1987 2001 rebuild

Hey guys i joined last summer and had some questions about stringers and spider cracks.Well now its time to fix the problem and i have completely stripped my boat to the hull,removed the rotted stringers on one side,and now im waiting to order my epoxy.Ive got to special order the fir 2x10 no one around birmingham al stocks them.Last night i started sanding my hull getting ready to re gel. Is there anymore options besides gel i want it to last, and also wanting to know the best solution u guys have found to fix the spider cracks.Ive done alot of research and havent found anything besides groove them and fill with bondo is this about the best thing ?Thanks for any help.

Try Sweetwater Lumber in Austell,GA. It's a little ways for you to drive but worth it IMO to see what you are getting.

Try an advanced search for gel kote/gel coat and specify 'any date' in the parameters. There are several good reads on gel here.

Thanks for the info put my order in at sweetwater today, and i will pick my stringers up tommorow.Saved about forty dollars compared to lowes. But on the other hand will spend that in gas.I'll have it this weekend though.

My wife drove to sweetwater this morning and picked up my lumber so im ready to get started.Could anyone tell me about the awlgrip and interlux urethane paint and if u have tried it.Someone at west marine said these products were good and alot easier than gel.

Pete's advise above is 100% accurate and the only input I have to add is "do not remove all your gel coat" to eliminate spider cracks, simply get a dremmel and slightly rout out the cracks and fill them and sand.
Those that re-gel coat never regret it cause IT IS ORIGINAL.
bj

Thanks pete everyone leans towards gelcoat i'll have to do it myself because of budget.I have one friend that paints cars says he will help.What is duraglass and would it be better than just bondo?Ill try to post some pics of my progress soon really nothing but a 1987 2001 in pieces .Also could i just use a gun from harbor freight to spray gel r do you guys have a specific one you like to use?Thanks guys!

Zack,
Glad you have some one who can help out with the spraying. Gel is a heavy viscosity so the guns fluid tip and air tip need to be the properly sized. People have tried to use cheap guns but to get the gel through them it needs to be reduced (thinned) so much that you don't get the build (thickness) needed. Some have been able to use gravity feed guns but the gel needs a fair amount of reduction with them too. I feel pressure feed is the way to go but do talk to your friend. I have a 2 quart pressure feed but it's a PITA to clean.

For the recommended viscosity, talk to the supplier of the gel.

Zach,

I am currently rebuilding a 1988.

I dry fit the 3/4" then used CPES liberally
Next I placed resin and 1 lift om mat on the bottom side.
After it cured out, I placed a layer of resin weted mat over all the wood stringer/supports that the 3/4" comes in contact with.

Attach the plywood with the strip mats still wet.

I then foamed around the edges of the plywood to the edge of the hull, sanded the foam, then you are ready to glass the top of the plywood.

This information may help you.. This method is above and beyond what the factory did

Dennis

82nautique1 Does u.s. composites sell the cpes that is where im ordering from.How many layers of glass on top of your plywood.Is your method strong enough to hold the plywood down for the next twenty years with no screws.Not doubting u just dont wont it to come up Thanks

Thanks for all the info this site sure helps.This is my first time doing any fiberglass,I actually install granite countertops for a living so i am familiar with resins and epoxies use them daily.What is the best method for laying the mat?From what ive read i need about 3 to 4 layers over my stringers ,i left the old glass just cut the top off it seemed easier for a beginner.On another post i read they used 2,4 and 8" strips.It took me forever to get my stinger to fit on the bottom probaly took it out 10 times to trim.Man you guys who get them out whole are lucky mine was nothing but mush. Definitly decided to go with the gel coat that way i want have to worry about the paint for a while not looking forward to all that sanding though.That seems like what most people prefer.The guys at usc sent me some stuff to thicken the epoxy to fill the spider cracks. Im planning to do bedliner on the floor. In a light color of course is this a good idea seems like it would seal everything off.Im going to take some pics soon of the progress.Thanks

]This is the boss!

Looking good there. You are ahead of me. I used to live in Vestavia Hills in Birmingham. My first Correct Craft experiences were on the Warrior River. Learned to waterski there. Wakeboard now though.

some sound advice, Gelling a boat is for keeping the boat original but at times is very labor intensive and expensive to do and not for first timers, you will end up going broke if not done correctly, Pete, yes is an advocate for re-gelling.   Eric is not, if it was a matter of the boat being worth 10k more because you re-gelled, then gel it
but as a first timer Acrylic urethane (Imron) is a great second choice if you prefer not to gel. I have painted complete boats 10 or 15 years ago with AU and they still hold well and are one helluva lot easier to buff 10 years later.
im just providing information and in no way trying to sway whichever way you decide to do it. i respect pete's opinion to the fullest, but its your boat and you know what your capable of. your local paint store can mix acrylic urethanes and they have the same formulas as the marine paint, half the cost and if you do decide to AU, talk to a rep about application, on the last coat you mix 50/50 paint and a good UV clear and you will see your face in the side of the boat.
Gelling has a tendency to go on thicker and will orange peel if not applied correctly, and that means you will spend about 100 hours of wet sanding it flat. again, just passing info

zachjeepyj wrote: i left the old glass just cut the top off it seemed easier for a beginner.

FYI, this is a very questionable practice! That old glass wont give any strength to your stringers and you'll never bond it to the wood as good as you could with new glass. I would highly recommend cutting those channels down to 1/4" or less (or completely removing them). You should get rid of all the gel anywhere the new glass will go to allow it to bond glass to glass (much stronger).

Another vote for re-gel here. Its thicker and will last longer and be more durable than paint. Several first-timers here have tackled it with amazing results. I will be doing the same on the deck of my '67. Just do your research and take it slow.

Guy's

Before I started, i read the threads and have since found out the one's that presented them are correct.

If you leave the existing fiberglass edges whatever height, you really have no way to see or fill the small gaps with filler. It is very hard to duplicate 100% the bottom shape of the stringer to match the hull.

I would also think that the mat strips you bed under the stringers would create more air gaps further reducing the strength you are trying to achieve.

As many guys have said and I know for a fact with a 4" grinder and some aggressive sanding disks the old can be removed.

I think the only thing saved is some very dirty dusty work.

I am 100% glad I removed all the old. When you get through the real dirty part you start feeling real good about your rebuild.

Dennis