best method for laying out stringers?
- Thread starter wino
- Start date
The thick stuff (woven roving) is good for reinforcing areas when you need good strength. Inside corners, joints, etc. Problem with roving is it's a pain to get it to form around edges. It tends to want to lift up when its curing, and then you get a bubble which needs to be ground down and covered again. The thinner cloth is fine for the stringers. Layer it though. probably 3 layers is fine. I did 5 layers of cloth when I did my stringers and floors. I don't think changing the floor will give you any problems. It looks like the new position will line up with what is left of the old floor? (pic 4). Whatever you do it will probably be stronger than when it came out of the factory. looks like progress! Poke a screwdriver around the wood in the transom between the transom plate and the gimbal housing. This is how I knew mine was gone. If it's solid you may be ok.
Transom seems quite solid where I can poke and scrape at wood which is quite a large hole where stern drive comes through.Things are looking up!Took out the final pieces of wood (front motor mount etc.) and found that the only place where the stringers were actually bedded to hull was the last maybe two feet at the stern.The rest were just set on hull then fiber glassed up the sides.I am going to use some 5200 to bed them and maybe use some old body fill or fiberglass I have laying around to fair the seams before covering totally in fiberglass.I will use cloth tape for sides of stringers then a layer of chopped strand then some woven roving and finally drape fiberglass cloth over the top to seal it completely.The chopped strand and WR are for reinforcing the hull mostly but will run it up the stringers to help them also.
I was wondering about the floor being level and how one would measure it.Is it necessary? Would you set a level on the gunwales or somewhere you think should be level when sitting in the water.I realize it should maybe slope to the stern some for drainage to bilge but thought it might come in handy for figuring out my layup for stringers.Making the pattern has been giving me problems .Maybe the hull is flexing too much when I am in the boat.Well I should figure it out for a couple of patterns.
The heat wave here hasn't helped me any cause it it no fun grinding glass while sweating profusely.
Have more pics later.
Thanx
I was wondering about the floor being level and how one would measure it.Is it necessary? Would you set a level on the gunwales or somewhere you think should be level when sitting in the water.I realize it should maybe slope to the stern some for drainage to bilge but thought it might come in handy for figuring out my layup for stringers.Making the pattern has been giving me problems .Maybe the hull is flexing too much when I am in the boat.Well I should figure it out for a couple of patterns.
The heat wave here hasn't helped me any cause it it no fun grinding glass while sweating profusely.
Have more pics later.
Thanx
Talked to a couple of guys and they say it is best to just use biaxial cloth to reinforce the weak spots of hull where most of the grinding is taking place and since I have lots of it that is what I will use.Was able to get some work done in the heat yesterday before getting ready for hurricane Bill.It didn't hit us too hard where I am at just lots of rain and some good wind but didn't see any trees down out back yet.Here are update pics.
No one mentions whether to sand wood first or not before applying Fiberglass.I am ready to start fixing the hull inside covering up some deeper grooves and any damage found while grinding.Then the stringers are ready for tabbing in place to try fit.Slow but sure.
Thanx
Thanx
Wood should be clean. Sand if it isn't.
As you start to fit things together, you will use either 5200 or thickened resin to gap fill, or often a combination of both. The resin is the intersting one. You should understand primary and secondary bonds. Just a fany term for a chemical bond (resin not yet cured) or a mechanical bond where the resin fits into the microscopic "tooth" of the wood which is why a mechanical or secondary bond needs some course sanding to make it work. Your best bond is the primary or chemical bond. Once your resin dry's, you have to use a secondary bond process. Soooooooo, when you have dry wood before use any kind of thickened resin, first coat the wood with unthickened resin which will soak into the wood, THEN lay on any cloth or thickened resin as needed. Think this through on your game plan of timing what you do when so that you can maximize the use of primary chemical bonding. Otherwise....sand sand sand.
As you start to fit things together, you will use either 5200 or thickened resin to gap fill, or often a combination of both. The resin is the intersting one. You should understand primary and secondary bonds. Just a fany term for a chemical bond (resin not yet cured) or a mechanical bond where the resin fits into the microscopic "tooth" of the wood which is why a mechanical or secondary bond needs some course sanding to make it work. Your best bond is the primary or chemical bond. Once your resin dry's, you have to use a secondary bond process. Soooooooo, when you have dry wood before use any kind of thickened resin, first coat the wood with unthickened resin which will soak into the wood, THEN lay on any cloth or thickened resin as needed. Think this through on your game plan of timing what you do when so that you can maximize the use of primary chemical bonding. Otherwise....sand sand sand.
Ghost I am going to use polyester resin to lay some woven roving on hull before attaching stringers.Is it possible that while it is still tacky to start to lay the stringers in place using 5200 and epoxy resin?
This would in effect be mixing the two types of resin?
If I understand what you said, if I let it dry I need to sand.
So it wouldn't be a good idea to first coat the stringers etc. in epoxy resin and let dry before installing and tabbing them in.
I want to use epoxy resin for the wood and polyester for everything else to cut cost.
have a few more pieces cut and they seem to fit okay.
This would in effect be mixing the two types of resin?
If I understand what you said, if I let it dry I need to sand.
So it wouldn't be a good idea to first coat the stringers etc. in epoxy resin and let dry before installing and tabbing them in.
I want to use epoxy resin for the wood and polyester for everything else to cut cost.
have a few more pieces cut and they seem to fit okay.
Burst my bubble..Well I guess the best I can hope for is a real good mechanical bond because I can only afford one more gallon of epoxy.I am finding that I can get two strips three inches wide and 73 inches long layed up on the wood with 4 ounces of resin(epoxy)with little to spare.So that would be one 6 inch wide piece of FG tape at 73 inches. So three layers on each side of stringer is quickly adding up.With the stringers bedded in 5200 will this allow me to only use two layers of cloth on each side of stringer?
So many questions...
Thanx
So many questions...
Thanx
Sorry to burst your bubble. I don't pretend to be an expert, but I did this job and a transom on my 19' runabout. I probably over-built it, and I used epoxy for everything because I only wanted to do that nasty job once. If you google epoxy vs polyester resin you'll see alot of info. You're right it's not cheap though. For the stringers, I really can't comment on the use of 5200. I know it's used alot for bedding, and it's plenty strong and flexible, but in terms of compatibility with epoxy and/or polyester resin, whether 5200 has to fully cure (7 days) before covering with resin, etc. I never researched.
I suppose it would depend on if 5200 needs air to cure or not.even do if I glued the stringers with the 5200 and the finished cutting out the other half of floor and the two rear bilge area pieces it would set up nicely.$150/gal compared to $50/gal poly oh its hard to take.
Some more work done.Will try and use as much epoxy as possible.I tabbed half of the stringer assembly on bench to see if it would be easier,it isn't really.Glassed tabbed parts in boat and will now fill in from other side with 5200 to bed, this way the 5200 glues the FG and the wood to the hull.Will see how it goes.I had bought some more poly resin last week and the store didn't have the small bottles of hardener and he poured some other stuff from a large bottle in to a container for me.I applied the woven to the ground out areas using this stuff with the same mix I was using all along and yesterday had to strip it all out as it didn't seem to quite adhere like the regular hardener and poly on the other side.Frustrating.Must have a chat and see what it was.
Now on this subject of amine blush.If I have to wash this stuff of I am going to get the plywood wet no matter how careful I am.How long before I can apply FG under normal conditions(no heater )?
Has anyone put hatches in the floor for storage or built their own cooler or live well?Would like to see and hear about this some.
My dog wanting something to do.She helps to bring me stuff.I dropped my homemade compass and gave her a call to get it for me.She can't climb the ladder though,it is hard for me too so she shouldn't feel bad.
Now on this subject of amine blush.If I have to wash this stuff of I am going to get the plywood wet no matter how careful I am.How long before I can apply FG under normal conditions(no heater )?
Has anyone put hatches in the floor for storage or built their own cooler or live well?Would like to see and hear about this some.
My dog wanting something to do.She helps to bring me stuff.I dropped my homemade compass and gave her a call to get it for me.She can't climb the ladder though,it is hard for me too so she shouldn't feel bad.
OH MY GOD! I just bought a 16 foot Cadorette That needs the same thing done to it.Floors and most likely stringers are gone.Upholstery the same.OMC engine and outdrive all for 500.So I will post some pics of it also.Probably on separate thread.
More work done.rain hasn't helped and I became busy with other necessities of life like hospital visits etc.
Here are a couple of new to me boat pics.
The picture underneath the floor storage shows some actual dry wood.Amazing to say the least.This should not be quite as hard to fix if I am careful and can get a few patterns while tearing apart.
Thanx
Here are a couple of new to me boat pics.
The picture underneath the floor storage shows some actual dry wood.Amazing to say the least.This should not be quite as hard to fix if I am careful and can get a few patterns while tearing apart.
Thanx
well the floor is all in and being coated in epoxy for the first layer at least.ran out of cloth and hardener so off to get some more.This will let me see if any bubbles arrive.
I was thinking about a way to build something under the console for stereo and radio etc. does anyone have any help to offer on this subject and maybe a very small built in side cooler along the side of boat somewhere?
Thanx
I was thinking about a way to build something under the console for stereo and radio etc. does anyone have any help to offer on this subject and maybe a very small built in side cooler along the side of boat somewhere?
Thanx