91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

[bvetter]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

+1 on the resin disks. I used 36 grit and they wreaked havoc on the old glass, only used 7 pads total so far (will likely use another when I get to removing the transom). I would imagine the 24 grit would be even faster and last longer!

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

Alright. Sorry it took me so long to get the pictures up. I have been fighting the uploaded tool on the site. I ended just using photo bucket to host it again. I am just going to their service to keep track of all my photos.

Floatation Foam Removal

I am going to try to salvage the stringers as much as possible. With some of them rotted really bad, I don't know how much I can salvage. If all else fails I will make cardboard templates and use strings in the boat to help. I want to make sure the floor is as level as possible.

I noticed when I was pulling the foam up along the ski compartment that there was a 2-inch strip of wood there. I assume this is so the could have something to attach the floor to. Thoughts? You can see this in some of my pictures I took.

I will go Menard's tomorrow and get a pack or two of 24 grit sanding discs and a wheel for the angle grinder. Do I just need to sand/grind where I pull the stringers from to get some of the fiberglass to stick up so the new resin/fiberglass can adhere to it or do I need to do the whole hull?

I am planning on getting all the stringers measured and pulled and the side panels pulled by the weekend. So hopefully I can start grinding on it next week. I will always keep posting more pictures the more I get done.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

Following along to see your progress... the demolition phase (removing foam and grinding old fiberglass) was, in my opinion, the worst part of the project. Once you're done with that, it's not so bad.

Are you certain your transom is good? Foam getting wetter toward the back of the boat is not a good prognostic indicator...

Jim

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

The tabbings for the stringers should extend 6-8" onto the hull. Where ever new glass will be attached the hull must be ground down to fresh glass.

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

Well I have a slight update. Yesterday evening, I thought I would go out and take the side panels off. I started on the hardest side first without thinking about it (driver side). I got all the nuts off the bolts and disconnected the wires that went the throttle/shifter (QuickSilver 3000 model). I went to go disconnect the shift and throttle cables and one of the two screws broke off. Just my luck this would happen. I then tried taking off the other shifter cable and got to looking at the screw and it looked like the someone already had tried to take it off. It was almost completely stripped. I ended up calling it a night because it was starting to snow again and I needed to come up with plan b for removing the screw. I really don't want to replace the whole shifter so I am going to try to come up with some other ideas to getting the screws out. Thoughts?

 

[bvetter]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

Well I have a slight update. Yesterday evening, I thought I would go out and take the side panels off. I started on the hardest side first without thinking about it (driver side). I got all the nuts off the bolts and disconnected the wires that went the throttle/shifter (QuickSilver 3000 model). I went to go disconnect the shift and throttle cables and one of the two screws broke off. Just my luck this would happen. I then tried taking off the other shifter cable and got to looking at the screw and it looked like the someone already had tried to take it off. It was almost completely stripped. I ended up calling it a night because it was starting to snow again and I needed to come up with plan b for removing the screw. I really don't want to replace the whole shifter so I am going to try to come up with some other ideas to getting the screws out. Thoughts?

Got any pictures?

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

shouldn't need to replace the whole shifter, just need to drill out the stripped screw head, and drill out the remaining screw, along with the broken ones. (be sure to use the proper size drill bit to so you dont take the threads out)

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

Hey guys. Time for another update. I finally got all the stringers removed. It was a pain but well worth it. I think I am finally on the upside of things. The one thing I didn't do was remove the stringer by the sides of the engines. You see this in the pictures. I am not sure if this is a support for the engine mount or not. I want to try to remove it but I am not sure if it going to effect the engine mount. I prefer not removing the engine because I don't have the equipment to do that here at my college house. Do you think it is safe to remove that part of the stringer? I would like to replace it but if I can't, I understand. I could remove the engine but that is just going to set me back a couple of weeks till I go home and use the skidster.

Photo Updates

Today I am going to do quite a bit of grinding on the hull so when I get back from vacation I can start cutting and placing stringers. I am finally getting excited to do the fun stuff. I am planning to use 3/4 Araucoply from Menard's, which is running me about $45 a sheet.

A couple of questions though so I can make sure I can get it ordered.

1.)I am going to use friscoboater's youtube link to make pb. Is this still good to follow? Link

2.)What do I all need for fiberglassing the stringers and all in? I have never done it before so I am new to this. I understand how to tab and all, I just don't know what I need to glass it in. If you could give me links and stuff so I can have idea what I need. Also how much do I need.

3.) I am trying to remove the kick panels in front of the passenger and driver's seat. I have removed all the nuts and bolt I can see, but I still can't get them out. Thoughts?

I think that is all I got right at the moment. I will keep asking questions as they come up.

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

Yeah. Here you go. This is before I started removing screws.

Shifter

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

Anyone?

 

[bvetter]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

For your question about materials, my total order amount so far has been:
-20 gallons unwaxed poly resin
-1.5L MEKP
-24 lin yards of 50" 1.5oz CSM
-24 lin yards of 50" 1708
-4 gallons cabosil
-8.6kg 5/8" chopped strand
-2x 2 gallon pour-in-foam kits (2lb density)
-2 gallons white gelcoat
-1 quart of airdry (wax additive)
-20 graduated mixing cups (quart)
-25 graduated mixing cups (2.5 quart)
-3 graduated mixing cups (1.5 gallon)
-25 pack of 8oz graduated cups
-5 plastic and 5 wood brushes
-EZ catalyst dispenser

A few notes:
-This is just the list from my fiberglassing vendor. Other things were sourced locally (mixing sticks, gloves, safety, etc..)
-I will likely need more resin, another 5 gallon possibly
-My chopped strand order was WAY to big. Unfortunately this was the smallest amount my vendor was selling. I would go with 1/4" chopped strand next time, he was out of it when I ordered.
-For mixing PB, here is a rough ratio that seems to work: 1L resin, 10-20ml MEKP (depending on how strong you want to catalyse), 1-1.5L cabosil (fumed silica), roughly 60ml (1/4 cup) chopped fibers

Have you checked out Woodonglass's instructions for tabbing and glassing?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 91 Celebrity Bowrider Stringers/Flooring Replacement

iboats is on the move. We have recently expanded to Paint and Maintenance section Boat Paint, Repair & Maintenance - Boat Carpet, Fiberglass Repair, Antifouling and all the supplies you need are there.

If you are going to make a large order there are give-a-ways attached right now and if it is a large resin order PM me and I will insure I get you a special Point of Contact at iboats.

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Hey Mates,

I know it has been a while but the last few months of college picked up fast. Good thing I graduate in a year and it summer. I do have some questions so I will go ahead and get started.

I have been working really hard on getting the hull grinded down and removing the little bit of stringer that is left in the front without uncapping the whole thing. I would say I have been fairly successful. Now my question before I check grinding the hull off my list, do the areas that are going to be above the floor need to be grinded so there is fresh glass so I can gel coat it? I would like to gel coat the entire floor and stay away from carpet at all costs. If I do have to grind it, do I need to make sure it is perfectly smooth? Could I just run my deck floor from each side hull so I have perfectly flat surface?





My next question has to deal with the bulkheads. I am having a heck of a time measuring out the middle bulkhead in my boat. I have been using 3/4 inch rigid foam from Menards to assist with this so I am not wasting wood. The way I have been measuring them out is having a string that I have strung tightly across the boat. O then measure down to the hull in increments across that string. With that, I still can not get a good fit when I cut my template. Maybe I am just a bad tape measurer? Haha. How much tolerance can I have between the bulkhead and the hull? I still want some space to be able to apply my PB but not offset my floor to much. Any advice?





My last question for right now is, is there any tricks to measuring out a stringer? I don't want to waste a ton of time doing a bunch of trial and error.

Hopefully in the next week, I will have my bulkheads and stringers cut, have all the edges rounded, and have all my fiberglassing materials ordered. I am going to have to make 3 hour trek up to Omaha, NE to pick up the materials.

I hope everyone is doing and thank you all for helping me out.

 

[Woodonglass]

Get some cardboard boxes and cut some 2" strips and Glue/Tape them together to make lifesize templates of your stringers Once you're satisfied with how they fit, transfer these to the plywood and cut em out. Your bulkhead templates actually look pretty good to me. Remember you'll be bedding them in PB so they don't have to be perfect on top or bottom. 1/4 " is close enuf. The hull sides need to be ground up far enuf to accomodate the tabbings that you'll be placing on the sides of the hull for the decking so that should be about 8" above the deck height.

 

[greenbush future]

I agree with Wood on the fit, the PB will fill any minor differences and this is not an exact fit situation. the top height of the bulkheads is critical and I would pay attention to that, your deck will rest on that and the stringers so they all need to be the same. PB fills all voids down on the hull edge.

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Thanks WoodonGlass and Greenbrush.

I will do a little bit more grinding tonight and then I think I am good on that. I will also start cutting some more templates tonight. I will probably use the rigid foam to cut my two increments and then tape them together. I never thought of doing something like that but it is a good idea.

Hopefully the rain will stop by this evening so I can start cutting some wood tonight. I will update everyone later tonight.

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Hey Everyone, time for another update. It has been a rough past week with all the straight line winds and tornados. We are suppose to get power back today so hopefully I can get more done. I have been using a small generator to power my tools and stuff so I don't go senile just sitting in the house.

I have gotten all my bulkheads cut and I am going work on the finishing the stringers this. Then then rest of the week I am going to do a little bit more of grinding to clean up some areas and then round the edges of my new stringers and bulkhead to help with wrapping them (Thanks to bvetter for the idea).

Couple of things I wanted to note, Woodenglass' method of making bulkhead's and stringers is working quite well. Also, I have been using a bradnailer to put everything together temporarily and that is working quite well. I stole that idea from Friscoboater.

As always, let me know if you have questions or ideas. Here are the pictures.

 

[wildcatfan1491]

I got to thinking tonight and I wanted everyones opinion on this.

​I have always thought the ski locker was small on the boat, so I thought about making it bigger. What I proposed to do is rebuild only a partial stringer under the bow of the boat instead of putting four full stringer there before. I would close it off so things could not get stuck in between the full stringer in the partial string. What are your thoughts?

Here is what I want to do in picture form.



Here is what it would look like currently without the partial bow stringers.

 

[wildcatfan1491]

Anyone?

 

[Gradywhite3535]

Hey sorry I don't have any answers for you but I have just started reading your thread and your doing a awesome job. Keep up the good work!!!!