Fiberglass Boat Restoration
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 5:51 pm
Anyone ever done any of this? Specifically, replacing rotten stringers and decking, reglassing stuff, etc.
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:15 pm
I used to build yacts for a living, why?
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:19 pm
EDIT: What I want to do is hack out the glassed in marine plywood floor out of a small runabout and then replace and reglass among other things, if anyone can help with some concerns I have with removing the old floor especially where the floor glassing meets the boat hull, and some other stuff, that would be great.
Duper, can ya get on my TS any time soon?
Duper, can ya get on my TS any time soon?
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:36 pm
Just replacing stringers is a HUGE job.
B-
Good luck with that task. heh!
B-
Good luck with that task. heh!
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:45 pm
Upon further inspection, the stringers have, fortunately, retained their integrity. This floor only rotted because the manufacturer left the deck bare on the bottom. if they would have resined it, it'd still be hard as a rock.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:59 pm
If the floor is Teak or Mahagony, sand it down a little and dump a buttload of oil into it. Bear oil or mineral oil .. or is that spirits.
For some reason, boat manufactorers enjoy using the 2 WORST woods for marine exposure.
If you were to tear it out, I would recommend find where the plugs are and back the screws out. There might also be resin or apoxy under the wood.
Beyond that, you will need you will need fiberglass and resin. You will also need compound. ( A fiberglass like stuff that is white. ) You will need something to create texture in the compound on the floor and some 2000 mil sand paper. Wet sand the compound after it sets up.
BUT... it sounds like you're in luck. Fusion is right. This could take a couple of weeks with putting a few hours in here and there. Probably around 30 hours if everything went well. .... and we know how THAT goes.
For some reason, boat manufactorers enjoy using the 2 WORST woods for marine exposure.
If you were to tear it out, I would recommend find where the plugs are and back the screws out. There might also be resin or apoxy under the wood.
Beyond that, you will need you will need fiberglass and resin. You will also need compound. ( A fiberglass like stuff that is white. ) You will need something to create texture in the compound on the floor and some 2000 mil sand paper. Wet sand the compound after it sets up.
BUT... it sounds like you're in luck. Fusion is right. This could take a couple of weeks with putting a few hours in here and there. Probably around 30 hours if everything went well. .... and we know how THAT goes.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:43 pm
actually there's 1/2" marine grade ply with a coating of fiberglass matting over the top, and the whole thing is glassed to the hull. It doesn't look like there are any screws in this deck, only some sort of mean ass adhesive gluing the ply to the stringers, which are totally encased in fiberglass. the boat's structural intergrity seems good. The problem is that the manufacturer left the bottom of the ply bare. I'm sure you can figure out what happened next.
My dilemma is, separating the glassed deck from the hull. As I mentioned, it's bonded to the hull with fiberglass. What's the best way to cut thatr loose? I was originally thinking sawzall, but I'm thinking no matter how careful I am, I'm bound to put that sucker right through the hull. Razor blades to nothing, zip saw is to squirrelly, dremel too slow. so how do I make that cut? I was thinking maybe cutting back far enough to be safe with the sawzall, and then attacking what's left with some sort of grinder. Dunno. Suggestions?
My dilemma is, separating the glassed deck from the hull. As I mentioned, it's bonded to the hull with fiberglass. What's the best way to cut thatr loose? I was originally thinking sawzall, but I'm thinking no matter how careful I am, I'm bound to put that sucker right through the hull. Razor blades to nothing, zip saw is to squirrelly, dremel too slow. so how do I make that cut? I was thinking maybe cutting back far enough to be safe with the sawzall, and then attacking what's left with some sort of grinder. Dunno. Suggestions?
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 11:40 pm
A drommel saw would work fine. Basically, it's a grinder on a drill. There is going to be a lot of sanding......
I used to cut portals thru 10" gunwalls with a Sawall. Messy work. Very itchy too. It got to where I would just rub a hand full of fiberglass dust into both arms when I got to work.
Use a drommel around the perimeter of the glassed decking. I'm Amased that they didn't glass the ply to the deck as well. Very strange. I was a deck rigger and fitted all sorts of crap onto yacts .. or however you spell it.
I used to cut portals thru 10" gunwalls with a Sawall. Messy work. Very itchy too. It got to where I would just rub a hand full of fiberglass dust into both arms when I got to work.
Use a drommel around the perimeter of the glassed decking. I'm Amased that they didn't glass the ply to the deck as well. Very strange. I was a deck rigger and fitted all sorts of crap onto yacts .. or however you spell it.