HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

wallybme · Sep 9, 2010

Well today as I continue the restoration on my Glastron V210 Adventura, I ran into something I never expected and little I heard about it, if ever I did>

this is what I started with. on the left there was a small rotted area. I decided to replace that part of the transom. The hole test on the other side was good, no rot. After cutting out the piece this is what I saw.

The cracks are only seen on the inside of the skin, not the outside. I was shocked, but thought that it might have been as a result of the water.

The starboard and port sides had matting, but the transom had none..
It took me 7 hours to remove the ply on the transon. It was well glued. It took me forever to remove the ply (2 pieces of 3/4 inch). It was easier to break the two pieces apart than the piece that was glued to the transom glued to the transom.
After removing the ply there were cracks everywhere.

How do I fix this? The only thing I noticed that while the sides were matted, there were no matting on the transom. There were absolutely no cracks on the sides.

This is how it looked while trying to remove the plys.

wallybme · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

Any ideas as how to fix these cracks?

NSBCraig · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

I'd replace the whole transom and do it right.

wallybme · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

I removed the plys. The cracks are in the skin.

ondarvr · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

The cracks appear to be in the resin rich area next to the wood, the resin most likely just filled the void where the wood wasn't up tight against the glass. Resin by itself can be rather brittle and cracking like that is fairly normal when no glass is mixed in with it.

Just grind the cracked area down to the glass, the cracks should stop there.

wallybme · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

Thanks for your reply. It came at a time when I needed it most. Would you recommend using a layer of #6 mat to strengthen the skin?

oops! · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

you are in for a standard transom replacement now...

(after you do what ondarvr said)

glass hull inner skin with csm...1 or 1.5

wet out new transom...glass with same...stick the new transom on wet on wet.

read the transom replacement segment in the link attached to my sig for detailed info

wallybme · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

Thanks.

Sorry for my ignorance but what "csm...1 or 1.5" means
Also do not quite understand what this means
"wet out new transom...glass with same...stick the new transom on wet on wet".

oops! · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

hi wally...

ok...first read the transom segment in my sig...there are all the detales you want with pics of the process and products.

csm= chopped strand matt. this is a fiberglass product.
1.5 oz= the weight of the material
wet out the transom= a method used in fiberglassing to reduce air bubbles in a fiberglassed piece.

wet on wet= making a chemical bond

applying the transom to the newly glassed hull while the resin is still wet and runny this will give you a chemical bond between the two peices.

hope that helps bud.....and sorry for my jargon.

cheers
oops

wallybme · Sep 10, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

tHANK YOU tHANK YOU

wallybme · Sep 11, 2010

CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

"The cracks appear to be in the resin rich area next to the wood, the resin most likely just filled the void where the wood wasn't up tight against the glass. Resin by itself can be rather brittle and cracking like that is fairly normal when no glass is mixed in with it.

Just grind the cracked area down to the glass, the cracks should stop there. "
This was the recommendation and I sanded and sanded and sanded, but it appears the cracks go through to the gelcoat. I sanded and sanded, but the cracks never disappear. I can see the gelcoat where the cracks are wider.
Any other recommendations

Boat Biz · Sep 11, 2010

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

I have repaired many Transoms, And normally i would agree with the replies you have already recieved...

THis looks typicaly like cracks in a resin rich layer used to bond the Plywood to teh Fibreglass.

If the cracks go right through to the Gelcoat, this would mean you ground the resin away as as you sanded into the layers of Fibreglass you just kept following the crack untill you basicly saw daylight through the laminate.

If this is the case then it sounds odd, but you would have to remove the entire laminate and replace with new Fibreglass.

Is this what you saw?

Boat Biz · Sep 11, 2010

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

wallybme said:
"The cracks appear to be in the resin rich area next to the wood, the resin most likely just filled the void where the wood wasn't up tight against the glass. Resin by itself can be rather brittle and cracking like that is fairly normal when no glass is mixed in with it.

Just grind the cracked area down to the glass, the cracks should stop there. "
This was the recommendation and I sanded and sanded and sanded, but it appears the cracks go through to the gelcoat. I sanded and sanded, but the cracks never disappear. I can see the gelcoat where the cracks are wider.
Any other recommendations

If the bottom photo is where you sanded, you have not yet come close to the Gelcoat. THey Gelcoat is the coloured layer on the outside of the boat.

This layer of Resin could be 1/8th inch or 2-3mm thick with the fibreglass being behind that.

Woodonglass · Sep 11, 2010

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

Wally,

What EXACTLY are you wanting to do?? I have been following your thread and cannot understand what it is that you are asking??? Your pictures for one thing are TOO close to the subject. You need to back off a bit and give us a better overall perspective of what we are looking at. Second, if you are wanting to repair your Transom you need to remove all of the wood leaving ONLY the outer Fiberglass skin which is about 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch thick. You do this by grinding and chiseling the wood off until you get to the glass and then create a template of the wood you removed using cardboard and then make a NEW WOOD transom from Ext. Grade plywood and fiberglass resin and cloth and then relaminate it to the outer skin of the hull and tab it to the sides of the hull using filleting material to fill any gaps. This process is WELL documented on this forum on multiple threads. Give us some different pics from a different perspective and a little more specific details on Exactly what you are wanting to accomplish and we can and will help you.

And it would be better if you would keep your posts ALL together on ONE Thread and not start multiple threads on the SAME subject.

I'm just sayin...

ondarvr · Sep 11, 2010

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

First, you should keep all this in the first thread so everyone can keep track of what's going on.

If the cracks were that deep you would see them from the outside. Gel coat has almost no strength and would crack at the same time as the glass laminate.

wallybme · Sep 11, 2010

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

Re: CRACKED up Transom - CRACKS go through to Gelcoat

Thanks,,,,,I just got a bit scared. This is my very first project and never expected to see this.

wallybme · Sep 16, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

As I wait to get my sanding complete, I took a break to look at how much I have to do and I saw these four broken coming from the kimbal. Could anyone tell me what they are and how can I repair or replace.

wallybme · Sep 18, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

Can anyone let me know if I have to change the gimbal. There are 4 wires that comes outand they are all cracked up,

tinkeringwackyone · Sep 18, 2010

Re: HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

those look like the trim sensor wires. these are replaceable. Good luck with your project. tink

HELP from the Experts. How to fix the cracks?

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