16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

[jonesg]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

make a decision and keep going!
thats one heck of a stringer.

 

[Lightnig]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

got the inside of the hull pretty much cleaned out, still the odd spot here and there I have to chase with the grinder, but good enough to start 'glassing.

Started chasing the crack in the keel. The bloody hull is only about 1/4" thick, so made it real easy to prep. about 5 minutes of feathering out from the center and I had an open slot almost a foot long right along the center of the keel. put some packing tape on the outside of the hull as a backer and started laying in the mat and glass.

I've got about 4 good layers in there now but had to pack it in for the day due to a long lost buddy showing up on my doorstep. Will get back at it tomorrow and finish the build up/out of the keel, and once that is done I am going to pull the cap and rip out that rotten transom. But realistically, I'll be happy if I get the hull repair completed and the cap ready to lift tomorrow...




Oh, and learned one thing, plastic beer cups are not good enough for holding acetone. The stuff will eat right through them in 10 minutes flat. haha

Well, can't say I learned that. I knew it already, but got lazy and didn't feel like digging through my pile of crap in the garage to find a steel can.

 

[Lightnig]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

Been a while since I posted an update, so here it is.

Haven't been working fast, but going slow and steady.

Finished cleaning out and glassing in the repair area.

I am going to do one more layer of csm before laying down the stringer, but waiting on my bucket of glass before I get to that.

time for the Transom to come out, I briefly toyed with the idea of leaving the cap on and cutting the skin instead, but decided to screw that idea, so off came the cap.

I've just got sitting on top of the hull on 2x4s for now, just slid far enough ahead to get at the transom.

Turns out the splash well on the cap was glassed to the transom. They must have installed the cap while the glass on the transom was still wet. Getting the cap to separate from the transom was a pain, about the toughest part of pulling the cap. In the end, a hammer, a big wedge, and a couple of 24" snap on prybars 'persuaded' the cap to come loose. All the glass stuck with the cap when it moved - didn't hardly stick to the transom at all.

 

[Lightnig]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

If I had any doubt the transom needed to be changed out, I didn't anymore once I saw this:

So, after the cap was removed, I crawled in there with my handy dandy 5" makita and cut away the glass surrounding the transom. The wood wasn't a real tight fit to the skin around the edges, so it was real easy to sink the blade in there and cut it out. This part went very quickly too, probably no more than 15 minutes to go all the way around it.

The wood was fairly well attached to the skin against the stern though, that took some elbow grease and those 2 prybars again. Was kind of entertaining to watch the wood when I pried on it - was just like a sponge (and about at firm as one too), everytime I leaned on the bar, the water would get squeezed out and literally run down the gap I was making with the bars. Ended up delaminating the plywood itself though, but out she came.

I'm glad it came out in one piece the way it did, that will make it real easy to make a template now.

Here's the pile of rotten wood that has come from the boat; Transom, stringer, and floor.

The windshield seen here is not the proper one for the boat (which I do have, btw) this is one the PO was going to put on to make the boat look sportier, but doesn't fit the lines of the boat what so ever. If anyone here wants it, they are welcome to it, just come pick it up. I am planning of just turfing it out to the dump when I take the rest of the wood there in a week or two. So if any of y'all want it, speak up before then.


So, here's the skin without the wood, a little more prep and she'll be ready for the new wood.

I spent a little better than an hour with a scrapper and a small hammer, and removed pretty much all the remaining wood from the skin. I was planning to cut, laminate, and glass the transom tomorrow, but I am going to wait a bit longer for it to dry first, so take tomorrow off from the boat.

I am going to wait to finish cleaning up the skin too. I'll wait until the new wood is ready to glass in, then I am not spending a couple of hours cleaning it up, only to have to 'ruff and scuff' it again when it is time to put it in.

 

[Lightnig]

Cap repair advice please...

Cap repair advice please...

While waiting for wood to dry and 'glass to come in, I had a look around to see what else I could work on in the meantime.

Well, the flange of the cap was virtually attacked by PO(s) with a drill and definately need attention

Comments about the best way to repair these spots?

Simply fill with epoxy and stuff in random chunks of glass to fill?

Or

Grind them out to a proper groove and gradually build up with layers of cloth/glass

Or

Other???

Considering the large number of these holes (well over 100 in each the cap and the hull), don't really want to do groove/build up procedure as the huge amount of time it will take, but if any other means will be insufficient then...




Oh, and yes. The impact damage on the corner of the cap (top picture) will be repaired the proper way - groove and build up, but that's a discussion for down the road when I do the cap/gelcoat repairs.

 

[Lightnig]

Re: Cap repair advice please...

Re: Cap repair advice please...

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?


Really? No advice from anyone???

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Cap repair advice please...

Re: Cap repair advice please...

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?


Really? No advice from anyone???

Lightnig I'm glad to see you rebuilding the old hull, she will float again and I'm sure give you much satisfaction

As far as the holes go I would check out oops thread where he extended the hull of his boat because he is one of the better fiberglass experts on this site and he makes a special substance he calls "peanut butter" that should be good to fill your holes with.

There is an index that shows which pages have what topics that helps since it is probably the longest thread in the history of the internet.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392&highlight=opps+hull+extension

I know on aluminum boats people fill holes with stainless bolts coated with 5200 sealant, not sure for 'glass

What are you planning on powering her with?

 

[Lightnig]

Re: Cap repair advice please...

Re: Cap repair advice please...

Yeah, I have heard tales of the mythical Oops magic 'butter.

I must have missed that part in the extension thread, took me many days to get through it all (many short sessions of reading) and likely missed a page or two.

Even using that, I suppose it would be wise to groove out the holes some to make it stronger, wouldn't it? Or would you just plug up the holes in one go and then grind smooth?


Don't know what I'm doing for power yet. I have nothing now (besides an antique ~5 hp pull start that will be going on as a kicker), the hull had no engine when I picked it up. I'm keeping my eyes open for something around 80 HP, maybe a classic Merc or Johnson. Motors are tough to find around here, so will likely be taking a road trip to BC to see what I can find there.

Maybe I'll have call up Oops and have him find something for me in his neck of the woods and then go check out his project in person when I go pick it up... hehe

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392&highlight=opps+hull+extension&page=76

The special peanut butter recipe is on this page, post #1898

He mixes 1/4 inch fibers in with the resin and one other ingredient. I think that will work for your holes. You should post on oops! thread and ask him...he likes helping people...I'm sure the fact that you're a fellow canuck won't hurt either

 

[Lightnig]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

It just might take care of them at that.

Thanks for digging up that link for me, you just saved my hours of re-reading that thread. (I am easily distracted these days...)

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

It just might take care of them at that.

Thanks for digging up that link for me, you just saved my hours of re-reading that thread. (I am easily distracted these days...)

No problem Lightnig, I've been preusing oops! thread just because I have zero experience with 'glass and it is interesting to me. My dad's got a 2003 24' Seaswirl Striper that is fiberglass and I like how it handles waves...so after I finish my current restoration...and then buy a used Starcraft aluminum that I've been eyeing for months...and rebuild it...then maybe I'll tackle a fiberglass restoration similar to yours.

Here's a link to my 12' tinny resto project...let me know what ya think!
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=329166

 

[Lightnig]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

weee, been having tonnes of fun grooving out holes, trying different mixes of cab/glass strands to make PB, and never quite getting it right. either a case of too much strands in the glass (which makes it a bear to work with), or too little cab (which then sags all over the place and multiples the amount of clean up grinding/sanding I have to do).

Decided to finish repairing the cap before I do the Transom, that way I can just drop it on the hull and button it up once and for all once the transom is in.

Ended up picking up a can of Bondo 'glass with short hairs already mixed (because it was convenient and at hand) to try because it was already pre-mixed with glass strands, but that stuff is just plain old body filler with glass strands added. I'll use it on the cap once all the holes are repaired, but no good to repair all the holes and cracks in the cap as I have serious doubts as to it's structural strength.

so back to experimenting to get the right ratio of chopped strands and cab, once UPS delivers another can of resin to my door...

 

[drewpster]

Re: 16' CalGlass rebuild attempt started.

Instead of filling all those holes you may want to consider backing them with a thin strip adhered to the inside edge. I used aluminum strips about 1/2 inch wide by 1/32 thick. I used epoxy to glue it to the inside edge of the hull flange. I used slightly thickened 5 minute epoxy (resin+cabosil) to keep it from running. After the aluminum "backer" cured in place I used the epoxy to fill the holes as I worked. You can do the same thing on the outside edge of the cap flange. Rubrail is going to cover it anyway. If you use very thin aluminum on the outside edge, the sealant under the rubrail will fill the slight gap it will cause. A very thin strip of aluminum will be all that is needed.