Preview: Building Boat Furniture Using Plywood and Cleat Construction

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September 24, 2015

We visit the Grove Woodworking School on Gabriola Island in British Columbia where boatbuilder Tony Grove demystifies the craft of building boat furniture using plywood and cleat construction methods.

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20 Responses So Far to “Building Boat Furniture Using Plywood and Cleat Construction

  • Avatar

    Kyle Stroomer says:

    Very interesting video. I would like to leave my vote for some videos on how-to for outfitting boat interiors. As a plastic boat owner, I am wanting to do a few interior cabinetry projects and would love more info on the subject.

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    Bill Saunders says:

    Tony, this is a very excellent video. Your explanation of the various components of the cabinet and their assembly was very clear and detailed.

    Steve, how about working with Tony or Eric to make a video demonstrating how the fiddles and rounded rabbeted corners for such a cabinet are shaped/made? I am sure he starts with square or rectangular stock and uses a router table for some of the cuts and then does handwork with spokeshaves and such to finish the shape. A visual demonstration of this would be very helpful. I am sure there are some tips and time-saving ideas on how to do this that they could pass along. I am particularly interested in how to make the rounded rabbeted corners.

    Thanks for all the great videos!!

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    Charles Thompson says:

    Don’t know how I missed this one. Great stuff.

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    Bob Bounds says:

    Thank you for the video. How did you make the fiddles/sea rails?

    Bob Bounds

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    Mark Ritter says:

    Perfect timing y’all! I’m putting the interior in my Harry Bryan Rambler 23. Some great tips and ideas here.

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    Dennis Lancaster says:

    Tony, great video. Question. What are your thoughts on using epoxy as an adhesive?

    Regards,
    Dennis Lancaster
    Bellingham, Wash.

    • Avatar

      Tony Grove says:

      Hi Dennis, I find epoxy a little excessive and for a number of reasons dont usually use it for boat interiors. What I prefer and use is a waterproof PVA glue, for a name brand, Titebond 2 is the one of choice.
      Hope that helps.
      Tony

      • Avatar

        Hugh (Jock) Beebe says:

        Isn’t it Titebond III that’s the waterproof one?

        • Avatar

          Tony Grove says:

          I prefer Titebond 2 for working on interiors for a few small reasons. But saying that nothing wrong with Titebond 3.

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    David Wickland says:

    Thanks Steve & Eric for this video. I have been waiting for this since seeing you at the PT Festival and on the WS Ferry on your ride back from Sidney when you told me about it. Very informative and helpful, as all of your videos have been.
    Thanks for what you guys are doing, and thanks again for the get together at the show in PT.
    Dave Wickland

    • Steve Stone

      Steve Stone says:

      Hey Dave. It was great to see you on the ferry and at the happy hour. Sorry if we were punch drunk at the end of shooting 12 videos in 5 days.

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    Tom Bolko says:

    Barb and I had the opportunity ,in September 2014 ,to barge in on Tony and Dorothy on Gabriola Island. Tony is a great host and spent nearly 2 hours with our party going over the restoration of Dorothy. Great to see the artist, furniture maker, and boatbuilder working in his own space. We had a fine time. Tom Bolko

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    Aliette Seigel says:

    Thanks for this very informative video and for engaging such a skilled and experienced teacher. I would be interested in seeing the step-by-step process of building boat cabinets – maybe a series of individual videos that show the process from start to finish.
    Aliette Seigel

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    Jay Knight says:

    Thanks, very informative video. I would like some more on the finishing process.

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    michele del monaco says:

    great video, splendid teacher, thank Offcenter

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    Anders Teigen says:

    Great video. Good inspiration! How would you protect the plywood on the backside when fitting it in the boat? Would you bond it to the hull, or simply seal off the end grain?

    • Avatar

      Tony Grove says:

      Hi Anders,
      I started writing an answer and realized Im not totally sure on your question, can you ask the question again and will try and answer you.

      • Avatar

        Anders Teigen says:

        Hi, sorry about clumsy question. Not a native speaker. You’re talking about building the cabinet square sided in the shop, to be fitted in the boat later. I would greatly appreciate som insights on how to go about that. Maybe a new film??
        Several issues of interest:
        -getting the right fit to curved shapes (as the hull.)
        -fastening, mechanical or chemical. Making it possible to be removed without destroying it.
        -protecting plywood end grain touching the hull when piece is removable – avoiding moisture traps.
        Thanks again for clear and sensible, beautiful, no-nonsense cabinet design.

        • Avatar

          Bill Saunders says:

          Steve, I can see why Tony didn’t answer Anders’ questions. This is a whole series of potential videos for you to do explaining these things!

          In your recent survey one of the things I indicated I wanted more of was videos on how the kinds of things Anders asks are done when building a boat.

  • Avatar

    Glenn Holland says:

    Thank you for this video. Would like to see more from Tony, especially finishing furniture. I’m sure there are a few “tricks” to working out those corners. Appreciate what you folks are doing.
    Glenn Holland

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