Vacuum Bagging

« **Reply #50 on:** December 17, 2008, 09:14:23 AM »

Between 76-79 boats were layed up by Bennett I think. Jeff was our crew chief and my room mate at that time. By the fact that your boat is gel coated tends to make me think that it might be a bit newer than that. If it is the factory drag boat the no HIN # makes sence. The fact that it only took two guys also sounds like the old drag boat. 490# sounds heavy though back in the day circle boats under 800# were considered light weight. As you restrengthen the boat be on the lookout for further delaminations. If it is the drag boat it was never intended to last this long.

« **Reply #51 on:** December 17, 2008, 09:21:46 AM »

well when i spoke with jack McClure about the boat i was told the liberty was byfar a suppior boat but really heavy so the had one lightened up and when we weighed it it was 390 lbs on a set a scales for a open wheel car that are legit they have to be and to put 4 stringer in a drag boat sounds dumb to me also in a v-bottom theres not much stress in the outer area at a 1/4 mile run

« **Reply #52 on:** December 17, 2008, 09:38:18 AM »

Just talked to Jeff. He came on the site and looked at the boat. He doesn't think he did it. Especially due to the graphic design and the black bottom and chines. He thought that it's a latter boat than the ones he layed up. He believes it might actually be an Eliminator. They bought the molds when Liberty closed the doors. Not too many Eliminator Liberty 19's out there. We both agreed that the turn fin slot shown on the interior pix would indicate NOT a drag boat. and Jeff thought that the weight is about right if it was done by Eliminator. Hope this helps but I'm afraid it probably mucks up the water even more.

« **Reply #53 on:** December 17, 2008, 02:54:19 PM »

BTW when replacing the stringers I would remove one and replace it then do the next, then the next. If you take them all out at the same time it will be very difficult to keep the boat straight.

« **Reply #54 on:** December 17, 2008, 05:55:20 PM »

Hey Guys thanks for the info. I found some old scales at work. They use to use them for weighting the volume of 2 ton chlorine tanks. The scales have a hydraulic pad, and dial face. My only concern is the scale goes form 0-8000lbs. I know scales are the most accurate in the middle of the range. So I don’t if this will be more accurate. I think I be able to weight this weekend.
That’s what I am going to do with the stringer replacement. I’m going to remove the glass from the top of the stringer one at a time, leaving the glass sides, install new wood, vacuum bag it into the old slot.
Thanks again for all the input. Please ask any questions if what I post is not clear. I post another picture when I get a chance to take one, and the weight. schick

« **Reply #55 on:** December 17, 2008, 07:38:52 PM »

good luck and definatley keep the pics coming

« **Reply #56 on:** December 20, 2008, 10:16:43 PM »

Tried to weight the hull, the scales would not repeat any measurement, took 160 lbs. of weight along for accuracy could not get the scales to read the same twice. Here are a few pictures of the bow.

« **Reply #57 on:** December 20, 2008, 10:24:43 PM »

Another bow pic. If you look close there is hi and lows

« **Reply #58 on:** December 20, 2008, 10:28:47 PM »

There not coming out very well., I'll post on more.

« **Reply #59 on:** December 27, 2008, 03:12:29 PM »

Sooooooo I rolled up to my friends house today and I see him sirring around in his garage .
I printed out the picture of your liberty sitting in the yard and I keep it my truck in hopes that I see him .
I pulled over and I showed it to him .
I also printed out the picture of deck but for some odd reason my brain cant grab it off my desk and throw it in the truck with the other one.
Anyways , I showed him the picture of the boat sitting on your lawn .
First word out of his mouth were . "It's Phils old boat ."
Then he asked me some other specifics I couldnt remember .
I sent him the picture of the deck so he could verify if he built it or not .
He also mentioned that they built the Drag boats really light and put four stringers to stiffen it up like Tom mentioned .
He also said he only built one boat that was capped . The others were 70's boats .
I thought it looked like the boat had a rub rail on it at one point but couldnt rememeber for sure .
I think he said 79 - 86 were the the years he was building them .
Then sold to Eliminator .
Good luck , sounds like a sweet find .

-beerjet-

« **Reply #60 on:** December 27, 2008, 04:02:00 PM »

Thanks Beerjet for staying on the hunt for information. I appreciate your interest in my project. What did he mean by “only one boat that was capped”? By looking inside I don’t see any holes from a preexisting rub rail.
Haven’t done anything to the boat or garage. I found termites while setting up my new entertainment center and TV. I have to move everything away from the walls in my garage 2 feet, so they can drill and inject termador in the floor. Them I can get moving forward. Ordered a scale, and a heater should be here Mon. Then I can weight the boat, and heat the garage to lay glass. Hope your xmas was Whell. Thanks again for your time. schick

« **Reply #61 on:** December 27, 2008, 04:54:30 PM »

No sweat , I think when you can trace a boats history back to when it was built and the owners , especially with liberty's pedigree, and any accomplishments there might have been , that makes the boat that much cooler

He said that when he was building Liberty's , they only capped one boat . I forget who did the cap but it took 2 weeks to do and that was just too much for him .
Jeff Bennet probably being a much more experienced glass guy , did a whole bunch more .

As it turns out , it wasnt built by Lightning , probably one of Bennets boats .

-beerjet-

« **Reply #62 on:** January 10, 2009, 02:03:40 PM »

I tried to post this once 20 minutes ago, so if it shows up twice, I apologize in advance.
Well, I bought a donor boat (really just for the trailer). I originally thought I would salvage what I could, and toss the rest in the dumpster. But when I got home I considered removing the top from the Eliminator and installing it on the Liberty bottom, (could call it a Liberinator) Rather than repairing just the deck on the Liberty. The few measurements I took by my self the contours are pretty close. Does anyone have any suggestions, or has this been done before? I was thinking cut the two at the rub rail seam, then recap the one back at the rub rail?

« **Reply #63 on:** January 10, 2009, 02:12:19 PM »

Look up masochist in the mirror, err, um I mean the dictionary

« **Reply #64 on:** January 10, 2009, 02:15:42 PM »

Scrap the Liberty and build the donor boat

Or just bring it out to me

« **Reply #65 on:** January 10, 2009, 02:24:25 PM »

Quote from: schick on January 10, 2009, 02:03:40 PM

I tried to post this once 20 minutes ago, so if it shows up twice, I apologize in advance.
Well, I bought a donor boat (really just for the trailer). I originally thought I would salvage what I could, and toss the rest in the dumpster. But when I got home I considered removing the top from the Eliminator and installing it on the Liberty bottom, (could call it a Liberinator) Rather than repairing just the deck on the Liberty. The few measurements I took by my self the contours are pretty close. Does anyone have any suggestions, or has this been done before? I was thinking cut the two at the rub rail seam, then recap the one back at the rub rail?

Forgive me if this is a retarded response to your question

, Why don't you just build the eliminator? Your liberty seems like it has a list of fatal injuries as long as your arm (delamination is a hard fix) it almost sounds to me like there was a layup problem in the origional build, just my opinion without seeing the hull first hand. I am not one to back down from a challenge, but this seems huge to me...

Is this Liberty something special enough to spent so much time building?? Something I have done is to put a value on my time, then figure what kind of time comitment I am looing at. Sometimes it's a little eye opening...I don't think the deck replacement would be worth the trouble/time, mainly for two reasons, you still have a major stringer job ahead of you (could have mixed results) and the amount of fitting and shaping and so on is huge, also if the Liberty is something you want to build because of "what it is", it won't be any longer (I hope that made sense)...

You could always double stringer the Eliminator and build a one off that would have more personal accomplishment than the Liberty, look at proppy's boat project...How cool would it be to have the only open floored quad 1" Mohogony stringered Eliminator?

Just my opinion, hope you're not offended...

GT

« **Reply #66 on:** January 10, 2009, 02:36:20 PM »

I agree with GT.

I think you might have a basket case ahead of you, a woman with alot of skeletons..

Sorry brad for posting this. But

http://www.e-performancemarine.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=467

Isnt that your hull

« **Reply #67 on:** January 10, 2009, 03:21:34 PM »

I’m not offended. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t able to take the criticism. I knew some one would say that. The reason I’m interested in the Liberty is the weight. I have no ties the brand at all. From what I have read and seen here they are fast, and these are heavier hulls (not to offend). I’m looking for a project, a diamond in the ruff. I knew what I was getting into when I purchased the hull. I’m looking for a hobby, if there was a money concern, or a time issue it would be something like a job. Not to sound harsh or offended. I appreciate your opinion, that’s why I asked. There are a lot of people that have years and years of experience that I’m hoping they will share.

« **Reply #68 on:** January 10, 2009, 03:43:37 PM »

My biggest concern would be how to get this badboy dead nuts straight, the deck looks wishy washy, the stringers are failing, I dont know... BTW was Hydrophobic (race boat) owned by Glen at Pleasure boat? (Known him for 20+years...).

I also think the carbon fiber would be a mistake, its not very forgiving and you would probably find the different stages of rigidity will give you a lot of grief, (would look cool though...)

Is the deck on the Liberty flexible? It looks from the picks like it's copletely separated, the best method I have ever seen for fixing that type of damage is vacuum bagging like you're trying to do, I have some freinds that hang on the PB boards (vee drivers) that have done some amazing things with fiberglass and vacuum bagging, (they have recently put an entire corner on a cole and fixed a delaminated bottom on a Hondo)..

Hit em up with a pm, they may be able to get you pointed in the right direction...78HondoGT and Lefty (they are brothers...) Known them both for years and there dad lives one block from me, which is where all the work happens...

I want to wish you the best of luck, looking forward to seeing what you come up with...BTW thank you for taking the glutton crown from me, you are wayyyy more ambitious than I...

GT

« **Reply #69 on:** January 10, 2009, 06:22:08 PM »

Yes, If you've been around boating, you know Glen, or Glen knows you. Haven’t had a chance run it buy his shop, it’s 70 miles from me now.
I hate to admit it but I am a glutton for punishment. Not to blow my own horn, but I’m a pretty clever guy when it comes to getting things done. I see it as a challenge. Something that I haven’t done before, I enjoy the learning curve. What I do for a living doesn’t stimulate me mentally. So I have this project to fulfill that section of gratification. The thing I have learned is, I enjoy the hunt for parts, and the satisfaction of the build almost as much as running them.
Everyone I know is looking at me like I’ve lost my mind, epically my wife. But it is what it is.
GT thanks for hanging with me, we glutton's should stick together. schick

« **Reply #70 on:** January 10, 2009, 07:13:29 PM »

I had a chance to weight the Liberty hull today. I bough a scale from Harbor Freight, read to 440lbs. The needle on the index went past the zero by 10lbs. There was a gap between 440 and zero, this gap was equal to 20lbs. I guess the first time it was weight it was fairly accurate, this scale 470lb the other scale 490lb. I think it’s safe to say a 500lb hull.

« **Reply #71 on:** January 18, 2009, 01:49:00 PM »

Anyone have a idea of what this is? The picture is from infront of the bulkhead, under the bow. It yellow and looklike Kevlar. I have never seen it in a boat that wasen't geled or painted over. It runs from the transom to three feet short of the bow, between the center two stringers. From the bulkhead back to the transom it just looks like aged fiberglass, has a yellow tint to it. Only under the bow can you see that it's the material in the fiberglass is that color. Thanks, schick

« **Reply #72 on:** January 18, 2009, 02:04:54 PM »

looks like imatation balsa/ yoga mat

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78CoLe

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GlassCutter

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