top cap removal

[medalist1901]

I have a 19ft. openbow, with an inboard engine. I need to remove the top cap off the boat to replace the stingers and foam, and deck. After I remove the top since it is an openbow. Do I need to make some kind of table to put the back half of the top on. The floor of the bow will sit on the ground, I would think that some kind of rig would be need for the back half, so It dont flex to far and break?? or will it be ok???
Thanks for your time, Byran

 

[salty87]

Re: top cap removal

yeah, you'll want to rig something up. there's someone around here that had a tree fall on his top cap while he was working on the stringers. ouch

i left my top cap hanging in a sling for 6 months. it was alot heavier than i thought it would be and there was nothing else to do with it (23' open bow inboard).

are you going to rig a lift or enlist a bunch of friends to get the top cap off?

 

[medalist1901]

Re: top cap removal

im going to try to get some friends to help, the only bad thing is, its the end of November. The weather kinda sucks to be doin that kind of work. I hve to pull the boat out of the garage, lift the cap off, then get the boat back in the garage. But, it needs to get done, spring will be here before you know it, and they will be calling to take the boat to the lake.

 

[redfury]

Re: top cap removal

If you think your garage rafters will support it, why not buy some pulleys and lift the works off in the garage, pull the boat out and then lower it onto a trailer or some device to roll it out or carry it out to where you are going to keep it in the mean time.

When I pull my cap off, I just leave it suspended but resting on a 55 gallon drum under the bow floor, and a saw horse in the back. The middle gets support from the straps and the whole works is stabilized from going anywhere by the framework I built to lift it with.

 

[oops!]

Re: top cap removal

yeah....red's got it....you can also leave it hanging right from the rafters....(if you have the vertical height)

another thing to do .....lift it off.....carry it to a new location.....set it on the ground....and place saw horses and 2x4's under the back half........

just cover it for the winter.......depending on where you are......once it sits.....you might not get it back till spring......(the floor of the cap will freeze to the ground.......(so if the boat is done by jan/feb....you might not get the cap back till march april)

 

[medalist1901]

Re: top cap removal

I just hope I am done, and ready for the cap by then... i would like to have the boat ready tis spring.. I dont think it will take that long??!! Anyways, the stringers have to be shimed about a 1/4 in off the hull, Do i use the peanut butter to shim it??? Under the floor, the fiberglass is like black, is that what it looks like??? Dont know if its some kind of mold?? Does this need to come off??, If so, how do I get it off?? Thanks for the help, Bryan

 

[medalist1901]

Re: top cap removal

hello.... i have not done the core samples on the transom yet... I dont think I have too.. I can push on the transome from inside the boat and it does have some give.. I tapped on it with a screwdriver, and it sounds hallow in a few big spots... The transom in my boat looks like it has one big piece of wood that covers the whole back of the boat. Then another peice that is about 1.5ft from the sides in the middle. Then another peice abot a foot in from that one. Its a total of 3 layers of wood that is all glassed over as 1. After I get the top off, do I cut out all the fiberglass on the transome wood, Then remove the wood. When I put the new wood in, do I have to stack it like it is now, or, can I make it all one size but the same total thickness??? Thanks for your help, Bryan

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: top cap removal

here is a good project: http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/projectTut,p,346,00.html

 

[oops!]

Re: top cap removal

heh heh heh ......i know that boat.....!


as far as your transom goes.......there are several methods for replacemen......there is some stuff called seacast.......you leave the inside skin of fiberglass on .....dig out all the wood with a chain saw....


and just pour the stuff in....but its expencive........search seacast.

if you choose wood.....

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392

transom construction........ post #140 page 6
transom instlation post #164, 165 page 7, post #203 page 9

the index is on the first page

 

[medalist1901]

Re: top cap removal

the seacast, I would like to try it!! But, i need to find it. Icant find anybody that sells it near my house. I liv in Cincinnati, Ohio. Maybe Ill try to look again. For my size transome, how much do you think ill need??

 

[medalist1901]

Re: top cap removal

so, I went to Home Depot to day too look at a few things i might need. I seen that they had composit wood?? I know its a bit more that pt. wood,but I would not have to think about the rot anymore. But, If I do go tis route, How much time do I save in fiberglassing, since I dont have to wrap everything in glass??? I know I would still need to do some to hold everything down in the boat, but not as much since it is composit?? Thanks Guys
Brayn

 

[fixb52s]

Re: top cap removal

yeah, you'll want to rig something up. there's someone around here that had a tree fall on his top cap while he was working on the stringers. ouch

Yea, that was my 84 Supra, and it did suck!

While it was off the hull, I had it on the ground with the front bow section supported by a piece of plywood on the ground, and the rear was supported with a 2X4 and jackstands. I didn't have a nice garage to hang it from the rafters, so it had to sit outside. Damn that Louisiana Hurricane.

I could have repaired the cap, but a move to Florida and a lack of time last year made me get rid of it. The last I heard, the boat was coming back together. I kind of kick myself for getting rid of that boat.​

 

[jcsftwre]

Re: top cap removal

If you think your garage rafters will support it, why not buy some pulleys and lift the works off in the garage, pull the boat out and then lower it onto a trailer or some device to roll it out or carry it out to where you are going to keep it in the mean time.

When I pull my cap off, I just leave it suspended but resting on a 55 gallon drum under the bow floor, and a saw horse in the back. The middle gets support from the straps and the whole works is stabilized from going anywhere by the framework I built to lift it with.

Here is what I done.

If you look close the top of my boat is suspended (along with the boat) from the rafters. I have then added supports to the ground after.

My top is only about 75 pounds the boat is about 150 to 175 pounds.

 

[medalist1901]

Re: top cap removal

so do I not have to use as much glass if I use composit wood for the stringers?? What kind of glass do I need to use when glassing them too the hull??

 

[jcsftwre]

Re: top cap removal

so do I not have to use as much glass if I use composit wood for the stringers?? What kind of glass do I need to use when glassing them too the hull??

You will find some of the information your asking in the bottom post of our new thread.

There is a lot to learn on this thread . http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1911369#post1911369

Read post #10 that will help you to understand more.

 

[redfury]

Re: top cap removal

Are you referring to the trex decking material, or something similar to that?

Couple of things to consider about that composite wood and stringers.

1. composite wood in and of itself has no real strength. The strength comes from the whole of the project ie. a deck with all the supports ( which are always real wood ) running underneath.

2. Composite wood is much heavier per foot than plywood or dimensional lumber.

3. Stringers get their strength one of two ways. A. dimensional or plywood stringers bonded to the hull with fiberglass tabs. B. Foam stringers which are wrapped in fiberglass laid to create strength in the right directions.

Foam stringers use better fiberglass than just some CSM to keep the wood from rotting and holding it in place. Look at the Stringers Oops! did. The way he built them suckers, the wood could be sucked out of them and it would be plenty strong.

Most use wood because it's the easiest to work with. If you put the money you'd save by using traditional wood into better quality fiberglass ( or just go with epoxy resin ) You'd be better off than using composite wood.

I'm using it as bunks for my quad bunk trailer. The longer boards need a 3rd support and I really need to reconsider how I'm using this stuff. You can see what I mean in my picasaweb link. The long boards sag a bit and the tab I had running out the back of the boat broke right off after using it as a step to get into the boat a dozen or so times.

 

[medalist1901]

Re: top cap removal

the way I see it, using composit wood will only help out with no rott, but
I would still need to glass them in like reg wood for the strength. So if i glass in the reg. wood so no water gets in the wood, there would be no need to waste all the money on them composit woods. OK, so reg. PT wood it is. I was just trieng to save on having too do a lot of fiberglassing. (never done anything with it before). I just need to get the old stringers and transome out and then find out what kind of glass & resin I need too buy, to put them back in??

 

[oops!]

Re: top cap removal

i personally like pt wood.....but be advised....it needs to dry out at least a month before you can use it....it also has a tendancy to warp when drying.

due to circumstances....i used ext grade plywood......i dryed it a week.....it was good to work with.......

read the hull ext thread for detailed glassing and instlation of a deck....the index is on page 1

 

[medalist1901]

Re: top cap removal

I have read that hull ext. thread pg. 5-33 like 4 times, man thats a huge. Looks Great oops!! Did you figure out what engine you are puttin in her?? As far as fiberglass goes, do i need that much glass on my stringer as you put on yours?? My boat is only a 19 ft. The glass I dont know where to get it from down here in Ohio. Im going to try to see if i can get it from a auto parts store, they do sell to a lot of autobody shop around here, ill see if they can get it for me. One think i did get confussed on. Can I bed my stringers in PL Premeium??, or do I need to find something else??? Well Tuesday the motor comes out and the top comes off on Thursday. Then, I get mt hands dirty.... Guttin the boat... Wish me luck!!!! Thanks, Bryan

 

[oops!]

Re: top cap removal

yup....you can bed them in pl....not my first choice tho......you have to wait for the pl to setup...that can take 2 days.....you cant gob the stuff on ...then glass over it....it will never cure....

peanut butter will work good....but its your call. make sure you shim the stringers up off the hull.....just a wee bit.....

you dont have to do to the stringers what i did as far as glass.....i was also reinforcing the extension section....so there is a lot of glass on them.....but....glass is an important part of the stringer....its not just there to waterproof the stringer.....

as far as purchasing glass....i really dont know why its so hard to find in the states.....call the auto body shops and find out where they get there glass from.......i actually had a harder time finding sand paper than glass and resin.

oh....as far as the resin......if you go poly....make sure you go unwaxed...(laminating resin)

cheers
oops