Metal Seat Reinforcement for floor....

Racingman24

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 23, 2009
Messages
126
For those of you that have fiberglassed the floor of your aluminum boat, did you still use metal reinforcement for where the seat base is?

Or is the fiberglassed wood strong enough to take the pressure?

When I took the boat apart, there were only 2 seats in it, and there was a piece of aluminum that went from the main front to rear stringer down to the side to side ones, but that floor obviously didn't have glass on it.

So is it something I should put back in and add for the new seats, or is the glassed floor enough?
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,924
Re: Metal Seat Reinforcement for floor....

You can Double the deck thickness either on top by making a beveled pedestal or below deck to allow for reinforcement. Up to you to determine the look you're after. Here's a pic of what a fellow iBoater did for a pedestal...

(Click the pic to enlarge)

seatpedestal.jpg
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: Metal Seat Reinforcement for floor....

that is your call......woody above has pics of a proper pedistal set up.
however ......boat rebuilders rule of thumb....replace what was there and make it better.

if your tinny has super air ride custom chairs, (if you have these, you will know it...the are like captains chairs in a semi truck) they are uasually mounted to a seperate full pedistal. in that case no....you dont have to reinforce.

if you are going back to back loungers......no... they dont need to be reinforced.
if you are going pedistal mount ....yes they need to be re inforced....either with wood above or below (as pictured above) or with a metal plate under, not cust a piece of floppy tin but a thicker longer piece of aluminum. most of the stress on the pedistal is back and front....so a longer peice than the base it self is needed. a full foot or two if you can do it.
for side to side ....general rule of thumb is to the stringer and to allmost the side of the hull.
then the lags for the pedistal it self go thru the alum or glassed wood.

hope thats clear enough

cheers
oops
 
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