Just got a new project boat!

[Triple J Graffis]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

You ground down more than most including the factory would do. Time to rebuild.

More than most? Sheesh! I was worried that it wasn't enough! LOL And yes! I can't wait!

[Triple J Graffis]

OK, So I know I can find these answers by looking around, but I like talking to you all. What kind of plywood do you recommend?

What width? I am thinking 3/4

Where can I get it?

When pulling the current stringers, they were butted up against the transom, but the current transom looks like it might not be original. It came out in pieces as a large rectangle and a triangle piece below it that looks like the other bulkheads. I am guessing prior to that, the transom was all one piece, and the stringers from then appear to have been butted up against the skin of the boat to the width of the transom and the old transom placed in between the stringers......With that being said, which method will create the strongest build? I am thinking of rebuilding the transom as one while piece and put that in first and having the stringers butted up against the transom.



What kind of fiberglass materials are needed?

Where can I get a good quality glass at a decent price?

I am understanding that PB is a thickened resin?

How do I make PB?

What is filleting?

What is tabbing?

What kind of epoxy/ resin do I use?What other useful in

formation can you provide for me?



Fiber glassing is uncharted territory for me, so any helpful info is appreciated!

Also, do you think that I could move my gas tank up 6-8 inches to create a larger bilge as well as give me a little easier access to the gas tank hoses and wires? That last bilge are was tiny and I was not able to access it until I removed the gas tank and bulkhead from the rear of the tank.

[mmwjr]

As I said before I’m not a glass guy so I can’t help much here but I would use marine grade plywood as it ensures that there are no voids in its layers. Don’t use pressure treated wood as it won’t bond well.

[Triple J Graffis]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

As I said before I’m not a glass guy so I can’t help much here but I would use marine grade plywood as it ensures that there are no voids in its layers. Don’t use pressure treated wood as it won’t bond well.

I cross post across 3 boating forums, so the glass question wasn't aimed at you. But yeah, I am looking into marine grade as an option.

[Triple J Graffis]

Clean up day these past couple days. Got a trailer dolly from facebook marketplace! I love it already! Slapped another suit and some gloves on and just been blowing the Dickens out of anything that was in that tent. Try to clean as much of that powder off all my tools as possible. I let the rain clean up a little bit of the glass powder, but I will still power wash it when I can.

That's about all I've got for now.

[Triple J Graffis]

Back out there yesterday.* Did some more grinding and cleaned up the transom area. I know I need ti focus on the boat but I got a notification and* found a power head on ebay and I think it matches the engine I've got.* Can anyone confirm? Thinking that might just get the engine running. I've got a 1993 85hp Suzuki
https://www.ebay.com/itm/364849439861?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=rC5cbgiETZK&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=w-NHmd5cQcy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
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[Triple J Graffis]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/36484943986...mis&media=COPY


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[Triple J Graffis]

I had intentions on starting the rebuild today but realized that I had a burr load of tools in my garage that still needed to be cleaned from all the fiberglass...... so I spent the afternoon blowing and power washing everything including the inside of the tent. All good to go! And and got a couple sheets of Styrofoam insulation to make templates and a couple sheets of half inch marine grade Douglas fir plywood for my transom and stringers. I realized my old stringers were ¾inch.....I think I'll just cut out 4 stringers and double them up. Same with the transom..... just make 3 sheets of half inch instead of two ¾inch sheets.... thoughts?



Talked to the local fiberglass guy in town. He's gonna look around to see if he can get me some 1708 biax shipped here. He's got copies stand mat at his shop.... that's all I need... right? 1708...csm.... resin.... catalyst..... brushes or rollers... acetone....cups... mixing sticks.... am I missing anything?

[mmwjr]

Just some protective gear for your self as you’ll be cutting raw glass and spreading epoxy resin which is messy. Nowhere as bad as the grinding but messy none the less. How do you plan to secure the plywood to the transom until the epoxy hardens? Since it has a slight curve you’ll need some type of braces or clamps.

[Triple J Graffis]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

Just some protective gear for your self as you’ll be cutting raw glass and spreading epoxy resin which is messy. Nowhere as bad as the grinding but messy none the less. How do you plan to secure the plywood to the transom until the epoxy hardens? Since it has a slight curve you’ll need some type of braces or clamps.

Great question.... I'm thinking of using some of my clamps.... maybe make some wedges from left over wood. I could even place a pice of wood on the back of the travail skin..... what's left of it at least....and screw into the transom to help hold it secure

Do you suggest that I get all layers of transom out together before application or put one piece in at a time and resin it in?

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by Triple J Graffis

Great question.... I'm thinking of using some of my clamps.... maybe make some wedges from left over wood. I could even place a pice of wood on the back of the travail skin..... what's left of it at least....and screw into the transom to help hold it secure

Do you suggest that I get all layers of transom out together before application or put one piece in at a time and resin it in?

I would do one piece at a time with I piece of biaxel glass between them.

[Triple J Graffis]

Found another fiberglass shop that carries the stuff here. I probably have him higher numbers than I need.... but I said I'd need 17 feet by 12 feet of 1708 biaxial....... the same in chopped stand mat... catalyst and a roller.... he said I would need over 50lbs of resin for all that and said I'm looking at about 1300 for everything together on the high end..... does that sound right? I asked him to break it up into 25% chunks and I'll take it from there that way Ican gauge where I'm at once it runs out and if I need more..I can come back. I know the price of materials is crazy... but 1300 seems really high. Is what it is I guess

[mmwjr]

Sounds about right to me.

[Triple J Graffis]

Today was a productive day. Didn't get done exactly what I wanted to do but productive nonetheless. Got some more supplies including 25%of what I need for glassing. The guy was great! Answered all my questions and even threw in stir sticks..... chip brushes.... mini paint rollers... roller heads and even a fiberglass roller! He even took about 50.00 off the price and called it an even 300.00! Got an electric scissors from harbor freight as well as another angle grinder. Mine made it through all my grinding but finally sparked.... smoked and took a crap today. Got my csm and 1708 hung up in the tent.... got a pop up tent for extra work space in the rain....I created transom templates. I realized that the transom isn't 1½inch wide like I suspected. It's only an inch wide. I'll probably do something to that to make it wider. There's also a small triangular section at the bottom of the transom that is wider then the rest of it. I had to create a 3rd template for that and I'll just have to grind the plywood down about ⅛ inch. I grabbed my fuel tank and got the old hoses off of it. Found some fiberglass powder inside the inlet..... found this odd because I removed it from the tent long before I started grinding. I stuck the shop vac inside but I don't know if I got it all. Hopefully so. I busted out my wire brush attachment for the grinder and started cleaning up the tank.... boy did she ever get shiny! I'm looking for pin holes. So far so good! I'll probably cover the tank in a layer of resin just to give it an added layer of protection. Next up..... stringer templates.... wood cutting and glassing!

[Triple J Graffis]

Forgot one last pic

[Triple J Graffis]

I also see that I'm goimgto have some decent sized gaps at the bottom of the transom will that be an issue?*

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by Triple J Graffis

I also see that I'm goimgto have some decent sized gaps at the bottom of the transom will that be an issue?*

You can fill the gaps with either putty or thickened resin.

[Triple J Graffis]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

You can fill the gaps with either putty or thickened resin.

Yeah, I knew that...Just wasn't sure if that large of a gap was going to be an issue structurally