WebbCraft Complete Restoration

JonNmtJuliet

Seaman
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
57
Did I miss where you re-filled your stringers with foam?

Fun project to follow along, making good progress.

I dont know anything about that tank unit, but I'm sure someone on here will!

No you didn't miss it. I'm going to drill and fill them after I get the floor down. So holes through the floor into the stringers and holes through the floor to fill the empty cavity's. I'll do this before I lay the glass down. That way I can put the plugs back , fill in with thickened epoxy then glass. My only thread of logic for this path is that I wanted to foam all at the same time and it should be easier to fix the holes with the wood plug. I did glass over where I cut into the stringers before the floor went down but i don't think I captured that. Also, I either need to block the opening where the motor mounts go or rebuild them before I foam. I think I want to put them back where I can use pass through bolts instead of lag bolts.

I'll keep chipping away at it...
 

JonNmtJuliet

Seaman
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
57
Just buy a new unit then make it fit. They come with the ability to fit to different tank depths for adjustment. All you need to know is the tank depth to select and order.
Start with a look into Moeller, not sure of the spelling.

Much appreciated. I looked but couldn't find anything that looked like it so I thought I'd ask. I'll take a look at those and grab some measurements.
 

ACon977

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 21, 2017
Messages
759
No you didn't miss it. I'm going to drill and fill them after I get the floor down. So holes through the floor into the stringers and holes through the floor to fill the empty cavity's. I'll do this before I lay the glass down. That way I can put the plugs back , fill in with thickened epoxy then glass. My only thread of logic for this path is that I wanted to foam all at the same time and it should be easier to fix the holes with the wood plug. I did glass over where I cut into the stringers before the floor went down but i don't think I captured that. Also, I either need to block the opening where the motor mounts go or rebuild them before I foam. I think I want to put them back where I can use pass through bolts instead of lag bolts.

I'll keep chipping away at it...

ok for sure!

I'm not terribly experienced with the whole stringer building techniques, and the foam confuses me. But I dont see anything wrong with doing it after the floor. You may actually get a more full foam pour since its in an enclosed area.

Definitely dont put any glass on your deck until after you pour the foam. I made that mistake like a noob and burned up a drill and 2 bits making my foam holes. Lessons learned.

Will you use a higher # foam for the stringers?
 

JonNmtJuliet

Seaman
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
57
ok for sure!

I'm not terribly experienced with the whole stringer building techniques, and the foam confuses me. But I dont see anything wrong with doing it after the floor. You may actually get a more full foam pour since its in an enclosed area.

Definitely dont put any glass on your deck until after you pour the foam. I made that mistake like a noob and burned up a drill and 2 bits making my foam holes. Lessons learned.

Will you use a higher # foam for the stringers?

Ya I remember a few complaining about smoking hole saws so I made a mental note. I'm probably going to use 2lb for everything but I can see it being smart to use something more dense in the stringers. My main concern is buoyancy as I think it will be plenty strong when I'm done. Besides the worst it may see is chasing the wake of a barge.

This is my first go at it as well so I'm learning as I go and reading everything I can find. It's amazing the amount of wise folks that share their knowledge here not to mention the craftsmanship presented.
 

ACon977

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 21, 2017
Messages
759
Ya I remember a few complaining about smoking hole saws so I made a mental note. I'm probably going to use 2lb for everything but I can see it being smart to use something more dense in the stringers. My main concern is buoyancy as I think it will be plenty strong when I'm done. Besides the worst it may see is chasing the wake of a barge.

This is my first go at it as well so I'm learning as I go and reading everything I can find. It's amazing the amount of wise folks that share their knowledge here not to mention the craftsmanship presented.

For sure, glad you learned that before hand haha.

As far as buoyancy, this is my one engineering minded pet peeve. Filling your boat with foam wont help it float, UNLESS you are submerged, then this foam acts as an air pocket which floats you. Under normal operation, the amount of buoyancy is depicted by how much water your boat displaces.
 

kcassells

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Messages
8,576
Coast Guard requires manufactures of boats 20' and less to use foam.

http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/assets/builders-handbook/FLOTATION.pdf

But in a you own the boat rehab you can what you want. It's your boat. I just don't know why you wouldn't add that safety device to any boat. If accident occurred I'll bet the insurance co. won't cover it.
I'd always want that xtra float time to keep everyone safe. I hate shark bites.
 

ACon977

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 21, 2017
Messages
759
Coast Guard requires manufactures of boats 20' and less to use foam.

http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/assets/builders-handbook/FLOTATION.pdf

But in a you own the boat rehab you can what you want. It's your boat. I just don't know why you wouldn't add that safety device to any boat. If accident occurred I'll bet the insurance co. won't cover it.
I'd always want that xtra float time to keep everyone safe. I hate shark bites.

Thats exactly right KC! Its a safety device, not something that will help you float during normal operation.
 

chevymaher

Commander
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Messages
2,914
Coast Guard requires manufactures of boats 20' and less to use foam.

http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/assets/builders-handbook/FLOTATION.pdf

But in a you own the boat rehab you can what you want. It's your boat. I just don't know why you wouldn't add that safety device to any boat. If accident occurred I'll bet the insurance co. won't cover it.
I'd always want that xtra float time to keep everyone safe. I hate shark bites.

I added onto and enclosed the side panels so it would hold 8 cubic feet more than it had factory. I like my family bitching and looking at me like a moron if something happened and it is full of water. All is good then.
 

TBarCYa

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 13, 2005
Messages
781
Much appreciated. I looked but couldn't find anything that looked like it so I thought I'd ask. I'll take a look at those and grab some measurements.

If your tank has baffles (to keep the gas from sloshing around) you may want to look into a vertical float sender but you have to know the depth of your tank and order appropriately. If you get one with the float at the end of an arm, be mindful that the holes are drilled so the sender only goes in one way and you may have to turn the unit under the mounting plate to get it to move and not hit the baffles. With the vertical sender, just turn it around until all 5 holes line up. It's a HUGE fire hazard if you don't get all 5 bolts in place.
 

kcassells

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Messages
8,576
So after the new sender is installed then you should do ANOTHER pressure test. I've read about guys closing in the tank only to find out that another hole popped or the tank leaked somewhere else.
Then had to chop open the floor.....and replace tank.
 

JonNmtJuliet

Seaman
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
57
For sure, glad you learned that before hand haha.

As far as buoyancy, this is my one engineering minded pet peeve. Filling your boat with foam wont help it float, UNLESS you are submerged, then this foam acts as an air pocket which floats you. Under normal operation, the amount of buoyancy is depicted by how much water your boat displaces.

I guess I should have stated safety for the foam as its not displacing water but it will keep it from sink assuming I can get enough in there. That's why I keep going back and forth on the locker storage to just fill it with foam. One less leaking area to worry with... storage is nice to have but the odds are it will just get filled with junk... I still have a little time to decide.
 

JonNmtJuliet

Seaman
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
57
If your tank has baffles (to keep the gas from sloshing around) you may want to look into a vertical float sender but you have to know the depth of your tank and order appropriately. If you get one with the float at the end of an arm, be mindful that the holes are drilled so the sender only goes in one way and you may have to turn the unit under the mounting plate to get it to move and not hit the baffles. With the vertical sender, just turn it around until all 5 holes line up. It's a HUGE fire hazard if you don't get all 5 bolts in place.

Oh sure now you tell me after I put the order in last night... :) I did look at those but since the original was a rocker type I just went back with that. I took kcassells advice and got a moeller which oddly enough they are right down the road from me. my tank is 7.5" tall and they have a 6 - 12" version so I should clear the baffles once I cut to size.
 

JonNmtJuliet

Seaman
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
57
So after the new sender is installed then you should do ANOTHER pressure test. I've read about guys closing in the tank only to find out that another hole popped or the tank leaked somewhere else.
Then had to chop open the floor.....and replace tank.

I was going to completely cover the tank and put an access panel in but the back bench will cover that so I think I'm going to leave it open in the back so I can access without a saw. I should get the sender installed this weekend. I guess I need to look up how to pressure test a gas tank.
 

kcassells

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Messages
8,576
HD sells a gas gauge test kit. Just need to decide which pipe to use to fill with air. For fill and vent I grabbed some rubber caps with clamps in the plumbing isle to seal and used fuel to engine barb fitting to fill which had the gauge assembly in line.
 

JonNmtJuliet

Seaman
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
57
I had some time this weekend so I got a few things done.
  • floor is down bow to stern -- nice to have a solid surface bow to stern
  • sanded the perimeter on the floor and the hull for tabbing
  • gas gauge sender is cut and installed but I need to tighten the bolts and pressure test
  • made some thickened epoxy to smooth out some transition places.
  • cleaned up the keyhole
up on the docket for this week...
  • get the tabbing down and see where we are with supplies
  • put order in for more glass, epoxy, and figure out what I need for foam insulation
  • find a hatch for the locker space
  • round the corners on the ply terminating in the engine bay so the glass can transition down
  • figure out how I'm going put back the bow (originally it had a 6" transition down from the bow)
Nothing exciting but documented work...
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kcassells

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Messages
8,576
I gots to ask is the bottom side of the wood deck wetted out/glassed?
 

JonNmtJuliet

Seaman
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
57
I gots to ask is the bottom side of the wood deck wetted out/glassed?

the bottom and edges have two coats of epoxy but no glass. I figured glass on top should be enough. Once I'm ready I'll sand the top, one coat of epoxy followed up wet with 2 layers of 17 oz.
 
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