1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

[rickryder]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

I would grind all the old glass channels out and start fresh..... I glassed the stringers in first then the lower sole glassed to the stringers.... I bedded the sole in PB on the stringer tops.

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

I would grind all the old glass channels out and start fresh..... I glassed the stringers in first then the lower sole glassed to the stringers.... I bedded the sole in PB on the stringer tops.

Thanks for the advice, off to the grind I go.

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Today was nothing but grinding. Then it was nothing but cleaning. I really should have made a better grinding tent. I spent the last 3 hours of the day emptying the garage and cleaning every single thing in it from fiberglass dust. Luckily whoever built it put in a floor drain, so I was able to hose the place down once everything was out. Another lesson learned the hard way.

I didn't hose down the inside of the boat, but I'm thinking about it, is there any reason not to? Will sanded fiberglass react to water?

Killed the shop vac today too, lifetime warranty, so we'll see how HD reacts tomorrow.

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Yes you can rinse it out.

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Yes you can rinse it out.

Yes! That'll be a lot easier. Appreciate the quick reply, I'll do that first tomorrow then do my final dry fit for wood before glassing, which will hopefully be Sunday.

8 DAYS LEFT

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

I started some fiberglass work yesterday. I think it went ok for my first time, but I only felt comfortable trying two small pieces until I could freshen up my memory on the techniques I've read about here and seen on youtube.

Today I hope fix the holes in the hull, 3 total. One pinprick size hole, one sawzall blade slice and one big one in the stern.

I bought the laser level for about $40, and it's a great tool. I used it to see if the cap would clear the hull when I rolled it out, which was very helpful. Then to level this cross piece.

I used Woodonglass's technique for the clamps, slightly modifed. They are 4 feet long, with the bolts about 20" apart. The bolts are threaded all the way - tip to tip, then washers and nuts on both sides, which allows me to put significant pressure way down on the bottom of the transom. Great idea WOD.

7 DAYS LEFT

 

[suwanneered]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Hello: I am new to the forum but not new to restoration of boats.
I have just bought a 1978 venture bass boat and will be doing the same process I am fairly sure at this point.
I am in process of removal of the engine(which is old and good for parts only) then I will get the boat under a shed I have and lift it offf the trailer(as it need attention also such as sand blasting and painting and hubs serviced. I plan on blocking it up with lots of 6 X6 wood blocks and then remove the cap. It will be low to the ground but mabe that will be good for getting in and out of the boat for removal of old floor and what ever else needs replaced.
The plant where the Venture boats were built is here in Winchester,Tennesse but closed several years ago but some of the old employees are still at the plant working for a repair shop.I knew the owners and they are both dead and plant was closed before the widow of owner passed away.
They now make missle boxes and small parts for truck and cars out of fiberglass.Looks like I am in for a big project for a 76 year old but this is not my first rodeo so I will " GIT HER DONE" I hope!!

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Today I hope fix the holes in the hull, 3 total. One pinprick size hole, one sawzall blade slice and one big one in the stern.

To fix these grind down the inside well ..... tape the outside so resin doesn't leak out.... cut strips of csm 2" 4" 6" and wet them up on your cuts.... a layer of 1708 biax to cover the csm The pin hole just some small csm patch and a little 1708. After its all cured you can grind and sand outside build up,fair,sand and gelcoat.

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

To fix these grind down the inside well ..... tape the outside so resin doesn't leak out.... cut strips of csm 2" 4" 6" and wet them up on your cuts.... a layer of 1708 biax to cover the csm The pin hole just some small csm patch and a little 1708. After its all cured you can grind and sand outside build up,fair,sand and gelcoat.

Thanks for the info, I didn't get any of that done today. I was trying to decide how to handle the pin hole and the long cut, that sound like it'll work.

There were a few areas that I over sanded and exposed some wood. So yesterday I patched those with csm. When I got there today it still had not cured. I was using the given mix rates from USC which was 1/8 ounce per 16oz. Today I doubled that and I still had tons of working time.

Here is what I did yesterday.

Fail. I'm still laughing about them, the perfect way not to do it.

So I re-cut and fit new ones, trashed the old ones. I used way too much csm and too much resin. I knew it, so last night I watched and read about techniques and I think I did ok today. Definitely better than yesterday, but it'd be hard to do worse.

The new ones

Here is the transom with one layer of csm on it. This went well, all in all about 30 minutes to get it right. There are a few spots on the edge of the transom there was no way to stop the csm from bubbling, but I think I can sand those areas tomorrow and lay some new csm on top, any other suggestions on bubbles? I'm thinking that I need to do a better job sanding.

6 DAYS LEFT

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

If you don't round over the edges....I use a router with a round over bit.... the edge will always bubble up. Even then csm is a bear to work with.... You'll love the 1708 biax....much better to work with.

For bubbles on flat areas you need to use a bubble buster roller or those small 1" diameter short nap rollers from the Depot or Lowes

I find a chip brush dabbing the resin works great with csm..... if you overwork that stuff it will start comming apart as you well know now It's ok we have all done it!

Everything looks good Well done!

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

If you don't round over the edges....I use a router with a round over bit.... the edge will always bubble up. Even then csm is a bear to work with.... You'll love the 1708 biax....much better to work with.

For bubbles on flat areas you need to use a bubble buster roller or those small 1" diameter short nap rollers from the Depot or Lowes

I find a chip brush dabbing the resin works great with csm..... if you overwork that stuff it will start comming apart as you well know now It's ok we have all done it!

Everything looks good Well done!

Thanks! On those two pieces I didn't round at all. On the transom and everything I did exactly that - used a round over bit, and then the grinder to get anywhere the router couldn't. Much much better results, but not perfect.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

To glass the edges it's a lot easier if you "Tear" the CSM at the edges leaving enough to go over the edge. This will loosen the weave and make it kinda "Hairy" this "Hairy Edge" will easily wrap over the edge. Dabbing with Chip brushes IS a good method. I also use my shears to cut 3/4" off the chip brushes to make em a bit stiffer.

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

To glass the edges it's a lot easier if you "Tear" the CSM at the edges leaving enough to go over the edge. This will loosen the weave and make it kinda "Hairy" this "Hairy Edge" will easily wrap over the edge. Dabbing with Chip brushes IS a good method. I also use my shears to cut 3/4" off the chip brushes to make em a bit stiffer.

Thank you for the tip, it works great. Yesterday I got it all "hairy" on the edges, but I had way too much of it overlapping the edge. Today I used smaller pieces, and less hair on the edges which worked great. I'm looking forward to a full day tomorrow.

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Suwanneered, welcome to Iboats! You'll find a bunch of information on this site, before you do anything at all I'd suggest sitting down and reading some of the restorations here fully and completely. Read it all, there are tons of tips in those threads that are invaluable. I'd also suggest starting your own thread on the restoration, we'd all love to follow along on your progress but it's difficult to follow if you start telling us about your restoration here.

Good luck!! I want to see some photos!

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

I got a bunch of stuff done today. Started off grinding some more areas I missed, then cleaning up. I filled all the holes, 4 total, one of them was a perfect hole - I'm guessing it was a core sample. The repairs went well.

I wrapped the other side of the transom after cutting off the stuff that didn't wrap. I'm still struggling with getting the csm technique for the edges with no bubbles, but I'm not there yet.

I mounted this lower piece in pb, and you can see where I laid some 1708 to repair the stringer. The wood was solid, PT plywood from the looks of it.

Compared to csm - 1708 is a dream.

Anyone know what that round thing in the middle is?? I thought it was a speedo pick-up, but there's no wires...

stringers coated in csm

5 DAYS LEFT

 

[Trooper82]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Looking good! Those stringers look to be 40 ft long in that pic

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

I got a bunch of stuff done today. Started off grinding some more areas I missed, then cleaning up. I filled all the holes, 4 total, one of them was a perfect hole - I'm guessing it was a core sample. The repairs went well.

I wrapped the other side of the transom after cutting off the stuff that didn't wrap. I'm still struggling with getting the csm technique for the edges with no bubbles, but I'm not there yet.

I mounted this lower piece in pb, and you can see where I laid some 1708 to repair the stringer. The wood was solid, PT plywood from the looks of it.

Compared to csm - 1708 is a dream.

Anyone know what that round thing in the middle is?? I thought it was a speedo pick-up, but there's no wires...

stringers coated in csm

5 DAYS LEFT

Kicking butt and taking no prisoners, looking GRRRR-8!

That round thing might be an old thru-hull transducer for a fish finder, unless it has a connection for hollow rubber tubing, in which case it could be an old speedo pitot pick up...

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Does it look like it had wires at some point? It may be a thru hull transducer for a sonar fish finder.....

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

I'll have to take a closer look for wires holes tomorrow, it's not a thru-hull, that's for sure.

By the way, has anyone tried fiberglass dust as a mix for PB? Recycling it, I'll try a small test tomorrow...

 

[vcaptain]

Re: 1978 Venture Phase V bass boat, new deck and transom - first timer

Looking good! Those stringers look to be 40 ft long in that pic

Ha! I know it. I spliced em to get the length with PL, that stuff is amazing.