Rejoining top to bottom?

[wvff525]

Well, if everything goes right this weekend, I should get to the step where I rejoin the top half with lower half. I separated it to replace the transom.

It was originally held together with with pop rivets through the rub rail. It also had a thin layer of mat and resin over the seam on the inside of the boat. This would be hard to duplicate, so I was wondering if there is an alternative method to rejoining the halves?

Could I use 3M 4200 or 5200 and run a bead all the way around the boat before setting the top back on?

Could I use screws instead of pop rivets?

Just wondering what others have done. I know redoing it like it was originally is probably the best way. But there are some areas like in the bow and under the rear splaswell that would be hard to reach to put a layer of mat and resin over the seam with the top back on. Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Rejoining top to bottom?

On my Starcrafts there is a lip on the deck and hull that overlap at the rubrail seam. It was held together with STEEL screws running from the outer deck lip, through the inner hull lip into a wood backing strip. They used some sort of sealant which had dried out and was not sealing anything when I pulled it apart. The steel screws were a treat, too...

When I reassembled it, I used the same basic method, although I used 5200 at the seam with STAINLESS steel screws running into a new backing board made up of plywood strips leftover from my floor replacement. I'll do the same when it comes time to put the deck back on my current project, too...

- Scott

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Rejoining top to bottom?

I vote for the sealant and SS or aluminum pop rivits with backing washers. Screws tend to work themselves loose.

 

[wvff525]

Re: Rejoining top to bottom?

Thanks for the advice! Glad to hear I don't have to try and glass the seam all around the inside of the boat. After looking again at the size of the original holes, I have no other choice but to use pop rivets. I will run a bead of 5200 all around the boat then set the top back on and pop rivet it together through the rub rail. Thanks again for the help.