YAY i got another project

So i recently got my self into a early 80's 20ish +/- ft bayliner liberty project...

Basically the easy work is done. (AKA i got her gutted)

Now my biggest question is the bottom of the boat(fiberglass hull) is very weak. Specially were the huge gas tank was...underneath it.

Should i go ahead and start sanding or grinding everything down and prep o add a thicker floor(bottom hull)?? and i have very minimal tools? so i have an electric disc sander....can i use that for most my stuff?

also i left the fiberglass ribs where the rotten wood was....comes up about 2 inches here or there, but i figure i could clean those out and use them as guides to put the new treated wood back in. Maybe use epoxy to put them in and let it over flow. and the use the overflow as caulk around the edges to add strength. Then fiberglass over....my ribs will be about 8-10ft long and 6-8 inches high...probably 3/4 to 1inch thick.

Am i on the right track of thinking....I know i didnt state everything....my biggest concern is cleaning and prepping to make sure my work takes well. and putting more fiberglass in thebottom to make it stromger and more ridgid....

SHOULD I POST PICTURES? MAYBE THAT WOULD HELP?

BUT POINTERS SHOULD HELP......Oh it looks as if it had the old pour in foam in her but thats been gutted also. I plan on putting it back in but maybe wrapping it in plastic sheeting to allow what water that does get in to help not absorb into the foam. (kind of like those packages filled with foam that perfectly shape to the package in it.....? if that make sense)

let me know what you guys think....OH AND HI....FOR MY FIRST POST...

THANKS AGAIN, AJ

Re: YAY i got another project

Welcome buddy.. if you have a harbor freight aroun u can pick up an angle grinder for like 30.. everyone here likes it.. i would put a few layers of glass on the bottom so you know your safe.. and get some pics

Re: YAY i got another project

I agree go to harbor freight and snag a grinder picked mine up 2 weeks ago for 20 bucks... dont spend the money on a good one cuz the fiberglass is gonna fubar it!!!!! as far as the hull if its weak grind it down alittle to roughen the surface and rebuild.....i used flapper disks from home depot.. (buy the Norton) they area about 9 bucks apieace and i used the 60 grit and it at the glass just fine.. also BUY A 2 CARTRIGE MASK!!!!!!!! dont do any grinding without one!!! as far as your stringers go i just did mine and i used 1/2 plywood and fiberglassed all in. I DID use the old "channels from the original stringers to reseat my new ones in... i roughed up the trough and cut the stringer glass down about half way and loaded the trough with wet resin and put my stringers in... (i put 2 coats of resin on the stringers prior to installing them...) im going to put my new resined floors in one night this week or this weekend...oh yea home depot sells PL adheasive... i honestly had no clue about this stuff till i started living on the iboats forum but i found it there like 7 bucks for the BIG tube get the one that is weather/water proof!!!! ill have more for ya when i figure out what im actually doing! lol

Re: YAY i got another project

notsunkyet said:

I agree go to harbor freight and snag a grinder picked mine up 2 weeks ago for 20 bucks... dont spend the money on a good one cuz the fiberglass is gonna fubar it!!!!! as far as the hull if its weak grind it down alittle to roughen the surface and rebuild.....i used flapper disks from home depot.. (buy the Norton) they area about 9 bucks apieace and i used the 60 grit and it at the glass just fine.. also BUY A 2 CARTRIGE MASK!!!!!!!! dont do any grinding without one!!! as far as your stringers go i just did mine and i used 1/2 plywood and fiberglassed all in. I DID use the old "channels from the original stringers to reseat my new ones in... i roughed up the trough and cut the stringer glass down about half way and loaded the trough with wet resin and put my stringers in... (i put 2 coats of resin on the stringers prior to installing them...) im going to put my new resined floors in one night this week or this weekend...oh yea home depot sells PL adheasive... i honestly had no clue about this stuff till i started living on the iboats forum but i found it there like 7 bucks for the BIG tube get the one that is weather/water proof!!!! ill have more for ya when i figure out what im actually doing! lol

Click to expand...

yah hes got the idea.. you gotta make a little bed between the hull and he stringers.. and you can use the pl adhesive as a filler.. the mask is a must.. not the little white ones.. the big 2 cartridge like he said.. youll need it trust me everyone here will tell you..

Re: YAY i got another project

Most important thing when actually laying fiberglass....make sure the area that the fiberglass is going to cover is SMOOTH...can't have any points, or protrusions. You WILL end up with voids.

I will wholeheartedly agree that 60 grit flappers on a grinder is all you should need to grind fiberglass with. I was using 36 grit and just got too carried away in a few places and burned right through my hull Didn't take but a quick second to find the air underneath the boat either. Switched to a 60 grit and it's just smooth sailing! The low grit like 24-40 are for taking down heavy resin build up, but for general purpose grinding, 60 is the way to go. Having a compressor to blow air through the grinder to keep it clean will go a long way towards the grinder not burning up in your hands too. I clean my Makita every 15 minutes of grinding...there's a lot of dust that gets in there!

Tyvek suit with hood. Go to your Sherwin Williams store and pick up the largest they carry if you stand at least 5'10"...you'll thank me later. The Large on my 6 foot frame left my ankles and forearms exposed once I started bending over and doing work...the XL would have kept me free of glass dust.

On that note, get some baby talc and cover anything that will be exposed...it'll fill in the pores so the fiberglass dust can't. Trust me on this one again...I'm fighting a nasty patch of rash where I blew some fiberglass dust into my skin with the compressor.....you want the fiberglass itch, that's a quick way to get it!

Work slow and complete small areas at a time and you'll have the boat done faster than....well, it'll seem like it's taking longer than you anticipated...don't set a date of completion....they are rarely met. I had my completion date set for this year...I just got two of my stringers and the transom glassed in. I'll be lucky if I get it finished by end of next season.

Re: YAY i got another project

wow hey guys thanks for all the words of encouragement and help...sounds like i did good in getting a good start for a project...yah ill set you up a picture in a few days...next time i go to work on her. Oh the grinder...um...ill have to borrow one, no harbor freight for me. but a local pawn shop might have a cheap one.

Oh and i know some about composites...i have done alot of works on big military boats and helicoptors...so repairs, and fibergalss wont be to hard. i can lay it up...I just dont know much about the structural stuff.

So underneath my stringerss? i have to put a filler in?a thin foam and then epoxy or can i just put epoxy or hard marine caulk and then press in? when im done getting my stringers in place ill deffinently be glassing them. But want to make sure that im not putting my stringers in wrong.

DOES ANYONE ELSE KNOW WHERE I CAN FiND SOME REFERANCE MATERIAL ON A EARLY 80's 20FT BAYLINER LIBERTY? JUST SO I MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO COMPARE WITH....

THANKS! AJ

Re: YAY i got another project

Do you mean stringers?

Re: YAY i got another project

Woops....stringers.....ill fix that

Re: YAY i got another project

So underneath my stringerss? i have to put a filler in?a thin foam and then epoxy or can i just put epoxy or hard marine caulk and then press in? when im done getting my stringers in place ill deffinently be glassing them. But want to make sure that im not putting my stringers in wrong.




ok so here is what i did on mine.. i cut the top of the stringer off and dug the rot out. everything came out fairly easy with a pressure washer !!!! ok now you will be left with a "shell" of old fiberglass that used to be home of the original stringers... i then cut the "shells" about an inch from the hull when i was ready to rebuild i used resin to anchor the new cut stringers inside the channel of the old ones...i added about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of resin all the way down the length of the hull to ensure coverage and to fill air gaps that might be in there under the new stringer. after everything sets then you can lay up new glas resin and seal it all up! now im going back over my work as i have a few spots that lifted when i was laying glass so i have voids/air gaps. the best way to solve this issue is to drill a hole inthe gap and fill with resin... im using syringes for this its working great i gt it right where i need it!

Re: YAY i got another project

Pyrosity, check link below for some good guidelines for your project. Mike

http://boatbuildercentral.com/howto/repair.php

Re: YAY i got another project

VeroWing said:

Pyrosity, check link below for some good guidelines for your project. Mike

http://boatbuildercentral.com/howto/repair.php

Click to expand...

thanks thats awesome! i took a look at it and thats a great resource.....THANKS! AJ