1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Thanks for the PB help. Frisco has really been a big help and inspiration to me. His videos confinced me I could actually do this project. PB still looks like Bondo body filler to me, but its probably much cheaper to make it yourself. My foam arrived yesterday, and unfortunately, so did the rain. So I'm dead in the water again this weekend. I want to go ahead and figure out what glass and resin to order. Being a total rookie, I'm a bit overwhelmed with the options I see when searching websites. I've figured out that poly resin is probably the best route for me. But have no idea what type to get. Some are simple part A part B, others are mostly one part with a tiny bit of hardner. Again, I've never done this, so could use some guidance. I plan to simply use Durabak textured coating on the floor and not go back with carpet (again, like in one of Frisco's videos). So I'm thinking two layers of 1.5oz csm on top of the deck(?) Or do I need woven over the csm? I'm not sure. Please fill free to chim in and point this rookie in the right direction. My appologies for so few photos. I'm bad about spending my time working and not taking pictures. When the weather breaks and I can get the cover off again I plan to post several pics as a progress report. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Go to http://www.uscomposites.com/polyesters.html you want 435 Standard Polyester Layup Resin

csm on the bottom of the deck
csm covered with 1708 biax on the top that was my layup schedule.

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

I know I need 1708 for the tabbing around the edge of the deck. You're saying I need a full layer of that over the csm for the full deck? Another question too: How do I determine how much resin I will need?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

If you're using vinyl for your finished deck then two layers of CSM with a 1708 Tabbing will be just fine. You'll need a minimum of 5 gallons of resin to do your deck with this layup schedule. Remember you must precoat the wood first and then lay one layer or CSM on the bottom then two layers on the top plus the tabbing. What's the total sq. Footage of the deck area?

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

The floor panels are made of 1/2" MDO. After getting lots of suggestions here on how best to finish the bottom side I went with two coats of industrial oil based enamal paint with three coats on the edges. Then topped that with rubberized undercoating spray. So I'll only be fiberglassing the top side. Do you still believe I'll need 5 gallons of resin for two layers of csm and the tabbing? My total floor area is 78 sq ft.

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

I'm not a fan of paint and undercoating under the deck but hey it's YOUR boat.......

Here is the wet out calculations for ya!

Material to approximate gallons of resin used.
1.5 OZ MAT = 1 gallon covers 4.2 square yds
2.0 OZ MAT = 1 gallon covers 3.4 square yds
Here is a helpful table for cloth:
There are about 150 ounces per gallon by weight
1.5 ounce cloth (cloth not chopped mat)….1 gallon wets out 40 square yards
2.5 ounce cloth….1 gallon wets out 25 square yards
4 ounce cloth……1 gallon wets out 15 square yards
6 ounce cloth……1 gallon wets out 10 square yards
10 ounce cloth…..1 gallon wets out 6.5 square yards
18 ounce woven roving …1 gallon wets out 4.5 square yards
24 ounce woven roving …1 gallon wets out 3.5 square yards.
Biaxial mat 1708.………….. 1 gallon wets out 4 square yards


So 78 sq ft = 8.5 sq yds

8.5 x 2 csm 17 yds.... 1 gallon wets 4.2 yds .... thats 4 gallons right there plus tabbing,PB mixture etc.....

 

[diggin4grouper]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

for those of you that dont like useing ply wood to replace a deck , heres the way to go the stuff is called cel-tec and its an Expanded PVC Sheet is a high density, expanded polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Expanded PVC is a very lightweight material that is easy to cut , as long as you sand of the shiny stuff from each side it can be fiber glassed to , fiberglass the bottom side of your project first then cut to size needed to replace the floor then fiberglass in place , after we replaced the floor in a boat with this stuff it was stronger than the factory floor and i weigh 300 lbs and the floor was solid as a rock , and now the floor never needs to be replaced again as it will never rott

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Thanks rickryder for the calculation and tips. That's very helpful. Had I known about the cel-tec I may have explored that route. I got a lot of advice about the MDO so that's what I got. Hopefully if the weather improves I'll get a chance next weekend to get it put in.

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

I have a question about doing the fiberglass layup. Does everything have to stay wet during the entire layup process, or can it be allowed to dry between layers? I've read and watched videos and it seems it can be done either way. If the first layer is dry does it have to be sanded before the second layer goes on?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Cel-Tec is kinda pricey. 3/4" 4 x 8 Sheet approx. $300 + shipping. Shipping is pricey too since it's classified as "Oversized"
It's always best to lay your glass "Wet on Wet". This ensures the best chemical bond between the layers. In reality you have at least a 36 hour window to apply the next layer. If you wait longer than that, a light scuff with 60 grit and wipe down with Acetone will do the trick.

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Tfret while looking over some of your pics I noticed foam around your fuel tank..... Thats not a good thing... If water gets trapped between the foam and the aluminum it wiil cause corosion and the tank will leak over time.... Here is a good link to read on setting a fuel tank.... http://www.yachtsurvey.com/fueltank.htm

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

rickryder, thank you for your observation. This is a new tank I had custom made last year. I foamed it into place just as the original was. But unlike the original install, I left the area under the tank unfoamed. That way moisture always has that void to drain into and from there it can go through limber holes out to the bilge. Yes, the original tank was 20+ years old and did have a lot of pitting from corrosion. When I had the new tank made, I had the gauge (thickness) of the aluminum doubled. That way I know it will last for a very long time. I put rubber between the tank and the stringers that it rests on. The original tank just sat on the stringers and had some serious wear in those spots. I'm sure like anything it won't last forever, but it should last at least as long as the original if not much longer. Thanks

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

I understand it's a thicker gauge but nothing should come in contact with the tank....It should just rest on plastic strips with 5200 glued to the bottom....

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

That is a good article on tank installation. I wish I read it this time last year. I will have to consider this. Wish it wasn't full of fuel.

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Ya could syphon it out......

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Well today the weather was pretty good so I started out by getting the edge where the deck will tab in all sanded down. The 60 grit flapper disk on a 4" hand help grinder really works well for this. It makes a huge mess. After I was done I used a leaf blower to get the bulk of the dust out of the boat, they shop vac'ed the rest out.

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Here's a shot of one of my limber holes with the pvc insert sealed with 5200.

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

I tried foaming over plastic and pvc pipe to create the channel to guide water to the limber holes. The plastic peels right off but the foam sticks to the pvc like glue, so that didn't work. So I just went with the plastic. Then after it cured I trimmed the bottom corner off where it meets the stringer and floor. I just carved it off like filleting a big fish. That worked like a charm but was a lot of work and working alone it basically took all day. If all goes well I'll start putting the deck in tomorrow.

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

Next time put the pipe down first then the plastic

 

[tfret]

Re: 1984 Dixie ski boat floor restoration

yeah, I actually tried that too, but I couldn't get the plastic to conform nicely around the shape of the pipe. It sounds easy enough but it just kept bunching up and wouldn't lay flat against the floor or the stringer either. I finally pitched the pipe all together. It worked out well once I figured out what to do and how to do it. Today I used a small amount of can foam to seal around all the edges of my foam peices to hold them in place and to keep the poured foam from getting under them and filling in my water channel and limber holes. Also I got two small deck sections in the rear cubbies installed today. I used 5200 to seal the screw holes on both sides of the deck. And got the rear section of deck in the boat but not screwed down. I'm out of time for this weekend. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of the deck installed and start tabbing. Sorry, I didn't take any photos today. More next time..