Worn out wash boards.......recycle them!

[aquaholic]

Worn out wash boards.......recycle them! *UPDATE!

Have been struggling with what to replace my washboards with as they were looking very tatty and the ply was lifting. Answer....took a chisel and scraped off the first layer of ply (less than 5 minutes ) has left me quite a nice clean sheet, currently on the 6th coat of varnish. Will post a pic when finished.

 

[Contest1]

Mine are too far gone but wish I,d thought of that five years ago.
Planning to make new ones from marine ply this year.

 

[alteredoutlook]

...... suggest you keep the old ones for the winter lay up period. This will allow you to re-varnish your new ones at your leisure

 

[Thistle]

Answer....took a chisel and scraped off the first layer of ply.

I hope they don't warp. That's one of the reasons there is always an odd number of plys.

 

[aquaholic]

I hope they don't warp. That's one of the reasons there is always an odd number of plys.

Will take a chance and let you know ?

 

[Athene V30]

Won't they be a bit loose in the guides and rattle in the wind?

Maybe not depending on how much varnish is applied!

 

[Rigger]

I managed to take the top layer of veneer off when sanding down!! Got some hardwood moulding strips from B&Q and epoxied strips of these onto the old ply. Varnish on top and look really good!

 

[rogerthebodger]

Iroko strips glued to the old ply wash boards, gaps filled with sikaflex sanded and varnished.

 

[Contest1]

...... suggest you keep the old ones for the winter lay up period. This will allow you to re-varnish your new ones at your leisure

Thanks for the heads up, maybe even improve the winter ventilaion with a couple of extra vents.

 

[Skylark]

I've also made a new pair over the winter. I plan to use the original, now tatty, pair for winter hardstanding. Mine are 15mm ply, said to be rare, and I could buy nothing less than an 8ft by 4ft sheet. My local timber merchant was helpful and suggested gluing 9mm and 6mm together. By the time I'd bought the waterproof glue and had them cut the final shape, the cost rose to about £70. 6 or so coats of a satin yacht vanish, they look the dogs' do dahs.

 

[Flossdog]

A few years ago I thought my wash boards, actually very nice doors with louvres etc., were suffering so I got a canvas cover made up. It overlaps them by about two inches all round and is held in place by bungie with hooks. Keeps the rain off and more importantly, the sun even though it's all under the sprayhood. They haven't deteriorated at all in the last few years.

 

[rob2]

I have a spare pair of washboards, hardwood edged, on which the facing ply is delaminating. I was considering epoxying with a scrim cloth and then flow coating them or maybe applying some white formica I have lying around in the shed... Please feel free to tell me why either of the above will not work!

Rob

 

[aquaholic]

Ok so here is the outcome after stripping the top layer of ply which almost fell off on its own, then 8 coats of varnish. Will do me for another year hopefully.

View attachment 30357View attachment 30358

 

[rogerthebodger]

looks very good.

 

[Vara]

Looks good, I did a similar thing as a temporary measure 3 years ago!

 

[prv]

maybe even improve the winter ventilaion with a couple of extra vents.

Worth doing. I made up a set of winter washboards for Kindred Spirit out of scrap OSB. Routed some big slots in them and then knocked up an OSB "hood" to keep the rain out of the slots. Gives lots of ventilation, and kept the inside nice and dry over winter. The previous owner had had problems with mildew with the normal boards in - having cleaned all that up at great effort we didn't want a recurrence!

Pete