1987 Larson DC-215 restoration

[sms986]

All boards are fully laminated. I lightly did the end grains, and I'll go over them once more to get a glaze on them, then scuff it all up, clean it, and PB it in. At least that was the plan. I avoided drilling holes in the transom for the wood clamps that I'll be using to put it on the boat, so maybe I'll drill those holes now and take a look at them. If the gaps aren't bad I can mix up some PB without the csm and go over the end grains, filling the voids between. May put a few ss screws in too just for peace of mind. I guess it didn't turn out that bad for my first time around using fiberglass this way. I'll poke some holes in it and let you know.

​​​​thanks!

 

[sms986]

Turns out it was just around the edges that were bare. There was one bad spot that I filled with thickened resin and I went ahead and drilled holes/filled with resin and screwed in marine SS screws all around, about 1' apart, but it cleaned up well and I don't think it's coming apart.

 

[sms986]

Today, I ran into another wonderful issue. The place where I've been laminating boards etc is 1/2 hour away from where the boat is. I had all three bulkheads and all of the wood for my motor mounts in my bed, unlaminated (didn't get a chance to do them) and ready to go to the shop where the boat is. I checked the weather and was off. About 10 minutes after I left, a freak thunderstorm rolled in out of no where and soaked ALL OF THEM. I pulled in to the nearest gas station (another 10 minutes away) and waited it out. I am not absolutely infuriated at this point. Is this the point where I start over? Or will the wood be ok once it dries out?

 

[oldrem]

Towel dry them the best you can and put in a nice warm spot for a few days until you know they are thoroughly dry. Should be fine imho

 

[sms986]

It's in! Thanks for all the help up to this point. I finally got my first piece of new wood in.

Lesson learned: Don't mix an extra cup of PB to use for final adjustments until AFTER the transom is in place. I mixed 2 batches of PB-one to glue the transom to the outer skin and one to clean up/do a bit of filleting. Before I even had the transom and skin completely covered in PB my extra cup was getting HOT and it got rock hard by the time the transom was in place and clamped down.

I am a little nervous about it because I watched it for 20 minutes or so after I got it in and it wasn't getting stiff. It got tacky on the surface but that's about it. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Anyway, I got a small amount of squeeze out all around the keyhole and across the bottom. The top, however, has about an 1/8" Max gap. I'll probably PB in fillets around the bottom and along the sides then mix up some resin/hardener/silica and pour it in through the top before doing the fillets. Other than that, I think it went well.

 

[sms986]

Still at it. I've done three layers of PB around the bottom and sides of the transom so far. One layer to get in the back of the transom, one layer to get rough PB joints, and one to finish off and do fillets. I'll be filling the voids on the side with 105, 206, and 406 then filleting in the top shortly. In the meantime, I have the three major bulkheads cut out and laminated.

So far I'm having a blast. It'll be one expensive mistake if something doesn't work out, but it's a heck of an experience so far and I'm enjoying it.

I left large (5/8") gaps in between the bottom of the boat and my transom so that when I mount the speed, transducer, etc I'll be drilling into PB, not wood. I used pastry bags to squeeze the PB into the hard reaches and it worked well.

I'll be deburing and sanding the fillets tomorrow. Once I get that far I'll post some progress pictures!

 

[sms986]

I obviously didn't get as far as I planned in the last post. We had friend walleye for memorial day and I spent the remainder of the day sprawled out on the couch.

I did go down later that night and I tried something new. I'm using West system 406 silica as my filler, and I mixed up some thick PB with no chopped strands in it, only using silica. I used it on the top only because I wasn't sure on the strength of this and the top of my old transom literally wasn't even tabbed from the factory anyway. The fillets turned out much more smooth and it was much easier. With the strands, it was kind of like pulling hair out of a shower drain. They all came out as slender, hairy slabs when I went over with my filleting tool. It was actually a little difficult to do. However, with no fibers it was fantastic. I posted a picture below (along with my laminated bulkheads!)

So, is there another way to make some strong PB without using chopped strands, and what are the benefits/drawbacks?

Also, this is a gradual project and with the money flowing in and out of my bank account for other things (mortgage, etc) this is a very small project for me costwise when it's spread out over a year. That being said, I know I'm using A LOT of resin and hardener and this stuff isn't cheap, but I want to do the best job I can do and I'm ok with wasting some resin to overdo things rather than cutting corners to save money. In my opinion, with the exception of pro builders, everyone should get into the mindset of using extra resin to ensure the job is quality.

 

[dezmond]

That’s why I’m using eeeeeepoxy. No chop strand needed! I’m not a poly guy but I’m sure someone will let ya know. Looking good. I thought I could do mine in 9 months. Nope other $$$$ got in the way as well as work. But it will get done sometime. Have fun and carry on.

 

[sms986]

I'm using "eeeeepoxy" haha.

So far, I love it and I love the experience. I just want to take my time and do it right. I also thought if have this done in a few months. I just don't have the time.

​​​​​​Also, don't pay any mind to the white powder all over in the above transom pic. I ground down some of the fillets around the top before that. I can assure you the boat is always cleaned before applying resin!

 

[dezmond]

No CSM or chopped anything needed for you sir. Eeeepoxy and 406, 403 or 404 is just fine. I use all three for filling my gaps, fillets etc. I love it and it is STRONG! I to find I use a fair bit but I know it will be there forever and never brake apart.

 

[Woodonglass]

Using MORE polyresin that's required is usually NOT a good thing. It can actually make the lamination weaker and more brittle. The KEY to poly is use only enuf to make the glass go clear and have no air pockets. To do this does not require a lot of resin Use less and roll it out more to get better absorption in the glass. It's also critical that All bare wood surfaces ESPECIALLY the edges be thoroughly Pre-Coated with resin and hardener prior to applying any CSM or Glass fabric.

 

[sms986]

Using epoxy.

 

[sms986]

Unfortunately, I believe the project has reached completion today.

I spent all day prepping the hull to tab in the transom and start bedding some bulkheads, and came home to pick up my fiberglass materials. Upon going to the basement to grab my gear, I found that the basement had flooded while I was away. I mean swimming pool flooded. It ruined my cloth, resin, hardener, and all of the bulkheads I've cut out, not to mention 99% of the things that go in the boat above the deck. I don't think I will be recooping from this.

 

[steve_h7]

I'm so sorry.

 

[oldrem]

That really sucks. Sorry to hear that

 

[JASinIL2006]

I am so sorry. That stinks.

 

[Bayou Dave]

Would your insurance cover the loss?

 

[sms986]

Technically it's my fiancee's parent's basement, so no coverage. We live in NC and the boat and all is in PA. No room in my parent's basement so I stored it there.

I slept on it, and I'm going to toss some options around. My biggest, absolute biggest issue is moving the boat.

I am storing it in my uncle's warehouse, and he is selling a lot of old equipment he no longer uses. The boat is on a cradle, not the trailer. He needs to be able to move the boat outside if he ever needs to have access to the bay door. I have no idea how to rig something up to move it on the trailer-it is a roller trailer. If I could do that, it would buy me some time to collect some things and possibly get this project running again.

 

[sms986]

We solved the moving boat problem, so it's back to building. Ordering glass now.

http://shop.fiberglasssupply.com/Kn...sAWjYMpcx_hAJfdZyQnoI3BpwIODEPYBoCrZ8QAvD_BwE

Is this the stuff I want?

 

[oldrem]

Glad to hear you'll be able to keep going on it!