1979 26' Commander gas & H2O tank replacement & ?

[jigngrub]

I dunno, you blew my mind with the turning on heaters and almost 80*F talk... I had to take a look at your profile and see where you were, then I understood, BC Canada. 80* is what I have my air conditioner set on for inside the house, it was 106*F here in Alabama today.:flame:

Work looks good, hope the "warm" weather holds for you up there.

 

[Mikeopsycho]

I dunno, you blew my mind with the turning on heaters and almost 80*F talk... I had to take a look at your profile and see where you were, then I understood, BC Canada. 80* is what I have my air conditioner set on for inside the house, it was 106*F here in Alabama today.:flame:

Work looks good, hope the "warm" weather holds for you up there.

LOL. I set the AC to 70*F. I gotta be honest, I think 106*F would kill me. :faint:No, really. Although it would make pouring foam easier....or would it?

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Just for kicks I calculated to see how my resin usage is coming along. To make it easy (read understandable) I converted everything to US gallons. So, the amount of resin to actually get applied was 1 gallon, 6.6 pints (6900ml). The total area glassed is 9 sq yds. Proper coverage with 1.5 oz CSM, according to various sources is 4.2 sq yds per gallon, so I should have used 2.14 gallons. Hmmm, looks like I was a couple pints too light. Seemed like lots of resin to me. I guess I could subtract a bit of yardage for the holes, cut outs, and tapered sides, so maybe I was almost right on.

When I do the top side with multi layers will I still need 1 gallon for every 4.2 square yards per layer? Is it as simple as just adding up the total square yardage of CSM that will be used and divide by 4.2? I just want to make sure I don't run out of supplies during the lay up.

 

[Rickmerrill]

Yeah, it is as simple as that. You will need the same amount of resin for wet out of each layer. I think the not so simple part is figuring the resin needed for PB along with not forgetting all the little things like inside corners, covering bare wood, waste, etc. You're doing good on the resin. I just placed my second order for resin when I figured out how much more I'd need need just to install the deck.

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Thanks Rick. I think I went too heavy with the resin on the stringer work and some of the other below deck fabricating, I didn't try to figure out anything, just slapped on resin till everything looked wet. Having read on iboats that too much resin is not really a good thing, I've been trying to use as little as I can to get the job done, sort of, I still tend to mix too much, but I'm learning. I'm on my third 5 gallon bucket of resin. I hear you regarding the PB, corners, waste, etc., tricky business, this resin calculating. :ranger:

I started out today by trimming the edges of my floor boards, just to do something useful while waiting for the ambient temperature to increase. Then I tried to put my garage back into a similar state of chaos that it was in before I started on the floor board glassing. The nice thing about adding wax to the resin is I'm able to stack up these boards without everything sticking together.



Then the foaming fun began. I brought the part B bucket and containers into the shop and poured eight 8oz cups, then quickly put the cups into the warm boat salon, and put the bucket back in the heated room. Then I did the same with the part A stuff. Then I started mixing and pouring. I preheated the inside of the hull before pours with a heat gun. When I ran out of supplies in the boat I'd climb back out and restock. Good thing I preheated everything, the temp today only hit 76*F, and not till late this afternoon. Everything went very well.



I'll finish trimming and check for any low spots tomorrow, today it's beer o'clock. I was gonna try and tell you guys I mixed a nice frothy latte,



but I figured you'd know a cup of pour foam when you saw one. Maybe this is more believable after a hard day of boat rebuilding, cheers,



I ended up with about 1.2 us gallons each of part A and part B foam left over, about what I expected to have. It was cheaper to buy the 10 gallon kit than it would have been to buy four 2 gallon kits. Apparently his stuff has a short shelf life. My supplier said if I keep it in a cool dry space it'll still be ok next spring, although I'm not too sure where I'll be able to use it. If any of my fellow iboater's think they can use it , and are planning a trip through BC, PM me.

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Today I vacuumed out the boat and rolled a layer of resin over the foam.

My wife's brother in law brought his canoe over and we started reaffixing the yoke. It had been reattached by a previous owner with bondo or something, and one side broke free this year. I lifted gently on the loose side and the other side just popped off too. We ground off all the old repair material got down to clean fiberglass on the yoke and on the hull. We clamped a couple 3/4" plywood cleats onto the hull with resin and CSM sandwiched in between for the yoke to sit on. When that tacked up I mixed a batch of PB and laid a nice bead of it on the cleats. I set the yoke in position and filled and filleted all around with PB. I cut a couple pieces of 1708 which we'll use for tabbing tomorrow.

Tomorrow we'll lift the deck boards into my boat, and I'll start screwing them down.

I did an estimate of how much resin I'm going to need to complete things...looks like I'm gonna need another 5 gallon bucket. I've got about 2 gallons on hand, which will be enough to glass inside the engine space, and enough to fillet everything with PB. One of my daughters is coming to visit tomorrow and she drives right past my supplier, (2 1/2 hours from here) to get here, so I might get her to pick up the resin for me. Hmmm, I'd better take a look at my MEKP and air-dry stock too....

 

[Mikeopsycho]

The floor is in! :happy: The wife's brother in law stopped by and helped me lift the plywood into the boat. I glued up the butt joints with Titebond 3 and biscuits. Then I predrilled over the stringers and installed #8 X 1 1/2" stainless steel screws coated in 3m 5200, and covered the heads in 5200.





Oh, and as for the b-I-l's canoe repair, just before I applied the 1708 we noticed I had put the yoke on backwards. :facepalm: Instead of the open edge facing the front of the canoe, it faces the rear. Oops. We decided to leave it as is and carried on with the lay-up. He'll just have to walk backwards when portaging it or turn the canoe around.

 

[Woodonglass]

Nice job on the Floor/Deck/Sole/Wood Thing that covers the stringers!!!!! It looks GREAT!!!!

 

[Mikeopsycho]

LOL! Thanks WOG, yeah, I'm pretty stoked about having that flat thingy you walk on installed. :lock1:

 

[Mikeopsycho]

I had taken the firewall out in three pieces, so yesterday eve I glued the pieces back together with titebond 3 and biscuits. I also ripped a piece of 4 1/4" X 3/4" plywood to replace the upright brace thing-a-ma-bob I had cut out from the engine space. Today I ground all the gelcoat off the firewall piece, reground the old fiberglass, sanded the new plywood, vacuumed, and wiped down with acetone, all inside the engine space. Then I filled all the joints, low spots, etc. with PB. I glued in the firewall piece with titebond 3.

Here's the firewall piece laying on the deck,



Here it is again looking from the engine space,



And again,



And now it's glued in place,



I also glued in the replacement upright brace what-u-ma-call-it in the engine space,

 

[Mikeopsycho]

So, the "plan" for Monday: engine space; PB fillets, cut all CSM and 1708, glass in everything, gel coat, relax, have a beer.
The reality: filleted with PB, rough cut all CSM and 1708, got tired and quit, had a beer.




Todays plan: fine cut all matt and cloth, glass in, gelcoat, have a beer.
The reality: fine cut and dry fit everything and drew up a plan, in reverse, for the glassing job. Laid all CSM and 1708 out on the cockpit deck in sequence and noted on paper. It was a lot of material in a small area, so planning and organizing everything in order was key. Did final touch up grinding, vacuumed and acetone wiped, and started laying-up.

Applied a heavy coat of resin to all bare plywood, laying it on extra thick on the 35 year old bare plywood firewall. Waited for it to tack up, then applied a CSM layer up the firewall past the cut joint, and all the way back to half way up the upright brace piece, followed with a large 1708 tabbing piece than ran 2" past the CSM on the firewall, covered all the butt joints, and tabbed the front side of the upright brace running port/starboard. Then I tabbed the aft side of the brace and wrapped 1708 down into the engine support areas. Laid a layer of CSM on and rolled out with the small bubble buster. Covered everything with a second layer of CSM. Then I capped the upright brace piece with ripped and torn CSM. Had a beer.







The gelcoat will have to wait till tomorrow. There're a couple spots I want to clean up before I gelcoat, so I'll do a light grinding and wipe with acetone, then I'll do a couple coats of gelcoat.

This part of the rebuild was a PITA! Too small a space, too many pieces of material, too tight, and I'm too old and grumpy and miserable to have to bend into pretzel shapes just so I can say I did it.....but...I DID IT! :whoo: Ha! And I'm probably nuts enough that I'd do it again....such is the curse of the boat rebuilder....never knowing when to quit. :boink:

 

[nurseman]

Looking good Mikeo! I hear you on the not bending into pretzel shapes anymore. But the beers do help some

 

[kcassells]

Yada, yada yada.....Looks Great Mikey Psyc! I feel the back pain.

 

[zool]

I feel your pain, my days of playing twister at midship are coming to a close too ......and my next big boat will have a transom door for sure, climbing back out for things I forget took a few years off me im sure!...congrats on the progress!

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Ground out a couple rough spots in the engine space and did a light grind all over, cleared out all the holes that are supposed to be there, then vacuumed and wiped down with acetone. Rolled on a coat of un-waxed gelcoat, followed by a second coat of waxed gelcoat, which I had dyed light grey. I'm thrilled with how it came out, and happy as a pig in...well, as happy as a fly on a...oh, uh, I'm very happy with how it came out, and pleased as punch that I'm done in the engine space!





As you can see I buggered up the dip stick on the starboard engine. I'm thinking JB weld could repair this. Anybody with a better idea feel free to chime in.

Then I got to work on cleaning up the dinette base. I tried a couple methods to clean off the old glue that held on carpeting originally, and cork flooring more recently, and ended up having the most success with the angle grinder and 60 grit resin sanding disks. There's some pretty nice wood under all that goop.



I decided to repaint the under side of the dinette base, which also serves as a couple of stowage compartments. It was dark brown. I'm painting it grey, the deck under it will be grey gelcoat, so I figured it'd be nice to have it kinda match, plus I think it'll be easier to see in there with the lighter colour. I'm also painting the area at the back that cannot be accessed and will never be seen (till the next guy rebuilds the boat again) just so I know it's all sealed up. Here's what I started with,



I sanded everything with 80 grit and applied primer,



Here's what I'm using,



cont. next post.....

 

[Mikeopsycho]

.......cont'd

I'll put the enamel on tomorrow morning. It'll probably need two coats.

I forgot to mention that before I started painting I did a dry fit with the dinette base/stowage cabinet, the head/shower pan, and the hanging locker forward of the dinette. I wanted to make sure everything would still fit with the slightly modified water tank fill and vent fittings,





Looks good to me. Now I'm tossing around a couple different methods to glass and gelcoat the deck and dinette base. Because I will not be able to access part of the area under the base, I think I might glass, tab, and gelcoat the under the dinette base first, then place the base in position and fillet , glass, and tab it along with all the rest of the deck. I outlined the base with a pencil while I had it in place for the dry fit. Any and all ideas and suggestions are welcome.

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Thanks kcassells, a couple cold ones and a bit of time in the hot-tub works wonders on the back, and all the other sore parts too. :eagerness:

Hey zool, thanks. A transom door....I hear ya man! MY next boat's gonna have an elevator. Oh, and a cannon too. Don't know why, but I always wanted a cannon. :eyebrows: :crazy:layful:

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Hi ya nurseman, you said it, a couple beers help a bit. How do you find time to post on iboats? You're just screaming along on your project. Are there 28 hours a day where you live? I'm always impressed with the speed AND quality you are making on your rebuild. Race ya....no no, just kidding, I'll just keep stumbling along at my own pace.

 

[nurseman]

Gotta remember that I'm only working on a little 15 footer, not a behemoth like yours. Your work is looking top rate!

 

[Mikeopsycho]

We had a wet, rainy day today. :rain:All I got done on the project was I painted the battle ship grey on the underside of the dinette (inside the stowage space).



Now I'm looking for some suggestions. The interior walls are covered in a glued on fabric that needs to be replaced. I don't want to put fabric back on, I want something that is washable. The head area actually had a heavy vinyl glued on the walls, which also needs to be replaced. I'm thinking vinyl all around would work out fine, but I don't know where to find a suitable product. Any ideas? Product types? Suppliers?