Sealing wood?

[Kaz]

So what do you seal the plywood sides of your trailer with before you put on aluminum skin. CPES is not an option.

[dales133]

I've been using a acrylic penititrating sealer made buy bondall it's good stuff

[noseoil]

Anything is better than nothing. urethane works well enough. I'm using the cheap floor finish type from our local "Home Delay" store near me for everything. Walls, floors, cabinets, shelves, switch covers & everything else gets a coat or two or three, depending on the application & wear I need to use it on. I typically "water down" the first coat about 10% for a primer, knock down the burr or pimples with fine sand paper when it's dry, then build a finish if it's needed or shows.

[halfdome, Danny]

So what do you seal the plywood sides of your trailer with before you put on aluminum skin. CPES is not an option.

Contact cement acts as a sealer and holds the aluminum in place.
Danny

[dales133]

You could also use "the mix" that the foamies use on thier timber bits, oil based poly thinned down

[tony.latham]

There are different methods and I'm sure they all work.

I'm a big fan of epoxy. It's what the boat building world has used for many years. Epoxy cures chemically leaving no pores like other finishes that dry as the thinners evaporate. I use the Raka brand products (get the pumps for mixing). I've been using their products for years. I'd recommend the thin resin since it soaks into the wood better. http://store.raka.com/3quartkit.aspx

The three-quart kit will probably work just fine and it's $60 plus shipping. I used it on a 4x8 and lots left over. Lots left over with the six-quart kit on 5x10s.

Tony

[Kaz]

I went with Sherwin Williams oil based primer. I just might paint the trailer for this season and skin it next year.

[GPW]

Not only is it a matter of sealing wood , but “selecting” wood ... Using straight grain lumber exposes much less “grain” ends to water intrusion... Since wood is essentially made up of little long tubes glued together, the idea is to block the tubes from transmitting water by capillary action.. which causes causes all the problems later ... Many ways , but to be the most benefit it should be Thorough... We’ve used "the Mix “ for years now and really soak it in ... and on non trailer items too ...it’s cheap , it Works !!!