Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

Hey boatflipper! Yeah that was test fittin in those pics. When i tab it in, it will be set in a bed of resin/cabosil/short strand and completely filleted. I plan to glass it and tab it with 1708. Iv goten the area cleaned up and pretty filled with short strand filler, but it isnt perfect yet. Still have a few low spots to fill to get the transom to sit in there clean. Will be gettin on it tomorrow and hopefully get the transom tabbed in.

Thanks for the tips!!

RC

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

So i have about a 1/4" gap between the transom skin and my new transom wood when the wood is set in.....is this normal? Would it be best to fill the 1/4" gap with a peanut butter/short strand filler or to try to trim/grind the transom wood to fit tightly against the skin?


Thanks for any info guys!

RC

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

Decided to fill the 1/4 inch gap instead of changing the wood.


Also got the first base layup done of 1708. Next is another layup on either side, locking into the base layup and adding a layer of 1708 to the entire inside of the hull. This will seal it and take care of all the thin spots i found during the grind down.


Tomorrow, hopefully ill finish the other 2 base layups, and at least hopefully get the transom filleted and tabbed in.

Heres a few pics, sorry for the blurry one!

RC

Laying out the 1708 was easy...it fell right into place effortlessly.

Sorry for this blurry a bit. Layup from bow to stern right down the middle. This layup used exactly 1 gallon of resin...38" wide by 18 feet long.

The 1708 layed so nicely into all the tight places here around my transom area...it was like it was cut exactly to fit...easy as pie. Still need to trim up the top when it cures fully. I also layed in a layer of csm on the transom skin under the 1708.

More tomorrow.

 

[greenesgreen]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

what kind of resin did you use? I am about to embark on a similar project with my 83Skeeter Starfire. Everything looked good until i pulled the fuel tank out, all rotten underneath. I'm following your project closely, keep up the good work.

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

Cool man lookin forward to seein your project on the forum!

I am using US Composites 435 polyester layup resin....non waxed. Its turning out to be a very high quality product as well. This is my first time using fiberglassing resin and actually doing any fiberglass work at all, and i have been able to get pretty good results from this stuff.

I have read of people having trouble with polyester resin not sticking to wood or the original boat hull material, but i would have to say that they most likely didnt prep well enough or got an old batch of resin. The stuff i got here is like atomic glue plain and simple. You rough and scuff the area to be glassed, and paint the area with the resin, and then put the glass down on it and wet it out and it is there for EVER. This stuff is rock solid so i doubt good polyester resin has trouble bonding in my opinion. Lots cheaper than epoxy as well thank god.

I got 10 gallons and it appears based on this layup today and what was used <1 gallon> that i will have some left over after doing my stringers and transom. It will be used to create the interior and seating arrangement that will be built with a glass over ply method like the boat was made from the <half assed> factory.

Good luck on your project bro and thanks for droppin in on mine.

RC

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

The above mentioned interior work i am going to do has me wondering about construction materials now.

Whats the best glass to lay over structural furniture like bench seat boxes and storage compartments created out of outdoor grade ply?

I would like a decent finish to be able to fair or paint depending on how smooth it comes out. Iv seen how csm looks cured and its pretty smooth and can be sanded very smooth, and im sure it is strong enough for this application. Altho cloth seems to wet out clearer and with a uniformed appearance over csm.

So pretty much guys in your experience what material is easier to work with in this application?

Thanks!
RC

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

Lookin for any info ^^

Thanks
RC

 

[wilkboater]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

I don't have any info for you, but it looks like you're doing an awesome job. I'm enjoying following your progress.

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

Hey thanks bro...learning as i go. I learned everything i know about boat restoration from reading this forum! This will be my first fiberglassing project, and only a hand full of wood working projects done in the past, so i would say i am a novice wood worker and a beginning boat restorer/fiber glasser

Im sure if i search in depth here for the info on building the seat boxes i could find info but i did a few searches and the search allows too many trivial responses as far as what i am looking to do. Its kinda like molding work really, and iv only really found one detailed example in my looking and that was from Oops when he did his bench seats in molds he made. I guess im looking for a few ways of doing this and opinions about what glass is best to fair and finish and what makes the best structural furniture etc.

Thanks for droppin in and the compliments once again Wilk!!

I have the hardware that i need to mount my transom now so all i have to do is ruff and scuff the area, mix a good batch of thickened resin with short strand filler and lay the transom in and clamp/bolt it down, tab it with 1708 and wait for it to cure. The transom i made is VERY strong and i mean it feels like it will stop a 44 mag its so solid. Good plywood really gets tough with a few layers of glass over it i tell ya.

Ill be doing this transom section tonight possibly, but it is a little cool here this evening. I think it is in the mid to low 40's and im not sure if it is good to glass in these temps. I did a layup at 50 degrees and it kicked off fine with 10 drops MEKP per ounce of resin as US Composites calls for with their 435 polyester resin. Im thinking it should be fine above the freezing point but not 100% on this. After today the temp is suppose to jump up to 60's then 7o's or even 80's by the weekend, so i might wait for the warm to get here to do the main glassing of the transom.

More to come!
RC

 

[SBTOM]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

RC,
I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem as though anyone has weighed in on your fiberglass question, so I will give you my opinion. The problem with trying to get a smooth finish with CSM is that as soon as you saturate it with resin, the binder that is holding it together starts to loosen up. If you end up really having to work it into corners etc, it will start to become thicker in certain places and pull thinner in others. There are techniques for getting around this, but I prefer to go with a woven mat as opposed to csm if I know that I am going to be fairing it out. The other advantage to a woven fiberglass is that for some reason, when you go to sand it, if you end up breaking into the actual glass layer and creating dust, it doesn't seem to itch quite as much.
In terms of the outdoor grade ply, you are going to want to make sure that you have a nice clean surface to lay down the glass on. I went with furniture grade ply that was prepped for veneer, because the surface come pre-prepped with perfectly smooth faces on both sides. You can create the same effect by just making sure that you fill any imperfection in the ply. Heres a photo that shows the mat that I am using as well as the surface prep on the plywood.
Alternatively, you could just use the csm and throw in a little extra elbow grease! Better factor in how many of those 16 oz. bud's you are gonna need to get through all of that sanding though!

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

SBTOM man thanks for the great comment. This is exactly what i was hoping to gain, another good solid opinion from someone who has done it. Ill tell ya what, i keep the 16oz tall boys fully stocked for just about any occasion that involves the words BOAT and WORK lol! Ill have one for ya man.

I also was finishing up the transom prep tonight and got all my little makeshift 30 second circular saw made pieces of wood i plan to use for bolt clamps on the transom. I am just struggling with the bonding material at this time. I have read of people bedding the transom in PL and then others bed it in thickened resin with a filler added in "peanut butter" as we all know it. I was just tossing the options around because of course like most of us this budget has been planned and locked in already, and thickening resin, while i dont THINK i will run short i am not positive. At this time i still have to wet out about 12 yards of 38" 1708 and about 10 yards of 1.5 csm, and i have 7 gallons of resin left. I wet out a full inner hull layup of 1708 that was 38"x15ft and it used exactly 1 gallon of resin, and by this measurement i will be using about 4-5 gallons to do my stringers and transom. That leaves me with about 2-3 gallons to do my deck, seat boxes, and fabricate gunnels for the top cap. Should be about spot on i hope. The PL i just happened to inherit from a relative who just finished another project. Cost = 0 with the PL.
Im sure ill make a decision soon because i tested the PL tonight bonding 2 pieces of scrap ply. Will see how it turned out tomorrow and go from there.



Ill try to keep updates flowing in for the next month because i have some free time coming up and i plan a splash date within the first week of May!

Thanks again.
RC

Thanks again for your comment and good luck on your projects!

 

[Seadoomanls]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

I truly admire those of you who are doing these projects! I am 19 years old and I want to re do my 1986 Bass Boat so bad (i just dont want to rush it and dont want to be without it for 2 or 3 months).

My question is, what abouts are you spending on this rebuild? If i was going to budget to do exactly what you are doing with the center console in the middle and what not, what am I looking at roughly for a cost?

My guess is about $800. Am I in the correct ball park?

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

So far my costs have been...

515$ for 10 gallons of polyester resin 15 yards of 1708 biax cloth and 15 yards of 1.5 CSM
8$ for 5 quarts of cabosil
80$ for wood
15$ for a gallon of acetone
15$ for fairing compound
60$ for various odds and end things like sand paper and bucket, paint rollers and paint pans etc.

I have a 200$ budget for paint.

Thats pretty much it so far so about 890$ so far for all that i have needed material wise and about 40 hours of labor time thus far. I work a little slowly tho and take my time lol.

Good luck on your project buddy!

RC

 

[osborn159]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

yea you work slow because you keep walkin to the fridge for another cold one!!!
what is your beer budget????

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

yea you work slow because you keep walkin to the fridge for another cold one!!!
what is your beer budget????

LOL man i have to say this is true! I hope being half drunk all the time while i work on the boat doesnt start showing up in my work LOL

The wife takes good care of my beer supply. I got me a good woman

Now if i could just get a few more hours a week free time i think i would be done in 2 weeks....the few hours are of course for beer drinking

RC

 

[osborn159]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

10-4 i hear ya, i work the same way i just dont drink a bunch till the power tools and chemicals are put up, then the beer goes down so much easier.
btw where are you located?? with your sign on id guess somewhere on the gulf coast.

 

[SBTOM]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

Haha... good stuff! I've been known to crack a few cold ones when I'm out there myself. Its been pretty hot here lately, so after 2-3 hours with a respirator on, something about the carbonation and the hops seems medicinal. You just have to decide how long a break you want to take by what size beer you get... 12, 16, 24

 

[osborn159]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

i thought beer was mandatory mental health medication for boat resto!!!
never thought of the size of the beer regulating the length of the break, ill have to go get a case of 40s.
its starting to warm up here this week finally, it was in the low 70s today, ill be glassing stuff in by the weekend hope it doesnt get to hot to fast.

 

[86RajunCajun]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

Well fellas, i went ahead and did it! The temp was in the 70's here today so i installed the transom. It came out well i think. The fillets arent as beautiful as i wanted, but i will touch them up later. I started them with the peanut butter stuff too thin at first and had to thicken it up to keep it from running so they got a little sloppy, but i was able to make them decent after thickening up the mix. The fillets are made with resin thickened with cabosil and short strand fibers mixed in. Rock solid!

The skin molded right to the transom wood and squished out PL all around the border and out all the holes that didnt have bolts in them. I bedded the transom with PL and with resin peanut butter because i couldnt decide on using one over the other, so i used both lol.

Im gonna leave the clamps on and bolts in for a week and let it sit in the sun for the next 3 days. It is suppose to get into the 70's for the next 3-4 days so that should help everything cure rock solid. Before i take the clamps of and bolts out i will tab the transom in with CSM and 1708, then glass it completely in with 1 layer csm and 1 layer of 1708.

Heres the final result...be gentle lol! :redface:

Thanks for the comments!
RC

 

[SBTOM]

Re: Diving in...Bass boat remodel!

Looks good RC. Did you remember to mold release your clamps and that board?