Stringer install

Jakem

Ensign
Joined
Apr 25, 2021
Messages
913
I am about to start the install process and have read many different posts on this. My stringers fit well with little gap between hull and stringer. Some say I can install resin and cabosil along sides for the radio's and then just tab in with 1708. Some say peanut butter underneath with foam spacers to keep stringer up abit...so if my stringers fit well...can I do the first method I mentioned without gluing them to hull.
 

Drivewayboater2

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 21, 2019
Messages
273
Someone else may chime in but I think the strength comes from the glassing and not gluing the to the hull. I left a little gap and used peanut butter. Used the plastic bag method with the corner cut out and squeezed it in. Then I tabbed in with glass and completely covered with 2 layers.
some have used PL adhesive. But you gotta leave time for the gases to dissipate before you tab or glass. Your choice
 

stresspoint

Ensign
Joined
Sep 19, 2022
Messages
997
one of my older builds i was relegated to leaving big gaps between the hull and the wood,
if i cut the wood to mate all the way along i would have had the floor too low. rather than fill with talc mix and make it very heavy , not to mention the cost of the extra resin i decided to tab the stringer to the hull ,i allowed the first lot of tabs that were basically just there to hold everything in place to cure over night then finished the strengthening glassing in the next day.

boat was solid as a rock , so from then on i figured there was no point to attempting to fill gaps under the stringers , it just adds weight and costs money .
hang the tabbing correctly and the radiuses will come natural.
 

froggy1150

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 3, 2017
Messages
803
You use some type of filler between the stringer and the hull to avoid hard spots. If the stringer is touching in a spot and then not it will allow things to flex differently and then crack.The tabbing is the strength and has to get thinner on every layer to allow things to flex gradually like a leaf spring on a truck.
 

Jakem

Ensign
Joined
Apr 25, 2021
Messages
913
My understanding is to not use pl adhesive or will that be fine so long as there no voids between hull and stringer
 

froggy1150

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 3, 2017
Messages
803
Most important is no voids and a nice gradual taper in your tabbing. I used peanut butter. I 100% wrapped every piece of wood individually then set in place with the aid of clamps and supports, using pb. Nice thing about using pb is if you do all your tabbing at the same time when you bubble roll you get perfect radius. If your joints are to long to get it all done scrape off all the excess and then do your fillets when you tab. Pl is fine as long as you are willing to wait 7-10 days for it to offgass.
 

todhunter

Canoeist
Joined
Sep 15, 2020
Messages
1,257
Just use PB. That way all your layups and adhesive joints are the same material, and you don't have to even think about material compatibility.
 

Jakem

Ensign
Joined
Apr 25, 2021
Messages
913
Just out of curiosity is there a reason not to use short strand fiberglass filler.
 

froggy1150

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 3, 2017
Messages
803
So glass cloth is the strength. The resin is the glue. Peanut butter is resin and cabosil. Cabosil is a thickening agent. Turns the liquid to a putty so it can hold its shape til it cures. Depending on your needs you adjust to the consistency you like. I would add a little chopped strand in my pb to add some strength. Not much though because it would also thicken it up and too much made it unmanageable. Kinda whatever you feel works but you do need the cabosil or it won't hold its shape.
 

matt167

Captain
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
3,721
Short strand fiberglass filler. Aka kitty hair is an automotive filler. Talc is the thickener used which absorbs water.
 
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