Something to fill stringers in with?

[rtpassini]

I have a 71 Glastron 17'. The back half has a bad floor along with bad stringers. The front of the floor is good, im HOPING, only the back half of the stringers is the same way. I'll have to wait until its warmer to find out more.

But my question is, If I were to cut from the middle back and tear out the rotten wood, Is there some type of epoxy or something that can be mixed and poured into the "channels" of the fiberglass that surrounded the stringers?

It seems like it would be a lot easier and probably stronger than what they used to use.


Also, This is not a full blown restoration project. This was bought super cheap to just be a fun toy to enjoy a bit.
Thanks!!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

Here's the deal, Stringers are one of the most critical structural components of a boat. If you discover that only the back half of the stringers are bad then you could "Sister in" the back half and gain an acceptable repair. Your plan seems good but...Once the top of the glass is cut and the wood removed, Pouring in a composite filler will leave the stringer height below the original. Another issue is cost. The composite stringer material would prolly cost more than you paid for the boat. If you replace em with wood and glass em in it will last for decades and your costs will be significantly less.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

This was bought super cheap to just be a fun toy to enjoy a bit.
Thanks!!

You get what you pay for, it was super cheap because it was super rotten... which is ok and better than buying a more expensive rotten boat.

I think you'll find more rot than you expect, which is typical.

If you want a fun toy that won't take much time or money to fix up you should buy and aluminum boat.

 

[rtpassini]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

Woodonglass,

You have good points. And really, I cant imagine replacing the stringer is going to be too much work.
Just seeing if there was another option out there.


JignGrub,
The motor, boat, and trailer I got for $340. Supposedly needed carb work. Trailer seems great. And I knew going in that the floor sucked. Stringers I assumed were bad too. But the floor issue is isolated. Thats why im hoping the stringers are the same.

Worst case, I can sell the trailer for probably at least $300. So thats why I figured it wasnt a bad deal. Not to mention the motor seems to be pretty rare and sought after (especially for those that know how to fix them up)

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

I agree with WoG, you could 'sister' a new section of stringer to the portion of the existing stringer that is still good. I doubt that you could get the pour-in stuff (nidabond) to make a good mend with the remaining portion of the stringer.

Here is a link to my web page that shows the mend that I did to my boat that had about 2 feet of bad stringer . . .

Stringer & Bulkhead Installation

 

[rickryder]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

I did a bunch of sistered and spliced stringers on my rebuild....Perhaps reading my resto thread will aid you in what your trying to do. Let me know if I can help you in any way. Welcome to The Dry Dock!

Rick

 

[rtpassini]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

thanks for the help so far everyone.

I know I'll have a whole bunch more questions when i start tearing it apart, but is there supposed to be a gap between the floor and wood? I see people using PB for bedding, but how much buildup should their be? (or space between the wood and hull that the PB is built up)

 

[rickryder]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

about 1/4 " You can use Popsicle sticks or pieces of wood dowel or some plastic shims..... You'll pull them out after the pb or pl starts to set but not fully cured.

Just to help us out... the floor is a deck.... the supports under the deck are stringers...they run front (bow) to rear (stern or aft) and the ones that go side to side are bulkheads.... The bottom of the boat is the hull.... This will help us be on the same page when talking about the repairs

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

a 1/4" gap works well, you can put PB into a qt ziplock bag, cut off a corner & 'pipe' the PB into the gap.

 

[rickryder]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

Same way I did mine JB.... Like a piping bag for mortar or cake icing... Then take a large soup spoon dipped in acetone and cove/fillet the PB. It makes a nice transition so your glass lays nice from the stringer to the hull when you tab it in. Should look like this

 

[Decker83]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

Plus 1^^^^on the ziplock bag.. Did all mine that way..

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

Same way I did mine JB.... Like a piping bag for mortar or cake icing... Then take a large soup spoon dipped in acetone and cove/fillet the PB. It makes a nice transition so your glass lays nice from the stringer to the hull when you tab it in. Should look like this

I remember this... and I am STILL impressed with the quality of your work!!!!

 

[rickryder]

Re: Something to fill stringers in with?

Thanks Wood ! Couldn't have done it without all the help from guys like you