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Any OldTimers built/fished a Wooden Jon?

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GaryBriggs

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
My wife and I are moving into a house I've recently been remodeling because of an interior fire. The original house was built in the 30s/40s with 2 additions over the years. These different generations of additions have forced me to do quite a bit of custom wood working to make readily availible doors and windows and cabinets and such work. Needless to say all this has sparked my intrest in building another wood boat, this one being a 14/16 jon. The previous 2 I built were 8' for floating down the local rivers.

When I was a kid and live in Missouri wooden jon boats were everywhere, you really don't see any out here in California. I was hoping to hear the opinions of people who actually experienced using a Wooden Jon. I would be doing glass epoxy/wood core construction!This would be used as a runabout and bass fishing rig. My friends and family spend quite a bit of time partying on the water since we have houseboat access from time to time.

According to my internet searches of building plans, it could be built for 3-500$, so even of it fails I'm not out much and I think it would be a lot of fun!
 
#2 · (Edited)
Marine ply / fiberglass construction?? Or wood strips and glass? I have used regular wooden (no glass) row/Jon crabbing boats, are cool when pull out of the water for winter everything shrinks up and leaks when throw back in the water, basically let it sink and fill with water till it swells up and seals then bail or pump it out for the season then your good...
 
#5 ·
Damn yo, you just built a steel boat. Pick a medium already...
I can't even build a bird house out of wood. No useful input here.
 
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Discussion starter · #6 ·
Hahaha I considered making a 16ga steel jon also. Adapting an "uncle jon" design. But I can't come up with a design that will keep the bare hull under 450/500lbs some I've shelved the idea for now.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Should work good, curious to see this one, you keeping a 48" across bottom,never checked can you get plywood bigger that 4x8 ?? Have you checked the wooden boat forums???
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
garpwacker said:
Should work good, curious to see this one, you keeping a 48" across bottom,never checked can you get plywood bigger that 4x8 ??
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Not according to my buddies who work as lumber salesman. To do a 60" I'd have to do scarf joints which isn't hard.

5mm Lauan and a double layer of 1.5 oz glass, a 1660 wouldn't be terribly heavy.
 
#9 ·
GaryBriggs said:
Not according to my buddies who work as lumber salesman. To do a 60" I'd have to do scarf joints which isn't hard.

5mm Lauan and a double layer of 1.5 oz glass, a 1660 wouldn't be terribly heavy.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't think so..should float pretty good, would try and make fairly deep sided, 24" minimum. But sounds like a cool project
 
#11 ·
Go for it. Just use 1/2" for the bottom and 3/8" for the sides and skip the glass. If you crack the glass and water gets behind it it will rot quick. Just frame it up good and you'll be fine. Oh keep it covered when not useing it
Been using wood boats for 30 yrs
 
Discussion starter · #12 · (Edited)
Flounder9.75 said:
Go for it. Just use 1/2" for the bottom and 3/8" for the sides and skip the glass. If you crack the glass and water gets behind it it will rot quick. Just frame it up good and you'll be fine. Oh keep it covered when not useing it
Been using wood boats for 30 yrs
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I considered this approach, on the wooden boat building forums there are some awesome threads about plywood boat building. Since I will have to use a Scarf joint for the ply I will have to use fiberglass. The butt joints aren't as aesthetically pleasing or as strong as a properly scarfed and glassed joint is.

According to these folks the woods only purpose is is to support the glass and resin
 
#15 ·
GaryBriggs said:
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hey gary sounds like a good project i can recall when people started getting a few alum. boats the old time crappie fishermen wouldn,t use them said they thought they were to noisey most of the wooden ones were made with crypress boards when i was growing up thats all we had. i have thought it would be cool to go farther back in time and take a large crypress or out where you live take a redwood or similar tree and make 30 foot dugout like the peruvian indians still do maybe even put a mud motor on it that would make the papers.
 
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#16 ·
Im mid build in mine. I got fancy on it.
Transome is 36" wide. Bow is 48" wide
Side at transome is 14" tall.
Side at turn up fit bow is 16" tall.
2" offset in transome.

This will be a bowfishing rig for small rivers and creeks.
 
#18 ·
No. Haven't taken any pics yet. I need to do that! A wooden boat is totally doable. It's only limited by you imagination and wallet. I took the cheap route. Regular plywood, oil based primer and am useing roof sealer on the bottom. This boat will have a rough life, didn't want to buil a cadallic just to beAt it up.
 
#20 ·
Arauco plywood is a cheaper alternative to marine plywood. It can be found at Home Depot. Check out the iboats forum. TONS of good boat/glass building stuff there. I'm looking real hard at a boat project right now and doing research.
 
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GaryBriggs
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