1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

[beardeddone]

I just purchased an 1986 Astroglass with a 75 mercury on it a few weeks ago in fairly good shape except for the transom I am in process of replacing, all the rotten wood is already out and it's ready for some resin/fiberglass mix.. It seems as tho Home Depot has the resin and is alot cheaper then going the Seacast route and Lowe's has the blow-in fiberglass insulation.

I know that Seacast boasts of using polyester resin with fiberglass mixture and I have watched many videos on this subject so if the resin at Home depot is different, then in what way is it different, why would it not work or be as strong as using Seacast

Has anyone gone this route with their transom?

Thanks in advance as I am a novice at this and really want to know the pros and cons..

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

There are a LOT of examples of Seacast/NidaBond transom pours here on the forum. They are Poly Resin Based products but... the Resin sold @ the big box stores is for laminating fiberglass layers and NOT for 1 1/2" thick transoms. Not the same ingredients, consistency etc. These links will be a good place to start

using SEACAST to replace transom? advice! - Page 1 ...‎ - 14 posts- Jun 28, 2012
Seacast transom an floor kits - Page 1 - 475922‎ - 12 posts- May 8, 2011
86 Stratos Transom Repair using Seacast - Page 1 ...‎ - 14 posts- Mar 21, 2011
Bad/rotten transom? Possible fixes or solutions? Seacast ...‎ - 24 posts- Jan 6, 2011

Posting pics of your project will really help us to help you. Boats of this vintage usually have more than just transom issues. If you have softspots in the deck you need to investigate the stringer substructure as well.

 

[fishingfrenzy]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

Copied from : http://www.fiberglassics.com/restoration/fiberglassic-guide-to-transoms-floors-and-stringers

Let's start with what it is. Pourable cores are basically straight resin thickened to a point where it will fill gaps like a fairing compound, but not so thick that it can't be poured. It can be structurally improved by adding bits of chopped fiberglass strands, and its resiliency can be improved by adding elastic polymer fillers to the mix.
Up to this point in the book, MEKP has been listed as the only hardener for use with polyester and vinylester resins, and proprietary hardeners listed as the only option for epoxy resins. Pourable transom cores use a different kind of hardener, Benzoyle Peroxide (BPO) because it generates less heat in the curing process (which also slows down the curing process)
If you tried to make your own pourable transom using polyester, vinylester, or epoxy with the hardeners typically used, you would probably burn your boat down to the ground. The volume of resin would generate so much exothermic heat that it would almost certainly catch fire.
I'm telling you this because it's very likely someone will think, “If it's just resin, I can do it myself.”
BPO is not a suitable alternative to other catalysts mentioned in this book and should not be thought of that way. The only time it should be used is when it is expressly intended by the manufacturer. In this book, this will be the only mention of BPO as a catalyst.
Here are my problems with pourable transom cores:
First, like prepping any fiberglass area for repair, the surface must be contaminant free. This is done by grinding down to bare glass, vacuuming out the dust, and cleaning the fresh surface with either acetone or denatured alcohol. If the surface hasn't been prepared in this manner, the bond will be questionable at best.

 

[beardeddone]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

There is a lot of good reading here, some I have read before and some I haven't, and will read some more on this, I appreciate this info and will NOT use the box store resin for this project, with that said I think I may be in good shape using Seacast or Nida-Bond as most of the wood in the transom was like dirt or mud it was so bad and most all of it washed out with the water hose like dirt through the drain hole that was removed, the hull and stringers still look good to me and feel solid, just waiting for good weather so I can order and do the work, it is a wonder the motor stayed on the transom as it was.

 

[beardeddone]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

There is so much good reading in this forum I loose track of where I'm at, lol but am getting the picture of what needs to be done and almost makes me want to take the top half off my boat and see what is inside, never done this before and sounds like a nightmare...

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

There is so much good reading in this forum I loose track of where I'm at, lol but am getting the picture of what needs to be done and almost makes me want to take the top half off my boat and see what is inside, never done this before and sounds like a nightmare...

Taking the cap off of your boat and lifting the decking is exactly like opening Pandora's Box! The evils will come flying out of there, first will be the stench... and then the sight of moldy/rancid foam, fetid water, and rotten wood. I liken the gutting of a rotten old fiberglass boat to an exorcism... evil spirits be gone!!!

Now isn't a good time to rebuild your boat because of the cold temps, but it is the best time to start your demolition and grinding so you'll be ready to start building when the temps warm up. Wearing a Tyvek suit is much more comfortable in cool/cold weather than when it's warm or hot outside.

... or maybe I could interest you in a nice aluminum boat?

 

[beardeddone]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

Taking the cap off of your boat and lifting the decking is exactly like opening Pandora's Box! The evils will come flying out of there, first will be the stench... and then the sight of moldy/rancid foam, fetid water, and rotten wood. I liken the gutting of a rotten old fiberglass boat to an exorcism... evil spirits be gone!!!

Now isn't a good time to rebuild your boat because of the cold temps, but it is the best time to start your demolition and grinding so you'll be ready to start building when the temps warm up. Wearing a Tyvek suit is much more comfortable in cool/cold weather than when it's warm or hot outside.

... or maybe I could interest you in a nice aluminum boat?

Thanks for the reply, it is to cold for me to do any work now as it is 23 degrees outside as I type this, but I hadn't smelled any stench or from what I can see any mold, but that of course could change if and when I can get in there to see, so far and I need to take more pictures whenever I can take the tarp off the boat, the one thing I want to do is replace the gas tank as I don't like the looks of the one in there and the boat has a gas gauge, but no sender on the plastic tank so I want to replace that with one that has one, I have spotted a tank on ebay that looks like what I want and the dimensions that will work with the gallons that would be ok for my usage but I hope I can get by without taking the top off, time will tell, but can't seem to be able to do anything until next spring when it warms up some.



Did I mention I hate cold weather?
PS: I have no problem with a nice aluminum boat, I kinda wished I had done some more searching before buying this one..

 

[beardeddone]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

Just to kind of give an update

I really haven't done much to the boat yet except to take the motor off and clean out all the rotten wood out of the transom and replaced both pumps one automatic bilge pump and a live well pump, my choice, I also replaced the impeller for the water pump, the motor seems to be good and ok but haven't done a compression test but doesn't spit or sputter in any range of rpm and has a good pee output and idles very well with no misses .

I need to do some repair to the inner transom panel as I poked some holes in it when I was poking the rotten wood out with the water hose the bottom of the inner transom has a step on it near the bottom that I didn't know it had.

I talked to Bruce at seacast and he gave me an idea as to fix those holes I put in there, I just need to do it when it warms up then go for the seacast fix which Bruce says should take care of the transom and it should be good for the water.

So I have to wait until spring or if I can get a few days of warmer weather before hand, I know, good luck there, to do any work..

I am glad I found this forum and wished I had found it before hand so now I have to make lemonade out of my lemon using all the help available here...It's all good..

And thanks to everyone.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

I always say this to those that are considering a Seacast or Nidabond or Arjay transom pour...These are all great products and will yield a strong and lifetime transom, and many of our members have used them for their transoms and some even for their stringers,

but... (Doncha just hate those buts!)

My boat is 50+ years old and has the original wood transom. Because it was Cared for and Maintained properly. IF you replace your transom with wood it will be a better installation than the factory. You WILL take more care to ensure it is thoroughly sealed and installed properly. If you Maintain and care for it properly it will last the rest of your life and prolly your childrens lives as well. Its ALL about Maintenance and Care! If you plan on leaving the boat out in the elements, uncovered and drilling into it with out coating the bolts or screws and generally abusing it, then a composite transom IS the way to go. Most people who take the time to restore their boats, Will also take the time to Maintain and Care for them.


The Cost of a Composite transom compared to a Wood transom is at least 40% more. I have difficulty justifying this cost/benefit ratio.

That's my 2?.

Carry on!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

Just to kind of give an update

I really haven't done much to the boat yet except to take the motor off and clean out all the rotten wood out of the transom and replaced both pumps one automatic bilge pump and a live well pump, my choice, I also replaced the impeller for the water pump, the motor seems to be good and ok but haven't done a compression test but doesn't spit or sputter in any range of rpm and has a good pee output and idles very well with no misses .

I need to do some repair to the inner transom panel as I poked some holes in it when I was poking the rotten wood out with the water hose the bottom of the inner transom has a step on it near the bottom that I didn't know it had.

I talked to Bruce at seacast and he gave me an idea as to fix those holes I put in there, I just need to do it when it warms up then go for the seacast fix which Bruce says should take care of the transom and it should be good for the water.

So I have to wait until spring or if I can get a few days of warmer weather before hand, I know, good luck there, to do any work..

I am glad I found this forum and wished I had found it before hand so now I have to make lemonade out of my lemon using all the help available here...It's all good..

And thanks to everyone.

You do realize that if your transom was rotten the odds are pretty high that your stringers are probably in need of repair too?... and should at least be checked.

 

[beardeddone]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

I always say this to those that are considering a Seacast or Nidabond or Arjay transom pour...These are all great products and will yield a strong and lifetime transom, and many of our members have used them for their transoms and some even for their stringers,

but... (Doncha just hate those buts!)

My boat is 50+ years old and has the original wood transom. Because it was Cared for and Maintained properly. IF you replace your transom with wood it will be a better installation than the factory. You WILL take more care to ensure it is thoroughly sealed and installed properly. If you Maintain and care for it properly it will last the rest of your life and prolly your childrens lives as well. Its ALL about Maintenance and Care! If you plan on leaving the boat out in the elements, uncovered and drilling into it with out coating the bolts or screws and generally abusing it, then a composite transom IS the way to go. Most people who take the time to restore their boats, Will also take the time to Maintain and Care for them.


The Cost of a Composite transom compared to a Wood transom is at least 40% more. I have difficulty justifying this cost/benefit ratio.

That's my 2?.

Carry on!

Yes those buts will get ya every time I see

Unfortunately, I don't know the history of this boat or how it was cared for, but beings it does have a good gel coating on the outer hull and most all of the outer boat and good motor I would say it was taken care of fairly well, the previous owner only had it a couple of months and it was in his name but the drain plug was either removed or had fallen out but had a plug that would fit the hole, so we'll see..

If there are any indicators on soaked foam as weight goes, I kind of wonder, with the motor on the boat I can lift the trailer tongue with one hand, with the motor off the boat the tongue is much heavier, but from what I could see what foam that I could get to to see it looks like it is wrapped with a plastic so I don't know without taking a sample of it, but it didn't look wet from what I could tell, of course I can only hope it is not wet, more examining will tell the truth of what is there...

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

I fear that JNG may be correct. If the Transom is this far gone that's a good indicator that the stringers may also be bad and that can severely compromise the structural integrity of the hull when going over waves and wakes. This link shows a similar boat with these issues...


http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...air/1987-astroglass-195-v-restore-458977.html

 

[beardeddone]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

You do realize that if your transom was rotten the odds are pretty high that your stringers are probably in need of repair too?... and should at least be checked.

Yes I do and I know that I'll need to do some more checking, but for now money is an object so it'll have to wait, Christmas time is here.

Thanks for your input

 

[beardeddone]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

Can I safely use this product with polyester resin.

If not which one can I use?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

Yep sure can. Change filters a the first whiff of resin coming thru

 

[beardeddone]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

Thank you, appreciate it..

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

The Amazon link seems to be for a case of the respirators... priced for 1, but you may be buying a case....

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

When are you going to open the boat up and see what's what?

 

[a1964rn]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

Those are disposable respirators. You don't change the cartridge, you throw it away. The price listed is for 1 respirator.

Product Specifications Part Number 70070314482
Item Package Quantity1
Item Dimensions Weight12.16 Ounces

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1986 Astroglass Transom Rebuild

So you pay $14.11 * 12 ($169.32) for 12 disposable respirators?

Is that more cost effective then a normal changable filter respirator?