pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

[nickby]

I've done the search and read for hours. All good info...I think I can do this myself. (first time)

I want to pour a new transom instead of new wood. What are my options? Seacast? West system? Anything else? I work for 3M and can get my hands on any 3M Marine product...can I just pour epoxy resin?

See pictures of work so far....

 

[andy6374]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

You can use Seacast. You can't just pour epoxy resin.

I haven't ever used Seacast, but I read different threads by people who used it and it seems to work just fine.

If you don't want to pour your transom or use wood, you could use a number of composite cores for your transom.

FWIW: It's not the wood that fails but rather improper glass layup and/or bad maintenance habits. Ex, a person who installs a transducer and just globs silcone on the mounting screws if fooling himself if he thinks he can do that a walk away for years (not that I would even consider using silcone, but plenty of people do).

 

[Bondo]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

Nick,... Your pictures aren't working,.....
Go down to the "Tech", Non-boating forum,..
Kagee has posted a "How To",+ it's pinned to the top of that forum,..... Have a Look.....

As for Your Plan,...... I've never used Sea-Cast,+ Don't plan too,....
I see it as a Pi$$-Poor Band-aid,... Rather than a Real repair,....
I'd rather do things either the Right Way,.. Or My Way,.....
Which Sometimes are the Same Way,... Sometimes Not.......
Either Way,..... Sea-Cast doesn't fit into Any of My Equations...........

Btw,....... Pouring plain ole Epoxy isn't going to Help Either,.......
Unsupported Resins have Little or No Strengths on their own...........

Good Luck,.........

 

[nickby]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

if your transom is that bad. i don't want to see your stringers.

 

[woody20]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

I would use wood and expoxy for that transom. Cut to size,glue and button the wood together and then expoxy. Place in transome and replace screws and bolts in transom, use 3m 4200 for removal later or 5200 forever, "never to remove" Easy and quicker then pouring.

 

[woody20]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

I would use wood and expoxy for that transom. Cut to size,glue and button the wood together and then expoxy. Place in transome and replace screws and bolts in transom, use 3m 4200 for removal later or 5200 forever, "never to remove" Easy and quicker then pouring.

This is a great website I like and it shows you good pictures of how to use wood adn epoxy in a boat.
http://www.fishyfish.com/mytolman.html

 

[Mark42]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

Here is a link to a boat repair using Seacast.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/mfg/transom.htm

 

[nickby]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

I was almost afraid to post because I knew my job would get bigger!!

The floor of the boat is fine. Do I have to cut away to see if those stringers are rotten??

Also, I'd love to pour and not use wood, so I can go in from the top edge and not expose the entire transom. Do-able?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

Read this restoration section...... look at the projects that people have done...... look at the HORROR'S that have been uncovered below decks........

While being able to pour sounds simple ..... it is only a small part of the problems.

Do a little thinking.... what HP do you run? Who is with you on the boat? How far do you go and into what waters? Would you put your faith and safety into a partial job on a transom? How far can you swim!!!

 

[fishingdan]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

You can get good results using traditional methods or the pourable method. As always though, it is the small details that define success. Either method will fail (usually poor bonding in one way or another) if not properly deployed. Make sure you understand all of those small details for either method. Replacing a transom is a lot of work, but it is not difficult work.

 

[croSSed]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

I would use a solid core transom. I'm faced with a similar situation as yours, and I too have done some research. For awhile I was considering the pourable transom, but I've eliminated that as a possibility. It seems to me that it is actually less work to re-core a transom properly than pour in a transom. Plus, a pourable transom would be quite a bit heavier than solid core wood or composite material. I mean, think about it - you are in essence making your transom into a solid, 1.5" thick slab of fiberglass. That's heavy. I myself have decided to use closed cell, 20 lb polyurethane foam for my transom. There is a manufacturing facility here in my town that fabs these pieces, and although it is slightly more pricey than marine grade ply, the benefits outweigh that cost. The foam is lighter than wood, is stronger than wood, is completely impervious to water intrusion and rot, and because of that (and that it's stronger than wood), I don't have to use as much resin and cloth in my lay-up, so I'll save some coin there.

TG

 

[strizzy]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

Wood transom. Cheap, easy and always right.

 

[TriadSteeler]

Re: pourable rebuilt transom- see pictures

nickby,

I was in the same situation as you. I tore into the transom and it was wet and rotten. I cut away about 20 inches of the floor to remove the entire transom and the bilge was a wet sloppy mess.

The ends of the stringers were worse than the transom and the underside of the floor was soaking wet. However, After sitting for two weeks in my garage, the bilge dried up and the underside of the floor is dry and smooth from the resin still on it.

Of course I was still skeptical, so I cut away about 20 more inches of floor, this time the cross section of the wood looked brand new (no sludge). This allowed me to see some of the foam as well. I took a core sample clear to the hull. Dry as a bone. I cut into the stringers about 30 inches from the transom and they are the same way. It looks like the transom was a victim of the silicone/tub caulk sealing method for some 20 thru hulls. The last little bit of wood remaining in the transom was stained black in circles that surrounded the each hole.

Some of this rot spread to about the first 15-20" of the stringers and the rear edges of the floor. Since I have to replace the transom anyhow, I can do the stringer/floor repair as well.

Don't give up hope, it may not be as bad as it seems. I am however, in agreement with everyone as to using ply/epoxy for your transom replacement. You still need to glass in the seacast after you've already spent $200+ to pour it.