1986 Glassstream bass boat project

Inshoremac

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Apr 25, 2017
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I think this weekend im going to give the flapper disc a try. Thank you for the info, there are a binch of areas i'll need to get to bare fiberglass and repair. Ill let you know how that works out. Ive got the same respirator you mentioned and it works well. Yep nasty stuff, and as well as i seem to protect myself i still am itchy! I went thru 2 fiberglass dust masks just sanding the gelcoat off. On a bright note the gelcoat on the transom was in such bad shape it scraped right off.
 

gm280

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I think this weekend im going to give the flapper disc a try. Thank you for the info, there are a binch of areas i'll need to get to bare fiberglass and repair. Ill let you know how that works out. Ive got the same respirator you mentioned and it works well. Yep nasty stuff, and as well as i seem to protect myself i still am itchy! I went thru 2 fiberglass dust masks just sanding the gelcoat off. On a bright note the gelcoat on the transom was in such bad shape it scraped right off.

Ha that sounds like progress to me. Now that you are indoctrinated to the crappy fiberglass grinding, all you need to do is grind the rest of it out. And you also see how it is an absolute must to use proper protection equipment to keep that fiberglass dust out of your ears, nose, throat, lungs, eyes and a few other places I will not mention here. :facepalm:

The more skin you cover up, the better. I grind mine in the hot weather and between the heat, sweat and dust. it was a terrible ordeal that I am so glad is over. Once you finish up this part of the effort, "I" think the worst is over. JMHO
 

Inshoremac

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gm280, yes very itchy nasty work. Cant wait until this part is over. I was able to borrow an angle grinder from a buddy, and man does that thing do quick work. Alot easier now and things are moving along.

But i have a question, not there yet but when glassing a near vertical surface, do i need to thicken up the resin with Cabosil? Or is that mot nessasary.
 

gm280

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gm280, yes very itchy nasty work. Cant wait until this part is over. I was able to borrow an angle grinder from a buddy, and man does that thing do quick work. Alot easier now and things are moving along.

But i have a question, not there yet but when glassing a near vertical surface, do i need to thicken up the resin with Cabosil? Or is that mot nessasary.

NO you will use a PB (peanut butter) mix to install the transom when you get to that point. And that mixture is Polyester, MEKP, and Cabosil and even 1/4" chopped fiberglass if you like. The actual ratios can be adjusted for your application. So if you like it thick, add more Cabosil. If you want it more runny, don't use as much Cabosil. As you get closer to that point we will post a more detailed recipe to get you going.

If you like, you can look up Peanut Butter on these forums and see what they mixed. But understand it really isn't a "set in stone" mixture. Everybody does their's like they like. And while everybody basically uses the same ingredients, it has come to be called "Peanut Butter". That is usually the consistency of the mix.

Hope that explains it a little better. JMHO

Oh I forgot, you can buy a cheapy angle grinder at Harbor Freight for a song. You friends is going to get really clogged up and he may not like the condition of it after you're finished "Borrowing" it. :eek: Just saying.
 

Woodonglass

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For glassing vertical surfaces I mix the resin "Hot" so it will Kick off faster and not have time to sag. 1.5% MEKP does the trick but...mix smaller batches so you will have enuf time to use it all up. If the temps are in the 70-80 you'll get about 10-15 minutes working time. If it's hotter outside...Less working time. Also when mixing resin I HIGHLY recommend using the Metric system. Soooooo much easier to calculate.
 

Inshoremac

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Got the rest of the pieces cut out with the grinder with no problem, but the grinding to get down to bare glass was real fun..(sarcasm) but nessasary. Now the boat looks like it was snowed on lol. Glad thats over.

 

gm280

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I see it looks totally different now. Still watching to see what you have up your sleeve, other then fiberglass dust. :eek:
 

Inshoremac

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Lol, lots of dust for sure. That tyvek suit and respirator is a must. I think when i vacuum it out again for the 100th time, i will take a hose to it and rinse the inside of the hull out. Get all the dirt and dust out. Should dry fairly easily since all the nasty plywood is gone. The dewalt metal cutting wheel cut thru the fiberglass like butter, and i used the grinding wheel for smoothing out the " glob resin" on the cross members. For getting the repair spots to bare glass i used a 36 grit flap wheel. The angle grinder is my new best friend.
 
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gm280

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Im just curious... but how thick is 1.5 oz. CSM?
1.5 oz CSM matt isn't very thick at all. It is basically chopped fiberglass strands running every different direction making it great to waterproof wood. If I had to put a measurement to it, I would guess 1/16" or there about. the 1.5oz CSM is actually the weight per square foot of material. It takes between 24 oz and 32 oz of resin per yard length depending on the width. Hope that helps some.
 

Inshoremac

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Ok thank you. I didnt think it was too thick but wasnt sure from pictures.

Got her all vacuumed out, and a good rinse.




Has anyone seen this before? I noticed this when i ripped the front deck out. This is not my boat but same model from another person. The laminated plywood was basically a patchwork of squares.....



See that light colored spot at the bottom of the middle stringer.... yeah.... thats light shining through.



Lots of work to do before i even put the floor back in.
 
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gm280

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I have to ask, is that foam still good without any water in it? I mean most of the time, foam is compromised and has to come out as well. But only you can make that determination. Now would be a great time to verify that and anything underneath it as well.

As for the square patch wood on the other boat. It actually looks like somebody worked on that before and used what they has on hand. If it were my boat, I would rip it all out and go back with quality materials again.

If that little hole in the bottom of the hull is all you have, that is nothing to repair. I accidentally cut through my hull in multiple places when grinding out the old fiberglass. :facepalm: The first cut through was a major worry for me. But the second and follow on others, I stopped worrying and just kept grinding a little easier. And now, you couldn't find any of them in the hull. I can't even remember where they are now. So don't worry about it. JMHO
 

Inshoremac

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Hey GM. The patchwork ply i think is from the manufacture. I found it under the front deck on mine. Came out in soggy 6 " squares. Just a wierd construction.
 

Inshoremac

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I debated taking the front foam out but it was dry. The foam in the back was soggy and smelled like a barn lol. I olan on ising the closed cell sheet foam from lowes to replace what ive taken out and add some in different spots. Plus i need the sheet foam to make some templates.
 
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gm280

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I debated taking the front foam out but it was dry. The foam in the back was soggy and smelled like a barn lol. I olan on ising the closed cell sheet foam from lowes to replace what ive taken out and add some in different spots. Plus i need the sheet foam to make some templates.

Sounds like you are on top of it. Just remember, there is no better time to fix anything while it is opened up and easily accessible. JMHO
 
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