Boat project continued

If you haven't seen it already this is the original thread. http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/330387.html
Well the boat has made the move from my parents in Stockton to here in Fresno. I have removed most of the floor and foam. This weekend i'm pulling the engine and then it's time to take a good look at the stringers. I'm trying to gather info on what resin and fiberglass to use. On the iboats forum there seems to be differeing opinions on that matter. I also want to replace the foam with a 2 part 2# pourable foam. If anyone has experience with fiberglassing or pouring the foam I'm all ears.

I have a goal of getting the stringers and floor back in by the end of March. Then I plan on building new seat bases with a rear facing observers seat. And then it's off to get reupholstered.

I have a lot of little plans to trick it out, but for now i just want to make it functional. I have a Lightning universal tower (much like the wakeside element) and i was able to pick up perfectpass as well. I was also able to get a basic 4 speaker clarion stereo system thanks to a fellow wakeworlder. The end Goal is to have it finished by the end of May which is the same time that my wife and i are expecting our little girl Hailey.

Let me know what you think, any and all comments welcome.

Wow!!! you sure have your work cut out for you, but you will be TRULY satisfied the first time you ride behind her.

Keep us posted man.

Go to Correctcraftfan.com and search for a thread by skibum. He is redoing everything in his boat. I was going to do the job myself but decided to pay someone to do it. I have all of his emails saved and I can forward all the steps and materials.

UScomposites.com is the cheapest source for fiberglass, resin, and foam. I have searched everywhere and they have the lowest prices. I would go epoxy if you do it yourself. The guy doing it for me is using polyester resin and swears by his work. He has been doing it for 35 years so I trust him.

Leo, you just wrote exactly what i was gonna say. Skibum on Correctcraftfan.com wrote up a fantastic step by step w/ tons of pics he is in process on his 87 2001. Its a lot of work!! Gonna turn out better than when new. I 2nd Leo's advice...

Wow, ambitious little thing aint cha? Is that a Big Block? Oh never mind. It says 454 right on the valve covers. Speaking of which, those old Mickey Thompson valve covers are rad. Whatever you do, keep those. Are those Nicson exhaust logs? Once again, WOW, good luck and keep us updated.

wow my hat goes off to you, this is far more impressive then any stereo install =)

I was going to do it myself this summer, but it would probably ruin any chance at having fun since I also have a 60hr/week job. Luckily my dad offered to pay the difference in what it would cost someone else to do versus me doing it. I guess it will also keep his house from getting resins and fibers everywhere.

I have some suggestions for pouring the foam. Temperature and mixing are critical with the foam (no matter what density). I'd also buy from US Composites (if they have 2 lb); we have had very good service with them.

As far as working with the foam I'd go to Wal-mart and buy some cheap paint mixers (like egg beaters) and some large plastic containers. We have found that the nominal temperature for the foam and the surface you are pouring onto is about 80-90 F. So if you can try to heat the pouring surface and also stick the foam components into some hot water. We have poured with components (the two parts that mix) at 110 F and the foam ends up expanding so quickly you don't have time to pour it (but we had some awesome consistency). On the other hand when we pour at room temp (70 F) we end up getting a really hard layer at the bottom surface and a larger pore size in the foam.

Mixing is also critical. We generally have someone count to 20 while we are mixing and then pour immediately. The foam should be a nice uniform yellow when completely mixed. Also, if you mix/pour multiple containers at once you should pour all of them at the same time. If you do not pour at the same time one will start expanding horizontally which will displace the other pour. This will result in one horizontal expansion and one strongly vertical expansion (or a slight "L" shape).

The foam gives off a ton of heat (we measured the interior at 250 F) so don't have anything around that will melt. Also, clean up on plastic is easiest if you just let the foam harden and then break it off in chunks.

I would say experiment with some small amounts to get the feel; it looks like you know what you're doing already anyway.

Hope any of that helps!

Thanks to everyone,

Leo, I have been following skibums
thread on correctcraftfan and I've been following some other boat building forums as well. And I hope everything goes well with your boat as well. I read about you wanting to take on the project over at the2001.

Brinks,

That type of information is exactly what i'm looking for. I may ask you a few more questions when it gets closer to doing the foam. From there I plan on doing a resin coated plywood floor, and then fiberglassing it in.

I definately feel overwhelmed with this project but i'm trying to take it a step at a time and i keep telling myself that i can do it. Once the floor is in it will be a huge relief. i have also removed all of the fasteners that hold the decks together and i will need to lift up the rear part of the top deck to get full access of the floor.

One thing i will say is that the car port that we bought has been a life saver. I love not having to worry about the weather when i go to work on the boat. I'll post pictures after the engine comes out this weekend.

Hey, thanks for the US composites info. They do have some really good prices. Can anyone tell me which resin i should get. Or should i get one type for the stringers and another for the floors?

Thanks again


(Message edited by ldr on March 01, 2007)

I would go with 4lb foam, it is more for structural support since the foam is hold up most of the floor. The guy who is redoing my boat is using 4lb. Skibum is using 8lb. Each density higher is double the price though, but if you use 16lb foam, your boat will be about 100lbs heavier than if you use 4lb. Is $200 worth the extra 100lbs?

Definately space out your time. I dont think you should feel overwhelmed if you dont rush it. Make sure you are confident in all of your procedures first.

I would have done the job myself if I wasn't in college and had a summer internship. I think the job is more about persistance than difficulty. Probably the worst part is all the sanding and prep work involved. Fiberglassing is easy and fun, its the 30 hours of the other crap that will suck.

I was wondering if I needed to go the 4# route. I guess it's agood idea. On one hand I want to do a good job because I want it to be done right. On the other hand I don't want to go crazy since I Know I'm not going to have this boat forever and I'm on a budget.

What I have read is that the 2lb is just for flotation in case the boat takes on water. The 4lb and above are actually for structural support. Since the foam is supporting the floor, I would go with 4 or 8 lb.

I agree with Leo... I have worked with 4lb, 8lb, and 16lb but never 2lb... the 4lb is pretty light stuff as it is. It will be quite strong when mixed and set well.

Also, I have used System 3 epoxy resin and it works very well. However, I have not used other epoxies so I guess I can't make a great comparison.

Email anytime!

Leo and Andrew,

You have me convinced that i need to go the 4lb route. Now i have another question for you. I plan on using the poly resin from us composites. Do either one of you know which one(s) i should use? i read somewhere about waxed and unwaxed and that if you want to do multiple layers you need to use unwaxed or you'll have te remove the wax by sanding or acetone. But i also heard you need the waxed for the final coat so that it fully cures. So what do you think?

The 435 is the structural stuff. The EB general resin is just for building stuff, but is not made to any specifications. You want the stringers to be strong, so use the 435 resin for the stringers, and then use the general use resin for the floors. If you use plywood for the floor, you can use the cheaper resin to coat it, then fiberglass it. The plywood will be the structural support, so the resin probably doesnt matter too much. The 435 is only $140 for 5 gallons. You probably need about 12-15 gallons if you plan on fiberglassing all of the wood on the floor.

Well I got the engine pulled today and one of the stringers mostly pulled/cut out. I am pumped I was definately worried about whether or not i'd be able to get the engine out. Now i'm really glad i was able to because the stringer was completely rotted.







Leo,

After shipping and hazard fees the US composites Resin would have been $170 for 5 gallons. i found a local company that is a fiberglass product distributor that sells 5 gallons for $135.00 so i think i'm going to go with them.

Once again thanks to those who have contributed to this thread and i'll keep you updated on my progress.

My Dad came down for the weekend and we spent all of Saturday shaping the new stringer. We did a lot of measuring and a lot of shaping with the belt sander and planer. The hardest part was near the front of the boat where the stringer has to be shaped to fit one of the strakes. If it wasn't for the dang strake we would have had it finished much earlier. It still needs some fine tuning but it already fits much better than the other remaining stringer.

Lookin good so far! I've been following your project as you've posted since you bought the boat. Keep the pics and the updates coming. It's a great documentation for others to see if they are looking to tackle a project like this.

So what are you gonna be using this boat for?

Colin,

My profile may be confusing because it shows an X Star. That is my parents boat and they live 2 hours away, so this boat is for my wife and I.

Matt, looks good give my cell a call again. Also you should change that other stringer also. I know I know shaping the rake in the stringer in the front is a pain.

Matthew, awesome effort so far. You will have something to be extremely proud of.

What kind of wood did you use for the stringer, and will you be coating / encasing the wood with fiberglass?

Thanks Squid

I'm just leaving the existing stringer in to give some structural support and to use as a guide while I make the current one. Once the new one is in, the old one will come out and i'll replace it as well. I plan on using the new stringer as a template for the other side once i finish fine tuning it.

Rich,

Kiln dried douglass fir, and yes i will be glassing it.

I know you are glassing it, just curious, why not treated wood?

No specific reason other than this was what the boat and fiberglass repair shop said to use.

Awesome project Bird, keep the pics coming!

-Steve

The place that is doing my stringers says to use treated wood and let it dry out. I know every company is going to say something different, but this guy has been working for the big fishing boat companies for 35 years.