1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

What was I thinking?
I got enough rovin to build a whole boat! Got the ply to build the transom, stringers and deck. I went with A/C exterior grade ply. I had two local boat guys suggest dimensional lumber for the stringers, but I couldn't find anything I wanted to use, so I opted for the plywood. I spent a little more for a 4X10 sheet to make the stringers out of. If I figured correctly, while the per sheet price was a little more, I only need one sheet, therefore lowering the overall cost. And I won't have any joints. I should have plenty of drop to make braces out of.
Got 5 gal. of resin, 5 gal. of acetone and a pound of MEKP. And a roll of 1.5 oz mat. The only thing I didn't get was the beads for making peanut butter. I'll figure something out. I may just go with PL, and let it cure. What is the marine grade of Bondo that I have read about?

 

[westexasrepublic]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

nice, send left over material to my adress...

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

nice, send left over material to my adress...

I may so it! For a small donation to the cause!

Rain in Texas the last week of July. Who'da thunk it!

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

nice, send left over material to my adress...

I may do it! For a small donation to the cause!

Rain in Texas the last week of July. Who'da thunk it!

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Got busy on the transom (after lots of help from my "transom and resin?" thread. I decided to laminate the transom with resin and glass vs. PL. Time was my motivation. My first batch didn't go so well.

I only had enough time to wet out the plywood before the poly gelled and got too hot to hold. When all else fails, follow the directions.

I backed off on the MEKP and made smaller batches. I think the lamination went okay.

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Honing the fit.

My reluctant helper.

I raised the hight of the transom to eliminate a gap between the transom and cover pate (pictured earlier in this thread.)

I wish I had staggered two pieces of ply for the transom, enabling me to get the exposed piece lower and making it easier to "knee" the stringers.

PT lattice strips to replace the rotted balsa mat. It's a near perfect fit. I don't know the name of this structure, but I'm going to replace it.

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Got a late start today. Spent most of the day dillydickin' around Harbor Freight. Hope to get the transom glued in today and maybe a couple stringers cut. I'm still being plagued by "over thinking."

Made a smaller batch of resin at 1% MEKP. We got about 10 to 15 minutes before it started to gel. When it starts to gel, is that what y'all call "kick?"

My helper wetting the transom.

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Just sealed the other side of the transom. Mixed 1 quart at 1% MEKP, or 5cc. Similar result as earlier, about 10 to 12 minutes working time before gel. Also, I'm playing around with my own PB recipe. The first recipe was resin, chopped up CM (CM cut into tiny pieces, homemade milled fiber, just a bit bigger) and drier lint as a binder. I got this idea after reading about wood flour and then doing the laundry. I stuffed this in behind some of the old rovin, where a big gap was between the rovin and and the hull. Flame away if you want to, it's not structural. I just wanted to see if it would make fillet. Seemed to work okay. Not very smooth due to the C-CM. The second batch was made with C-CM (chopped chop-mat) and some dry wall joint compound. This was much smoother and looked like tooth paste. Again, just fillet. Next I may raid my wife's pantry for some flour, or stop tomorrow at the cabinet shop and get some saw dust. And before you ask, I can't find carbosil, in small quantities anyhow.

The dark spot in on the lower left is the lint butter, the grey is the joint butter.

Just the joint butter.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Got a late start today. Spent most of the day dillydickin' around Harbor Freight. Hope to get the transom glued in today and maybe a couple stringers cut. I'm still being plagued by "over thinking."

Every time i go to harbor freight, it is like a 2 hours dinking in the store. My wife went with me one time, she waited in the car and after 20 min she came in. She refuses to go with me now. I swear though, harbor freight is a "boat restoration's best friend"!

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

I hate buying cheap tools, but for things I'm just gonna tear up, you're right, can't beat 'em!

Got the transom in. Picture tomorrow.

Drilling mounting holes. Forgot to 'back up' the hole and got a bit of tear out.

Much better.

We're learning together!

1.5 oz CSM and one quart of resin catalyzed at 1% or 10CC MEKP. Just barely enough to cover just under 12' sq. Probably should have had more.

 

[Sodakrep]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Looks like a good project and what more could you ask for with the time with your son. When you get done both of you will be proud and enjoy the time on the water together.

I almost bought a early 80's starfire 175 but with the holes in the hull that the owner covered with duct tape and painted to match I thought I would pass. He told me his bilge pump never went off. I was for certain that his stringers would be completely rotten.

Keep up the good work and keep us updated with pics.

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Got home from work this afternoon and took the clamps off, and my transom didn't fall off! It feels pretty solid. I almost hooked a come-a-long onto it, but I decided to wait on that test.

Couple of little 'cotton balls'. I guess I'll just grind or sand them off. The piece of glass on the far left was cut a little long and I intended to tuck it in between the transom and hull, but I got in a hurry.

Got one pretty good sized air bubble, at the bottom of the transom, just above the dark 'lint butter' trial area. How do I fix this? Grind it off and put new glass in? This area will be tabbed to the hull with rovin, and later filled with foam.

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

OK! I messed up! I didn't make stringer templates. I thought I had pretty good measuring skills. I don't. I've spent the last three afternoons in over 100* heat trying to hone the bottom of my first stringer. I'm getting close, but would like suggestions, if you have 'em.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

There's an awesome example in the hull extension thread. Not sure which page. Maybe PM Oops. Something involving cardboard, string and a pencil I think to scribe a template.

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Thanks for the heads up! I think I got it though. I'll take a picture later of the fix, but I didn't take one of the problem. Basically what I did wrong, is I forgot to take into account the slope of the boat and or deck. Yes it is flat, but it slopes back. When I was pulling my measurements, I was transferring them to the plywood, pulling down from the square or milled edge. I wound up with a pretty close shape, but it was about 2" too tall mid deck with a gap underneath. Finally I trimmed so much off that I couldn't use that piece of wood. I cut the stringer in half vertically, cut a wedge out of the middle and scabbed it back together and got a perfect fitting template, albeit an expensive one!

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

I made more progress in 4 hours this afternoon then I made all week.
Here is the scab of the template I made. The narrow part on the left was too straight. The cut let it flex down enough to contour the back half of the boat,
allowing me go get a good template.

Here are two stringers in place. I still have to hone them a bit, but they are pretty close. I should have the other two done in the morning, and maybe start on the deck.

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

All four stringers are cut and the first section of deck is mocked up!

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Getting close! Just a couple more things to mock up. should be sealing, and maybe even glassing tomorrow.

 

[concept10]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

Looks great. Keep 'em coming!

 

[JAFO1]

Re: 1986 Skeeter Starfire 90 Resto.

I was going to do a little more sealing today, but we got a pretty good rain storm. In Texas, I'll take rain in August any time I can get it! Luckily, I got the deck and stringers in the garage before it rained.