89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Well, I ran out of nida bond. I poured another section on the left hand side of the boat. The mould was pictured in the last post, but here is the results.

And here is a close up of the two pours bonded together.

While it was wet, as I posted in the last post, I started working on the right hand side of the boat. I thought that last pic was the right side, but it was just pic of the left side before I poured. Here is an actual right side beginning mould.

Here is an extension of the right stringer all the way to the front of the boat. This is the point I ran out of nida bond. It almost filled the entire area. I'll just go back and fill a little more on top. It'll bond well.

I ordered another pail of nida bond, as I have to finish the right top side, and I still have about half a stringer on the left hand side to pour. I've also got the middle support walls that go in front and behind the gas tank.

After this, I'll most likely have about 3/4 of a pail(5 gallon) of nida bond that I won't be using. I paid 155$ for this pail, and it'll likely still have about 4 gallons left. Anybody in the central Texas area around Austin or Waco interested? I'll let it go for probably 100$ or so. Pretty good deal.

Matt

 

[a2dubnut]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

opcorn:
watching this one - keep up the good work! Curious to see the finished product

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

I'd take that extra nida bond and install bulkheads for extra deck and hull support, you should be able to get 2 or 3 out of it. You can never have too much structural support in a boat.

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Well, if I understand what a bulkhead is, it's the cross walls from stringer to stringer?? I guess I'll have two of those. One in front of the gas tank, and another behind it. If I try to put any further in the front, it'll stop me from having a very effective ski locker. I suppose I could do some from the stringers to the edge of the boat, but it's not a very far distance, and I'm not sure it's worth the extra weight. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Matt

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Sorry for the late update, but I'm flooded with projects right now. So, two weeks ago I worked on finishing up the front ends of the stringers. I had to hurry up and get these in, so I could start building moulds against them for the bulkheads. I estimated the heights, because I'll just grind them down to where I need them before I fiberglass. Here's the mould of the left and right fronts of the stringers.

My moulds are getting better and better each time. As with anything.....
Here is after the pour.

The area in the front was kind of difficult to pour into, basically because my quart container kept getting in the way. I ended up using a spatula for the very last bit, and it got the job done.
So I let this harden over night, and the next morning I was able to peel away my moulding. It turned out rather nice. Here are the results.

I can only attach 5 pics per post, so I'll make another post this afternoon.
My progress is definitely coming along, and don't think it'll be too much more time before this baby is done.

Matt

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Well, I've been distracted with other shiny things!!! Its always seems like I'm in that weird climate oddity. It's always too cold during the winter to do things....So, I'll wait till the summer when it warms up a little. Then, when the summer rolls around, it's too dang hot to do anything, and you've got to wait till it cools down before you do anything. Never ending loop of excuses to not work. lol...
Anyways, I've made some pretty good progress on the boat. Here's a picture of the left stringer finished up:

Once my stringers were done for the length of the boat, I ground them down smooth with the angle grinder. At this point, I should have gotten the height in the front (under the walk through) of the stringers ground down. I should have run a string from the front to the back to get a perfectly flat surface for the deck to lay on. This would have been the smart thing to do. However, I wasn't really thinking, and I went ahead and started on the bulkheads. But, here's a picture of the stringers that I smoothed out a little.

I made moulds for the bulkheads in the front and back of the boat here. Everything thus far, is just at an estimated height. I'm definitely getting the height that I need, but they are probably all a little too tall when I made them. They will have to be ground down just like the stringers..... As I said earlier, If I had leveled the stringers out before I poured these bulkeheads, it would have made leveling the stringers out later much easier. too late now....
Here's the bulkhead moulds. I post later to show pics of the "after-pour" and grinded smooth.

Definitely making some advancements towards laying the deck.

Matt

 

[benjh1028]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Matt,

First time I've seen this thread - great work. I also went the Nida-Bond stringer route. I used pink foam board and coated it with packing tape for my molds - found it easier to work with than cardboard. I'm with you on the shipping cost - wish I had a local supplier. I ended up with exactly enough material as Nida (before being bought by 3m) included a 2-quart sample which saved my bacon.

Also went with a full composite deck - Coosa board. You will appreciate knowing that your stringers can NEVER rot again.

Keep up the great work!

Ben

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Thanks, I appreciate the uplifting comments. It's a lot of work to do it the way I'm doing it, but it's definitely worth it in the long run. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that's went through the moulding process. Lol. It's actually pretty exciting though. I'll post some more pics tomorrow.
Matt

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Matt first time I have seen your thread good work. I am in New Braunfels let me know when you launch this project maybe I can tag along to help you document it. I am hoping to get one or both of my projects on the water this year.

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

73chrysler105,

Thanks, I appreciate the willingness to help. I could always use a friend, and I'll keep you in mind for the launch. I too am working on a couple projects at a time. I've got an 80's bass tracker pontoon that I'm working on redecking also. I'm using the honey comb paneling from 3m, formerly nida core. It'll be sandwiched with woven roving and csm. What are you working on right now?

Matt

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

I too am working on a couple projects at a time. I've got an 80's bass tracker pontoon that I'm working on redecking also. I'm using the honey comb paneling from 3m, formerly nida core. It'll be sandwiched with woven roving and csm.

That'd ^^^ make a good thread too

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

So, here's a picture of the completed stringers and bulkhead before the leveling process. Pretty solid! I feel pleased with the results.

At this point,I was ready to start grinding them down to at least a similar height, just not the right height yet. I leveled them all off with each other, then rounded them just to get them all pretty close before I ran a string for leveling from front to back.

Once, I had them all roughly at the same level, I was ready to start bringing them to the correct height before fiber glassing and setting the deck on top. This was kinda tricky, as I had to guesstimate how much height my glass was going to add to the stringers and bulkhead. I took a piece of wood roughly the same thickness as my decking material and held it under the walk way in the front of the boat. I then slid this wood against the stringer. I made a mark around the area that I thought was the perfect height below this board. I then ground a two to three inch area of the stringer down to the right height. I then went to a section of the stringer further back in the boat and ground this area down till it was level with the groove in the boat where the deck seats. I attached a string from both of these low areas, and then ground down the stringer with my angle grinder down to the level of the string. Here's what I'm talking about.

I'll post more pics later when I get a chance.

Matt

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

That'd ^^^ make a good thread too

I'll definitely start a thread on this also. I'm currently waiting on some supplies for the old pontoon boat

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

I've been working hard on the boat. I've actually started fiberglassing the stringers and bulkheads to the hull. But first....here's some pics from the stringer leveling process that I didn't get to post last time.
This is the back bulkhead before grinding or leveling....

I leveled off the rest of the stringers the same as I talked about in the previous post. I found my angle of existing grinded stringer and ran the string to the back of the boat. For the bulkheads, I just ran a string from one side of the hull to the other.....just taking care to match the height to the stringers new height. These are pictures of the stringers and bulkheads ground down to the same level.

Here they are rounded off a little, to help the fiberglass lay down better.

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

couple more pics......
I just took these shots, so you could get an idea of how level they all are with each other.
hopefully

I got more csm in the other day, along with some more 435 resin. I finished up doing the first layer of csm over all stringers and bulkheads, and I started the second layer of glass (woven roving). I got about 85% of the woven roving done. Basically, I have to cover the bulkheads in the center front/back, and the sides in the back. I intend on doing one more layer of csm over the woven to prepare it for the deck to be layed.

I also intend on glassing a few "sacrifical" wooden blocks to the sides of the stringers, in order to screw the deck to. This is just simply to help avoid drilling into my new stringers, even though they shouldn't rot anyways!!!

Matt

 

[Verboaten]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Wow! This is a great thread! I just found it and will taking on this same project with our 1988 Freedom 160. Mine should be funner as the person who owned it before us just put some plywood down over the original floor and glued carpet to it. After looking thru your thread I'm wondering if I wouldnt be better off just getting another boat! LOL! Thanks again for taking the time to post this great tuitional!

 

[Lwarden]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

This might be a silly question but how will you attatch your plywood for the floor to the stringers? if your screwing it down arent those stringers awfully thin for screws? or maybe its just decieving from the pic angle?

Well, I ran out of nida bond. I poured another section on the left hand side of the boat. The mould was pictured in the last post, but here is the results.
View attachment 180365
And here is a close up of the two pours bonded together.
View attachment 180366
While it was wet, as I posted in the last post, I started working on the right hand side of the boat. I thought that last pic was the right side, but it was just pic of the left side before I poured. Here is an actual right side beginning mould.
View attachment 180369
Here is an extension of the right stringer all the way to the front of the boat. This is the point I ran out of nida bond. It almost filled the entire area. I'll just go back and fill a little more on top. It'll bond well.
View attachment 180370
I ordered another pail of nida bond, as I have to finish the right top side, and I still have about half a stringer on the left hand side to pour. I've also got the middle support walls that go in front and behind the gas tank.

After this, I'll most likely have about 3/4 of a pail(5 gallon) of nida bond that I won't be using. I paid 155$ for this pail, and it'll likely still have about 4 gallons left. Anybody in the central Texas area around Austin or Waco interested? I'll let it go for probably 100$ or so. Pretty good deal.

Matt

 

[third times the charm]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Just found this thread this morning. I have a 87 candida 200 that I will start on slowly, I have a Starcraft that I'm currently involved with too. I don't think mine is as bad as your as most of my stringers are solid, just some floor rot. But it's still in bad shape needing new power and interior completely redone. Lots of great info here, and pics. Keep up the good work, will continue to follow your progress.

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Lwarden,
Well, I'm glad you asked. They're roughly half inch, which is what was in there. They did tend to get thin on the top sides before I perfected my moulding process. However, the glassing process will thicken these stringers up quite a bit. BUT, I'm not depending on that to increase my odds of hitting the stringers with a screw. I thought I posted previously, but I guess it was just in my head. I intend on glassing a 2" x2" block in two or three areas up and down along the stringers. These will be my screw anchors. This will prevent me from having to screw into my stringers at all! Thanks for your concern, and I hope this explains my plan better.

This might be a silly question but how will you attatch your plywood for the floor to the stringers? if your screwing it down arent those stringers awfully thin for screws? or maybe its just decieving from the pic angle?

 

[mbasonic]

Re: 89 Four Winns Freedom 170 Floor / Stringer Rebuild PICS

Verboaten,
Yes, its definitely a lot of work. Call it a labor of love. Its worth the time and labor for a job well done, and done correctly, or at least how I'd like mine done. I know it'll last many years. Let me know how your project goes.

Matt