Carpeted Platform

[outdoorsman110]

How do you put a carpeted platform on a John boat?

[Way2slow]

If you are talking about a deck, just go to Lowe's or Home Depote and get you a piece of pressure treate 3/4" plywood. Sometimes, they will have pieces in their 1/4 sheet bins, if a 1/4 sheet will fit where you want it. Then go to the capet section and get them to cut you a piece of their cheap loop pile, indoor/outdoor big enough fit over the size board and give a two inch wrap underneath. Go buy the hardware section and get you some #12, #14, or 1/4" stainless screws for metal about 1 1/2" long. Take all this home, cut the board to fit where you want it, wrap the carpet around it, drill holes about a foot to 18" apart a little smaller than the screw threw the wood and into the center of the top bead around the boat. Do just one to hold it, swap bits and drill a hole through the plywood large enough for the screw to slide through. Fasten that one down, go to another point a ways away from the first and do the same thing again. Once you have those two points secure, drill all your small holes for the rest of the screws. Take the whole thing off one more time or raise it up and stick a piece of steel under each hole as you drill and drill all the large holes in the plywood and fasten it down. Don't be smart and try to drill the plywood larger with it in place, you will most likely drill all the way through the aluminum rail you were wanting to fasten it to.

You will fold the carpet under the edge so it's pinched beween the plywood and boat to hold it in place. I never glue it when I put one on mine

[quanjig]

Go to tinboats and look at some of the builds those guys have done! Pressure treated ply from what I have read does not play well with aluminum. If you really want to do it right, make your deck out of aluminum and use 1" aluminum tubing for the bracing

[Way2slow]

That's the reason for folding the carpet back under and having it between the aluminum and the wood.

I will admit, aluminum is the way to go, if you have the money to spend. Usually aluminum requires some time on a metal break and some tig welding if you're going to do it right. The wood and carpet is less than $100, even if you have to buy a whole sheet.

[fadetoblack21]

Make sure you boat is wide enough for this project. There is a topic on tinboats.net about this that can be found here: http://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9074

If you boat is not wide enough you could be creating a platform that can really increase your chances of rolling the boat.

[outdoorsman110]

Thanks you guys!

[outdoorsman110]

Do ya think I could mount seats too? Swivel seats?

[00 mod]

All depends on the bottom width of the boat, and how high you want your decking!

Jeff

[Way2slow]

As mentioned, if you are talking about an elevated deck to mount pedistal seats, you had better be talking about a fair size jon, and make sure you are never without your PFD on while using it.

I put a carpeted deck on the fronts of mine just to give a place to secure a bow mount TM and anchor roller/guide. Even on my 1436, I would not even stand on the thing to fish.

[outdoorsman110]

As mentioned, if you are talking about an elevated deck to mount pedistal seats, you had better be talking about a fair size jon, and make sure you are never without your PFD on while using it.

I put a carpeted deck on the fronts of mine just to give a place to secure a bow mount TM and anchor roller/guide. Even on my 1436, I would not even stand on the thing to fish.

I'm looking at getting a 15+ footer

[Catt]

Go to Xpress boats or Alweld boats web site & you will see boat of 14'+ with casting decks front/rear, pedestal seats, and floors. My point is this can be done to any size boat but the narrower the bottom the more top heavy and the likely you'll flip it.

Wood is more cost effective but the added weight kills the proformance of your outboard.

As for "Wolmanized" or treated wood reacting with aluminium this is a non-factor since the chemicals used have long been changed.