1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

[Jonness]

I bought a 1978 18' Tiderunner project boat that needs stringers, a transom, and a floor.


I planned to cut the cap where the red lines are.


I removed the outboards and transferred the boat to a bunk trailer in order to get ready for work.


I drilled out the rivets on the rub-rail and cut through the fiberglass portion of the cap on both sides using a cutoff wheel. The inner part of the cap is glassed to 3/4" plywood standing vertically where the red marks are (see photo below). Is the normal method of removing the rear of the cap to cut all the way through the 3/4" plywood and bond it back together when replacing the cap?


I notice the portion of the cap riveted to the hull under the rub-rail is bonded with glue or PB. Do I need to run a scraper or something in-between the two parts in order to separate them prior to pulling off the rear of the cap?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions you can provide me. I've been reading this forum in an attempt to bring up my knowledge level enough to do this job, but I'm definitely of newbie status.

Jonness

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

Yup, you'll need to cut free any and all sub-structure necessary to remove the rear section of the cap. It can all be replaced on the go back!!!!

 

[Jonness]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

WOG, thanks for the advice. :joyous:

I managed to get the cap off and dug out the transom wood. There was a layer of fiberglass between the wood and the shell that was starting to peel off in some places, and I only managed to pry off about half of it. I'll try to sand it down tomorrow and see if I can get the surface level. Since it will be PB in there when the new transom goes in, and the PB will fill in the irregularities, could I just leave the partial layer of FG as long as it's well adheared to the shell? Here's what it looks like:




Uh, Oh! I got crazy with the reciprocating saw when cutting the back of the stringers. There was foam on the other side that was blocking my view, and I ended up cutting through the hull. Little did I know, the stringer sits up right along side the hull. :embarassed: I'm thinking of filling the holes with PB and putting a layer of 6 oz cloth prior to bedding the stringer in with PB. Then perhaps a patch on the outside of the hull? What do you recommend to fix this?




Interestingly, the cap was fiberglassed to the hull in a thin layer of cloth or mat, and the rivets were put through that and the cap. I'm guessing I should sand it down and stick in a couple of new layers of fiberglass in there after sitting the cap on it and riveting it after it dries. At any rate, putting the cap back on is a ways off, so I won't worry too much about it for now.




Tomorrow, I'll to go to Harbor Freight and pick up a grinder and some flap discs and sand the transom area even with the hull.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

The smoother you leave the transom skin, the less PB it will take to adhere the new plate on.
That being said, if the old glass is solid and well adhered, there is no real reason to remove it unless it creates a problem, such as changing the angle of the new transom plates, in which case, you would need to either remove it or use enough PB to make up the difference.
As far as repairing the hole, first, fair it out to create a dished area approximately 2-4 inches all around, then, you can put some wax paper on the outside, backed up with some stiff card board and taped, finally, cut progressively larger pieces of 1.5oz. CSM to fill and level the dished area, start applying them from the smallest piece to the largest...then you can finish it all off with a final layer of 1708 on the inside and repair the outside however you plan to finish it, gel or paint...

Here is a sketch of what I am talking about...


BTW, Great looking project, I'd like to come aboard and watch...
Best of luck,
GT1M

 

[Jonness]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

GT1M, thanks for the help.

I live in the Pacific Northwest, where it's usually raining this time of year with highs in the low 50's and lows in the mid 30's. I have allergy issues with poly, so I will be using epoxy.

I read the following in the U.S. Composites FAQ:

"Caution must be taken when using epoxy in cool, humid conditions. Despite working under cover, if it rains while the epoxy is still wet, moisture contamination can occur and the epoxy may never cure properly. If this happens it will have to be removed by mechanical means, either scraping and/or sanding away the contaminated epoxy."

Are all the epoxies around this price range as prone to failure in moist conditions as U.S. Composites? I've considered buying Raka and using the 50/50 mix of slow and fast hardeners, but I'm not sure if it's any better.

I'm thinking of draping a tarp and some blankets over the hull and running a small space heater in order to bring up the temperature while the epoxy is curing. But I don't want to end up removing a bad cure. At this point, I'm considering holding off a couple more months while the temperature warms up a little. OTOH, when the temperature warms up a little, I would just assume be out on the water, which makes me want to press forward with the winter cure.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

Are you using Epoxy or Poly?

 

[Jonness]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

I'm using epoxy.

 

[Jonness]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

The weather is getting warmer here, so I ordered 9 gallons of Raka 610 fast-set epoxy and 20 yards of 38" 1700 biaxial cloth. I about had a hernia when I found out it cost $160.00 ship my order from Raka to Washington state. Break Out Another Thousand

Here's a picture of my back yard. As you can see, I need to get a boat out there ASAP. I got a new job today, so time off will be few and far between for a while, but I'll eventually be able to get out there and enjoy the good life. :joyous:

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

You do realize you have a Fiberglass distributor in Washington state that would prolly save you a LOT on shipping charges?

 

[greenbush future]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

I cut my run about cap in the exact same fashion you did, and had the same thin layer of glass and glue to get separated. The worst area was where the splash well meets the transom, they had it glued in rather well, so I will need to glass it back in where I caused some damage seperating. The little cut mistake you made will be an easy fix as shown above.
The back yard picture you shared is all the motivation you should need to finish that project.

 

[Jonness]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

You do realize you have a Fiberglass distributor in Washington state that would prolly save you a LOT on shipping charges?

I would have looked at local alternatives, but Raka doesn't tell you their shipping prices until after you order. It's easy to underestimate the final cost when providing your credit card number and hitting the submit button.

The end product should be worth it though. I plan on running this boat to Hades and back and then some. :joyous:

 

[Jonness]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

My Raka order arrived. I checked the package dimensions and weight and concluded these items legitimately cost $160 to ship from coast to coast. Raka doesn't mark up the shipping charges, but they could do a better job letting their customers understand the cost to ship items prior to ordering. Currently, Raka does not figure out your shipping costs until after they pack your order into shipping boxes. On the plus side, they pack the items densely in order to get the shipping cost to the minimum possible.

I dropped a grand for the total order including shipping. Here are the boxes waiting for me when I got off work:



And here are the 9 gallons of epoxy, fiberglass, and supplies:

 

[Jonness]

Re: 1978 18' TideRunner Transom/Stringers repair

I decided to use Coosa Bluewater 26 for the transom and Bluewater 20 for the stringers. I figured having put this much time and materials toward this job, what's an extra $300 to not have to worry about water getting into the drill holes ever again?

I found a great boat-building material supplier in Tacoma, WA called "RevChem." They have somewhat better prices than Fisheries Supply in Seattle, and they are closer to where I live. They want $245 for a 4' x 8' sheet of Coosa Bluewater 26 and $208 for a sheet of Bluewater 20. I was planning to go with exterior 3/4" plywood for the deck, but I've decided I'll get a price on 3/4" Nautical 15 and see how much more it will be.

I could be wrong, but I think the Coosa will require less epoxy than wood. If so, it will somewhat offset the additional expense.

 

[Jonness]

I finally got around to getting some work done. I have the holes fixed and the transom peanut buttered to the skin. I have one layer of 1700 on the skin side and one on the boat side. Unfortunately, when I tried to wrap the 1700 over the top of the transom, it kept lifting due to the corner being too sharp, so I never wrapped it over the top.

Should I grind a curve on the top edge(s) of the transom so the glass will lay down better? Or is it not necessary to wrap glass over the top since the transom is coosa and sealed with epoxy?

Transom with one layer of 1700 biax and epoxy. The upper left and right edges had separate pieces on the stock build. I will also do it this way.

Top edge of transom. Should I round one edge and glass the top, both edges and glass the top, or leave it be?

Thanks

 

[Woodonglass]

Tabbings are the structural part of holding the transom to the hull. With coosa there's no need to seal/wrap the edges. I'ts 100% impervious to water so no worries there. Just get the tabbings tot he sides and bottom of the hull good and bubble free and you're good to go!!!

 

[Jonness]

Sorry. Multiple posts from posting errors.

 

[Jonness]

Sorry. Multiple posts from posting errors.

 

[Jonness]

Sorry. Multiple posts from posting errors.

 

[Jonness]

The single layer of 1700 biax over the face of the transom is tabbed about 3" into the hull and is bubble free. I have a roll of 9" 9oz plain weave tape I can use for tabbing prior to putting more layers of 1700 over the transom face. How many layers of 9oz tape should I use for tabbing, and how many layers of 1700 should I put over the transom face? Should I also tab the face layers of 1700 to the hull as a single piece?

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[alligatorgars]

Way to go. Coosa board is the way to go if you invest this much time in a restoration. Keep the updates {photos} coming.