Screwing into the edge of plywood hatch?

[Jeff Kelety]

Hi all - Another relatively simple thang, but done wrong I'll waste good effort having built my hatch. I have the canvas wrapped and stapled over the edges of the hatch. All that's left is to replace the trim covering the overlapped-edges. I was going to screw the trim in...but, is this asking for trouble screwing into the edge of plywood? I'm using 1/2" marine ply. Any other alternatives?

Thanks,
Jeff

[Dave R]

What are the dimeensions of the trim pieces? Could you glue a 3/4" x 3/4" piece along the underside edges of the plywood to give you something to screw into?

Or could your trim pieces be rabbetted so that the panel will sit down inside like a picture in a picture frame? Then you could glue the panel in place and skip the screws.

[brad9798]

Screwing into ends of plywood = bad.

Like Dave R said- if you can screw into some solid wood, you are much better off.

Glue it if you can.

[Bob Cleek]

Yea, don't even bother trying to screw into the edge of plywood. It won't hold and it will probably rot. If you haven't built a frame with proper grain to fasten to, as described, all is not lost. Take maybe a 3/4" brad point drill bit and carefully drill down into and through the plywood a half inch or so inboard of the edge adjacent to wherever you want to run a screw. Fill that hole with a length of 3/4" dowel epoxied in place. Run your screws into that. You'll have to use longer screws, but it will hold. Use a dowel with the grain running lengthwise, not a bung with cross grain.

[This message has been edited by Bob Cleek (edited 07-16-2001).]

[RGM]

Next time around glue and screw or biscuit perimeter pieces of solid wood around the perimeter (edge grain) of your plywood hatch. Adjust the dimensions of your piece of plywood to account for the additional width of the wood strips that you are adding to the hatch. Bullnose/detail the outer corners of the solid wood strips to suit, then apply your canvas or whatever over and around the plywood hatch (now with solid wood edges), secure the canvas then fit and install the trim that you were talking about by fastening it to the solid wood strips that you previously glued/screwed and/or biscuited to the plywood. Get the picture>

[Jeff Kelety]

Dear, dear. So many fiddly things to consider on boat! Well thanks all. To the bottom face of the hatch, I have screwed in the lip that overhangs the hatch frame that the hatch rests upon. This is only about a half and inch high, but may be this is the way to go. Wouldn't be very big screws as it is only about a 1/4" wide. Maybe a combination of small fasteners into the lip and some sturdy glue. Since a good portion of the trim will abut painted canvas (already painted), would need some stick-to-anything sort of goop. 5200 perhaps?\

Keep it coming fellas, I don't want to have to make another hatch. Since the canvas is already on, adding a frame to the ply-hatch is not a possibility.

Thanks,
jgk

[Jeff Kelety]

<Or could your trim pieces be rabbetted so that the panel will sit down inside like a picture in a picture frame? Then you could glue the panel in place and skip the screws>

Hmmmm. Yes. Then a single trim piece could function as the lip and the side trim. Course it would mean re-cutting the trim pieces all over again and cutting the rabbet. I see my life passing before my eyes. Maybe you shouldn't oughta have a wooden boat and a young family in the same lifetime <g>! On the other hand, the 8-year-old just had his first sailing lesson with our local Wooden Boat Foundation, so there ya go.

[Dick]

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