dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Haha, good point. There may be quite a bit left too, wondering what it may be used for.

Was thinking about using it on my hull sides, since they will barely be visible, and wasting the rest on the sides of the stringers, from the transom forward until I run out.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I want to add two bulkheads that span the width of the boat. I planned to continue the one at the front of the tank the rest of the way across. But, as I look at it, it is so close to the end of the outer stringers, would it do any good there? I'm also putting one at the rear of the tank section, also extending out from the one that is there.

Should I move the front bulkies I'm planning to do about two feet back from the front of the tank compartment and have two on either side of the tank?

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I had a little setback today, as predicted in an earlier post by mister jigngrub. I made a newbie mistake, but I caught it before I got too far! My stringers on the left side were too tall. My deck would have been whoppy jawed like crazy! I cut the stringers out based off the ones I cut out, then shaped them to fit the contour of the hull properly, and put them in. So I subconciously assumed the deck height on them would be right, and never stopped to check for that.

Well while I was messing around in the boat some today I laid a board across the stringers on the left side and noticed it stuck up above the ridge around the edge of the hull, whereas on the right side (with the steering wheel-port, starbord?) it sits across both stringers and rests on top of the ridge.

So, I laid a board over the cap and pulled some measurements. I need to remove about half an inch from the stringer on the left side of the tank. I can fix the small outer stringer by just moving it. It's a small setback, but it costed me a day. At least I caught it before going any further! I'll get this fixed up tomorrow, round over the tops of my stringers some, and do a little spot grinding on my hull to clean up some dirt I've tracked in. Then hopefully I'll be getting some glass on these things soon enough!

 

[sphelps]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Good catch on the stringer height ! You would hate to have to trim them down after you get em all glassed in .
Btw an easy way to remember port and starboard is looking forward the left side is port . They are both spelled with 4 letters left , port ..

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Haha I just didn't know which was which. Thanks! Do you guys usually screw the deck straight to the stringers, or glue a cleat to them to screw to keeping the screws out of the stringer? I'm sure its best to add a cleat, but then again the screw holes will be filled with 5200, pb'd over, then 3 layers of glass will be over that.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

As she sits right now. Its amazing how much time some of the small things can take. The stringers are all installed and adjusted and double checked and ready for glassing!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

She's looking good!!!! Let the FUN Begin!!!!

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Yep! I hope to get the majority of stringer glassing done next week. I've been hitting the lake with a friend of mine two days, then working on the boat two days since our temps jumped up above 75 for 3 weeks now. Time to buckle back down and focus. I'm imagining it being easier than the transom because I have a little more room to stretch out and work.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Hey, Your mailbox is full.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Oops! Should be fixed now :/.

I've been a busy fella today. It was about 11:00 by the time it was 60? out, and I just now at 3:15 finished these layups. Two layers of 1708. Aside from a little bubble fixin' and capping these are done back here. I learned I was doing two things wrong.

Number one was I was not letting the resin tack up before setting the glass in place. This acts to glue it where I want and helps hold the corners where I want them to stay. Number two I wasn't cutting for corners right. I learned to cut and fold places where I need to make it much easier.

I have a few spots to fix, but all in all I'm pretty happy. I think I'll wait to put the pvc in my limber holes till after glassing next time. That created a challenge in places. So far on my second layer all my glass overlaps. I think I'll continue this even where there is room for enough tabbing without it so my hull will all pretty much get at least one layer of 1708 over it.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

How do you guys handle the tabbing affecting the 'flatness' of the transom? I guess I can add a layer of glass above where the tabbing is to even things out. Grind it down more flush? Mix up fairing material and trowel it on then grind flat across? I guess I'm asking what's best, and easiest. Once cured this 1708 is a bear to take down with a grinder. Its tough!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

If I remember correctly, your final thickness needs to be right around 2 - 2 1/4 " / Where are you currently?

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I haven't measured yet. I just know the bottom 8" or so in places has two more layers of 1708 from tabbing the stringers. To my way of thinking of I grind that bottom down to where it was I remove those two layers and some stringer strength. I guess as long as I have enough room to budge with my thickness I should build up the top to match? Wouldn't hurt to take another crack at covering that top rounded part better.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I had the same problem: the tabbing at the bottom added thickness to the lower part of the keyhole area, making it thicker than the rest of the keyhole. I added a layer of the same material around the keyhole to keep it all even. I was near the lower end of the acceptable range of transom thickness, so the extra fiberglass wasn't a problem.

I was very cautious to avoid unevenness in the transom. I read too many accounts of guys trying to even out the thickness after the fact. Much easier to avoid a problem like that than to fix it, I think.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Yep, Keep it flat and parallel as you go. Get a Mic and take plenty of measurements all around the keyhole. Precision will pay off in the longrun.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I finally got my fillets downpat. Now that I'm ⅔ of the way through filleting :facepalm::facepalm:

I found a spoon in my drawer identical to the one jay shows he used in the sea ray build, and it does work great!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

R U dipping it in MS? They do look nice and smooth. Maybe a bit big but easy to lay glass over em.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

No I didn't dip it in anything. I just wiped it off frequently? I used a plastic spoon on the rear section and it was a nightmare.

That front bulkhead was about an inch off the hull, so it had to be a big fillet .

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

If you dip the spoon in Mineral Spirits it really makes the PB smooth as a babys bottom.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I took a tip from Yacht Dr. when I did my fillets. I kept a small cup of non-thickened (but catalyzed) resin handy, and after putting down a fillet, I'd use a soft chip brush and gently brush the fillet with the resin-coated brush. It completely takes out any little poky nubs that will otherwise have to be ground off after the PB kicks.

It looks like you've figured out how to get yours nice and smooth, though. Nice work!