1977 hydrasport bass boat floor replacement.

[Denning12591]

Ok guys. I have posted before but it's been a while. I have finally got around to getting started on this boat. I got the top cap off today. Had a little trouble because whoever did this before fiberglassed part of the back of the top cap to the bottom hull. So all that had to be broken but I got the top cap off and my fears came true. The stringers and all are rotten out. Looks like I have 3 stringers. I have been doing some research and I have a buddy who just re did a floor. I am thinking of using 1x6 trex composite decking for the stringers. Stuff is supposed to be as strong as wood but won't rot. And I am going to use 1/2 inch advantech for the floor. Whoever did the floor in this before really did a bad job. The problem I am seeing now is that the floor and stringers were so rotten I can't tell how tall they were originally. How do I figure this out? I am going to get an angle grinder and start grinding the old fiberglass down flat this week. I plan on getting the trex this payday and a gallon of resin and some fiberglass and hardener. If the weather is decent I'd like to start on the stringers this weekend. Any advice y'all have for me?

 

[Denning12591]

Re: 1977 hydrasport bass boat floor replacement.

Also I have been looking and saw to use peanut butter under the stringers. Why is this? And what does it do? And is it necessary? Does it just hold the stringer in place while you glass it in? Also what exactly is it and where can I get it

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1977 hydrasport bass boat floor replacement.

SIR, you need to slow down and get some more reading done and get some more info...

I have been the victim of friends, family and acquaintances who think they know what this or that is, and if I rely on their limited knowledge and experience, I would be kicking myself over and over...
Thanks to the internet, we no longer have to rely on sources of information that may or may not be correct...
While there are many subjects on the web that turn into endless discussions about whether or not this or that will or wont work...usually the best information comes directly from the manufacturer of a certain product that we may want to use...

The "trex" wood, or what is known as composite wood, is plasticized wood fibers shaped into boards under heat and pressure and do not generally lend themselves to being coated with fiberglass resin...or much of anything else, since from what I have read this stuff contains PVC in its make up...
I have also read that this material can be susceptible to rot and mildew, as a matter of fact in the link I provide below, the manufacturer had to pay out big bucks to a lot of customers after the product failed due to mildew and rot...
I may be wrong, but to be sure, you should contact the manufacturer of this product and verify if you are able to get a mechanical bond between this product and resin, or even epoxy...

Here is a link to some information about this product...Wood-plastic composite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There is more info out there...

PB is used to "glue" down and together wooden structures to themselves and into the boat...it is also used to create a fillet, cove, or rounded profile so that the subsequent layers of cloth and mat will more easily form themselves to the structure...it is also used as a filler to fill voids or low spots...

PB, or "Peanut Butter" as we tend to call it here on the forum is a general term for a type of thickened resin.
It can be made from various combinations of polyester resin and one or more of the following; microballons, cabosil, chopped fibers, milled fibers and other thickening additives...some have even used sawdust and other things...
It can also be made using epoxy resin as the main ingredient and one of the other thickeners mentioned above...
The PB usually stands for the thickness of the filler or putty that is made {Like the consistency of "peanut butter"...}...other terms that apply are "mayonaisse consistency", "creamy consistency", and others...it depends on what you want or need to make for certain applications.

Hope this helps...
GT1M

 

[Denning12591]

Re: 1977 hydrasport bass boat floor replacement.

Thank you. I have been reading around and trying to cram all the knowledge I can into my head lol. And yes I have looked up reviews of the trex and saw where some have had problems with it. What other wood would be recommended to make stringers with?

 

[Denning12591]

Re: 1977 hydrasport bass boat floor replacement.

Anyone have any experience with the advantech? Will fiberglass bond to that well? Could I just make the stringers out of that? Maybe 2 1/2 inch pieces screwed together in a few spots then fiberglassed in? I have used advantech before and have had good results and have seen it sit in the rain for 2 years and not get soft or rot one bit

 

[Denning12591]

Re: 1977 hydrasport bass boat floor replacement.

Also what's the best way to mark where my new stringers and supports will go? I was thinking of using some spray paint to go around all the stringers now and then once there ground down I'll know where the new ones go? And how will I know what height to make the stringers? The ones in there are so rotted out I have no clue where the tallest point is? I have pics I just haven't got them on the CPU yet to upload

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1977 hydrasport bass boat floor replacement.

I don't have any experience with advantech and my advice is the same, contact the manufacturer directly and ask what their opinion is on whether or not it will work with fiberglass.
There are many types of wood that can be used in a marine environment.
Most of the guys here use plywood to rebuild their boats.
Some of the best plywoods to use are; Marine Grade, Arauco, Exterior Grade, underlaynent, Fir...and there are others...
The biggest consideration is to make them as water resistant as possible using either epoxy or polyester resin and the appropriate cloth/mat.
As for gauging the height of your stringers, you should have some of the deck left along the edges of the hull, or at least a "shadow" of it left...use some string lines from side to side, front to back to get a rough idea of the original deck height, then subtract the thickness of the deck to get the height of the stringers.
You can then use a tape measure and measure from the stringer height to the hull and come up with your stringer dimensions...you can then make mock-ups of them out of foam board or cardboard, refine the shapes, but always leave a little extra for final shaping of the wood.

 

[Denning12591]

Re: 1977 hydrasport bass boat floor replacement.

Thank you. I'm going to try to get the old stringers ground down flat and around where the floor went ground down this weekend. Weather is showing rain though unfortunately.

 

[TheLazyWoodchuck]

Denning.... I would be interested in how this project went for you. I will be starting on a hydrosport similar to the one you describe before long and would like to have all the knowledge I could before starting. Right now most of the old flooring is out of the boat but the top cap is not separated from the main hull. Also, the top cap on my boat is quite faded and I was wondering if you had to do anything to yours to bring up a nice shine on it. I hope this message makes it through. Thanks!

 

[Bondo]

Denning.... I would be interested in how this project went for you. I will be starting on a hydrosport similar to the one you describe before long and would like to have all the knowledge I could before starting. Right now most of the old flooring is out of the boat but the top cap is not separated from the main hull. Also, the top cap on my boat is quite faded and I was wondering if you had to do anything to yours to bring up a nice shine on it. I hope this message makes it through. Thanks!

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.....

Denning hasn't been here since a year ago, last May, Which is Why We ask you to start a New thread of yer Own, rather than postin' in this antique thread,....