Need some help with transom!!!

[john51277]

I have never done a transom, but am handy enough to do it once I know what to do. I have a 14' fiberglass hull. I am going to replace the transom. It is sturdy, but I do not know exactly what shape it is in. It does look like it was replaced at one time. I need to know if I can just cut the whole thing out and replace it and add angular braces going to the stringers, and/or put square braces along the top to the sides? It looks like it only had about a 6" brace right along the top of the transom/sides. I have cut out all of the stringers and floor, and side walls. It is just a bare shell right now with a questionable transom. I will be making a flats boat out of it and plan on keeping it for quite a while. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Oh and I did do a FEW hours of searching and reading. I did find how alot of people just cut the cap off and replaced the double 3/4 plywood, but I think I need to just whack it all off and start new. Here is a pic of it.

 

[oops!]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

duplicate what was there.......

im not sure about the braces your talking about......

the transome should just be tabbed to the hull with fiberglass

 

[john51277]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

I am wanting to just cut off the whole transom and start over. Or should I just keep the skin on the back with the woven roving? I can probably cut just the inside skin and replace the ply inside. The brace i am talking about can be seen in the pic above. It is at the top of the transom on the left side. It connects the transom to the side of the hull. I was also considering putting a angled piece of wood from the transom to the stringers. It will be the first time ever doung this kind of work, that is why I am asking what I should do and how to do it. Thanks!

 

[oops!]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

I am wanting to just cut off the whole transom and start over. Or should I just keep the skin on the back with the woven roving? I can probably cut just the inside skin and replace the ply inside. The brace i am talking about can be seen in the pic above. It is at the top of the transom on the left side. It connects the transom to the side of the hull. I was also considering putting a angled piece of wood from the transom to the stringers. It will be the first time ever doung this kind of work, that is why I am asking what I should do and how to do it. Thanks!

the pic isnt working in my puter....just a red x....upload to photo bucket...resize to 640 x 480 copy the img tag and paste it on your post...it should work.

ok.....no piks...so im gonna guess.....

from the inside of the boat....the wood of the transom has a woven "skin" on it....that comes out on a wood replacement transom repair.....then the old plywood is removed however you can....hammer, chisel, grinder, or if you get lucky and the old transom has some stregnth left...you can use a come along to remove it....see hull ext in progress thread....

after the wood is removed....clean the hull inner skin with a grinder....dont go thru the hull....vaccume and wash with aceitone.....build your new transom by using a template made fron the inside of the hull....

the exact thickness must be maintained....uasually this is acheved by laminating two peices of plywood togeather with fiberglass or other method....(i like glassing it togeather).

after the area is cleaned and your new transom is built....add a layer of matt to the inside of the hull. use unwaxed resin if your goin poly.(this will fill any grinding voids)...(also add resin to the back side of the new wood transom.. when the glass is almost dry put in the new transom. you will need to drill some holes in the transom.....try to use the holes that are allready there..(eye hooks....garboard...)

use angle iron or what ever you can to bolt the two peices to the hull....make sure resin squeezes out of the holes and there is no air spaces between the hull and the new transom....let cure...fill all voids around the transom/hull with peanut butter. and glass new transom to hull.(this is the skin you removed earyler....done

this process with pics is shown in detail in the hull extension thread.
and many times in the compleated projects forum.

also i think the angles you are talking about from the stringers to the transom, are called "knees"....i used them....its a good idea.

cheers
oops

 

[oops!]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

pic is working now......that whole process shouldnt take any more than a day in that rig.......is the transom wood the whole back area? or is it just a small peice of ply approx 1x2 foot?

 

[john51277]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

Well, I got the transom cut out. I went from the inside and cut the inside skin out since it and the transom were shot. I will be cleaning it out and putting a double layer of 3/4" plywood in there and supporting it with braces and stringers. Does it make much of a difference if I use marine or pressure treated? I would like to keep this boat for about 5-10 yrs. What is the difference in price also? I would have pics but last time out fishing we got hit by a monsoon and the cam was submerged. I will be getting a new one in a few days!

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

Does it make much of a difference if I use marine or pressure treated?

Marine: about $80 (if you can find it) per 3/4", 4'X8' sheet, usually pre-dried so it will bond w/ resin, more ply's per thickness than regular PT and less voids, so it's stronger. Uses CCA as a preservative which doesn't react w/ aluminum. Contains arsenic.

Regular PT: about $28/sheet, available at HD or Lowe's. Needs to be dried before it'll bond w/ resin (and when drying, it can warp). Less plys and more voids than marine-grade. Uses ACQ or MCQ ("micronized") as a preservative. The copper in it reacts w/ aluminum, so it needs to be insulated from it. Check a galvanic corrosion chart.

 

[john51277]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

Thanks Joey!!!!!! Where can I find marine plywood?

 

[john51277]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

I was just ut measuring and making a scale drawing of the boat, I realized the transom was 1" thick. Should I use 2 layers of 3/4, or just stay with the 1/2 inch doubled up? It will only have a motor up to a 25 on it. I did cut from the inside to remove the hull. So I do have the room to go with 1 1/2 inch. I am guessing I just do the tabs on the inside sides to glass it in? Use a few layers of mat/cloth? And then what about the garboard hole? Do I get it all glassed in and do that last? I cant wait till i can start laying some glass, I am getting tired of all the prep! I have almost become used to the itching at night as I TRY to sleep. It seems to add some sense of closeness between you and your boat!!

 

[john51277]

Re: Need some help with transom!!!

Ok..........I got the transom cut/cleaned out. It was a double layer of 1/2" plywood. It was rotten and soft. The inside skin of the transom was also thin and soft. Should I put the double 1/2" back, or use double 3/4"? I have also picked up a few gallons of resin and hardner, along with sole 7.5oz cloth. I have enough to do 2-4 layers. How many should I lay??