Removing glassed in seating and storage

[steve_h7]

I'm starting a floor/stringer rebuild of a 18' Campion but I'm not sure the best way to remove the seat bases and storage
shelves that seem to be glassed to the hull and in the stern. I was hoping I could reuse them but now I don't see how. I've
read dozens of build threads but I don't often see builders showing how they removed them... making me think maybe I'm
over thinking this and I should just cut them out the best I can and toss them. I've just been using my sawzall to remove the
floor; is there something you all use to remove items glassed directly to the hull that is safer? I'll try and attach a couple of
pictures...
Thanks for any help!

 

[MTboatguy]

I would use a 4" grinder with a thin grinding wheel to get through the fiberglass and lift them up and out, which would still give you the option to use them again if you wanted.

 

[steve_h7]

Perfect, I have a 4" grinder and a diamond blade that I used to cut rebar and concrete that I might
try. I looked but couldn't find anything designed to cut wood but didn't think of thin grinding type.
Thanks!

 

[kcassells]

Sawzall with metal cutting blade, fine toof. You'll prob. just build new ones though.

 

[steve_h7]

The sawzall makes me nervous that close to the hull... but you're probably right about building new ones. The originals
are still very solid and if I can get them out intact I could at least use the them as better templates.
Thanks for the help!

 

[kcassells]

Easier to build new units to your suite.

 

[Scott Danforth]

a multi-tool and oscillating blade...... or sawsall......or grinder with cut-off wheel.....

any and all of them will allow you to surgically remove the seat bases and reuse if you want.

 

[XLNC]

I used a sawzall & a grinder with cut off wheel. the 12'' sawzall blades will bend right much allowing you to access some things.

 

[kcon]

I'd save the hardware and cushions and rip the rest out, if you're going to do all this work anyway why not make everything that's going under fiberglass be new?

 

[steve_h7]

a multi-tool and oscillating blade...... or sawsall......or grinder with cut-off wheel.....

any and all of them will allow you to surgically remove the seat bases and reuse if you want.

Thanks for this. I tried the oscillating blade but maybe mine is too small because it was painfully slow. But the
knowing that others have used a sawzall or grinder to remove items like this, gives me confidence that I'm not
going to screw something up if I'm careful.

 

[steve_h7]

I used a sawzall & a grinder with cut off wheel. the 12'' sawzall blades will bend right much allowing you to access some things.

Good to know about the longer blade. I was actually going shorter because I was thinking I could accidentally do less
damage. I'll get a longer blade today and experiment with it. Thanks again!

 

[steve_h7]

I'd save the hardware and cushions and rip the rest out, if you're going to do all this work anyway why not make everything that's going under fiberglass be new?

Honestly this is my first rebuild so I don't have much to go on, but now that you say it I think you're right. Thinking
about brand new carpeting and interior pieces mixed with an old carpeted base and seats seems kind of wrong.
Thanks for that!

 

[Scott Danforth]

long blade is flexible enough and it will bend and follow the hull as a guide and you can cut right down to the hull.

 

[kcon]

Honestly this is my first rebuild so I don't have much to go on, but now that you say it I think you're right. Thinking
about brand new carpeting and interior pieces mixed with an old carpeted base and seats seems kind of wrong.
Thanks for that!

You could try to take it all out as in tact as possible then later use it as a template for fresh material as well, or measure and template it before you rip it out.

 

[steve_h7]

I really appreciate everyone's input. Just to follow up I started using the sawzall and a longer 12" blade today. That worked
really nice, although I wasn't brave enough to go blindly along where I thought the hull was... but got enough of the
base cut where I could move it. Then my "still very solid" (post #5) seat base floor disintegrated. LOL I mistook the
fiberglass that lined the interior of the base for solid wood. Lesson learned. So I just cut the top portion of the box off and
saved it to use as a pattern for when new ones are built, and carved up the rest into small, easier to remove, pieces.
One down, 3 to go. Thanks again everyone!