First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

[Phazer230]

Hi this is my first boat restoration job and I have done a ton of research but still have alot of questions, so please bare with me. I have the rotted floor removed, the engine out, the foam out and I am in the middle of removing the stringers and engine mounts which are also rotted, so this will be a 100% under the floor rebuild. I am only removing a couple stringer sections at a time because of the support issues " my boat is on roller trailer" arrrrr. My main support stringers seem to be in 3 different sections anyway and the rear engine compartment stringers really wernt connected to the main stringers anyway, just a piece of 2x2 sandwiched between them, the 2x2 wasn't even glass or epoxied in. Now for some of my questions, I would like to know how and what to use to properly install and bed my stringers and the proper materials to use to do so? First off a stringer is not acually suppose to come in contact with the hull at all is it? With that
being said I thought about using that window foam tape that you can buy at walmart, it may be to thick though I don't know I think it is like 3/8" thick. What do you guys think? I
was just going to stick it on the bottom of the stringer longways and leave it in place. I have heard of alot of people using PL Adhesive, can you bed the stringer in this stuff or is it just for filleting the stringer in place???? Can you use the PL to so called glue the stringer in place? Untill I glass it in? Another concern of mine is I would like to glass my sencondary stringer before I install them, the manufacurer only glassed one side of the stringer and I think I know why, where this outer stringer goes is a 1" trench in the hull of my boat which would make it hard to glass in on both sides with no voids! That is one thing I would like to do is fill this valley with the PL right before I set the stringer in, to fill the gaps. Right under this valley is where the rigdges are on the bottom of my boat, I think this is one reason the boat is sitting on a roller trailer because the points or ridges are right in the middle of the rollers, a bunker
trailer probably would not work too well. This valley is why I will be using 1/2 ply for this stringer cause 3/4 will not fit in the groove, oh well. This outer stringer is nothing more than 1/2 ply 6" wide with a very slight curve to the front and 8' long so it should be real easy to make, the front of the stringer was no where close to touching the hull anyway I could see that easily when I was removing it. It had foam under the stringer, so I guess it doesn't need to be cut out perfectly? I would also like to know what kind of fiberglass mat I need for everything? Engine compartment, stringers, floor ect. Would 1.5 be ok for everything? I was thinking of getting the epoxy from US Composites. I would like to restore and improve the bottom of my boat cause it looks like the manufacturer did things I don't approve of like 1. They didn't glass the top of the stringers!!!! 2. they used staples to install the floor! This isn't right is it?shouldn't the
floor be epoxied to the stringers????? 3. They didn't put any drainage holes in the stringers whatsoever and the water just sits between the stringers. These are things they did that I would like to correct, I do not want to fill the boat back up with foam either! I am officially a foam hater. I will try to get plenty of pictures posted when I get a chance, to let you guys have a better understanding of what I am dealing with. Thanks

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

Yeah, pics will really help us to help you.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

here some pics

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

here are some more

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

more

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

Phazer,

You got your work cut out for you but you are spot on on your design and calculations. US compostites is a good choice. 1.5 mat is good. Make sure and glass both sides of everything and the edges too. PL is great for setting your stringers. Don't need the door padding. Make sure your glass is sanded to fresh glass, get it clean and start glassin. Check out OOPS post for some great tips on fiberglassing and making peanut butter for fillet work. Get a 4 inch grinder from Harbor freight, some flap sanding pads a tyvek suit, respirator , vinyl gloves, beer and get to work.


Good luck

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

I have a 4" dewalt grinder and a respirator already, but have to order the fiberglass supplies.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

Hi, I am in the middle of building the Engine mounts for my boat, as you can see in the photo the old ones are shot, looks like they used mostly ply and 2x6's from what I can tell. I am planning on using marine 3/4" ply and a 6x6 as a core for the mount, this would be ok wouldnt it? I would think it would be much more sturdier than what they used! I do need to coat all my wood in CPES correct????? I plan on giving all the wood a CPES treatment, then using epoxy and a few galv deck screws to assemble it all. Can I just use straight epoxy to bond the wood together or do I need to mix it differently? I really havnt used the stuff before but I think once I get the hang of it I'll be ok but there is a 351 engine sitting on these perches so I want to know they are built right and are tough! so any advise is always appriciated! here are some pics. Thanks guys

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

I plan on using this old treated 6x6, it ought to be plenty dry by now. I am going to take it to my faimlies machine shop and cut it down on there band saw to get it nice and square.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

Phazer,
Lookin good so far. Make sure and look at page 76 of OOPS post and get his peanut butter recipe. On your mounts make sure and put epoxy in the screw holds and on the screws on final assembly. Two coats of cpes is good but you need to put a layer of glass on as well for structural purposes. The 4x4 will give you added strength. Good job so far.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

Thanks for your help WoodonGlass I will read that article about the peanut butter. I need to learn the proper method of joining all the wood together for the mounts and what to use and how to use it. I am going to try to order some CPES for treatment of the new wood, and US composites epoxy to fabricate and layup of the fiberglass. I am going to order this stuff some time this week. Thanks

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

Hey guys, I have been reading Ooops hull extension article and what a great one it is! Well I also kindove wanted to wrap the stringers without capping them. I will be using 2x clets on the top of my stringers though so mine will be wider than 3/4" at the top, so I made a trip to Sears and purchased my first router, so I am going to roundover all my 90 degree corners to make the wrapping of the glass easier. I am just about ready to start assembling the engine stringers now, I have CPES, US Composites Epoxy, 50" x 50' of 1.5 mat, and all the stuff to make Penut Butter. Do you guys think it would be ok to glass the engine stringers before acually tabbing them to the hull? Will this mess with the strength? The reason I would like to do this to the stingers is so I dont have to stand on my head when glassin the tops of the stringers. Do you guys think it is better to use multiple layers of 1.5 or get somthing hevier for the final coat. I wont be adding foam back to the boat so I ought to make it sturdier than the factory did! They didnt even glass the stringer tops though! and the rest of the glass was pretty thin, so how many layers should I use? I have enough materials to just get me started, I will have to order more soon.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

Well, I have the first engine mount pieces coated with 2 coats of CPES, I let that cure for the last 3 days, then tonight I precoated them with epoxy. I will be installing it soon!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

You can glass em first. Multiple layers is better. You could even get some 1708 biax if you want em super strong. Get some 6 oz or 9 oz cloth to tab with. Make sure to use some PL adhesive to set your stringers into the Hull. Don't want any Hard Joints.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

I also plunged into the transom tonight and I drilled a few holes to check it out, for the most part it didnt look to bad for 20yr old boat. The only dark rotted wood came from right around the drain plug hole. I think I will just inject the transom with CPES as good as I can and patch my holes for now, cause if I ever have to replace this transom, I can do it without removing the floor and stringers. Here is a photo of the wood I pulled from the transom, the pile on the left was from the very top, the second was from the center section on down to about 3" from the bottom, and the rotted lookin pile came from right around the plug. I would think it will still last a very long time yet. What do you guys think? I am not one to take the easy way out, I just think this one isnt that bad?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

I would drill a few more along the bottom about 2 inches above the hull and see what you get. If its dry then I wouldn't worry bout it

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

I drilled quite a few Woodonglass and the farther I got from the drain hole the better the wood looked.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

As long as you understand that the Rot WILL continue. You may slow it down with the CPES injections but I doubt you will permanently cure it. I would probably do what you are doing and get on with it.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

Well I finally got around to putting the engine mount box together today! Well it went pretty well I guess but there are things about it that I dont like, one being the 1/8" crack at the top where the engine mount is acually going to be sitting, I guess that 6"x6" wasnt acually that square, I dont know how it ended up like that it looked good when I mocked it up but I was in a hurry to get it together before the resin set up. I am not as worried about the angle cut on the bottom as I can fill it easily with peanut butter, but I am not sure what to do about that crack cause when I tighten the lags it is going to try and pull that ply down. I think I am going to try and fill it with epoxy after the box cures but I dont know if the box will hold all the resin in, it might just drip out? I dont know, what do you guys think????? I should have payed more attension when I put that 6x6 in, but I had all the holes predrilled. The good things about it is I filled all the screw holes with resin and the screws and the box does not have any voids other than the ones I am talking about it is pretty much 100% wood and resin even the bottom where it is slanted is filled with a wood wedge. All the wood was smothered in epoxy resin, some of it is oozing out though. I hate that void in the top though that really really dissapoints me I hope I am able to fill it Arrrrr. any suggestions would be appriciated.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: First boat Resto in progress " advice needed"

By the way, the side you are looking at is going to be the side that is mounted to the engine stringer.