71' Martinique Winter Stringer Project

Metallman56 wrote: i guess i'm confussed. i thought that using non treated (cpes) if you were glassing everything in was the way to do. i'm pretty sure i read somewhere on here that the fiber glass doesnt stick to the lumber if its treated. guess i thouhght that inclueded cpes. judging by reactions i guess i'm wrong on that. TRBenj, my idea is to put a lot of expoy down in the empty channel, then set the stringer on top of that. let it sit for a couple, or few days until it dried, then reglass the srtinger in.

Im not aware of any stringer jobs (at least not any that were done appropriately and documented on CCF) that simply installed new stringers without glassing them in... thats pretty much a given unless youre pioneering a new rebuilding technique. When people say "treated", they mean pressure treated (green) lumber. As Pete explained, CPES is simply a thinned epoxy resin. Being thinner, it wicks further into the wood than epoxy would by itself- so it essentially plasticizes the exterior surfaces.

I think you have a little more reading to do on your bedding method as well. I would not recommend bedding with pure epoxy. The 2 most common methods are epoxy soaked mat, and thickened epoxy resin (with a high strength filler like milled fiber or aerosil-cabosil). Doing straight epoxy would be a runny mess, and not nearly as strong. I cant see your pictures, but hopefully the channels youre referring to have been trimmed down extremely low- 1/4" or less. Theyre more for a guide/work aid when rebuilding, and shouldnt be counted on for any strength. That will come from the new glass.

ok then. CPES will be added to my list. that makes sense i have read a lot of people using it, but always wondered why if the glass wasnt going to stick as well. that makes sense now.

i guess there is some confussion, i will be glassing in the stringers. before the stringer(s) go in though i will be putting expoy in the channels. not exactly sure how yet thought, this being my first (and hopefully only) time doing this. but yes both stringers will be reglassed.

thanks again for all the help guys. after reading several threads they start to bleed together, and you dont remember which one is which, who did what, or how. i thank everyone for thier imput. and great catch on the CPES. :)

just ordered cpes from jamestown

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Jllogan wrote: I have been experimenting with homebrew CPES and I have been pleased with the results. Just take epoxy resin and thin with around 50% xylene (from your local home improvement store). So if you run out, that could work. I ran out and didnt want to wait to get more in the mail. Also I used it for all above the floor applications such as the piece of wood in front of fuel tank, etc. Just an FYI.

Justin,
Just a word of caution here. Tim did some experimenting as well as Roger over in England. I believe Roger went to the extent of digging up the MSDS on the CPES and found some pretty exoite solvents in the CPES. I have a feling they are used to make sure when the epoxy starts to "kick" you don't end up with solvent entrapment. I have a feeling the Xylene isn't "fast" enough.

8122pbrainard wrote: I have a feeling the Xylene isn't "fast" enough.

I see your spelling improved.

especially for non structural treatment.

i dont know about making CPES but its definatly on its way :)

Metallman56 wrote: wow i didnt expect getting the bottom angle of the stringer right would be such a pain. 2 days of filing it down by hand to get the correct angle and i'm not even done yet.

A cheap power hand plane for HF is what most use.

yes I agree, that was one of the trickier parts. Its alot of fit and check thats for sure.

well finally got to work on the boat after a freaking month. god i hate my job. i'm quitting, so that will give me some more time in 12 more days!!

ok so cpes cured, and the stringer looks awesome. put it in the boat, and i'm about 1/2 high. didnt have time to measure it from front to back, so i'm relaly hopping its 1/2" down the whole thing. then i can just take an extra 1/2 off the top, re-cpes, and epoxy it in.

warm weather really puts a fire under my butt. i really really want it to be done, cant wait to drive it. still hope it floats

also i'm thinking, maybe muffleres wont make it back in. . . . .. maybe

Jim,
Yes, you must be reading the wrong threads. The stringers are bedded to the hull with thickened epoxy that creates a fillet between the stringe vertical side and the hull. Then yes, you will want to do at least two layers of glass layup before you go to the other side.

The only time you what to use just unthickened epoxy is with the glass layup.

thanks guys

Jim,
At this point it sounds like you are doing a great job but, some pictures sure would help us. You know that old saying!   

something came up last night and stringer #1 didnt go in. i was however able to get a pic. its from a camera phone, and its dark so sorry for the poor clarity.



no stringer in yet, just wanted to double check how exactly it is suppose to go back in.

Jim, Have you ground off the old gel around the stringer as the picture looks like its still there from over the pond ?