Re: How hard is deck removal and install?
I've gotta grin when I read your question. I'm naming my 15' tri-hull skankybeasts little brother. STUDY. RESEARCH. READ. READ. READ. BUY A BOOK. BUY 2. DID I SAY READ? ASK. DECISIONS. EPOXY OR POLYESTER? FOAM OR NO FOAM? POURABLE OR EXPANDED? IF POURABLE, WHICH DENSITY? IF FOAM, ABOVE DECK, OR BELOW? TIME. MONEY. TOOLS. PATIENCE. SKILL. PERSERVERANCE. GLASS. ROLLS OF IT. RESIN. GALLONS OF IT. FILLERS. MILLED GLASS, CABOSIL. ACETONE. STYRENE. CUTTING DISKS. FLAPPER WHEELS. CROWBARS. CLAMPS, JIGSAW, SKILLSAW. DRILL. LEVEL. BELT SANDER, CURE RATES. PRIMARY BOND. SECONDARY BOND. GELCOAT. 1 PART PAINT? 2 PART PAINT?AW MAN!!! the friggin wheel shredded and cut the hulll. UH... WHAT DID THAT ROTTEN PIECE LOOK LIKE WHEN IT WAS NEW, AND UH... WHERE DID IT GO, AND HOW DID IT FIT? Another 3 layer patch. If you are old enough to remember the old TV show Kung-Fu, with David Caradine, then you will know what I mean when I say, "Become one with the mini-grinder, grasshoppa". If you do bite off this project, you will become adept at using one. One your back, goggles fogged up, the guard to the grinder is off, it's the only way to get it into that tight radius. GLAD I WORE GLOVES, THAT WOULD HAVE HURT. Jeez, I wish the pics I took would load. One file size too high. I'll do a photobucket or s/g like it when I get this booger finished. Like TD stated. BE PREPARED!! When this is done, I'll either be certifiable, (as in nuts) or the proudest boat owner-rebuilder in NC. It's a lot more than meets the eye. Unless you have loads of money to spend on high dollar epoxy, you'll choose polyester. By the time your done, you will think in terms of layers of layup per batch, since polyester laminates derive their main strength from the chemical bonding BEFORE the previous layer kicks. Thats the real trick of hand laminating polyester without the luxury of a chopper gun. Pre-plan. Pre-cut. Pre-fit. Keep it smooth. No bubbles. Smooth radii. Tie it in to the previous layer while it's still tacky. Workable pot life. It's no wonder these things cost so much new. Get your credit card out. Or make some kind of pact with your wife. Ya can't do it right on the cheap. I've found a good source for bulk rolls of glass, fiberglasssite.com
and uscomposites is a good place to get everything else, fillers, gelcoat, styrene, mekp, pourable foam, etc. Lowes has resin, rollers, roller pan inserts. Walmart has the little dosage cups for the mekp, and the best price on chip brushes. Advance Auto has the resin too. I'm rambling. It will be a real project. A real project. To get a good bond to your existing hull when tying your new deck in, you have to grind back beyond old gelcoat and paint to clean glass. I chose a 6" lap. That's 2" for each layer of glass, for a 3 layer total. Each layer extends beyond the previous by 2". Become one with the mini-grinder grasshoppa. KR
