Starting 87 SN Floor/Stinger Repair

I just started my winter project. I cut away the floor of my 87 SN. I removed plenty of foam. Much of it was wet, but not as bad as I suspected. Today I pulled the engine. I hope to start with the observer side main stringer in the morning.

I guess I didn't realize the floor was mostly fibergla$$ over foam. I haven't decided yet how I am going to put it back in place. I am thinking about cutting all of the stringers 1/2" shorter. Then, laminating a 3/8" plywood floor with one layer of epoxy and E-gla$$ on the bottom with two layers laminated on top.

Pulling the engine was a treat. In the end, I had to deflate the observer side tire to get enough clearance with my crane.

Tell me again, why did I start this project?

A great military commander once told me that major victories are achieved through audacity tempered with good judgement. I have the audacity part figured out.

You have to look hard. Everything in the garage has a light coating of fine white fibergla$$ dust.

Turns out it is very difficult to remove a stringer. I remember somebody posted that theirs came out like "butta". No such luck here. I am now over budget and behind on this project and it is only day three.

I managed to prep the hull for the new stringer. It took longer than expected to reproduce the stringer on a new 2"x8". I still have to create the bevel then fine tune the fit.

The SN has an aluminum engine cradle that also holds the pylon. The pylon is wedged between two aluminum beams and secured at the hull inside a receiver and tightened using two "U" bolts. This cradle will be instrumental in the proper positioning and alignment of the new stringers.

The engine cradle is held on with lag bolts in the main stringers. Once I replace the stringers I will prep the engine cradle by cleaning and polishing it. Then, I will laminate it onto the stringers with epoxy resin and bolt it into place.

I just finished fine tuning the observer side stringer. I will apply two layers of E-gla$$ with epoxy resin on each side tonight.

SkiBum, where are you going to get new combing pad clips? Those damn double-barb things are hard to find!

I have found them online, in gross quantities however. I drive by ITW Fastex on my way to work, they apparently make these "double ended xmas tree" clips. Hopefully I can stop in one of these days and pick up a bunch.



Are you going to retain the original height of the motorbox? Might want to think about getting it up an inch or so to make room for some bolt-ons if you're going through the trouble.

I do not think I will ever live down the "butta" comment and it will never happen again.
Oh yeah, forget the word budget and practice the acronym B.O.A.T. (Break out another thousand!)

I finished cutting and shaping the driver side main stringer today. I am laminating it tonight and hope to install it in the morning. The boat looks more like a boat with both of these installed.

Hollywood wrote: SkiBum, please tell me you're keeping the templates/measurements you used to shape those stringers.

Would you settle for a lie? I used the observer side stringer to make a "rough" cutout of the origional. Several problems: The origionals are covered in varying amounts of gla$$, they don't come out in a template friendly condition. Spent most of the time using a hand plane to shape the bottom of the stringer to ensure a good bond with the hull. Then, I used the untouched driver side stringer, a straight edge, and a dial caliper to make the fine adjustments to the new stringer. Then used a hand plane and belt sander to bring it to a very accurate match.

Now that the observer side stringer was a very accurate duplicate of the origional I pulled the driver side stringer. Then, same process using the new observer side stringer for accurate measurements.

Bottom line, I don't have any templates.

Removed the secondary stringer from the observer side today. It was much easier than the larger main stringers. Found plenty of rotten wood. Had enough to make a template. Cut out new pieces. Waiting for my shipment of epoxy to arrive so I can laminate the peices together and install them. Getting closer.

SkiBum wrote: Tell me again, why did I start this project?

Because it's a Correct Craft!

Ken

This is the observer side secondary stringer. This thing is made from no less than 12 pieces of wood. I laminated each piece with epoxy resin and 9oz fiber gla$$, then used epoxy resin and gla$$ to laminate all of the pieces together. The origional has two 1/2" plywood spacers at the end. The void between the two main pieces of wood is filled with foam. I laminated additional spacers in two places to prevent the stringer from bowing when I add foam. Even with all of this epoxy and gla$$ the new stringer is 10x lighter than the old soggy one.



This photo shows all of the pieces that were eventually epoxied, gla$$ed, and laminated to make the stringer. In the background is the old, rotten stringer.

Bill, some people do drugs ,some people chase whores ,don't really matter we all have our vices.Mine has to do with old boats,it ain't any cheaper,just keeps me at home at nite,and the S.O. knows where i'm at, working on that old boat.
Your doing a great job,the biggest resto you can do on a boat ,and when finished nobody will see it. What a bummer,it's kinda like peeing in a dark suit;it gives you a warm feeling ,but nobody notices...............boat dr

This is the observer side stringer installed. It is seated in resin and 403 filler with 4" and 8" strips of 10oz gla$$ laminating it onto the hull. Once dry I'll fillet along the base of the stringer with the hull. Time to start cutting out the driver side secondary stringer.