jburn25
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2007
- Messages
- 104
Re: Removing fiberglass (grinding?)
Thanks for the replies.
Erik Green, I think you are dead on. I think the sides have been subjected to more force than was originally designed for this 20 year old boat. I believe the PO decided to weld them himself when they became weak and didn't do such a hot job. I actually e-mailed him and he said there aren't any good aluminum welders in his area so he tried it himself and also the fiberglass. A good weld across those joints should be strong, but like you say it probably won't last that long with no give or translation.
The problem with the original design that I can see is that the ribs aren't one piece by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not sure what common procedure is on these ribs, but in this boat its basically a rib on the bottom which meets up with a rib on each side. So theres only one place where the ribs meet on the "top" of the joint which only allows for a very small welding area. I think adding some sort of traingle piece of aluminum on each side of each joint like Erik is saying should in fact provide some stability. I might go to the local aluminum junkyard and get some sheets of aluminum and pre-cut them with the grinder and just get the welder to weld them for me.
I need the console to be sturdy because this boat is a true flat bottom AND center console. Most flat bottoms aren't center consoles and most center console boats are mod-V at least. I take this boat out in places like Venice and other inshore areas in south LA where the water gets rough and since I have to stand to drive (as do the passengers) we all hold on to the console for stability. Standing while driving a center console true flat bottom is tough because things get really bumpy. After my last trip, every screw in my floor rattled completely out, my gas tank came unmounted from the deck, and the bolts holding my windshield down sheered off. I don't drive crazy or anything either, just rough misssissippi river.
Thanks for the replies.
Erik Green, I think you are dead on. I think the sides have been subjected to more force than was originally designed for this 20 year old boat. I believe the PO decided to weld them himself when they became weak and didn't do such a hot job. I actually e-mailed him and he said there aren't any good aluminum welders in his area so he tried it himself and also the fiberglass. A good weld across those joints should be strong, but like you say it probably won't last that long with no give or translation.
The problem with the original design that I can see is that the ribs aren't one piece by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not sure what common procedure is on these ribs, but in this boat its basically a rib on the bottom which meets up with a rib on each side. So theres only one place where the ribs meet on the "top" of the joint which only allows for a very small welding area. I think adding some sort of traingle piece of aluminum on each side of each joint like Erik is saying should in fact provide some stability. I might go to the local aluminum junkyard and get some sheets of aluminum and pre-cut them with the grinder and just get the welder to weld them for me.
I need the console to be sturdy because this boat is a true flat bottom AND center console. Most flat bottoms aren't center consoles and most center console boats are mod-V at least. I take this boat out in places like Venice and other inshore areas in south LA where the water gets rough and since I have to stand to drive (as do the passengers) we all hold on to the console for stability. Standing while driving a center console true flat bottom is tough because things get really bumpy. After my last trip, every screw in my floor rattled completely out, my gas tank came unmounted from the deck, and the bolts holding my windshield down sheered off. I don't drive crazy or anything either, just rough misssissippi river.