Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Make sure your hull is sitting square and not twisted or skewed in any way.

Okay, so exactly how am I supposed to verify that my hull is sitting square? I have NO CLUE how to go about doing this one.
Also, if anyone could chime in with a response on how far am I supposed to grind and also about those blocks of wood that are usd for my traielr tie downs it would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[qaztwo]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

In terms of square all I did was measure up from the back of the stern on both sides. As long as both measurements where the same all was good. Some people use pt wood I used marine grade, I figured you're going to coat the entire thing in resin anyway.

It looks like not all of the transom came out, did you cut below the eye bolts?

Grind what?

If you simply want to attack the new wood to the transom shell then all you want to do is scuff it up.

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

So I am progressing, slowly, but surely, and I have a couple of questions that I am unable to find the answers to on here.
1) when I am grinding is it okay if I use a grinding disc? I am noticing that I am getting ridges in the hull surface when I am doing this. But it essentially is the only thing that will eat that resin away! DUSTY!!!!!!
2) In the engine bed, right where the drain is I was grinding and came down to some wet fibers!!?!?? The are in a channel where the bottom of transom wood met the hull and I think it actually goes under the engine bed? I am wondering how far down should I grind that engine bed? Should I get these wet fibers all the way out of there? I am afraid of water creeping back into the transom wood, and I DONT want this to happen. Also, up towards the side of the boat, still in the channel for the transom wood, I noticed that there are alot of loose fibers in there. Should I get all these out? I am not sure what is happening there??!??

How do you tell when you have gone down far enough? That a BIGGIE!!!

 

[fixb52s]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

For the grinding, the electric grinder is what you need, just be careful you don't go through the fiberglass. Hold the grinder as flat as you can, and do small sections at a time. Overgrinding will only result in burned glass and possible weak spots. You will be finished when the fiberglass is void of any wood fibers. Some resin leftover will be OK as long as it is clean and smooth. Just don't go through the hull!

For the fibers you found, there should not be any wood in the engine bed area on the bilge. Go ahead and get it all out there. It might have been leftover wood fibers that found there way there. It is important to get all the wet stuff out. The transom wood should only be one flat piece and not entend beyond the transom wall. You are probably looking at the factory fillet. Check this link out for some good photos of a properly attached transom wall:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=237215&page=5

As for the ply, let it dry out. Pressure treated seems to come from the store "juicy" and will need a month or two to dry enough. I am a fan of the cabinet grady ply and used it on my boat because it was pretty much dry from the store and has a LOT of ply in it. You can use what you want as long as it is dry. The "waterproof" glue is what is used in marine grade, but as long as it is sealed up properly with glass, this should not be an issue. I have spoke to many boat repairmen in Tampa and they swear by it. They also said PT is good as long as it is DRY.

Your progress is going well. Don't give up!​

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

SO I am progressing further with my little project and have a few questions. I have grinded everything down on the whole transom, and I need to know how far into the sides to grind. Sea Ray actually painted on top of the glass on the sides and above the transom wood. Does this paint need to be removed before I glass the new wood in? Also, can I just glass a whole piece of wood in and then carve out the hole for the outdrive and the bolge drain.
Speaking of the bilge, this evening, I stepped into the bilge and noticed, or thought that I noticed that the bilge actually flexed down???? How are bilges normally built? Is there possibly wood under there that the glass has delaminated from??? What could be happening here?

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Yes on grinding away the paint... if you don't, your epoxy or resin will get a good bond... to the paint. Not what you want.

Stop grinding when you get to clean glass without loose fibers.

Yes, you can glass in a whole piece of wood and then cut the transom hole. Use the bolt holes at the edges of the transom hole to help you clamp, by the way.

On the flexing, It depends on whether you were actually in the bilge, IE on the inside of the hull. It's possible the hull would flex some, but if it does noticeably some reinforcement is probably in order.

I also had eg. the area under my fuel tank that looked like a flat glass platform but was instead glass over plywood over an inch or so of foam. The engine bilge isn't the inside of the hull by the way... Sea Ray built in a little structure there for the engine mounts and a mounting spot for a bilge pump that are wood cored.

One of my future tasks is to remove all that and replace it with something dry.

Erik

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Okay fellas, here goes again. I am at it. I understand that I am to grind until there are no fibers left, and only clean glass. However, I have a question in regards to this statement. I was grinding yesterday and noticed that where my transom wood meets the actual fiberglass outside, it is very thin, but on top of that where the glass is actually going to hold it in, there seems to be a different material that is VERY thick and VERY hard on top of that same fiberglass. I think it is fiberglass, maybe a different size mat/cloth? I was actually able to get down to the outer glass in one spot, but it took me FOREVER!!!! Am I actually grinding away what I am supposed to be glassing to????? Should I just get this stuff smooth and paint free??? Thanks for your help!
One more question btw. I am grinding with a grinding wheel and it doesnt produce the smoothest surface. When I run my hands over it, I can feel the waves. Do I need to get it to where I cannot feel the waves? Thanks again!

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Generally, you can just grind to a flat surface with no more than about 1/8" ridges in it. Obviously you want to not have the new transom sit crooked, so make sure it's sort of even side to side.

But, the peanut butter or glue you'll use to glue the board in place will bridge most of the gaps, and having a rough surface actually helps it hold some.

The super hard material above where the old transom was is probably just solid glass, put in place thickly with a chopper gun. It's optional to remove it all if it's hard to do so, you just want to make sure you have enough room to fillet the new transom in place and glass it to the old one.

Erik

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Okay, soi I got all of the surface grinded, and am ready to begin puttin my new transom in. The question now, do I cover the transom wood on both sides with fiberglass, or resin before I even put it in the boat? I do apologize for this question, but I cannot seem to gather that information from the site! I know that I should do something to it before putting it in the boat to ensure it is waterproof, but not sure what that "something" is! Also, I will be drilling out my outdrive holes and so on AFTER I put it in the boat, as my template was not good enough to pre-drill the holes. How am I going to get it clamped good enough and ensure that after I put in my peanut butter mixture that the hole are not going to shift upwards due to the thickness of the peanut butter mixture? I am def. the "fish outta water" in this one! Thanks fellas!

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Check out some of the other transom threads for clamping ideas.. basically you can use a lot of the existing transom holes as spots to put threaded rod or bolts through to ensure a good clamp and no migration of the wood.

Coat the wood with resin before you put it in, that makes sure the wood is fully coated. Don't forget to coat the insides of through-hulls and holes in it once you get it in place.

Erik

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Well, I am ready and willing to begin puttin the transom back in the boat. My intentions are to coat the entire piece of transom wood (3/4 Pressure Treated Ply) with epoxy resin. There is a small extra piece of 3/4 that fits just behind the motor and I plan on using a peanut butter paste using milled fibers and from West Systems and Epoxy/hardener combination to mate these two boards together. When putting the transom in I want to know if I should bed it in Peanut butter to take out all of the waviness in between the wood and hull bottom, and sides.
Then I plan on using the same mixture of Epoxy/fibers to clamp it to the outer skin. Once cured, I will put two layers of Biaxial Cloth 1708 over the inner layer of wood and wrap it around to the hull bottom and sides. How far should this go over. I was going to go about six inches on the first layer and about eight inches on the second layer. If anyone could chime in with some suggestions, I would appreciate it very much! Thanks!

 

[oops!]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

HEY BUD......how ya doin...!

grind the whole shabang down to the glass, that way you get a good bond when tabbing to the hull.......actually i suspect the "paint" is gellcoat.

as far as the bilge being weak......the bilge is uasually the bottom of the boat.

as far as i know ray didnt use a core in the boats.

if your worried about it.....when you tab in the new transom....just add a layer or two of glass in the bilge.

just remember, all glass surfaces need to be ruff and scuffed, then vaccumed then acetoned before any new glass is layed.....(poly or epoxy)

cheers
oops

 

[oops!]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

I want to know if I should bed it in Peanut butter to take out all of the waviness in between the wood and hull bottom, and sides.

yup, i used fresh, wet (not cured peanut butter).....just make sure the transom is flat against the hull.

I will put two layers of Biaxial Cloth 1708 over the inner layer of wood and wrap it around to the hull bottom and sides. How far should this go over. I was going to go about six inches on the first layer and about eight inches on the second layer.

just fine......you got the idea

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

HEy OoPs!!! Whats happenin man? Well, I actually was looking at the bilge in the Ole Girl the other afternoon and wondered what was the stuff that looked wet? Well it turns out, after quite a bit of grinding, that there is quite a bit of build up, and it looks like it starts with a piece of roving that was never wetted out. I know it sounds strange but as I was grinding, I would get to a certain layer and see this REALLY thick weave that was wet everywhere I went. So I am actually working on getting it all back down to the hull back there, and I will build it up after the new transom goes it. Someone had to have gone crazy with that thing, I think it is called a chopper gun???!?!? Cause there is build up, all the way around the transom that is not cloth, just fibers and a TON of resin!!!! Still grindin away!!!!

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Just a real quick update with a question. I am at the point right now, where I have my new transom wood cut and I have the two pieces glued together with Peanut Butter, Epoxy resin and silica, and I have two coats of just resin on it. I need to know though, as I was looking through the lund nisswa resto last night, do I need to wrap this thing in cloth BEFORE I put it back in the boat? I was just going to leave it coated with two coats of epxoy resin and then putty it and glass it to the boat. Is this ok? I will post pics tonight. Thanks!

 

[gallavantin]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Thanks for going ahead of me. I'm going to do the same to my conroy 17.
As far as the storage question went, the only place I found on mine is forward of the fuel tank throught the walk through into the bow area. I'm looking for a premade hatch to close it in. Ski storage etc.

The blocking under the cleats for tie down is probably just that. My 27 Helms sloop has much the same. Steel plates under the winches and rigging and blocks at some of the cleats. Just there to prevent pull through.

My sailboat stays in the water so I put a barrier coat of epoxy (actually 2) on it before bottom paint. If you have wet glass under the engine compartment you may have some open holes in the gel coat.

Hope not.


Rod

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

I will definately check to make sure that there are no holes in the gelcoat before I put the new glass back in. But I digress back to my other question. With two coats of epoxy of the entire section of wood for the transom, is it necessary to wrap it in cloth BEFORE I glue it back into the boat? Thanks!

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Any Love on this? I am kind of stuck!!! Thanks!

 

[fixb52s]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

I don't think there are any issues with Seacast except for the cost. If the cost was much lower this could become the standard for boat repairs. Wood is cheap, and people don't want to put more money into a boat and never get it back out of it if they sell. Just my 2 cents.​

 

[pigrge]

Re: Sea Ray Transom, Stringers and Storage

Man, whats up with SeaCast hijacking my thread! Punks!!! Anyhow, last night I added a couple of layers of 1708 to the bilge, turned out better than I thought! I do have a question for you guys though, I am going to be bedding my transom in peanut butter (Epoxy Resin + Slow hardener +Silica) and noticed last night that I have some issues with this stuff hardening pretty quickly, and I am not sure that I will be able to mix and get laid enough to get the transom laid in, and clamped without it hardening. Whats the trick?