Floor is out!!!

[Mike Harry]

Wish I was closer man, Ive got enough THICK weave and resin to do your floor in one swoop.

[56mulberry]

Where are you exactly?  Wanna donate?   Gas may more economical for me than resin, mat and shipping in the long run......D

Nix that--just looked in your profile to see where you live--prolly wouldnt work...ah well, worth asking...D

[Mike Harry]

No, not when you can get 5 gallons of resin for a hundred bucks. I also got enough weave to roll the entire floor twice for another hunderd (but it was the really thick weave and pretty expensive).

See if there is a Bens paint supply anywhere near you and check it out...... never know there might be one in B-ham.

[Mike Harry]

Sorry brother, it looks like Ben's is only in the FLA

[56mulberry]

Yah--checked the i-net and noticed.  Got a couple mailorder places I can get 5gal resin for $125 or so plus shipping along with mat, micro balloons and fibers.  Shouls be able to finish whole floor for @ $200-225 looks like--assuming my time is "free".  I think the float foam will cost more than the floor stuff!  D

[Mike Harry]

I was about 20 to 50 bucks below that, so if thats with shipping you are not doing to bad.

[56mulberry]

OK--two coats of resin on bottoms (float foam side) of floor boards and one coat on top (deck/carpet side). ALso set ski pylon/frame back in just becfasue it makes me feel like I am further along than I actually am......

When I put floor in with resin/microfibers/mat will put another couple coats on top.  Going to use 1/2" from here forward so the L-seat will have no fitment issues with height when reinstalling/glassing it in.  

QUESTION:  prolly for RonT--  but where should foam stop on the way toward bow?  obviously it has to stop before the L-seat because battery box extends thru floor.  However there was a board placed between stringers when I removed floor but it was added after for support at some point when floor was cut out and sorta replaced....  Factory foam was just sort of poured in before floor went in so it just ended there somewhere a foot or so from outer stringer.  Since I was going to do a more thorough job foaming (tip bow up, pour foam in thru 2" holes every 2' then let foam run backwards and expand forward...)  I have to have foam stop though before it gets to batt tray---so, maybe a 2x10 glassed and screwed to hull and stringers to contain it on that side? will try to add pic with red line to indicate area....D

OK SEE PICs FOR QUESTION AREA RE:LITTLE CROSS BRACE TO CONTAIN FOAM--one on left and right?

[Mike Harry]

How do you plan on putting the foam in, or do you? If you do...... you do know that stuff expands alot right? If you put it in an inclosed area (and put to much) it will bulge out your floor boards.

Just something to keep in mind.

[56mulberry]

According to RonT:  I am supposed to prop the bow up about 25-30 degrees then holesaw a 2" hole in floor boards between stringers every 2 feet.  then starting in rearmost hole i pour in the foam and it should run backwards then expand forwards.  Then I go to next hole forward and pour again letting it run back and expand forward.  I guess this method fills it while letting it expand forward to keep that overexpansion from ocurring. of course being careful all along not to overfill.  This should give me solid and complete fill.  Then go back with some mat patches and cover the 2" holes. And final resin over it all.

Just not sure about the stopping point/place/barrier?  D

[Mike Harry]

Mine is an 86 so its not the same, nut it appears there was no stop barrier in mine. It appears they let it flow out forward until it layed out on its own. It sort of comes to a point from thick to thin (which appears to me is what happened due to the filling process you described)

Don't know if yours is supposed to, but mine never had a stop point in the front.

[RonT]

I never used a "foam Stop" let it run all the way forward until it comes out a vent hole as far forward as you dare drill. Battery cables can be handled either by drilling out foam later, or installing a pvc pipe to the battery box area, which is what I prefer, but be sure pipe is sealed off to keep foam out.

[56mulberry]

SO would it be bad to create the same effect with the so-called "foam stop" and just let it vent out there in front--will the change in "solidity" be evident or negligible by stopping the foam there instead the next couple feet?  Its pretty this there anyways as the stringers end and taper off and the hull bottom starts to curve up it seems. 

[56mulberry]

So I am back in the saddle finally--hoping for a Memorial Day entrance to the water.  Got the ski pole frame installed back in--cleaned up some NASTY motor mounts and re-installed them and have the rear sides of floor reglassed with chop strand mat and resin.  I am going to use some 2" Aluminum angle to make 4 perches for the rear floor hatch (over rudder control area) that will be nicely removeable and better than the PT 2x4 deal the prev owner had cobbled together for it to sit on.  This will give me a lightweight and strong way to mount it--using 3.5" long pieces bolted to stringers then will probabaly screw down with stainless bolts into the angle which I will thread--may even try to weld a ss nut on back to make it really nice or may look for a sort of "D-ring" like some boat cargo holds have to make it easily removable.  Still thinking on that one yet. 

Got the transom brackets for swim platform polished and reinstralled and thru-hull sealed with some good old 5200 as well as the ss loops for  tying onto under rub rail in rear--noticed they had about 3" of threadwith about 2.5" sticking thru hull and were a pain to remove because even deep well would not go over and had to use wrench so I cut them down to 1.5"--works much better!

Will do a couple more things then can resin and screw down floor boards then will foam the whole thing.

Waiting on seat base repair to be finished,

I am going to have a new pedestal bent out of SS plate (the part that screws to floor) that will be 2" taller--I noticed that the current one causes the seat back bottom to jam into the floor when fully moved backweards.

We are getting ther...will post some more pics when have time this week hopefully--D

[56mulberry]

Floor side pieces going in on Fri--as well as foam......everyone keep fingers crossed....DOUG

[56mulberry]

OK--floor is in (rear sides) but no foam yet--my hole saw requires a 1/2" chuck drill and mine stops at 3/8"--so have to borrow my dad's to drill the foam holes---then can pour foam

See the 2" aluminum angle that will be used as support brackets for rear "hatch" cover/floor.  

I resined the floor down (as per RonT) with a combo of resin/phenolic micro-balloons/milled fibers to a thick peanut butter-like consistency across top of stringers then screwed down with 3" countersunk stainless screws to stringers and 1" screw through the "ledge" of old glass that remained on inside of hull into floor board underneath--I am using 3/4" marine ply (instead of 1/2") so I routed a 1/4" deep 2" wide recess along the edge to slide under the ledge so it would be nice and flush and gooped that full of the same stuff to hold it before installing it--then stacked concrete blocks on it and am letting it dry overnight....

Should be a very solid and waterproof bottom when done---

Notice in the 3rd pic I also added some rectangular stainless brackets INSIDE the hull on transom to my swim platform brackets--again it may be overkill but I hope to never open up the bottom of this boat again while I am living--so rather be safe than sorry.  Originally it just had small washers on the thru-hull bolts.

ALso got the rear mooring hitch back on and 5200'ed (does that thing have a proper nautical term..?  its not an "eye" really--more of a hook with a dead-fall keeper stay on it... the one on top of the deck directly behind the rear vent)  as well as the speedo siphon/sensors back on and the stern-light pole mount on also.

Next I will use some 1708 biaxial tape about 6" wide with resin to the floor to the inside of hull all around--may wrap it over edges onto stringers also along inboard stringer--not sure if need to really--may be overkill and wont be able to where the ski pole frame, and hatch brackets are.  Prob will though so it is reral solid.

This week will work on floor forward of ski pole.  Seat platform is still at machine shop being re-done.

WIll hopefully also foam the floor that is in this week--getting closer to done.  Still aiming for that Memorial Day deadline!!!  Just happens to fall on my birthday this year so would be a cool present to myself anyways...