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I have an '86 Checkmate Senator with a bad stringer. I need guidance as to the proper materials to use. Is there a particular type or brand of resin/ mat to use? I would like to do it right the first time.It wasn't that much fun taking it apart. This happened because of a poorly done , previous repair by the previous owner. They replaced a section of floor and used duct tape to seal the joints. Thanks for any guidance you can provide.
Welcome to S&F
Lets start with the first and most crucial step; hows the condition of the core? Post some pics of what your working with theres lots of knowledge base here for what you are doing
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These are the only decent pictures. Hopefully this gives you the view you need. I removed the rotted stringer to about 8" into the engine stringer, as well as the flooring.The pressure treated was part of the original first repair. That will likely come out and be replaced. It is my understanding that P/T and resin to work well together.(?)
So the core is sound and not rotten? Looks like some areas are going black there. Hard to see whats going on there. Anyways no pressure treat. Use marine grade ply and id suggest vinyl ester resin to ensure a good bond to the old glass. You want to key the surface up coarse 24 or 36 grit first be sure to remove any gel so your bonding glass to glass. 1708 is a good mat for this type of thing
Anything on the stringer that was rotted was removed. It was basically dust where it was bad. It looks like everything else is in good condition. Is there a particular brand of the vinyl ester resin you are partial too? Sorry about the detailed questions. I want to learn the right way. Thanks for the advice so far. It is appreciated.
Dont sweat the details nor the questions, fire away. There was a brand of vinylester i really liked thats not available at the moment. Basically vinylester shares the same properties regardless of brand but you want to get promoted vinylester and keep it cool and use it asap. It does not have a very long shelf life. You’ll want some chip brushes, mixxing cups, 10cc syringes, mekp catalyst, a few finned rollers but i find most work can be done with a 3” finned roller. Acetone for clean up and spills. Latex rubber gloves work best at not breaking down with these chemicals. Make sure your work area is well ventilated and wear a respirator. I prefer using whizz rollers instead of brushes for applying resin.
Thank you for the direction. I feel like I have a plan of attack that will give a satisfactory outcome. That being the boat doesn't break in half. I will get the materials and have at it. Thanks again!
So I have all the materials I need to start this project and questions have arisen. When I start applying the resin, how long do I wait between coats? If it dries, can I go over it? The plan is to apply 4 or 5 coats of resin to my repair pieces, let them set up, then set them in place and 'glass into place. I was leaning toward 2 layers of 'glass. To much,not enough? This project is freaking me out a bit. I'm trying to not over think it, but its not working. I have pre cut and pre drilled all the holes for screws and hand holes so that no wood will be exposed. Thanks for any help/ advice. It will be greatly appreciated.
Are You are using vinylester? Pre coating process is different for polyester.
anyways that aside once you prep your pieces you want two tabs per side of the stringer and two caps overlapping by at least an inch past the edges. Its best to do this wet on wet but be warned, this isnt easy to do without experience because the clock is ticking fast once you catalyze. This vid is solid
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I8LhiYgYMNk
I had to do 90% of by rebuild by myself. Looks easy if you have someone that works with ya!
I watched the video. I am using the vinylester, as you suggested. I guess my question is about prepping the stringer and the floor before I install them. Stinger is 3/4 marine ply with routed top edges. I was going to install that and make a "peanut butter" to form a cove along the bottom edges. The floor was a 3/8 ply which I also routed the edges that were going to be tied to the stringer. I have pre-drilled as many of the screw holes and hand holes as I could think of. I just wasn't sure about prepping those pieces to make them water proof. .
I don't have the a person to work with and certainly not anyone that has any boat repair. Again I thank you for your guidance. I'm sure mistakes will be made. Just trying to keep it to a minimum. The previous repair was poorly done and the reason for this problem now.
For what it’s worth, mix more small batches of resin instead of a few big batches. When it starts to kick, you’re done with it. Also, much better to mix in a cup and then poor it into a large flat bowl or tray as the surface area will slow down the kick and give you more open working time.
ask me how I know. Lol
One of the best traits of vinylestter is it has a big secondary bonding window. Meaning you can lay a piece, let it kick, and lay another over top without the need to grind it for the bond to be strong. With poly you have to grind it no matter what.
everything in your process sounds good just be sure to overlap the edges by at least an inch and work the mat smooth with your finned roller to get out all the air bubbles. In the vid they use a zip lock bag for applying the peanut butter and this works great. Its really helpful to fold a crease in the mat so you can get in straight. If you twist the mat it becomes very difficult to get the air out.
I can say that this all becomes pretty easy with some experience and its a bit tricky without experience. Theres only one way to get experience and thats to dive in. Do a couple test pieces on some mocked up ply/stringer template first to get a feel for it if you have the time and material to spare
So the stringer is in! 4 coats of resin on the stringer and then 2 layers of glass to bond it in. Used a plastic spoon to make the cove of peanut butter. That worked pretty good. Amazing how much resin the 'glass sucks up. I mixed A LOT of small batches not knowing how fast it would set up. Putting the floor in should be much easier. I appreciate all the input. Thank you.
Like lakefever said, no substitute for just jumping in a getting messy. Post pics. Sounds like it’s coming along.