SmallChange
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2019
- Messages
- 674
- Tractor
- New Holland WM25 with 200LC front end loader, filled R4 tires 43X16.00-20 and 25X8.50-14 (had a Kubota B6200D with dozer and R1 tires)
I have a wooden equipment ramp on my barn to make up a couple feet between the elevated floor level and outdoor ground level. It used to land in dirt and sink into it, but I paved and so now it lands on asphalt and sticks up. I trimmed the bottom of the ramp, tapering the support timbers as far as I thought I could, but there's about a 5" drop still to be taken care of.
So I figured I could use three thicknesses of 3/4" plywood, glued together, and tapered at the end to minimize the bump at the bottom. I bought and cut the plywood -- it's pressure treated and rated for ground contact, but I do not think that will endure, especially because I'm cutting the plywood. The pieces are now drying (they were wet to the touch when I got it at Home Depot, and I've read that they do the pressure treatment and then directly palletize those stacks of plywood, so it *should* be soaked unless it got separated and stored dry somewhere along the way.
What do folks here suggest for gluing the three layers together? I think epoxy would be safe, though perhaps a little pricy. Is there anything else preferable?
And what do folks suggest as a preservative treatment? Mostly the things I can find are water based, which doesn't seem to me like it will do much. I did find an oil based waterproofer and used it on another part of the existing ramp already. I was hoping something like creosote or bitumen, hot pitch, I dunno, something penetrating and evil smelling. These are kind of hard to find, and instead I'm finding things with trick names that sound like these but advertise water cleanup. I did find one product that is oil based with some copper compound, which sounds best so far.
This whole thing is less than 3' by 4', so I could probably use something fairly expensive in a small quantity. I'm also wondering if I can come up with a way to soak it, or at least soak the cut edges, for an extended time.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!!
So I figured I could use three thicknesses of 3/4" plywood, glued together, and tapered at the end to minimize the bump at the bottom. I bought and cut the plywood -- it's pressure treated and rated for ground contact, but I do not think that will endure, especially because I'm cutting the plywood. The pieces are now drying (they were wet to the touch when I got it at Home Depot, and I've read that they do the pressure treatment and then directly palletize those stacks of plywood, so it *should* be soaked unless it got separated and stored dry somewhere along the way.
What do folks here suggest for gluing the three layers together? I think epoxy would be safe, though perhaps a little pricy. Is there anything else preferable?
And what do folks suggest as a preservative treatment? Mostly the things I can find are water based, which doesn't seem to me like it will do much. I did find an oil based waterproofer and used it on another part of the existing ramp already. I was hoping something like creosote or bitumen, hot pitch, I dunno, something penetrating and evil smelling. These are kind of hard to find, and instead I'm finding things with trick names that sound like these but advertise water cleanup. I did find one product that is oil based with some copper compound, which sounds best so far.
This whole thing is less than 3' by 4', so I could probably use something fairly expensive in a small quantity. I'm also wondering if I can come up with a way to soak it, or at least soak the cut edges, for an extended time.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!!
