1985 Starcraft SS 160 with 75HP Mercury Outboard restoration and upgrades

[Watermann]

Improvisation in action. :encouragement:

 

[EchoNovember]

Picked up marine grade plywood after all. Menards is having an 11% off rebate on everything. ^_^



The Admiral drawing a straight line down the center.



Starting the cut...



Cutting the ply in half, as we only need 22". It saved us a good amount going with just one sheet.



The line got crooked as she started following the line with the wrong side of the notch in the saw....

Also, Instagram quality shot taken accidentally.



Marking where the motor mount holes will go so we don't put screws where those holes are going to be. I don't want to compromise the strength where the motor mount holes will go.



Spreading the glue out with a tiling trowel. Worked rather well.





Candid shot, she insisted I upload it.



Finishing touches on the glue.



Glue spread out nice and evenly in a reasonably thick layer.



Both sides glued together and initial clamps in place.



Lots of screws placed randomly to hold it all together. Glue was just oozing out the edges, so we know it was screwed down very tight.



Better view of the amount of screws used.



We put some scrap wood over it in a frame that extends past the edges. We draped a tarp over it and weighed it down, just in case of any surprise rain.

We bought a gallon of glue because the 8oz bottles were $7/ea, and a 128oz (1 gal) was $23. We used about 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottle on this, with about 10-15% of the glue being squeezed out onto the driveway.

Tomorrow night we build or buy a motor mount, and build the engine hoist frame so we can take the motor off and start pulling apart the transom. We had fun with this, and we're looking forward to finishing it and getting it on the water. I'll be able to tow the Admiral the First Mate around on the tube! So excited!

 

[EchoNovember]

Oh yeah, and we'll be removing the screws and filling in the holes with epoxy. We'll count them as epoxy rivets, you know, to help keep it together and add sheer strength.

No, I don't actually believe it will really add strength. I just want to make sure they are filled so there are no gaps. I'll be using a syringe to fill the holes to make sure I get it in there and leave no bubbles. Does epoxy have any shrinkage as it cures? Or just due to it soaking into the wood?

 

[Watermann]

Nice, I love working with marine ply, it even sounds different when the saw blade hits it. Looks like you two had fun in the process.

 

[SHSU]

Great pics!!!!! Good to see all that glue ooze out. You know you have put enough on when that happens.

Does epoxy have any shrinkage as it cures? Or just due to it soaking into the wood?

Some but it will be minimal. West System says it wont shrink once it cures. It will soak some into the wood, especially the end grain. End grain will absorb the most. Most people go back over the end grain a couple extra times because it keeps soaking it up (Which is a good thing)

On a side note, don't forget to make small batches of epoxy and don't make it all at once. Make sure you accurately measure out each cup per directions by West System as you do it and mix thoroughly. If you can get Admiral's help definitely a plus. This is one area you don't want to be rushed in. If you want to extend the working time slightly, you can put your little cup into ice. That way you can work it in and it wont kick so quickly. Also, don't forget to have plenty of extra gloves and chip brushes on hand. That way if they start to get gummy, you can switch them out for a fresh set.

 

[ezmobee]

Gluing transoms in your work clothes I see LOL

 

[EchoNovember]

Nice, I love working with marine ply, it even sounds different when the saw blade hits it. Looks like you two had fun in the process.

It sounded like the saw blade hit concrete... Lol. The blade started to bind a couple times, burned one edge. She's a damn good carpenter, so she was embarrassed that she started following the wrong side of the notch. She also struggled a bit to cut it and look confused as to why. I'm thinking since she is used to working with lower grade exterior ply and sheathing that this was just drastically different.

We looked at BCX and CDX, but it was either Pine, Maple, Oak, or Birch. I remember reading somewhere that Douglas Fir, which marine grade is made from, was the strongest, and we wanted strength above all else.

 

[EchoNovember]

Great pics!!!!! Good to see all that glue ooze out. You know you have put enough on when that happens.



Some but it will be minimal. West System says it wont shrink once it cures. It will soak some into the wood, especially the end grain. End grain will absorb the most. Most people go back over the end grain a couple extra times because it keeps soaking it up (Which is a good thing)

On a side note, don't forget to make small batches of epoxy and don't make it all at once. Make sure you accurately measure out each cup per directions by West System as you do it and mix thoroughly. If you can get Admiral's help definitely a plus. This is one area you don't want to be rushed in. If you want to extend the working time slightly, you can put your little cup into ice. That way you can work it in and it wont kick so quickly. Also, don't forget to have plenty of extra gloves and chip brushes on hand. That way if they start to get gummy, you can switch them out for a fresh set.

Why shouldn't I mix the whole gallon at once? I can totally coat the entire thing 2-3 times in the 20 minute or so working time I'll have. Lol. I'm planning on mixing one cup (8 oz) at a time to start. Then I'll adjust it up and down from there. We need to pick up the foam rollers. I think I will go with the shorter rollers to reduce waste. Remembering my last paint project, I had a LOT of paint on the full size roller that stayed in the roller instead of getting on the wall.

The Admiral will be helping me for sure. We'll be buying a couple of boxes of gloves to make sure we have enough. Last night was fun peeling the glue off my fingers. She's tired of doing that as she's dealt with it too much, but I still have fun like a little kid thinking, "I'm molting!"

 

[EchoNovember]

Gluing transoms in your work clothes I see LOL

I just wanted to dress up for the pictures. Yeah, I never changed out of them, and she commented on that, too. I only got two drops of glue on me, though, one on each shoe and wiped it off easily. Other than that, nothing. I'm the annoying guy who can paint an entire room and not get a drop on me other than my hands. I may be fat, but I'm nimble and aware of where my large butt is at all times. ^_^ That skill helped when I was still driving a semi-truck.

 

[Watermann]

Yeah that fir marine ply is nice but spendy as heck around here, you sure don't want to make a mistake cutting it. We have Roseburg ACX fir plywood here locally that is really nice stuff, just a few more voids than marine but half the price so I started using it. I had to pop on a plywood saw blade and for every cut I could make with it I used my table saw, it's fun free handing a 70+ Lb 4x8 sheet of 3/4 with a table saw!

So I see how you cut your ply without the 'wings' on the outside edges. I'm sure you know this already but as a reminder because of all the sealing talk, it will need formed then the 'wings' attached and with 15 degree bevels cut on the top edge of the wings before you seal it with the resin. I would also drill all the holes through first before sealing so the sealer gets in there too.

 

[SHSU]

. We need to pick up the foam rollers. I think I will go with the shorter rollers to reduce waste....

The Admiral will be helping me for sure. We'll be buying a couple of boxes of gloves to make sure we have enough. Last night was fun peeling the glue off my fingers. She's tired of doing that as she's dealt with it too much, but I still have fun like a little kid thinking, "I'm molting!"

Harbor Freight. Best place to get one time tools. I get all of my gloves from there and always have a couple boxes of the 5 and 7 mm on hand for everything I do now. IMHO Suggest you look at chip brushes for the edges as it would be easier for the small vertical surface. Your flat surface you can easily pour and spread with your plastic straight edge.

If you really want to feel like your molting stick your hand in expanding foam.....:doh: I did that once and have always owned latex gloves ever since.... I couldn't scrub or peel that stuff off. I had to wait for my skin to shed it....:facepalm:

 

[EchoNovember]

Yeah that fir marine ply is nice but spendy as heck around here, you sure don't want to make a mistake cutting it. We have Roseburg ACX fir plywood here locally that is really nice stuff, just a few more voids than marine but half the price so I started using it. I had to pop on a plywood saw blade and for every cut I could make with it I used my table saw, it's fun free handing a 70+ Lb 4x8 sheet of 3/4 with a table saw!

So I see how you cut your ply without the 'wings' on the outside edges. I'm sure you know this already but as a reminder because of all the sealing talk, it will need formed then the 'wings' attached and with 15 degree bevels cut on the top edge of the wings before you seal it with the resin. I would also drill all the holes through first before sealing so the sealer gets in there too.

Ours is Roseburg as well. We did notice a few small cracks in the surface layer and one spot where it looks like a piece of the face come off and they poorly glued it back down. Unfortunately, we discovered the big imperfections after we had cut it. We shifted our markings over so that when we cut the transom they don't end up as part of it. Problem solved.

Oh, and I forgot to mention. Before gluing we took 120 grit sandpaper to the whole surface to be glued to take off a thin layer as well as rough it up just a little to give the glue more places to fill in and grab, then we used a handheld straw whisk to sweep off the surface and made sure it was clean. Just a little surface prep. We aren't doing that for the epoxy, though. Between coats to ensure a good bond, yes, but not before hand. Just sweeping it off to make sure it's clean enough.

 

[EchoNovember]

Harbor Freight. Best place to get one time tools. I get all of my gloves from there and always have a couple boxes of the 5 and 7 mm on hand for everything I do now. IMHO Suggest you look at chip brushes for the edges as it would be easier for the small vertical surface. Your flat surface you can easily pour and spread with your plastic straight edge.

If you really want to feel like your molting stick your hand in expanding foam.....:doh: I did that once and have always owned latex gloves ever since.... I couldn't scrub or peel that stuff off. I had to wait for my skin to shed it....:facepalm:

I was planning on pouring and rolling, but I think you have a good point about the spreader, and it would mean less waste. We have a Harbor Freight that opened nearby recently, so we should be able to get gloves and chip brushes there for dirt cheap. Funny enough, it's right next to our local Wal-mart and a Dollar Tree is across the street. All the cheap, crappy products you could want can now be bought in one small area! It is handy when quality doesn't matter. I'm not about to spend $2-7 on stuff that is going to be used once and thrown out if I can avoid it.

I haven't stuck my hand completely in foam, but I have ended up with it on my hands in small pieces. You can only remove so much before you just have to wait. Lava soap scrubbed most of it off, though. I love anything with pumice, but the soaps that are like a pumice or ground walnut shell paste are amazing for taking off the dirty oil/paint/glue/whatever stained top layer of skin. I had a girlfriend once who couldn't figure out how I had silky soft hands despite being a trucker who rarely wore work gloves to protect his hands. That Gojo walnut hand scrub stuff at truck stops and truck shops was how. It's a man's exfoliating scrub. Lol.

 

[EchoNovember]

Did I mention I can't wait to get this transom done? Not only will I be able to tow the Admiral and First Mate on a tube for our family weekend, but I'll have a sealed splashwell so I won't have to run the bilge pump every time I back up! Lol.

 

[ezmobee]

I used HF wide chip brushes as well for my epoxy.

 

[SHSU]

Just a little surface prep. We aren't doing that for the epoxy, though. Between coats to ensure a good bond, yes, but not before hand. Just sweeping it off to make sure it's clean enough.

Have you looked at doing the layers closer together so you don't have to sand? See below quote from another site

"[FONT=&quot]If you're able to sand the epoxy, you're past the point of a chemical bond. If the epoxy has "set" so that it isn't runny, but still a little bit tacky when you press a fingernail or something into it, then you can put another coat of epoxy over it without sanding. That's the easiest and quickest method since you can avoid all that extra sanding. If you were using a blushing epoxy, recoating before the epoxy cures will save you from scrubbing with soap and water between coats, which agains saves you a lot of time."

I am sure if you look at other posts you will find similar comments[/FONT]

 

[EchoNovember]

Have you looked at doing the layers closer together so you don't have to sand? See below quote from another site

"[FONT=&quot]If you're able to sand the epoxy, you're past the point of a chemical bond. If the epoxy has "set" so that it isn't runny, but still a little bit tacky when you press a fingernail or something into it, then you can put another coat of epoxy over it without sanding. That's the easiest and quickest method since you can avoid all that extra sanding. If you were using a blushing epoxy, recoating before the epoxy cures will save you from scrubbing with soap and water between coats, which agains saves you a lot of time."

I am sure if you look at other posts you will find similar comments[/FONT]

Actually, I'm hoping to do chemical bonds, but it all depends on the weather and how fast we get everything else done.

 

[EchoNovember]

Okay, transom is almost finished. We were under a time crunch so I haven't been able to post updates, but I've been taking plenty of pictures to document the process. I'll try to get them uploaded tonight. Went to upload everything Sunday night, but the server went down when I hit post.

 

[EchoNovember]

Oh, and we'll have a livewell for our trip. Well, as soon as I get through the expansion foam under the deck. I fashioned a hollow core manual bore out of sharpened PVC.

 

[SHSU]

Okay, transom is almost finished. We were under a time crunch so I haven't been able to post updates, but I've been taking plenty of pictures to document the process. I'll try to get them uploaded tonight. Went to upload everything Sunday night, but the server went down when I hit post.

I was wondering if you forgot about us!!!

Glad to hear you are almost done. Looking forward to your pics. Glad you got your Livewell finished for your trip too