SoCal Jet Boats

Tech Talk => Gelcoat / Paint / Fireberglass Repair => Topic started by: someguy1222 on March 13, 2016, 08:32:26 PM

Title: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 13, 2016, 08:32:26 PM
I recently picked up a 75 Eliminator bubble. The fiberglass that's wrapped over the left stringer is broken where the stringer meets the hull and the stringer is loose. They are both Swiss cheesed pretty bad also. Anyway, I want to replace the stringers and bulkheads and after reading everything I can find on this forum, I'm still unsure of tackling this job.  The boat is down to bare hull with only the intake still in it. I've already got the new 2x6 kd Doug fir s4s.

Does anyone know of a good glass guy in Phoenix that is reasonable?

I can have the old stringers cut out, the grinding done and new ones ready to go in. If someone wants to help, i'll pay for a months supply of beer and bring the boat to you or whatever it takes.


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: eastcoastboys on March 15, 2016, 02:29:36 PM
Just do it your self. Fiberglass work is mindless. Watch some you tube and read a lot and search here the info to do it right is out there. It's just time consuming and dirty work.


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: GT Jets on March 15, 2016, 02:44:30 PM
Just do it your self. Fiberglass work is mindless. Watch some you tube and read a lot and search here the info to do it right is out there. It's just time consuming and dirty work.


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats

Mindless huh?

Just to throw my nickel in the ring,  there are more ways to do it wrong than there are to do it right.

JMHO

GT

Sent from my SCH-I545 using SoCal Jet Boats mobile app

Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: jackogle64 on March 15, 2016, 03:38:30 PM
Just do it... i redid mine and i didnt know shit.
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: jackogle64 on March 15, 2016, 03:41:36 PM
I didnt have to replace them but i did strip em and re glass them.  Just take your time.
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: eastcoastboys on March 15, 2016, 06:58:13 PM

Mindless huh?

Just to throw my nickel in the ring,  there are more ways to do it wrong than there are to do it right.

JMHO

GT

Sent from my SCH-I545 using SoCal Jet Boats mobile app

Mindless as in you don't have to have a engineering degree to do it. I would say welding is something you don't give it a shot and then put your life at risk with what you welded together. Anyone can mix resin and brush and roll and putty it around. Trust me I see stupid all day long but in my opinion if you can swing a wrench in your hand and take a motor apart and put it back together then you probably could do fiberglass work with alittle bit of background knowledge. Just my two cents.


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: eastcoastboys on March 15, 2016, 07:00:14 PM
Oh and I wouldn't do it again unless it's really worth it. I think I am gonna be itching for the rest of 2016.


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: GT Jets on March 15, 2016, 07:29:41 PM
Mindless as in you don't have to have a engineering degree to do it. I would say welding is something you don't give it a shot and then put your life at risk with what you welded together. Anyone can mix resin and brush and roll and putty it around. Trust me I see stupid all day long but in my opinion if you can swing a wrench in your hand and take a motor apart and put it back together then you probably could do fiberglass work with alittle bit of background knowledge. Just my two cents.


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats

There is actually quite a lot to it if done properly.

First,  the boat has to be blocked and restrained properly to maintain the proper shape.

Adhesion is the biggest mistake made, the should be embedded in a quality bedding to ensure a uniform adhesion.

The laminating schedule is, and can be tricky.

All this is wrapped around chemical knowledge and safety.

As for the itching.

Tyvek suit and Gold Bond are your best buds.

I also wear a full face forced air respirator.

There are a dozen different products available to do this type of work, all of which have their own prep procedures.

That's all I was saying.

Having had to take boats apart and redo previous work is why I made the comment I did.

GT
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: Bigblockchevy1691 on March 15, 2016, 08:13:56 PM

Just do it... i redid mine and i didnt know shit.
looks good.  I did the same.  Can't learn how unless you dive in and do it.


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 15, 2016, 08:48:13 PM
I've done a lot of welding work and am a mechanic by trade, but I just want this thing done and on the water this summer. I have read everything I can find on here and am going to go for it.

I'm using the plan that Flusher laid out in another thread. Making the bedding out of resin, cabosil and chopped strands. Then using 12.5oz +/- 45 for two layers then cover everything in 6oz cloth.

I plan to block the keel up off the trailer and use jack stands to get the back of the boat off the trailer and level.

There is a place here in Phoenix called Sticky Stuff. All they sell is fiberglass supplies. The guy told me to swing by and he'll demo his stuff and show the proper way to use it. Have any of you guys ever used their stuff?


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 15, 2016, 08:49:20 PM
My last boat was a Sleekcraft and had a 3/4" transom in it. This Eliminator has about a 3/8" transom in it. Does that seem right?


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: GT Jets on March 15, 2016, 08:56:59 PM
My last boat was a Sleekcraft and had a 3/4" transom in it. This Eliminator has about a 3/8" transom in it. Does that seem right?


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats

Pretty typical,  jets typically drive off of the keel,  not necessarily the transom.

My current jet has a1/2" thick total,  glass and wood. Some are just glass.

GT
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 15, 2016, 09:01:50 PM

Pretty typical,  jets typically drive off of the keel,  not necessarily the transom.

My current jet has a1/2" thick total,  glass and wood. Some are just glass.

GT

Ok thanks.  I really appreciate all the help and information from everyone


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: carrera202 on March 16, 2016, 07:43:46 AM

Ok thanks.  I really appreciate all the help and information from everyone


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
if you want some pics of how we did ours let me know I still have some I just don't have any of how we did the glass work


Drinking a cold coors light and learning about boats

Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: Flusher on March 16, 2016, 09:21:51 AM
I'm using the plan that Flusher laid out in another thread. Making the bedding out of resin, cabosil and chopped strands. Then using 12.5oz +/- 45 for two layers then cover everything in 6oz cloth.

That's S2-glass by the way, not E-glass.  S2 is structural glass, originally developed for aerospace, but without the material certification making it affordable at the consumer level.  S2-glass has around twice the tensile strength of common E-glass.

Just wanted to clarify.

Cheers,

Joe
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: steves86ta on March 16, 2016, 12:26:24 PM
That's S2-glass by the way, not E-glass.  S2 is structural glass, originally developed for aerospace, but without the material certification making it affordable at the consumer level.  S2-glass has around twice the tensile strength of common E-glass.

Just wanted to clarify.

Cheers,

Joe

Link? I didnt see this and i want to lol
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 16, 2016, 12:34:04 PM

That's S2-glass by the way, not E-glass.  S2 is structural glass, originally developed for aerospace, but without the material certification making it affordable at the consumer level.  S2-glass has around twice the tensile strength of common E-glass.

Just wanted to clarify.

Cheers,

Joe

Ok, got it.  Thanks for the info!
I'm working on getting all the old glass and cloth out of the hull and it looks like the cloth was laid in with the intake out of the boat.  Is there a way around pulling the intake, like blending the new glass into the stuff that goes under the intake?


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 16, 2016, 12:35:38 PM
 


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 16, 2016, 12:37:03 PM

if you want some pics of how we did ours let me know I still have some I just don't have any of how we did the glass work


Drinking a cold coors light and learning about boats

I will if I get stuck. Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 28, 2016, 12:34:11 PM
Just an update.  Stringers are fit and will be set and glassed in this week. Got my rail kit from jbp and a bunch of other parts on the way. Thanks again for everyone's help


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: carrera202 on March 29, 2016, 06:02:22 AM

Just an update.  Stringers are fit and will be set and glassed in this week. Got my rail kit from jbp and a bunch of other parts on the way. Thanks again for everyone's help


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
nice work keep it up its looking good


Drinking a cold coors light and learning about boats

Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: Blue2184 on March 29, 2016, 07:17:01 AM
Just thinking out loud here? You might be already going to do it? But you need to take a router and knock the corners off of your stringers... It will make life SOOO much easier when you get ready to lay the glass and give you a much better finished product... Nice work tho! Looking good! 👍🏻


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on March 29, 2016, 10:17:23 AM

Just thinking out loud here? You might be already going to do it? But you need to take a router and knock the corners off of your stringers... It will make life SOOO much easier when you get ready to lay the glass and give you a much better finished product... Nice work tho! Looking good! 👍🏻


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats

Yeah I am going to, I just picked up a router and a 1/2" round over bit this weekend and will knock off the corners today. Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: someguy1222 on April 04, 2016, 10:21:07 PM
I got the stringers set and glassed in. It wasn't fun, but it's done. Thanks again to everyone for the help and info. I'm sure I'll have other questions as this build goes on


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
Title: Re: Stringer replacement help
Post by: rhay916 on April 05, 2016, 01:07:10 AM
Some might say replacing stringers is super easy, but It takes just a little knowledge and skill to do the job so it never will need it be done again.



Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats
SMFPacks CMS 1.0.3 © 2026