Lightweight Jon Boat Floor : Measuring and Cutting Foam Part1
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- Learn how to make a lightweight jon boat floor. This video is part 1, where I explain what I'm trying to make and the reasons behind it. I'll show you how I measured the inside of the jon boat so I could cut the foam correctly to match the floor of the jon boat.
Foam = Polystyrene
The kind of foam you want to use for your jon boat floor is called "extruded (XPS) polystyrene". This foam is dense and handles water very good. It doesn't soak the water up and is easier to cut with a knife.
The foam you do NOT want to use is "expanded (EPS) polystyrene". This is what most people think of when they hear styrofoam. Its hard to cut with a knife, and the foam beads go everywhere. It also has the ability to hold water.
The supporting ribs on my boat sit 7/8" high from the lowest point of the boat floor. Make sure to measure the foam at the store to make sure it is the correct thickness for your boat! I bought 1/2" thinking I could double stack it and have it come out to one inch... it didn't. It came out to 1.25". So just measure the foam at your local store.
If you buy from:
Home Depot - www.homedepot....
Lowes - www.lowes.com/...
Again, measure the foam and make sure its right when you pick it up. Home Depot had 1" thick foam where Lowes only had .5 and .75" foam. So do your research.
To cut the foam, I used a regular utility knife. It worked pretty well while using a straight edge as a guide. If you want to invest in a foam cutter for $19, here is the best-reviewed foam cutter on Amazon - amzn.to/2myaVCA
Next video will be measuring and cutting the plywood for the jon boat floor that will go over the XPS foam.
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Music by Epidemic Sound.
#jonboat #boatfloor #jonboatmod
If you're interested in a guide about making a jon boat floor, I created one on the website - www.jtgatoring.com/jon-boat-floor-guide/
The way I used to differentiate between port and starboard was to think of having a bottle of port wine but I had drank it all...I don't have any "port left."
What is the purpose of adding the foam?
The purpose of the foam is to add support to the wood. Without the foam, the wood would sag and bend if stepped on. You could go with a thicker piece of plywood, but I wanted to keep it lightweight. The foam also helps with sound dampening and with the floor being bolted to the boat, will help with flotation if sunk.
@@JTgatoring A wonderful and a great plan. Now I understand fully. Thank you sincerely, Phil
great video
Thank you led8541! You're getting close to 1,000 subs! Unlucky about the roof and ceiling situation. Best of luck to you, and thank you for stopping by again!
Your gonna love the flooring in the boat. I mounted the grab bar I got from mud-skipper right to the flooring of the boat with some bolts.
I just used a knife when I cut my foam and eyed it but I went right up to the ribs. The height was almost perfectly matched with the height of the ribs. I had the foam from HomeDepot.
Yeah looking back, I wish I would have made the extra trip to go to Home Depot to get the right size foam, but I'm almost done with the project now 😕 so it'll have to do. I'm hoping that the grab bar will fit good. I'll have to take it out on the water and see where I want it
JTgatoring oh you did get a grab bar 👍 I love it. I off set mine more to the left (port) side to give more room to walk around. I found a nice double clamp-on cup/rod holder to go on the grab bar too off Amazon.
Cant wait to see how you do yours.
I got my grab bar from here - www.marinefiberglassdirect.com/collections/35-handrails-grab-bars. I've been playing around with it at home, and it seems like it will be more comfortable with both tubes inline while facing forward instead of the normal U shape facing towards you if that makes any sense?
JTgatoring I looked at those too. I just thought a third base would be more secure when securing it to the wood flooring and it was less expensive than anything else.
Yeah, I would agree. I liked the look of them and thought I would give it a try. I guess we'll find out 🤔 Looking forward to another longtail video coming from you!
Okay, now this will help me in my boat build.
Anything I can do to help!
Great vid. It should be real nice when done. I put a floor in my boat years ago. I didnt use foam under just went 1/2 treated plywoood and put a board under it between ribs. Wish i had thought about the foam .
Also i made it so i could take mine out. With duck hunting cleaning the mud out between the cracks is a must. Mine just fiys tight in the boat. I did not bolt it to the ribs. Been in for 4 years and never had a prob. Look forward to seeing yours complete.
Thank you! I'm hoping I'll like it! I know I was getting pretty good at navigating those ribs inside the boat. It's going to be weird being able to step down from the front deck and not have to worry about breaking the arch of your foot on a rib 😅
Port to starboard, like left to right! PORT to STARBOARD like LEFT to RIGHT because that's the way we read! lol everyone has their own way of remembering, I guess.
Very good, I do believe most people say port to starboard so that is a pretty good way... thanks!
Hey My Friend you and us watching are not ocean going lifer sailors !! And 99% of drafting plans for your boat have LH- left hand and RH - Right hand for the sides- which is left or right while facing forward in the boat what I guess would be Bow Hahaha. You have front rear left right in the design print drawings. Its all good !! Keep it simple and true. Most people that run jon boats know front rear left or right depending on how many beers we drank and where is the cooler !!! Love your vids !! Just a New Year razz for a laugh ok !! Just funnin. Thanks again for your info and your time making the vids !! Gods Bless and May The Mermaids Watch over you while on the water !!! That is what they do : ) Take Care My Friend !!
Haha very true!! I love the continued support and really appreciate it! I'm hoping to get out on the water soon
I have a simple question for you my friend. In the Longtail shaft does an 85 inch measure 85 inches from the mounting point against the motor to basically where the center of the prop is ?
@@ronnie918644 I believe the measurement is the length of just the shaft. From the mounting point on the engine to the and of the longtail shaft would probably be about 95 to 100 inches in length
Thanks for the video, just got a new Jon boat and I'm looking at doing this soon. Thanks.
Awesome! If you do end up making a floor or deck, let me know how it goes @Paul!
Do u ever make any fishing videos
I don't get to fish that much. I like bowfishing, but I haven't fished for bass in a while
Hey bro. Make sure majority of your weight is on the ribs. The ribs should be higher than your foam. Look at it like this. If you apply weight from rib to rib, then you loose no tensile strength from the rivets. If the weight is applied between the ribs then there is a force pushing down on each rivet, stressing each individual one. I hope this makes since.
That is what I was worried about. I wanted the foam to be even with the top of the ribs. The ribs sat 7/8" high and I got half inch foam thinking I could double stack and make it close to even, but when I measured the actual thickness it was .625" thick so it sits a quarter of an inch above the ribs. Thinking back on it now, I probably should have gotten the .75" foam and cut it to fit on top of the sides of the ribs to help put the pressure on the ribs themselves. I'm just now finishing up the project so I guess I'll see how things hold up, and let others learn from my mistakes. I'll address that in the final video so other people will know. Thank you, Mr. Price! You the best!
JTgatoring no, I'm no were near that. Only Jesus is best. Btw u do a great job
Port and starboard side it is very simple don't try to make it harder than it is Port is passenger side starboard is driver side just like driving a car
How much weight are you adding to the boat?
I do not know. I plan to weigh it soon. I would think it's less than 25 pounds
There’s no RED PORT LEFT in the bottle.
Nice video. Does the paint on the flooring get slippery when it gets wet? Did you get it at a place like west Marine?
If you're barefoot, it's not slippery when it's wet. Some shoes do feel slippery, but my flipflops don't slip at all. I got the paint from a hardware store. Its normal outdoor, weather-resistant paint.
Is it a 14 ft
The boat is 14 feet long and 36 inches wide.
boat modell?
2016 Alumacraft 1436 LT
Hi! Great video! One quick question...
Why did you not want you XPS to go from rib to rib? You measured them just short.
Thanks!
I thought it would be better to put the load on the hull of the boat instead of the ribs. Looking back at it, I would use a 1" sheet of XPS and make sure the load was put onto the ribs and not the hull.
JTgatoring thanks man!
Any update for the foam? Did you notice it holding water?
I haven't noticed anything yet. Its been soaked a few time so maybe I'll check it out and see what it looks like soon
Just curious because I was thinking about doing it! What camera setup do you use?
@@charlesblakeley1278 Yeah if I check the flooring and styrofoam I'll make a video about it. I use a Canon SL2 with the kit lens and a tripod. I have it in the electronics part of my Amazon store if you want specifics and cost
Does the foam absorb water i assume? Or does it run under through the channels? Looks great but i immediately worry about spraying out after a fishing trip etc .
Thanks!
The foam is a closed cell foam. It does not allow water to pass through it, nor does water soak up into it. Water travels under the floor via the crimp channels. If I were to change something. I would make a cut out in the rear corner to allow quicker drainage. For cleaning it, if you had a really good day of fishing or hunting, you take out all 6 six screws, clean what you have too, and then put it back in. Most of the time I don't need to take it out though.
I just found Your boat project, and it's very interesting and fun to watch. Only problem is You over explain everything. Very annoying.......
Thank you for watching and for the feedback 👍