1972 Ouachita rebuild

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

mix up some PB using your epoxy or a gallon of resin from Lowes or HD.

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Got some pictures of the progress. I've started the deck. Its kind of aggravating because the deck is 49.5 inches wide. Really messes up a sheet of ply if you know what I mean. I'm using Bondo Glass to fill in the remainder of the transom cap. I was a little disappointed to find the hardener it came with was really only a sample.

 

[Hoyt79]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Just wanted to say that I am new to the forum and will be watching your thread very closely. I just picked up a 1969 fiberglass Ouachita with a 33HP Johnson for $300, I might have lots of questions for you at some point. Awsome work, looks great!

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Welcome aboard. I'm new also, but everyone is great and eager to help on this forum.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

You are planning on tabbing your deck to the hull right???

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

I have 25 yards of 6 inch tape that I'm going to run around the boat twice. 3 inches up and 3 inches out. Then 1708 on the deck.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

3 inches aint much!!! I'd use 12" so you could go 6 and 6

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

It'll have to do. Its all I have and already on the way. Down the sides there are fiberglass rails that hold the padded walls and they are only an inch and a half above the deck. It'll be real short though there. I've pretty much gone way over budget on this thing and am now just trying to get it back together. The wife froze my account and threatened my life, lol.

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

The fiberglass is going as smooth as gravel so I switched to the transom steel. My uncle runs a metal fab shop and bent me some 1/8 inch stainless for the motor mount. It needs to be buffed out, but right now I'm just burning up bits and making holes.

The rear plate is not centered, but I put it where it was originally.

 

[David Unnerstall]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Cretus,

Can you elaborate on how you managed the transom replacement? I have the same boat and I can't stand the thought that it is going to occupy space in a landfill because of a piece of plywood. And I am convinced the hull on this boat is one piece and cannot be separated.

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

I took a grinder and cut 2 inches out all the way across the back. Originally I was going to dig all the old wood out and pour in a Seafoam transom, but my floor and stringers were rotten so it all had to go.
I ended up cutting out the inner skin of glass which made the removal of the old wood very easy, but the floor has to be removed to do this. I used two cuts of 3/4 ACX ply glued together for the transom itself and it was completely saturated in epoxy resin.
I'm not going to lie to you, it costs a fortune and is very time consuming. You'll need alot of patience, which I'm lacking, to get it done.
Hows your floor? you may want to drill a hole in the floor and get to the flotation foam to check for water. If the foams wet, you'll be replacing all the wood in the boat. If the foam is dry you may want to look into Seacast of Nitabond to do a pour in transom

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

I've got a delima. I only have 1/2 gallon of epoxy left and need this thing in the water next friday. I have 4 yards of 1708 laying on the deck and theres no way this half gallons going to make it. Can poly resin be used on the deck then finish taping the edges with epoxy?? They sell the poly resin down at the local hardware store.

The edges have a real light weight tape with epoxy in it now. Will the poly stick to it, or is my fishing trip doomed?

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Well as it is theres a West Marine 20 minutes from the house:facepalm:. well either way I bought some epoxy from them and have the floor glassed. I'm going to tab around the edges again before I paint it. Went ahead and hung the motor also.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

That came out nice. Epoxy sticks to poly but poly doesn't stick to epoxy so you're better off not interchanging the two.

 

[KC4ZQZ]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Hey Cretus, I'm new to the board also and I'm looking at the same project that you're just finishing up - if I want to use my boat again. I have a 1974 14' Ouachita/'75 40 hp Johnson which has been setting up for about 3 years now. The floor has rotted, probably the stringers too, and I found out 5 years ago that the transom was wet so I know what that means. I'll definitely be rereading this thread. Thanks for posting the pics. My design looks very much like yours. Congrats on a nice job! Charles.

 

[KC4ZQZ]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Cretus, I forgot to ask, how long is your boat and how much glass and epoxy did you end up using on this project? I'm trying to get an idea of the cost for my repair and trying to find the "will" and the energy to get started. This is NOT something that I wanted to do at this point in my life and I could certainly identify with the first line of your original post. I'm somewhat familiar with glass and epoxy after building three strip-built kayaks but I've never wanted to get this deep into my bass boat.

 

[David Unnerstall]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Cretus, My floor is, in fact, shot the foam is waterlogged. I had no idea the transom could come out like that. It appears I will be ripping everything out, soon. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

The boat is a 16'. I ended up using 3 gallons of 635 epoxy and one gallon of West systems epoxy on the floor. I only used this because I ran out of US composites brand. 4 yards of 1708 was used on the floor. I really wanted to go with two layers but my finances would not support it, but I believe it to be fairly stout. I used a yard of heavy woven on the transom and 50 yards of 6" tape on the stringers and the deck. I dont know the weight of the tape, but it was the same thickness of the 1708. The amount I spent was around $850.00 total on the glass, wood, and odds and ins. You may get away with less epoxy seeing that you have experience with it. Nice looking yaks by the way. I still need to buy new seats and paint the deck but its on hold till I get done fishing this weekend. I through the old carpet back in for the time being.



David. Its alot of work but with a little patience, help from the guys in here and an occasional beer you'll make it through.

 

[KC4ZQZ]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

Thanks Cretus for all the info and pics. I stripped mine down to the destruction point today - man what a job! I think I'm getting way too old for this stuff. It looks like David and I are in the same boat -- so to speak. I ripped a hole through a rotten spot in the floor and found the same thing that you found. The floor, transom, all that wet foam, and probably the stringers too have got to be replaced. BTW, what did you ever find out concerning the PURPOSE of the foam (other than soaking up all the water possible) and what did you replace it with?
I am/was/maybe plan to take the top cap off to make it easier and it would make it a lot easier to replace the wood on the inside/underside of the cap. The rivets in the aluminum rubrail are no problem but the bad part is they glassed strips of matt under the cap to the hull/cap joint. Not all the way around but almost. My grinder won't quite fit up under there. So I'm still scratching my head about it. Anyway, lots to do and little money to do with so, the good Lord willing, maybe I've got time to weigh it out. Charles.

 

[cretus]

Re: 1972 Ouachita rebuild

It would be much easier if you removed the cap. I only cut the transom because originally I was going to do a pour in transom product. I'll tell you what saved me. I went out and bought the one handed rigid sawsall from home depot. With the longest blade and its compact size I could cut anything with it.

The foam is for flotation in the event of the boat sinking. Its a coast guard regulation for a boat to be able to stay afloat for 16 hours or at least this is what I was told. Its also used for hull reinforcement. I did not put it back into mine.