looking for help with boat floor

[zstwins]

trying to put a floor in my 14" crestliner. does anyone have a secret for measuring the floor so i can cut the plywood to fit in. tries\d cardboard pattern but would not stay level in the boat to make a good pattern. any help would be graet. thank you in advance.

[TONGA]

brown masking paper, like they use to paint cars.

[jpollman]

When I made the casting platform in the bow of my last boat there was nothing there before to use for a template so I made my own. What I did was pick up a sheet of 1/4" luan and cut it into about 1-1/2" wide strips. Then I laid one right down the centerline from the front to the back of the platform. Then another on either side of that one running the same direction. (about centered between the first strip and the side of the boat) Then I just started at the rear and made a measurement of the width I needed and cut another strip to that length. Then I just laid it in place accross the top of the other strips and glued it in place with a hot glue gun. Then I just repeated the process about every 6" moving forward. When I was done I just lifted it out and laid the template on top of my plywood and traced the outline and it gave me the exact shape of the bow. I just cut it out and it fit perfect. I'm sure there are other ways to do it but that's how I did mine and it worked great.

Good luck!

John

[roger23]

I don't know if it is true but I was told by a A alcoa aluminum rep don't use any treated lumber on any aluminum products It corrodes aluminum

[Lwapo]

I've never done it before, but I had an idea...

Get some of that foam they put on the outside of houses. It should be very cheap. It'd be easy to cut with a utility knife and would be about the same thickness as the boards you're going to use for your floor.

Make a template out of them. You can cut it easily and it'd make a very realistic template for your floor.

Just my idea though, never tried it.

[Duckman1]

You need to know the width(s), length at the centerline of the floor. Some scrap or inexpensive wood. The 1/4" luan mentioned will work good.
Cut the luan into 1' widths out of the length. Lay these down next to the side of the boat where the floor will meet it.
Use a pair of dividers, one with a pencil attached to it and follow the side of the boat where the floor will meet it this will transfer the shape of the edge to your template.

Cut the line on these to follow as a pattern. Measure off the centerline that is on your wood that you plan to use for the finished floor and trace the shape from the template.

I hope you can follow this somewhat.:confused: Kind of hard to explain but this should give you a good start.

Good luck!