Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

[Darren Nemeth]

Looks like I will be able to get started on the Batboat Tuesday, however, I have a couple of questions about the deck.

"Runabout Renovation" says to stainless steel screw the decking plywood down on the stringers.

However, I've read somewhere on the net just to lay the wood in and glass it.

Which is the best method for my 14 foot boat? My stringers are 3/4" marine fir and 12 foot long.

I put them in to see how it looks and there is about a 1/4 inch and less gaps from the top of the stringers to the decking in certain spots. This is the best I am able to get it.

If laying the wood on top with no screws would the underside of the deck rub against the glass cloth on the stringers, wearing it away?

BTW, I cut about 1/3 of the tip of my finger off on the table saw moments ago. half of my finger nail is gone!!!

 

[oops!]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

Looks like I will be able to get started on the Batboat Tuesday, however, I have a couple of questions about the deck.

"Runabout Renovation" says to stainless steel screw the decking plywood down on the stringers.

However, I've read somewhere on the net just to lay the wood in and glass it.

Which is the best method for my 14 foot boat? My stringers are 3/4" marine fir and 12 foot long.

I put them in to see how it looks and there is about a 1/4 inch gap from the top of the stringers to the decking in spots. This is the best I am able to get it.

If laying the wood on top with no screws would the underside of the deck rub against the glass cloth on the stringers, wearing it away?

BTW, I cut about 1/3 of the tip of my finger off on the table saw moments ago. half of my finger nail is gone!!!

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG !

did you get to the bone?.......you cut yer finger off and your here typing?

take care of the digit.......and im really sorry to hear about it.....be safe bud.

id screw it darren.....just make sure the holes are protected from rot by screwing them....then filling them with a sealant like 5200....then re screwing them......the deck must be stable on the boat....as it is also called the sole of the boat.....

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG !

did you get to the bone?.......you cut yer finger off and your here typing?

take care of the digit.......and im really sorry to hear about it.....be safe bud.

id screw it darren.....just make sure the holes are protected from rot by screwing them....then filling them with a sealant like 5200....then re screwing them......the deck must be stable on the boat....as it is also called the sole of the boat.....

Thanks. I'll screw it in and use 5200.

I am typing with a bandaged up bloody finger!!

Not cut to the bone but it is a big mess. Chunks of skin and whatever. I wrapped it up in gauze but don't want to look at it.

As it so happens, I was cutting the last piece of the second to last scrap of ply and ZIPP!!! off goes the finger tip. Blood everywhere, especially on my door knob after I tried to get into the house and to the sink. Haven't looked at it since I bandaged it, however.

Use that saftey guard on the table saw folks!!

BTW, what type of gloves do I wear when fiberglassing with polyester? are the blue latex gloves at the supermarket safe to use?

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

BTW, I cut about 1/3 of the tip of my finger off on the table saw moments ago. half of my finger nail is gone!!!

Get that treated or you could be looking at infection, who know's what was on the wood and sawblade. I think you need a trip to a clinic or the hospital. Bare minimum I would do is clean (scrub) with betadyne then douse with hydrogen peroxide, and alcohol. I'm not a medical person, but you need to take care of that wound ASAP.

I cut myself with a chistle pretty good and went to see my friends mom, 20 year nurse. She opened up her box of goodies and said come here,,, 1st think that came out was a scrub brush (the type you use to clean your finger nails) and she commenced to scrubbing out the wound with betadyne. When I recovered from almost passing out she soaked it in hydrogen peroxide and alcohol, then applied some type of anti-bacterial salve and bandaged it up.

That was 15 years ago and I can still remember it like it was yesterday...

 

[oops!]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

BTW, what type of gloves do I wear when fiberglassing with polyester? are the blue latex gloves at the supermarket safe to use?

yup....the disposable ones.....spend the extra dollar or so and get good ones...

i tryed using the thick rubber gloves....(the red AND the green ones).....the color bled and the glass just stuck to them.....you can break the glass off after they cure but the disposable ones are much eayser........im on my fourth box

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

While I was on my soap box,,, I totally forgot about the glove question

The dish gloves from the supermarket won't last long as they are not designed for harsh solvents. I use nitrile gloves from Harbor freight and they work pretty well. The dipped ones have a thick layer and last a long time compared to the disposables, but are cumbersome. I'd use the disposables as oops! suggested.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97154

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37051

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

Get that treated or you could be looking at infection, who know's what was on the wood and sawblade. I think you need a trip to a clinic or the hospital. Bare minimum I would do is clean (scrub) with betadyne then douse with hydrogen peroxide, and alcohol. I'm not a medical person, but you need to take care of that wound ASAP.....

Thanks

The gauze I innitially put on it has fused to the wound so I'll redressed it later again tonight and clean it good.

Will check it out again tomorrow.

I wonder if it's going to grow back or if I'm always going to have a chunk of my finger gone.?!?!!?

Nappy time now. No more bleeding. Just throbbing.

I have stuff here to put on it.

 

[oops!]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

uh.....darren......if your finger is bleeding.......and you feel woozy.....light headed.....uh.....tired........

go to the hospital !!!!!....get a transfusion......DONT GO TO SLEEP.....DONT GO INTO THE LIGHT......!!!!

 

[mthieme]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

Thanks

The gauze I innitially put on it has fused to the wound so I'll redressed it later again tonight and clean it good.

Will check it out again tomorrow.

I wonder if it's going to grow back or if I'm always going to have a chunk of my finger gone.?!?!!?

Nappy time now. No more bleeding. Just throbbing.

I have stuff here to put on it.

Soak the finger before removing the gauze. The gauze will come off much easier and less painfully. Saline solution is best, but that;s not in everyone's medicine chest.

Sorry, it's not going to grow back. Matter of fact, you will have a loss of feeling on that tip...like it's numb. THe nerves may "grow back" and a certain amount of feeling will return.

I hope you have some opiate derivitives for the throbbing.

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

Okay everyone, wear gloves and use the safety guard when cutting up small stuff on a table saw. Seriously.

Early this afternoon I was cutting stringers out of a large 4x8 sheet by myself. At all times I was 2 to 5 ft away from the blade and had to take the guard off so I could see where I was guiding the cut.

When finished and when I was sure everything fit in the boat like it is suppose to I began to clean up and cut some of the scraps I knew I couldn't use in other applications.

All other times in the past I'd have the guard on but this morning I got a "lets just be friends" email from my lady friend and my mind kind of wandered about that and the next work to do with the boat.

I had been very careful all that afternoon up until that point.

It happned so fast. The flesh was off in a split second and I didn't feel a thing immediately.

Now I can see why there could have been so many accidents in those old lumbermills 100+ years ago. It happens so quick.

From now on I'll remember to keep the guard on and go slow with the small stuff being cut.

 

[fixb52s]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

I would think that even Batman would go to the bat hospital to have that finger looked at. No amount of bat spray will help that out.

I guess we can now call you stumpy?

JK.​

 

[Stoutcat]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

Hi Darren,

As for the boat... You want the deck to be more or less flat... If you need to you can epoxy 3/4" strips lengthwise on the stringers and then plane to fit... Do a good job gluing and the stringer will be stronger than ever.

As for the finger... Hmmm... How to put this? Most of us here on this forum are amateur boaters and boat hackers. And that's a good thing. But no one should be an amateur doctor - yourself included. That's a bad thing.

I know the accident happened yesterday, but the following is extraordinarily relevant whenever you read this...

I'm not an MD., but I can offer a bit of professional insight. (I was a pharmacy front-store manager and pharmacist's assistant for 5 years.) You need to go to a hospital or clinic now. If for no other reason than a tetanus shot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetanus).
Nope, there are potential problems ahead that you really don't want to mess with. And here's a tip... When you go to the hospital, don't be afraid to ask for morphine, or better yet liquid Valium IV. The morphine will take the sting out of the adventure, and a liquid IV will... Ummm... Let's just say that with that IV they can hang you by your toes and shoot arrows at you and you'll still be having a pretty good day. Not all docs will dose this stuff, but some will... Now go to the hospital!

Alan

P.S. When you get back it would be great to hear how you happened upon a batboat...

 

[salty87]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

.... And here's a TIP... When you go to...

ba dun dun........well done stoutcat

this is the day after? it's gotta be sore this morning. for the pain meds alone, get to the doctor. another thing you don't want to play around with is any sort of infection near bone.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

I hope you went to the hospital for that, you never know with infections....I was happy when I had finished cutting out all my new deck sections and was able to put the circular saw away for good!
About attaching the deck, since plywood almost never lays totally flat, I think the best approach is to use both marine adhesive and screws. I used stainless screws and 3M 4200 and it is way more solid than the original construction from 4 Winns. They just stapled down the deck to the stringers with about 1000 nasty rusty long staples, and had just a thin skim coat of 'glass on top. It did make it easy to take it apart, though!
I sealed all the screw holes with 4200 and had the 'glass shop glass it and gelcoat it with a non skid gelcoat. No more carpet.

 

[oops!]

Re: Screwing the deck to the stringers VS just laying it on top.

Hi Darren,

P.S. When you get back it would be great to hear how you happened upon a batboat...

hi stoutcat........really cool boat and cool story......its a display unit for conventions and the like.....im glad hes here so we can all watch the resto.

ill let darren go into it...but click his blog........

i was sorry to find out that it didnt have the nuclear reactor aboard....
but i guess if he puts in an old helicopter motor....it can be just as good