Re: Any tips cutting out Transom
I pulled the deck off and left it as it was. Down at the drain tube, I had a little brass insert that I cut out with the transom wood. Just like the piece I cut to fit, the previous wood came out all the way down along the contours of the hull.<br /><br />I made a paper pattern of the inside skin of the hull once the wood was out. I too wasn't sure if I should pattern before or after. I bought "Runabout Renovation" and he said make the pattern from the inside of the hull skin.<br /><br />I made two patterns, one aginst the fibreglass skin that was left then a second one after the first layer of plywood was fit.<br /><br />I measured the angle between the transom and the keel (the amount that the transom is laid back) and cut the bottom edge of the plywood on the same angle to minimize the gaps.<br /><br />I epoxied the two pieces of plywood together. Generally the recommendation seems to be lay a layer of mat against the skin of the hull, then a layer of plywood, then another layer of mat, then the second layer of plywood, then mat and roving on the inside surface. You lay it all up then clamp it all together using bolts through what holes you have and any clamps you can use.<br /><br />You drill out the drain holes after it's all cured and insert a brass fitting for the bilge and I had a screw toghether plastic fitting for the spalshwell drain that I plan to reuse.
