Has anyone attempted using something other than wood for the decks of their boats? I have no plans to use another substance, but it was a thought that tickled the back of my mind today. Seems to me a sheet styrene would be just as durable...though maybe tougher to work with?
I used 0.030" ABS sheets for my last project & loved it! Entire ship, no wood used at all except that mandated by rule (i.e. balsa skin). Besides being easy to work (can't run a saw too fast, though, or the stuff starts to melt), it absolutely will not warp (unlike plywood) or splinter. Also, it's very flexible so it's easy to install/remove large deck sections over guns, without even needing to aim them some particular way for clearance (which is often necessary with even smaller deck sections of plywood). JM
I use sheet fibreglass for decking, and am looking at moulding reinforced gun barbettes directly to the deck.
I like the idea of plastic.... that sounds like it would work quite well! Ofcourse you loose that nice "wood deck look". But you could always go over it with three thousand popsicle sticks.
My friend Pete Dmitri uses plastic from "for sale" signs. The ones he uses are reasonably thick, not the flimsy ones. But he swears by them. I'm contemplating giving them a try on my next project.
I think that the flexibility will be handy. I am looking at doing some WWI destroyers with a bit of a curve to the main deck. Much easier to do in a flexible material. j.