Posted by Eins on September 29, 2000 at 22:06:04:
In Reply to: Re: stitch and glue posted by JRM on September 29, 2000 at 13:06:18:
on a pound for pound comparison between steel and plywood, the latter may actually win. Just consider the specific weight of both, and you (especially you) will understand.
That said and believing that this discussion does well fit into this BBS, I buy all your points WRT the strength and toughness of plywood. In home construction. Not necessarily for a vessel like a dive kayak. Fiberglass is exactly the wrong material, much to hard and inflexible. Cracks much too easily. You need a tough, waterproof material and I think it helps if it is a unibody, not an assembled construction. But I'm willing to learn. I have nevedr used a plywood kayak, so I don't know how it would perform. I have used a PE kayak and know it stands the test, time and again. And it comes in proven designs. No trial and error necessary.
Eins