WET vs ROT- the documentary

See them ok, Good luck with your project. I re worked a 1988 last winter.

did i understand your photo comments in that astroturf was actually glassed into the stringer as a repair?

My mufflers also have the astro turff.

I bet a lot more people would take a look at your pictures if you actually posted them here instead of providing a link. Or maybe its just me!

You are kidding me?!?! This metal piece was a patch?!

I thought I'd seen some boats in bad shape, but thats a new one!

8122pbrainard wrote: Mike, Interesting use of "alternate" materials! Do you know if the PO did it or a "pro"?

It is hard to tell. I think the boat has had pretty extensive stringer work done once before. The aluminum grid and engine had to have been pulled once before. As I am under the dash area,I can see the main stringers have been covered in biaxial cloth for their entire length as well as sistered in ANOTHER location. That makes 4 sisters total...I dont think biaxial cloth was a factory material but I dont know.

I have to believe that the metal and roofing materials were work of someone who was handy, but not necessarily a pro. I am glad that it was not me that paid for the repair, but I guess I am now.

Thanks for the comment on the shift knob. I made that myself. Little did I know that a cracked knob would be the least of my concerns.

This is a very good example of why I as well as others always recommend a complete down to the hull stringer job.

Okie Boarder wrote: 8122pbrainard wrote: This is a very good example of why I as well as others always recommend a complete down to the hull stringer job. Yup. The more I see previous repair jobs done half-assed, the more I realize why it is better and more effective to do it right the first time....or "DIRT FOOT" as some people say.

And who mentioned the word "scarf" awhile back??

WOFTAM wrote: I may opt to scarf in place of a complete stringer job.

Yes, I will admit that I considered a scarf initially. The thing I cant understand with the prior repair is why they left the ends of the stringers in...The motor was pulled, all of the hard stuff was done. It was just plain lazy.

I have developed more questions on this process and will be soliciting some input soon. I am looking forward to more quality time with her over the long weekend.

Thanks again for all of the help and encouragement.

Pics updated on the link.

4 hours of grinding today. The worst part was hosing myself down in all of my clothes in 35 degree weather so I did not get any of the dust in the garage or house. I looked like a ghost when I took the respirator off.

I am have decided to take the bottom of the floor down to the glass so that I know that I am bonding to good material. It is adding some extra time, but I have plenty of time to do it properly.

I received some .dwg files from Roger that will aid me in the basic shaping of the main stringers. I am anxious to get them printed and to get to work on shaping the fir.

Thanks to all who have chimed in with the guidance!

Even if you use the suit cover your arms in baby powder. It will really help! 2 years later and I am still cleaning white powder off stuff in my garage!

I ran home from work today and hopped into my carhartt suit. It did not do as well as a job as I had hoped even though I taped wrists, ankles and neck. It is now in the wash.

I should have remembered the tyvek suit. I has a few from painting the antifouling paint on the bottom of the sailboat.

So I received notice of a 48 hour sale from Jamestown Distributors on the West System Epoxy. I have until tomorrow night at midnight to get this deal ($79.99/gallon-resin only) Hardener is $39.98/quart.

I have read much about the US Composites house brand epoxy. There is a price point here but I am weighing it with my experience with the West System product line.

Some new terms that I have read about here are cabosil and milled fiber. West does not have those additives, but many others. If I use the West, I plan on using Six-10 to bond the stringers down and then standard 105/205 mixed with 406 (Collodial Silica) for the laminating.

If anyone can chime in with experience using the US Composites and long term performance, I would appreciate it.

Looks like I am ready to do some bonding:

How many gallons do you need for a stringer job? I plan on using biaxial cloth.

Good word on the everyday price at US composites .

I got the 5 gal kit twice on my BFN and have a little left. There's nothing wrong with the product at US, but I have heard that you may get more tech support with West. I think West also has mostly the same fillers but maybe under different names. I used milled fiber, cabosil, microbubbles, and talc. They are all fillers/thickeners that have their own best uses.

Great work so far. Is your boat an 80 or 81?