1975 Skiier Stringer Replacement

Guess what I just found? The beam between two of the engine mounts is totally rotten. Do you remember an old Andy Griffith show when Andy walked into Wally's filling station and found some smoldering oil rags in a barrel and Gomer was asleep? Gomer kept saying over and over again........."You know what you just gone and did? You saved my life is what you done".

Thanks to you and everyone else for convincing me to go all the way.

scott

Wow, that looks real similar to mine. I bought a grinder as well and everything you said is right up my alley. I will take note of your post.

Can you tell me:

How much epoxy and hardner will I have to buy for an area approximately 12'X4' including the amount for the stringers and floor?

Where can I buy the wood you suggested?

What weight of fiberglass cloth are you going to use for the stringers and the floor?

What are you going to put in the areas between the stringers and the side of the boat where, in my case, foam used to be?

Help me out on posting pictures if you can. I am not a very good computer person

Thanks and I will be talking to you soon I am sure.

Scott

srbranum wrote: How much epoxy and hardner will I have to buy for an area approximately 12'X4' including the amount for the stringers and floor? Where can I buy the wood you suggested? What weight of fiberglass cloth are you going to use for the stringers and the floor? What are you going to put in the areas between the stringers and the side of the boat where, in my case, foam used to be?

Scott

1) Epoxy = 10 gallons
2) Douglas Fir
3) I used 6 oz tapes, and 17oz biaxial
4) Pool noodles!

You best get cracking if you want to be done by mid May!
Truthfully, that is pretty optimistic, but if get help and stay at it, it is possible.

wakeslayer,

I can see where my old floor layed across the main and secondary stringers and supported by the foam but how is the new floor supported by pool noodles? When it comes time to put the floor in, would I just lay out the biaxial(soaked) and pour on the epoxy? Seeems like it would just be uneven and even collapse.


thanks,

scott

When it comes to sizing your picture- the easiest thing to do is to set your digital camera to take the lowest resolution pictures it can. These will be perfect for the internet. It makes the file size small and the image the right size for a computer screen. Pictures taken on a 5 megapixel camera at full resolution are way too big for a computer screen but make nice crisp prints. So reduce the resolution on your camera to low and you should be good to go for posting pics. Way faster and easier than cropping and resizing images.

CCF gives you 10 mb of storage space. To get there click on "forums", then click on "member control panel". Then "file manager" Then "New Upload". Click "browse" find the image on your computer and upload it. Click on the image to open the file from the ccf website. Copy the web address out of the browser. Now open your thread and go to the latest post. Click on the reply icon that looks like an arrow pointing up at a 45. This will give you a few more icons. Click on the icon that looks like a tree and paste the web address that you copied earlier and wa la. Picture.

Every one else will say foam or plywood, split about 50/50.

Not trying to be glib, but this is an endless debate!

Is it Pete?

Well, I read something else in your last post to me. Drainage built in to the stringer system? Am I supposed to put some holes somewhere or what are you talking about? Sounds like a great idea as long as the drainge holes are coated with epoxy to there is no chance of water touching the wood.

Going to my brothers today to get his engine lift. Bought the angle cutter and diamond blade last night. Should have the engine out and the primaries out this week. I will probably go ahead and order the epoxy today which will hurt . I forgot who told me about 9 gallons worth, just don't want to order too much. I have great luck using www.raka.com. and dealing with larry the owner. He knows everything about boatbuilding supplies. Don't know where to buy the Douglas Fir but may have a contact that deals in speciality woods near me.

Thanks for helping me out. Do ya'll ever swap telephone numbers or do we just use the site for everything?

Working on the picture problem thanks to Keeganino. Later

Scott,
The drainage holes are actually half round cut outs in the bottom of the stringers. Yes, they do get glassed. The easy way is to glass the half rounds before you set the stringers in the boat.

Do some searching and reading on the stringer threads. I feel you'll find it interesting plus lots of information/details.

Yes, it's Pete!

Scott,

Read through my thread. You can see some of the techniques I used that may be helpful. Eventhough we have different sized and brand boats, a lot will transfer over. Look at the other threads, too. Take a couple evenings and do nothing but read through. There's a couple of really good threads that will be more specific to your boat layout.

Here's a few things based on your comments an questions...

I used a sawzall for my cutting.

Supporting the boat is a good thing. My trailer supports most of it, but I blocked it up in a few spots, mostly along the edges.

My grinding I've done with a 4" grinder, mostly with 24 grit sanding discs (although I did try the flapper discs too).

Look around on the Doug Fir. I'm surprised you don't have a lumber yard that stocks it. I got mine for less than $2 a foot. Even at the price ou were quoted, it doesn't sound to awful bad.

You can see how I added drainage to mine in the main stringers and the cross supports.

M floor is being done with plywood laid over the stringers. Late 80's Supras were originally built that way as opposed to the design of the early CC's with the fiberglass just laid on the foam. If I was you, I'd plan to build it that way. That would be conducive to foam or not and you can make the decision later. Personally, I'm going to foam, but I'm laying in a plastic sheeting when I pour the foam so it won't adhere to my framework and will be a "floating" block inside the compartment.

On the glass, I'm using 1708 biaxial. I did a layup schedule that just lays and entire cap layer over the stringer to the floor. I did two layers on each stringer, each successive layer with more overlap onto the hull than the other. I used 6" biaxial tape for the cross supports, then I'm laying a layer over the top down to the hull to cap them. The floor will have the 6" biaxial tape to adhere the edges all along the hull and the bilge area. Then the floor will get one layer of mat and one layer of 6oz cloth to finish it off.

I've gotten 20 yds of biaxial so far and I can see where I need a bit more. I'm probably going to end up at 25 yds. Based on my estimations I'll end up at 75 yds of biaxial tape. I have figured out the mat and cloth yet. I've gone through 6 gallons of epoxy so far and feel like I'll probably end up using 15 gallons altogether. Filler comes into play too for mixing up the thickened epoxy which you'll use to bed the stringers. I used cabosil and glass bubbles for bedding and filleting. I have been getting all my supplies from U.S. Composites.

I cannot figure out how you are going to get away with 3-4 gallons of eopxy. There are little epoxy gremlins that come in the middle of the night and have little gloo keggers. I went through 5 gallons before I had the first primary biaxed in. If I am lucky, I will get done with 10 gallons, but it will be close.

WakeSlayer wrote: I cannot figure out how you are going to get away with 3-4 gallons of epoxy.

Whoever thinks this project will only consume 3-4 gallons has a serious misunderstanding of the scope of the job that is involved. Thats assuming you do a proper layup, as documented by many on here. 8-10 gallons on a boat that size should be about right.

Of course, if you cut the number of courses for the stringers in half, dont coat everything in resin beforehand, and dont glass the floor in, you can probably do it with 3-4.

WOW..this stringer thread is really flying!!! 2 pages in only 2 days and not a sigle picture yet!!!(of the boat in question)
Nice sequence Keegan´s ´73, cslaten? 74 and now this 75...
nice for sharing good advice!!!

TRBenj wrote: WakeSlayer wrote: I cannot figure out how you are going to get away with 3-4 gallons of epoxy. Whoever thinks this project will only consume 3-4 gallons has a serious misunderstanding of the scope of the job that is involved. Thats assuming you do a proper layup, as documented by many on here. 8-10 gallons on a boat that size should be about right. Of course, if you cut the number of courses for the stringers in half, dont coat everything in resin beforehand, and dont glass the floor in, you can probably do it with 3-4.

My general question about glassing the primary & secondary stringers is what is enough? 10 mils, 20 mils, 200 mils? By my math one gallon total mixed should give me over 20 mil thickness on the primary/secondaries.

FrankT      

The tops of my primaries have one layer of 6 oz tape, and one layer of 17oz biax in the front and rear, that measures 3/32" from well behind the trans mounts to well fore of the motor mounts, I added a second layer of 17oz biax, that measures a tall 1/8" thick. This is from memory, but I believe this is correct.

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