The Saga Begins...... (Update)

[samsam]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

Originally posted by gregmercer:<br /> Jeff,<br /><br />Thanks for the reply. I guess I will use my angle grinder too. I just thought their might be a better way because it causes so much dust and is pretty slow. I'll use this same post to put up my progress and pictures everytime I work on it.<br /><br />Thanks<br /><br />Greg

Ahhh, the Wonderfull World of Fiberglass! Don't worry, eventually you'll notice that sometime in the past you quit itching. Don't forget the masks and wear throwaway clothes. A lot of times you can run a shop-vac hose along with what you're doing (sawing, grinding etc) and that will get most of the stuff as well as create a "negative" air pressure spot that will tend to keep the dust and air generally flowing away from you. You can also periodically spray a mist of water over the work area, but of course try not to electricute yourself. Cutting and grinding can't be gotten away from. The high speed whirly things such as the angle grinder and skillsaw really spread the dust so as much as possible use a jigsaw or sawzall. A lot of work, such as removing those seat bases or disconnecting the edges of your deck from the side of the hull, can be accomplished with a hammer and a cheap 1" wood chisel, which won't raise any dust, any rough leftovers then dressed up with the angle grinder or better yet a slow speed sander/grinder with a 16-36 grit disc. Good luck! Have fun! Sam

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

I think I might just leave the wood between the hull and stringer. This way I don't have to re create the floor hull joint. It should also make my life easier as far as cutting my wood.<br /><br />Do I really need to remove the fiberglass cap? I think I can really do this without that....<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />Greg

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

I cut out the seat bases last night and dug out some foam to see what I was working with.<br /><br />Overall I am pretty happy with it. The foam had about 1/8th inch of standing water right next to the stringer on the starboard side. Other than that it was all dry. <br /><br />To make things easier, and so that I do not have to rebuild the bench on the bow, I am thinking about not cutting out the floor infront of the seat bases. I do have a soft spot about 4"x6" on the bow that I will cut out but leave the rest in tact. Then I am going to lay my new floor ontop of the exsiting floor in the front and have it sit 1/2" higher on the stringer in the back where the floor has been cut out so that it is all level. I need to have my whole boat done by the middle of may so I plan on doing this to save time. What do you guys think? <br /><br />If I didn't do this I would have to cut out the whole floor then rebuild the bench seats up front and the wood bases of the steering console and glove box. This would add atleast 20 hours more of work which I don't think I have.<br /><br />Greg<br /><br /><br />Here is a picture - <br /><br />

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

Here is a picture to help explain what I plan on doing. Everything in red is going to be cut out. its all of the floor in the back plus the soft spot up front. <br /><br />Only the good floor up front is going to stay. This is to support the new floor that is being laid on top of it. <br /><br />To make the floor level, I will screw down some half inch ply to the stringer and sit the new floor boards on top of that.<br /><br />I don't see any potention problems with this and it will save me some time. The only problem I see is maybe water getting traped inbetween the old and new floor up front, but I can drill some holes in it to prevent that.<br /><br /><br />

 

[samsam]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

Originally posted by gregmercer:<br />[QB] Here is a picture to help explain what I plan on doing. Everything in red is going to be cut out. its all of the floor in the back plus the soft spot up front. <br /><br />Only the good floor up front is going to stay. This is to support the new floor that is being laid on top of it. <br /><br />To make the floor level, I will screw down some half inch ply to the stringer and sit the new floor boards on top of that.<br /><br />I don't see any potention problems with this and it will save me some time. The only problem I see is maybe water getting traped inbetween the old and new floor up front, but I can drill some holes in it to prevent that.QUOTE]<br /><br />You don't have to remove the cap. That's another project in itself and it helps hold the hull in the correct shape. By the way, make sure the hull is supported good and doesn't shift around once you take the floor out. What you plan on doing is exactly the way I did my floor. I left about 4" of the old floor around the outside edge. The new floor I held back from the sides an inch or so.The edge was cut at a 45 degree slope and the top corner rounded a little with the grinder. After I added some filler strips on top of the stringers and used 5200 and screws to attach the new deck on top of the "flange" of the old deck, the new fiberglass covering the new deck went over the rounded corner, down the slope, across the inch of old floor and up the sides 3 or 4". This left a channel on both sides of the boat for draining water to the back. I cast net a bunch and that helps alot with the extra water which used to slosh back and forth on its way to the back. The front (at the walk thru) was sloped too and glassed so no water gets between the two decks. I was thinking your old deck was colorfull enough to where you might be able to find some religious image in it, sell it on E-bay and recoup all your expenses on your project.?? Sam

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

samsam - <br /><br />Thanks for the reply! Unless someone has a real good reason not to I think I am going to go ahead and do it like this. Do you have any pictures of your build that you could show me? Thanks!<br /><br />Greg

 

[samsam]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

Originally posted by gregmercer:<br /> Do you have any pictures of your build that you could show me? Thanks!Greg [/QB]

No, no pictures. It's just a 14' tri-hull with a 40 hp that I mercilessly abuse. It cost $100 and I drove around with it for a few years with the deck shifting around underfoot when going thru waves as it wasn't connected to the hull everywhere it should have been. I finally took out the floor and one stringer looked worse than the other so I bolted a handy, painted 1x6 pt deck board next to it and glassed over the new board and the old stringer, affixed a piece of 1/2" pt ply that somebody had left laying around within reach and covered it all with polyester and two layers of 1 1/2 oz chopped strand mat. I would have just painted it with latex porch and floor paint, but it was where I worked, all the stuff and equipment were there and I wasn't paying for it anyway, so I rolled on a coat of light grey waxed gelcoat and then shot some black webbing/spatter stuff on. It's been 10 years and no problems with it. I don't remember if the part with the channels on the sides was planned, or if it just happened because of some sort of laziness, which is what I suspect, but I would do it on purpose next time as it works so well. Sam

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

I had a few free hours this morning so I got around to cutting some of my floor out. I would have never guessed that the floor would be 1 1/2" thick on top of the gas tank. Can anyone think of why the manufactuer would do this? Seems like a waste of wood and weight to me. I would think of it as almost imposible to flex even 3/4" ply over this 20" gap. <br /><br />Well here are some pictures... The only wood I have left to cut out is the rest covering the fuel tank and the little soft spot up front. I then plan on laying new 1/2" ply over the whole floor.<br /><br />

 

[KRS]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

lookin good.... need to place a bag over that engine

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

I know! I need to stop being lazy and drain the fuel and cover the engine. Thanks for the reminder.<br /><br />Greg

 

[ljshein]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

Greg,<br /><br />Looks good! we're in about the same state now only I've got a lot more to cut out than you <br /><br />Keep up the good work and check out my pictures on the shareaproject site.<br /><br />Jeff

 

[samsam]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

Greg, Before you put the floor back in, it's a good idea to check the tank, especially if it's a saltwater boat. The only problem is you have to take it out to see the bottom. Sam

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

What kind of problems do gas tanks have? What should I look for?

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

ljshein - <br /><br />I checked out you share a project site. Your boat is comming along well!

 

[samsam]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

Originally posted by gregmercer:<br /> What kind of problems do gas tanks have? What should I look for?

On the outside, corrosion or pits, sometimes actual cracks. You can't really see the inside. If there is corrosion or pits, that leaves the allready thin metal even thinner and susceptiple to pinholes and cracks.(I'm assuming your tank is aluminum) Your tank is 13 years old and it wouldn't be unusual for one that age to be bad, or about to be. If it sat in water a lot, especially salt, or if the boat had some stray current from crappy wires, the tank could look good except for one spot, and that's all it needs. If you had any leaks you would probably smell it in the below deck bilge funk/junk. If it looks good and you decide to use it again, I would design a caulked, screwed in place hatch over it so you could access it easily instead of having to tear up the deck again. At the very least, scope it all out with measurements and locations and the depth of cut needed to cut out the new deck with the least amoumt of hassle to replace the tank. Sam

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

The tank is actually plastic, what should I look for in a plastic tank besides cracks? Thanks for the long explanation though!<br /><br />Greg

 

[lark2004]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

dirt, moisture. Thats about it for plastic tanks.

 

[G DANE]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

Well Greg, it doesnt look that rotten to mee in the pictures. Most of your cuts looks to be in fresh wood. If stringers looks fresh and foam dry. I think your plan of replacing area of floor sounds reasonable to mee. By the way, that boat sure has nice trim.

 

[gregmercer]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

I have deceided to go with 2 captains seats, then a sunpad over the engine and a bench in front of that. I have been thinking about building this bench and can't deceide how I want to do it. I still need to be able to access my engine. How have you guys done this or how is it done on the new boats that come stock like this? Any Ideas? Thanks!!<br /><br />Greg

 

[r1gal]

Re: The Saga Begins...... (Update)

My 91 VIP has exactly what your speaking of doing. The sunpad or deck is hinged at the back and had storage compartments underneath when you rasied the pad. I removed the storage so it would be easy to get to the engine. It has a full seat that runs across the back and the deck fits down on top of it. Supports the deck. You could easily do this to your boat. Plus I have the captains seats up front. Much better than those 'back to back' seats.IMO. My last boat had those.<br /><br />BTW-How much $ have you spent on your floor area so far. I'm speaking in just material. I'm going to do mine this fall. My bad spots are almost in the same area as yours. Exception being up front.<br />Nice job your doing so far!