1977 Starcraft restore

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

So I realized i need a new filler hose today... and about 9 feet of it. Which would run about 65 bucks. ANy substitute I can use or something cheaper?

On another note, tried to wire my gas tank sending unit, i flipped the tank upside down and it only read close to full, not quite full... is this because there's only air in the tank? will it show totally full with gasoline?

 

[rickryder]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Sounds like the float is hitting the top of the tank before it should..... maybe the arm is bent upward

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

I doubt it's bent... The arm is straight and it's two pieces clamped together and it's pretty hard to bend.. and it was straight when it went in The way that this system is designed. you're not supposed to have to bend the float arm... It's two pieces and you clamp them together.. i thought I followed the instructions perfectly..

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

I want to start cutting my floor tomorrow... How should I do it with 4x8 sheets of wood to make the ski locker strong? Should I cut the hole for the locker before or after I glass it? Should I make the edges of teh locker from 4 different pieces of wood?

Can I just lay the wood in 4x5.5 sheets? The deck is 5.5 ft. wide. If I lay the 1708 first then cut the hole will the locker be strong? I'd like to save the resin and glass that I would be using on the locker...

 

[rickryder]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

From looking at your pics you will need a sole (floor) in the bottom of the ski locker......be sure to provide a drain hole that runs under the locker and back to the bilge.... You will be laying your plywood 4 x 5.5..... cut your hole for the hatch the size you want then run some plywood strips on the underside of that piece that extend into the opening 1" on all side so your hatch has something to rest on. Coat all pieces of wood with resin and let them cure....then put a strip of csm on the ply strips (between the deck and strip of ply)...coat with resin and screw them to the deck.... Then csm the bottom of the deck and your strips of wood you installed to make it all waterproof.

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

That's where bilge pump #1 goes! I found the original drainage hole right next to the pump, for drainage. It was covered by a bunch of rotten carpet before. I also have a metal angle iron type peace that holds the ski locker, which is teak. I was going to cut the hatche that shape. I'm worried about that piece being weak at the joints between the pieces of sole... will the 1708 hold them together? I was going to use 1708 on top and bottom of the joins surrounding teh locker...?

So basically the answer is, lay the floor down, cut out the locker across 2 sheets of wood if necessary? the lock is about 44 inches long, so I think i'd rather have it across 2 sheets instead of one since the edges would only be 2" long on either side of the locker and would be weak?

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

I'm going to post up drawn plans for you gusy before I cut this floor out and waste wood.

I figured out the sending unit today. but it was raining so I couldn't get much done. I also drilled and cut some more wood for panels ETC. Fuel tank is pressure testing right now and I hope to get the wood after my DR. appt. in philly tomorrow!

Also did some useless stuff.. fixed up my horn and made a hoem depot trip and got some electrical supplies and a bunch of galvanized bolts for my panels and seat cushions. I'm grabbing my grandma's sewing machine soon and I'm going to try my hand at that. My mom is a designed but can't sew.. but I have a lot of interior vinyl to practice on!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Let me know if you need help with the sewing. I'm gettin pretty good at it.

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Thanks again Wood. SO i'm cutting teh floor now. got ADX arauco on sale at lowes today!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Kool, Thats some GOOD Stuff!!

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Yeah! We're chopping the floor right now. I'll try to post a pic if i can get a good one!!

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

QUESTION! How strong IS 1708? The half inch wood is trampolining a little bit and I'm hoping the glass will fix that...

So here's the floor now. It took a ton of sawdust and cutting adn recutting, but there are very few gaps larger than 1/8"!

And well, I HAD to include this one for Woody.. it looks like something... I just can't tell what

 

[rickryder]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

When you glass the bottom with csm and add a layer of 1708 on the top and attach it to the stringers it will be solid

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

So I just got a thousand pakcages from us composites, but I think they didn't send my CSM...

Can I make do without glassing the bottom of the deck and only epoxy it?

will the 1708 be strong enough? will poly+paint/epoxy seal the deck form the bottom enough?

Should I just be patient and order CSM from them?

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

I'd like to start PRE-COATING the wood. Someone please tell me if this is right!

I got one roller (with no cage -- I have to made an HD trip and get a new roller...) so I'm going to mix the Poly with the MEKP in a mixing container, use that resin and roll it onto the underside of my sole. Should I add a styrene thinner to the resin to allow it to soak in overnight? Then, I put the roller in acetone (in a metal bucket, right?) and make sure no resin tacks up on the roller? Then I can use the same roller tomorrow?

Should I sand the wood before applying resin?

ANy tips on how to roll the resin?

HELP!!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Nope, you don't reuse rollers and your don't thin the resin with ANYTHING!!! Use a 1/4" or 3/8" nap roller sleeve. They're cheap and disposable roll your resin and throw em away when the resin starts to tack up. I would sand it with 60 grit before applying resin. I'd mix up about a quart at a time and be quick you're gunna have 15 mins MAX with the heat. Pour it all OUT on the wood and then roll it out just like painting.

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Great. I'm gonna start up now. Wish me luck!

I'm just cutting out my ski locker and my deck plate holes and then it's resin time!

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

BTW -- they sent me 9 yards of biax so I'm just gonna use that on bottom...

 

[zopperman]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

WTH! I mixed the resin tonight and for a half an hour, it didn't harden. I added the catalyst and stirred for 30 mins and it was like maple syrup. It's about 85% humidity and 75 degrees. I thought that should be OK? I was going to add more hardener... then I just decided to apply it a PINT wet out about 6x6. This is just the precoat on the wood, but it really wasn't hardening. I'm giving it the night to dry out. What went wrong and how can I prevent it...?

ALSO I mixed 1/8"Oz hardener with 1 pint resin as per the directions

 

[rickryder]

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

Re: Floor fiberglass help.

You don't need to mix it for 1/2 an hour..... 2 min. with a drill and a paint mixer.... The resin will set up to a tacky state and not fully cure with out wax.... You want it to be tacky so the next layer will bond....

On the final coat you will add wax unless gel coat is to be applied......same thing with the gel..... If your going to do more than 1 coat you only add the wax on the last coat.

You should review this thread so you understand glass and resin better.....http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=286013