76 bomber bass boat restoration

greasemonkeyjmj

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264
i am currently in the proccess of retoring a 76 bomber trophy bassboat. a few of you on here have answered questions from me on other posts on this boat. and i thank you all. except for the transom, the boat is really solid, even after sitting under a ragged tarp since 1992. i currently have the top cap off of it and have the old transom wood out of it. after reading post here,i have decided to sandwich 2 pieces of 3/4 ply with glass in between them. and wrap it with glass to seal the outside.i have a couple of questions on this topic. first is where is a good place to buy epoxy resin ? everyone around here only carries polyester. and also when i slip my new transom assembly back in, what do i need to do to bond it to the original inside and outside transom walls ? thanks and sorry so long
 

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oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

appearantly us composites has good deals on epoxy....alot of the guys order from there if they cant find it locally....

if you are replacing the transom....i would cut out the inner skin....it will make it a lot easyer for you to get a proper seal to the transom.....
 

greasemonkeyjmj

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

if i cut out the inner side, it would sure make it easier to get to the inside of the back wall of the transom to clean it so i can get a good bond. but what do i need to do to brace it back up, and tie it in on the inside, since there will be no inner wall anymore ?
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Nov 11, 2005
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51,019
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

you bond your wood to the outer skin, then rebuild the inner with new glass. http://forums.iboats.com/forumdisplay.php?f=407

transom001.jpg

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readyforglass001.jpg

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Stoutcat

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Aug 6, 2008
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180
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

Hi greasemonkeyjmj,

I use US composites... About $120/3gal kit plus shipping...

As for securing the stern... To do the job right (IMHO), you're going to need knees that secure the stern to the bottom as well as the sides. On a newer boat you might not need to be so careful, but on an older boat, I think you're going to have to distribute the load... You can make the knees out of 1.5" strips of clear stock laminated to the appropriate shape. If you can truly tie the stern to the bottom (deck) and the sides, you should be ok...

Alan
 

tashasdaddy

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51,019
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

when he get the cap back on, he won't need the knees.
 

greasemonkeyjmj

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 7, 2008
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264
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

the boat actually does have some knees in it, although for some reason they have been cut down from the original height. this boat is strange anyway. i looked everywhere i could see, inside and out for the hull number and never could find it.but after i pulled the cap off i found the number, when the cap is in place, it comes down over the hull number and hides it.and another thing, the top of the hull, where the cap fits down on is not straight at all, it looks like it was cut with a sawzall or something, i mean gosh it is cut wavy as all get out. and you can see magic marker lines on it where it was marked for the cut.
 

redfury

Commander
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
2,655
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

They'll laminate the hull with extra glass sticking up and then cut off the excess while the glass is still "green"....that's one of the reasons it's so wavy.
 

greasemonkeyjmj

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 7, 2008
Messages
264
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

ok i got my transom glassed in, i still have to drill out holes for my engine bolts and other goodies. i ended up using a piece of 3/4 ply and a piece of 3/8 with a layer of glass sandwiched between, and stainless screws holding it together. then added 2 layers of glass to each outer side.
 

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Off-Peak

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jul 22, 2008
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Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

looks good!! I have a year to plan & prep before I pull the cap off mine and doo the same...
 

greasemonkeyjmj

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Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

thanks for the compliment.so far the hardest part of the project is finding the funds to purchase the rest of what i will need to finish my project.
 

Dale7

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Joined
Aug 10, 2008
Messages
3
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

My searching abilities being what they are (bad) could you tell me how you got the cap off? I have a 77 bomber that is my winter project and I'll be replacing the transom. I just haven't figured out how to get the cap off.

BTW that's a good looking job you did.
 

greasemonkeyjmj

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Jul 7, 2008
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264
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

on the back port and starboard side there is a aluminum trim piece, remove the screws and it will come off. then just start working the black rubrail insert out. once it comes out, mine had pop rivets, just drill them out and the rubrail frame comes off. there was a few rivets under the frame, drill them out, remove the motor and the aluminum trim piece under it. unhook all wiring and it should come right off. if it is glued, which mine wasnt, just slip in a thin putty knife between the top and bottom seam and work it around till its all free.
 

greasemonkeyjmj

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Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

by the way dale start a thread on the forum about your project. there is lots of folks here that are more than willing to help you out with any questions you may have. without their help, i never would have started my project.


and also thanks for the compliment
 

greasemonkeyjmj

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 7, 2008
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264
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

going on vacation next week, to fight the ts fay rains on the coast. when i get back, ill be ready to put my cap back on. what does everyone recommend i use between the lower hull and the upper cap for sealer ?
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

3m 4200 or pl 9000 cons adh


then rivet or bolt
 

redfury

Commander
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Jul 16, 2006
Messages
2,655
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

Or if you can find a thin foam you can use that if you bond it with a little spray adhesive, which is what they did on my glastron. Less mess and easier to get the cap back off if you ever had to.
 

greasemonkeyjmj

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 7, 2008
Messages
264
Re: 76 bomber bass boat restoration

have you ever noticed how good it feels to see the end of a project coming up? I took my bomber out for its maiden run this morning. it is the first time in the water since 1992.the best part was actually getting to try out the engine that sat with the boat. i got to run in on the hose,but couldnt water test it, cause i think the transom was bad enough that the engine would have passed me up.i still have some small things to do, but the hard things are done. engine ran good with the exception of a little stumble if i come off of idle quickly. and i still need to check the charging system, but the hull rode and handled really well. i really appreciate all the help from the members here..

thanks

GM
 
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