New locker lid £800 from Robbins. Help!!

[pcatterall]

A locker lid on our old Neptunian needs replacing.
Water has got in and the ply has weakened. It will soon fail as crew like to jump on it when entering the cockpit.
The original ply has that fake caulked look and I wanted to replace with something similar.
Robbins timber ! was my immediate thought. I new it was expensive but recalled that they would cut to size.
No more cutting to size I find and an 8x4 is now £800.....ouch!
One alternative now seems to be to 'rescue' the top ply layer with its caulking ( it appears sound) and bond it to some ply.
Otherwise bond some teak strips to new ply and caulk it. Or groove some ply and caulk it.
Any ideas/advice please?

 

[rogerthebodger]

This is how I made my hatch garage with strips of wood (Iroko in my case) then corked with sikaflex

https://flic.kr/p/WM4f6i

https://flic.kr/p/WYNxNe

https://flic.kr/p/WYNxAF

https://flic.kr/p/WM4d54

 

[VicS]

A locker lid on our old Neptunian needs replacing.
Water has got in and the ply has weakened. It will soon fail as crew like to jump on it when entering the cockpit.
The original ply has that fake caulked look and I wanted to replace with something similar.
Robbins timber ! was my immediate thought. I new it was expensive but recalled that they would cut to size.
No more cutting to size I find and an 8x4 is now £800.....ouch!
One alternative now seems to be to 'rescue' the top ply layer with its caulking ( it appears sound) and bond it to some ply.
Otherwise bond some teak strips to new ply and caulk it. Or groove some ply and caulk it.
Any ideas/advice please?

Their website still seems to offer a panel cutting service ....?????. Panel Cutting - Robbins Timber
.

 

[Gsailor]

£800 for a piece of 8x4?

Robbins used to be the place to go for buying ply to build wharram cats.

What is going on economically to allow such prices?

We all know there is ply and then there is ply (voids and such like), but £800 is out of this world as far as I am concerned.

 

[Sandy]

I've been looking at https://www.woodshopdirect.co.uk for a project this winter.

 

[pcatterall]

Roger the pretty good bodger.........looks great VicS thanks, i've filled in their form.

 

[Tranona]

Be aware, that despite the price it is not "real" teak, but a reconstituted product called Alpi. Pretty sure they will not cut this product although they may cut others. Teak facing as it used to be has almost completely disappeared from the market because of the difficulty in supply. You will also find it very difficult to source machined teak few years ago.

If your top veneer layer is sound and removable then it may be possible to bond that onto a new piece of ply. I am doing exactly the same thing at the moment, except removing Treadmaster and replacing with teak on the cockpit. I am using 2.5mm constructional teak veneers cut into 55mm strips and glued down with CT1 then caulked with TDS. My locker lids are very sound and edged all round in solid teak and the teak strips will sit on top. I have used this method in the past, sometimes paid with epoxy, sometimes with SABA or Sika.

This method is a lot of faff for one locker lid as the veneer comes in 3m*18cm so you need to be able to cut to size - I use a band saw. However I am doing over 3 sqm of deck and cockpit so worth buying in bulk and setting up to machine.

Photo shows an earlier effort. The deck is actually 4mm strips done around 2014, but the cockpit is 2.5mm with epoxy done in the early 90s. I will try to get photos tomorrow (if it stops peeing with rain) of a section of coachroof I did earlier this year.

 

[Concerto]

If you keep the top layer of the existing plywood, why not use glassfibre to back it to the same original thickness. Certainly cheaper than £800 and probably stronger as well.

 

[VicS]

Be aware, that despite the price it is not "real" teak, but a reconstituted product called Alpi. Pretty sure they will not cut this product although they may cut others. Teak facing as it used to be has almost completely disappeared from the market because of the difficulty in supply. You will also find it very difficult to source machined teak few years ago.

The product the Op requires is not ALPI. It is described as Iroko veneers and they say it can be cut to size:-

AVAILABILITY

We offer Robbins Elite Decking for collection or delivery, in 2500 x 1220 mm sheets (or cut to size if necessary), in the following sizes:

6 mm / 14 mm / 20 mm

 

[Goldie]

I've been looking at https://www.woodshopdirect.co.uk for a project this winter.

These guys often have off cuts too.

 

[Tranona]

The product the Op requires is not ALPI. It is described as Iroko veneers and they say it can be cut to size:-

OK, but even if the cut price is the same per sqm as a full sheet a typical locker lid of 1*.6 in 6mm (which would need a 12mm backing) would be over £170 and 14 or 20mm well over £200.

A 2.15*.39 piece of teak 1.5mm veneer which would comfortably do the same size is around £55. Add to an 15mm or so ply base plus adhesive would still come in around half the price.

 

[BobnLesley]

It won't provide the 'caulked' look, but when I needed to replace some veneered (teak?) ply locker lids I went to an antique/furniture and bought a teak wardrobe for £31 (including fees) and made all three of them out of that.
Hardwood/'brown' furniture is dirt cheap nowadays, I look in that direction first for all my timber needs.

 

[Tranona]

Photos of the veneers laid in strips on the coachroof where clutches will go and one of the cockpit seats and locker tops where the treadmaster will be removed and replaced with teak. Should keep me busy all winter. Teak from here
Natural Wood Veneers - Full Range - The Wood Veneer Hub

 

[Jerbro]

Try Sykes timber in Atherstone… I’ve just had some Java teak from them to build a table and hatch…

 

[Supertramp]

Bit of a tangent but I use old garden furniture as a source of teak, sanding the weathered surface off, squaring edges etc. Obviously doesn't come in long lengths and the quality (grain) is not the same as a teak deck. Very useful for making a variety of boat fittings for interior or exterior. If I was making a hatch cover I would make the structure in marine ply, varnish it, and then cover with teak strips and caulk.

That table looks superb.

 

[rotrax]

It won't provide the 'caulked' look, but when I needed to replace some veneered (teak?) ply locker lids I went to an antique/furniture and bought a teak wardrobe for £31 (including fees) and made all three of them out of that.
Hardwood/'brown' furniture is dirt cheap nowadays, I look in that direction first for all my timber needs.

Just made a winch base from some reclaimed furniture timber. Picked it up at our local timber recycling specialist for a couple of quid.

 

[BobnLesley]

Just made a winch base from some reclaimed furniture timber...

Those and a helm step were what the remains of my wardrobe became

 

[pcatterall]

Try Sykes timber in Atherstone… I’ve just had some Java teak from them to build a table and hatch…

View attachment 166864

And very smart too!!

 

[pcatterall]

Just looking at teak veneer costs and see 3mx19cm x 3mm at £76 and similar size but 1.5mm at £31.
In terms of wear I would be happy with the 1.5mm but is that a bit shallow to caulk? The caulk lines on my lids are only 3 or 4 mm wide.

Like others I have found old furniture a good source though in terms of veneered stuff would the veneer glue be suspect in a marine environment?

 

[pcatterall]

The quote below was for £840 plus carriage. Should I go for it?!
Dear Mr Catterall



Thank you for your recent email enquiry as below.



I’m afraid our Elite decking is only sold in full sheets so I have attached a quotation for 1 whole sheet cut to the size as requested and the offcut supplied.



If delivery is required we would need a full delivery address to quote on.



Kind regards



Sarah Meredith