Reply With QuoteThanks, that's what I sort of figured. Still has to be stronger than being filled with rotted plywood though. Just hope it hasn't festered it's way into the stringers.
Thanks for the pointers. Been doing autobody since my early teens so I'm pretty much imune to smells. LOL I assume the plywood gets notched out to fit down over the stringers? I wasn't sure how it was built up originally.
originally the transom was in first and the stringers attached to it.
Thanks, that's what I sort of figured. Still has to be stronger than being filled with rotted plywood though. Just hope it hasn't festered it's way into the stringers.
I WILL NEVER BE SURPRISED WHERE AND HOW FAR WATER CAN AND WILL WICK!!!!!!
Water soaked wood is like a cancer and will wick into and thru stringers...
You should make some exporitory holes to check for wetness..
Just my .02
I checked that out. I suppose you are refering to the liquid stuff you pour into the space where the plywood would be. Be kinda tough to get it in there I would think. Would be feasible if you could get all the rot out somehow. I could see it being better on new construction. Mines been getting soft for years now so I'm pretty sure it's well rotted. Started leaking water in around the drive last year. Since the plywoods rotted it lost it's clamp effect on the transom seal. I put a bead of silicone all around the drive hsg/hull for now & it stoped the leak. This will be a winter project....maybe a couple of winters! lol
I think you are referring to seacast( it is liquid). Nida core is a composite sheet. I used coosa composites(bluewater 26) for my transom. Easy to work and will never rot. I am actually in the process of replacing transom, stringers and floor with coosa http://www.coosacomposites.com/bluewater.html .
A whole buncho fun
LOL, and get a box of dust mask's. And greese for the elbo's.
Let my friend Will Borden (http://www.fiberglass-repair.com/index.htm)..show you the way to transom repair!
He has been in the business since the beginning of time!
I think you are referring to seacast( it is liquid). Nida core is a composite sheet. I used coosa composites(bluewater 26) for my transom. Easy to work and will never rot. I am actually in the process of replacing transom, stringers and floor with coosa http://www.coosacomposites.com/bluewater.html .
First thanks to all for the links. mtnrat, What sort of money for a 4x8 sheet? I'd need 2 since mine is doubled from the stringers on up. Sort of a triangular shape on the double part. I assume it will hold screws as good as plywood for my swim platform, trim tabs ect? Can't afford another boat & I'm sort of attached to this one so guess I'll have to bite the bullet at some point. Would be nice to know that it won't need done again in my lifetime!
Start with a (Diamond blade) cut-off wheel or ive used a diamond blade dremmel tool before (Just takes a while!) cut just through the layer of glass if the transom is rotted, you should be able to remove fairley easy with a little pulling at it! lol
then grab yourself an air chissle (2-3" wide and dull it before you start chissling away (*NOTE*) you do not want to dig right in, just go at it from an extreme angle and see how it pulls away, chances are you will get the jist of what im saying within the first few min. once you get it all off Pm me and i'll help as much as i can!
626-991-9031
Todd
TRG custom Fiberglass
Thanks. I have an autobody shop so I have the tools you mention and am quite used to being covered in dust. lol This will be a winter project so I'll get back to you when I dig into it. I've been putting this off for a few years now. It started some time ago with softspots around the thru hulls but has progressed into the area where the drive bolts on. Last year it was taking on water pretty good. I sealed all around the drive hsg with silicone as a sort of temporary repair. Seemed to work ok but it's taking on water again this year. I'm pulling it out this morning for a look see. I'm hopeing to seal it up good enough to get this season in & go from there. Awful lot of work but I'm pretty picky about my stuff and it bugs me knowing it has rot in it. Friends tell me to sell it but I think that would be difficult with this problem and if I did find some unsuspecting person, it would probably come back to haunt me.
I did this to my boat a few years ago. Its not a bad job. Pretty messy. Your gonna need pleny of face mask and a couple pairs of painters coveralls. I am going to be shocked if the stringers are still good. While your in there redo everything. I personally think mine is better than new. Considering how much time I took with it. The floor should have been screwed to the stringers about every 6 inches. Take a circular saw, set the dept to about 3/4", and cut the floor in pieces, easier to pry out. Then use a sawzall to cut the foam into peices. you can feel the blade as it lightly bounces off the bottom. Once you get the foam out use the sawzall to cut the stringers off even with the bottom of the boat. Don't try to gut off the tops of the stingers and get the wood out. You'll never get it back in and fiberglassed right. Now you can get to the transom. I used AC fur 3/4", doubled. Of course each piece was fibergassed and the then screwed together. The sringers were replaced with birch 1" by's. Once all the wood is out grind all the inside fiberglass with 35 grit grinding pads. You've got to really rough up the old f-glass so the new will stick properly. That part is a mess. I was told by a man who has been doing boat repair for over 35 years not to use the synthetic stuff. He said it does not give and will break to easy. He said thats what the majority of his work is. Repairing broken synthetic transoms. Use wood and fiberglass the hell out of it. Cut the wood to fit and fiberglass on a sawhorse first. Then put in the boat and fiberglass it to the hull. When your fibergalssing cut the mat to fit leaving a little hanging over. Always put a coat of resin on the wood first and let it dry. If its mixed properly it should only take about 15 mins. Then reapply the resin and lay down the matt. Once the matt is copletely covered with resin and all the air is worked out and the matt that is hanging over the sides starts to firm up you can cut the excess off with a box cutter. Dont worry about glassing the edges of the stringers they will have so much resin on them they will last forever. I could go on and on about how its done. But, its not rocket science.
The most important thing is the foam. This is what gives the boat its strength. All my buddies have alot newer boats than me. They all comment about how solid mine feels. And its because of the foam/
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