'85 Starflite Stringer Resto

[Rob B]

I finally have gotten the time to get back on this. I can say, it you are doing something like this and dont have a multi/oscillating tool.... BUY ONE and get a carbide blade for it. Cuts through the fiberglass like butter and gets in the tight areas around the transom with ease. For the long cuts on the floor I still used the circ saw...

Here is where I am at now. Everything is cut out and I prepping the fiberglass core to be prepped for the new stringers to get glassed in.

- Do I need to grind/sand all of the fiberglass until it is smooth? You can see in the pictures that it looks like a basket weave. In the second picture is a place where I did sand it smooth, but I feel like I am getting to close to the core.

- Do I need to wipe down the whole inside to get rid of all of the white stuff? If so, what should I use? Seems like when I hit it with a wet rag, it goes away and comes right back after it drys.

Thanks.... hoping to pick the pace back up and get this thing finished by the middle of April. Got the new engine now and I am JONESING to get back out there.

Thanks for your help!

Looking good!!! The white stuff is bondo the factory used to fill voids. you'll need to grind that off/smooth also the black needs to be removed as well. You want a nice clean area for the mat and resin to adhere to. You can use acetone to wipe the inside hull down.

 

[jmshipp]

Here is where I am at........................ now. I think I am ready to start mocking up the stringer and knees. You guys that cutting everything out and starting from scratch are doing it right. I am trying to make knees like JT did on his resto, but the fiberglass work is so rough from the factory that I am going to have to spend some time cleaning it up to get the wider stringers to butt up against the transom and be straight.

I still need to wipe it out... let me know what you think. I know it is supposed to be rough, but how rough?


PICTURE 2.... something I ran into when the stringer delaminated, it took some of the fiberglass from the transom with it. I started grinding on it untill I could not get a chisel or razor knife under the edge. Basically until all of the delaminated fiberglass was gone. Do I go ahead and just grind all of the fiberglass off and start over? Or can I just glass a couple of pieces of 17oz over this spot? It is this way on both sides where the stringers & kness attached from the factory.

 

[Rob B]

Here is where I am at........................ now. I think I am ready to start mocking up the stringer and knees. You guys that cutting everything out and starting from scratch are doing it right. I am trying to make knees like JT did on his resto, but the fiberglass work is so rough from the factory that I am going to have to spend some time cleaning it up to get the wider stringers to butt up against the transom and be straight.

I still need to wipe it out... let me know what you think. I know it is supposed to be rough, but how rough?


PICTURE 2.... something I ran into when the stringer delaminated, it took some of the fiberglass from the transom with it. I started grinding on it untill I could not get a chisel or razor knife under the edge. Basically until all of the delaminated fiberglass was gone. Do I go ahead and just grind all of the fiberglass off and start over? Or can I just glass a couple of pieces of 17oz over this spot? It is this way on both sides where the stringers & kness attached from the factory.

The first picture is the floor and second is the transom, correct? You don't need to grind all the glass off, just glass in a new peice. Or to be on the safe side grind all that black off and lay in glass from side to side top to bottom, one full piece. Then paint it white with either gelcoat or bilge kote. Looks good!!

 

[caliburn]

Like CMPULSE said but I would layer it back out to where it was flush with the transom and then use a full sheet of glass over it.