen them before... Page 9 http://www.robbins.co.uk/pdf/Marine_Pricelist.pdf

 

(thanks for the link alan)cheersbar

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Smaller quantities available here

http://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/products/timber-products/flexi-veneer-pre-glued/flexi-veneer-pre-glued-2500-x-300mm

I have been considering using some in our aft cabin myself,  yacht varnished it should look pretty good.

Nowhere near as hard wearing as Formica, thats why the Hire Yards use it.  For wet areas its definately the right stuff for the job (formica) 

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Another good company (locally) is Dunhams. 

They cover ply in laminates etc, like formica plus they are the ones who originally started suppling Holly & Teak flooring for the local yards....

in fact Barnes Brinkcraft were the first to use it, we got some from them, another yard saw it on our day boats, we told them where to get it and after a few years everyone was using it !  Amazingly its still fashionable however there are so many different coverings now.

When i owned LBBY we produced some of our own however an 8 x 4 press is ideally needed but its all down to quantity....

Dunhams are only in Neatishead.

Regards

 

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So it is formica, I thought you guys would be using something different, but thanks for the info cheersbar

What are your thoughts/experiences on these flexible veneer sheets, never seen them before... Page 9 http://www.robbins.co.uk/pdf/Marine_Pricelist.pdf

 

(thanks for the link alan)cheersbar

I understand from Robbins that trying to glue a veneer on yourself is almost impossible (You will get bubbles).. and it's best to put it on marine grade ply (or at lest BS graded marine ply). We was told as Jason (SOS247) mentioned they use a full size press.. Which is why it gets expensive.  On Orca we used  "Veenered Decorative Ply" Page 9 in the booklet (page 11 on the pdf) (Mainly due to cost and to reduce the weight).. sadly though it's really not marine grade but we clear epoxied the back and edges and then think coat of varnish on the front (Still looks good). 

Nice to learn of the local companies on this thread.  I struggled so source these so will certainly try the local companies next time (oh god did I just say next time...!).

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Some major local boatbuilders have had issues regarding glues etc and as you say the air bubbles can be a problem! Even if they are tiny!  Some builders are now using a simple PVA glue instead of the fast contact adhesives.... 

They mainly press large quantities plus they vacuum pack.....this removes all the air. 

The glue has to be applied at the same consistent thickness as this stops small lumps etc and the smallest piece of dust in the glue can be seen afterwards which can spoil a complete board. 

You can cover with a soft lining like leather cloth, available with & without foam backings 

regards

 

    

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Thanks for all the replies, and thanks for sharing the local knowledge. cheersbar

Formica it is then!

What would you say is the best adhesive for formica?

and do you / local yards remove old formica from existing interior walls and surfaces? or just put straight on top of the old?

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When I was looking online about veneers and what woods could provide a good substrate to veneer on to, I found out about Medite - this is MDF but it is resistant to moisture and can be used outside to build things with from sheds, shop fronts and even marine interiors (as long as the part is not under stress load bearing).

It is by its very nature cheaper to produce than plywood and while will cause a great deal of dust to cut it would be ideal compared for bulkheads, around berth bases, works tops etc and because of its dense structure would be an idea material to veneer on to.

Of course people cast doubts  on this stuff- after all anyone who has seen MDF get wet knows how it swells and buckles and would never ever consider using it  in a boat, yet when you see such being discussed and someone is asking for examples of where Medite failed it seems the internet is silent or another way of looking at matters, if something lasted 20 years then fell apart many boat owners will not be boating in 20 years to worry about what the interior may be doing after they have sold up.

By the way this is not the 'green' exterior grade MDF you might see in Wicks etc, Medite has a brown inner core to prevent moisture wicking through the panel and so will not rot.  It would need to be sealed especially all edges prior to use.

http://www.medite-europe.com/products/medite-exterior

 

Edited by LondonRascal
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We used Robins marine timber for our ceiling and it does look really good. We did fury and fine someone local with the same product and drew a blank. Having had a temporary cockpit floor for 6 weeks earlier this year (long story) made of MDF I will say it worked well but I wouldn't use it long term - the rubber matting was also superb!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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If you want a local stockholder of adhesives, 3M, Medite, etc -  Amari Plastics Norwich 01603 787 777

Various finishes - oak faced/ash faced etc. and various thicknesses.

 

Vested interest declared.  Mods please remove if inappropriate.

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It would be good if a local company could have made some finished ' to size' bulk heads, panels & doors etc to suit maybe a regular boat type on the broads i.e. Freemans......?? 

I.e. Kit form internals.......

It would save weeks & weeks of time for people who renovate their boats !!!! Im sure when someone is chugging down the river not doing much, they could get their tape measure out!!! 

%%%%%!!!

 

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We have used laminates to refresh a private Princess 33 this year. The Burr wood effect laminate in the photos was used to completely refinish the roof lining in the cockpit and some knee-space panels on the helm. We re-finished the heads cabinet too with a new-silvery-grey coloured laminate and also re-applied older peeling laminates around the boat. 

We have also used laminates in a bare-shell refit of a Siesta 20 (ongoing) and to refresh a small area of the saloon bulkhead on Fine Freedom. Some years ago, we replaced the galley on Tranquil Freedom which involved new laminates on the wall boards and helm seating. 

The first four photos show the private boat work, five and six are Fine Freedom, seven and eight are the bare shell refit. 

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