1975 Skiier Stringer Replacement

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BKH

Scott,

If you want, I can help you. You can email me the pictures and I'll set up a photobucket account for you t host them through and post them on here.

What program opens your photos to view them on your computer?

Have another question everyone.

I have called a ton of places where I live asking for doug fir beams. Everyone says they will have to order it and it will cost a ton($150-$200 for two beams not counting the secondary stringers). More than one said spruce is just as good and if its not going to be seen, it should be fine. Can I substitute spruce for doug fir?

Question #2: Does anyone know what width of primary to buy? If I could send a picture, the beam underneath the gas tank rises above the heighth of the rest of the stringer running up towards the front of the boat. Looks like I would need to buy a 2"X10X12' with the majority of beam cut down to slightly under 7". I hope I am explainging this correctly.

Question 3:   I know I am putting plywood underneath the seats and behind the engine but the areas beside the engine and covering the foam filled void areas is in question. I was thinking about using real thin luan plywood and covering it with fiberglass and resin. I am guessing this area was sprayed with layer after layer of fiberglass from the factory which I obviously can't do now. Any suggestions?

Got to go to sleep now. Hope to hear from you guys on these questions.

I hope to get you some pictures with help offered by Okie boarder.

scott

Scott,
SPF aka: spruce, pine fir (not doug fir) is not the same. Not in the same strength class. I've mentioned this before but a good example as to the strength is to look at constuction framing charts. SPF isn't in the same span/lb per sq. foot catagory for roof or floor joists. Keep looking. What part of the country are you in? For the secondaries, the SPF is fine.

The raised area of the stringers aft for the tank can be added on. You don't need to get the 2x wide enough to make it out of 1 piece.

We've got to get you to take some time and read some other threads. Don't worry about sleeping!!   

8122pbrainard wrote: We've got to get you to take some time and read some other threads. Don't worry about sleeping!!

yes all the info is here with lots of different set up. composite material instead of wood..
And some using no foam or alternate materials for flotation purposes..Like using pool noodles

This is where you go for your lumber if you are having a hard time finding it in Huntsville. Lots of people on this site have purchased from there. Make a Sunday drive out of it.
Sweetwater Lumber

get some rest my friend!!!
we want you to finish this project the right way!!!

Scott,

You are resurrecting a boat that has some decent value, especially to you. You are going to spend between $800-1500 on epoxy, glass, misc parts, then more on carpet, etc.   I don't see saving $100 on lesser grade wood to be a worthwhile place to skimp. Done right, you are never going to see it again and the boat will give you and your family hundreds if not thousands of hours of priceless family fun.

WakeSlayer wrote: Scott, You are resurrecting a boat that has some decent value, especially to you. You are going to spend between $800-1500 on epoxy, glass, misc parts, then more on carpet, etc.   I don't see saving $100 on lesser grade wood to be a worthwhile place to skimp. Done right, you are never going to see it again and the boat will give you and your family hundreds if not thousands of hours of priceless family fun.

You are so correct..My wife just said she did not care what it cost, just do it right. I have had the boat since 1990 and even if I pull up to a new dealership on the water, everybody wants to look at it. I have people try and pull me over on the highway and offer to buy it so you are correct, it is worth doing right. It has 690 original hours on it which averages about 20 hours per summer. I have put about 12 hours/summer on it myself which is strictly from mid may to labor day.

bkhallpass wrote: You must get a fedex discount. Any way to have one of your compadres pick up the wood on a run? The straight grain fir tends to be a straighter piece of wood as well. It will also have very few knots. You could go with less expensive lumber on the secondaries, but if it were mine, and in fact I'm in the middle of a stringer job myself, I would buy the good stuff for your primary stringer. Measure 3 or 4 times before you cut. BKH

I think I will. The savings I would realize buying the cheaper grade will be gone once I spend most of one day and $75 in gas plus lunch in addition to time away from the project going to get it vs. buying it from the only local dealer who would help me for $7/ft four miles from my house.

You guys amaze me how much smarter you are than me! Keep it coming.

Andy,

Thanks for the help. I will study on everything you said as well as others and do the best I can. Got to eat dinner and go to work.


Scott

Can't see a lot of the boat, but what I can see looks to be in very good condition. BKH

The stringers will only extend a few inches past the footrest hump. Some people cut it out completely and reglass it in afterwards. I laid all new glass on my Ski Tique (same hull as your Skier). Removing it also made the foam removal much easier.

Other options to consider for stringers would be LVL (microlam) beams, or composites like Coosa. For just the stringers alone, I think you could come close to the price for wood (~$250 per 4x8 sheet of 1/2"), but theres a little more work involved since the mains would need to be laminated together with 3 layers before installing. The stringers would never rot, though! Check out threads by JoeinNY and lfskizzer to see what is involved. Im rebuilding a BFN with Coosa right now as well- but Im not very far along with the rebuild.

Keegan,

Did you or do you intend to leave that lip that runds around the inside of the hull where the floor met the wall or are you going to grind it off?

Also, do I try and grind or pry up all the old fiberglass in the floor area? I noticed yours does not appear to have any left and looks copper in color.

Thanks,

scott

Here ye here ye!!!

OMG!!! The area under the dash was so much fun I wish I had another boat to do it over again. I have some more questions as usual:

1. Why are the end of the primary stingers under the dash rotten as well as the small vertical piece of wood sittting on top of the stringer? I would think this area is the safest of all from rot.

2. Ended up pulling out the three ventilation hoses from the air scoop on the bow. I guess I will buy new hoses and foam it back in.

3. I was looking at the sides of the hull inside the boat and the little lip that is left over from taking the floor out seems to be one big piece of fiberglass laid on top of the gelcoat hull. Does everybody leave this in(I hope)?

4. About the best I could come up with on the Douglas Fir is $211+$68gas+$50 to finish the wood to a smooth surface and about 7hours of my time. I don't know why but this part of the project really gets under my collar.

5. What do you guys call the foam that you put everywhere and where would I begin to look for it locally? I had a insulation guy reblow our attice this year and they mentioned that they spray something similiar to this between the walls for insulation. I wonder if I should call them and see what it is and could I buy some.

TRBeng, tell me one more time about the areas NOT associated with fiberglassing the stringers related to gelcoat or grinding it off. Should I try to make the whole bottom of the boat the same or just focus on the areas that the stringers sit on?

I am going to make a template based on the footprint of the engine and take a lot of other measurements to make sure I put the engine back in exactly where it was or as close as humanly possible.

Ya'll please give me some feedback.

Scott