Tips on Building Teak Swim Platform
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22035
Printed Date: November-19-2024 at 10:44pm
Topic: Tips on Building Teak Swim Platform
Posted By: kman
Subject: Tips on Building Teak Swim Platform
Date Posted: June-09-2011 at 2:22pm
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I'm about to build a teak swim deck for my boat. Southwinds are a beast to climb into for some. After a long hard ski session, it's like climbing up a fire escape ladder on the side of a building . A friend of mine has an original deck from a Southwind I can use as a pattern. Does anybody have any advice or tips on what tools to use on the teak? I work for a sign company and thought about using our 8' x 16' flatbed router, but probably not. What saw works best?, Sanding? Thanks for the help.
Kirk ------------- Kirk 1976 Southwind 20 Eagle Mountain Lake Fort Worth |
Replies:
Posted By: kapla
Date Posted: June-09-2011 at 7:48pm
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I´d look into buying the reproduction platforms available in the CCF store..they are not teak, they are jotoba. in they run about $350/450
Ask if they have the patern for the southwind though. ------------- <a href="">1992 ski nautique |
Posted By: kman
Date Posted: June-09-2011 at 7:52pm
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Thought about that, but I want teak. There's no substitute in my opinion. ------------- Kirk 1976 Southwind 20 Eagle Mountain Lake Fort Worth |
Posted By: kapla
Date Posted: June-09-2011 at 8:06pm
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Problem with teak..is that its hard to find? and its pricey!!!
probably the best route is to find a used platform in a boat yard or on evil bay and try to adapt it to your needs... ------------- <a href="">1992 ski nautique |
Posted By: kman
Date Posted: June-09-2011 at 8:10pm
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Pricey yes. But there is a place here in town that carries it, luckily. ------------- Kirk 1976 Southwind 20 Eagle Mountain Lake Fort Worth |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-10-2011 at 9:47am
Kirk, Have you done any true price calculations on the Teak? The last time I looked at it, it was over $65 a BF!!! Rough estimating, that would put your lumber costs at over $1,300.00!!!! 
BTW, it being a oily wood, it really machines nice. I would however recommend carbide rip (not combination) blade in your table saw for the best rip cuts. A decent sharp blade and the ripped pieces will not even need to be run through the jointer. The same is true for cutting to length in the "chop", radial arm or miter saw. Since you have tapered sides, a decent carbide blade in a hand held "skill saw" will do fine - run it against a straight edge cutting the ends after assemby. Router bits for the round-over, carbide of course!! Unless you have a real high end surface planer that has carbide blades or better yet one of the new spiral cutter heads in it, you're stuck with HSS. Sanding can be a problem with cheaper abrasive paper. Due to the oily wood the cheap paper will clog up on you. Get the most expensive you can find and don't go to one of the "big box" stores for it. You know, I wasn't even going to comment on this non original idea at first!!   ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
kman wrote:Posted By: kman
Date Posted: June-10-2011 at 10:53am
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It is expensive but there is an exotic hardwood dealer here in Dallas that has it in stock for $30 a board foot. My original teak is still in great shape so I just want it to all match. Thanks for the tips. ------------- Kirk 1976 Southwind 20 Eagle Mountain Lake Fort Worth |
Posted By: kman
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 4:09pm
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76 Southwind 20
OK - New Teak platform from Teak World in Tennessee will be here next week. Can someone tell me what bolts & plates I should use for the top holes the go thru the transom? Do I need some flatbar steel or maybe fender washers? Also, I am assuming the bottom holes on the brackets just get screwed in because you can't get to them on the inside. Thanks ------------- Kirk 1976 Southwind 20 Eagle Mountain Lake Fort Worth |
Posted By: kman
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 4:12pm
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And, with nobody in the boat; where should the platform sit in relation to the water ideally? 3"-4" above the water??? ------------- Kirk 1976 Southwind 20 Eagle Mountain Lake Fort Worth |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 4:12pm
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Plates are probably overkill- Ive only ever used fender washers. I'd consider adding bolts to the bottom instead of screws- at least on the center 2 brackets (which are accessible). All hardware is 3/8-16, if I remember correctly. Make sure you use lots of 5200!
I would look at pictures of other SW20's to determine where the platform should be mounted. The height relative to the stripe will be your best clue. Distance above the waterline will vary quite a bit, I suspect, depending on how much wet foam any particular boat has, and whereabouts its sitting. For instance, Ive seen some BFN's with platforms at the waterline (waterlogged in the rear?) and ours was 3-4" up- it was waterlogged in the front! If someone with a factory platform could get you a reference measurement (rubrail down, maybe?) that would probably be best. ------------- |
Posted By: gun-driver
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 6:01pm
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Kirk,
What did they charge you? Did they have a pattern or did you supply them with measurements? I too explored the idea of building my own but as Pete pointed out it wasn't cost effective. |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 6:17pm
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Teak World if I remember correctly is a great deal for a real Teak platform. I have a feeling or was told that they got their hands on a large batch of teak they are reclaiming. Remember they used to use Teak on battleship decks - retire one of them and you end up with lots of Teak!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: kman
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 6:27pm
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My buddy bought a 78 Southwind that is just like my 76 so we bought two decks. $350 EACH!!! Yes, there is excitement in that. I priced the wood here in Dallas and it was going to be around $375. Tommy Nation is who I am dealing with at Teak World. They normally do the decks for $375 - $420, but we got the two item discount. We shipped him an old deck off of a Southwind that is the exact fit for our boats so they had one to replicate. He said they can also work from a pattern or electonic file. http://teakworldenterprises.samsbiz.com/ My friend is going to get both sides of his dash done and all new step plates from them too. I will post pics when I receive the deck. ------------- Kirk 1976 Southwind 20 Eagle Mountain Lake Fort Worth |
Posted By: jlagrow
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 7:06pm
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I also need a swim platform for a southwind 20. I am in the middle of a major overhaul of the entire boat and will post picture of the project soon (I am new to all this posting and attaching stuff). Due to the size of my project, I do not have the funds to jump on with you all and increase the quanity discount. Could you help a guy out and keep that pattern and your mounting locations for me? ------------- 1976 Southwind 20 open |
Posted By: kman
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 7:21pm
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Teak World should be able to make it again after they finish ours. I can help with the bolt pattern after that. Save my info. Kirk signpro09@att.net ------------- Kirk 1976 Southwind 20 Eagle Mountain Lake Fort Worth |
Posted By: politicallycorrect
Date Posted: June-29-2011 at 11:50pm
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I'm going to need one for my 72 once the stringers are done. I just emailed them to see if they could make another! Great find Kirk!
Scott ------------- Skin grows back...fiberglass doesn't!! |
Posted By: DrCC
Date Posted: June-30-2011 at 12:34am
| Looks to me like Teak World is pulling your leg while they are selling you Jatoba. |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: June-30-2011 at 11:04am
Al, can you tell the difference between jatoba and teak just by looking? I used Teak World a few years ago for my Tique platform. They claimed it was actual teak. I forget if they told me it was reclaimed wood, or if thats something I just assumed because the price was so reasonable. It sure looked like teak to me- it was not noticeably heavier than I would have expected either (isnt jatoba more dense?).
Oh, and if Im not mistaken, these guys are the OEM supplier for Mastercraft platforms- just FYI. ------------- |
Posted By: JoeinNY
Date Posted: June-30-2011 at 11:21am
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The Jatoba wood platforms I have seen that were purchased through the site store were beautiful. I sure couldn't tell the difference. Once I finally break down and buy a cover for the 83 thats is worth a darn I will start saving my pennies for one of those. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1477 - 1983 Ski Nautique 2001 1967 Mustang 302 "Decoy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO5MkcBXBBs - Holeshot Video |