Who wants to play Good News / Bad News?

[Vandalizer]

So... prepping my Enticer for a jackplate tonight, and I get the seat and tank out, only to find... (I pulled some of it up, I didn't quite find it like this)



I'm sure you can imagine my delight, surprise and excitement.
I found a soft spot on one side just in front of the tank, and back near the bilge it was also soft.
BAD NEWS: I have more work to do this winter.
GOOD NEWS: ...

So I decided to explore since I was already back there...









BAD NEWS: I have wet foam. Now I have to figure out how far the moisture goes.
GOOD NEWS: I can make it lighter! It was already 54 underpropped and w/o a jackplate... and a little fat!

Unfortunately I have more bad than good.

 

[Vandalizer]

Now for the questions. This is my first experience with foam, fiberglass and resin. I might as well be retarded when it comes to this stuff right now. Good thing it's back there outta sight. HOPEFULLY I don't have to chase foam up past the back seat.

So, first and foremost- does anyone see any danger going forward with the new jackplate install, and running 1 or two more times this year? (I still have to winterize it)
What does saturated foam feel like? In the worst part I could see a little water pool up by my finger if I pressed really hard, but it still sounded crunchy.
What's the best tool to cut a section of floor out... angle grinder?
I'm planning to cut at least to in front of the tank, and almost as wide as the seat boxes... suggestions?
Should I replace any foam I remove, or just ditch it?

I'm sure I'll think of more.

 

[bigredinohio]

Now for the questions. This is my first experience with foam, fiberglass and resin. I might as well be retarded when it comes to this stuff right now. Good thing it's back there outta sight. HOPEFULLY I don't have to chase foam up past the back seat.

So, first and foremost- does anyone see any danger going forward with the new jackplate install, and running 1 or two more times this year? (I still have to winterize it)
What does saturated foam feel like? In the worst part I could see a little water pool up by my finger if I pressed really hard, but it still sounded crunchy.
What's the best tool to cut a section of floor out... angle grinder?
I'm planning to cut at least to in front of the tank, and almost as wide as the seat boxes... suggestions?
Should I replace any foam I remove, or just ditch it?

I'm sure I'll think of more.

That suxs to hear. I have foam in the bow of my boat and I haven't even messed with it.

Definitely remove any and all old foam and it will be a decision you'll have to make regarding if something happened to your boat if you want it to sink or float. I personally think adding foam is a good thing but others seem to think it can get waterlogged again. Again, your judgement call and I'm sure other's will chime in with more experience.

For deck removal, you can use a circular saw set shallow enough without penetrating the hull. The "lip" that remains will need to grind down smooth to the hull. I would make a template before doing any cutting of the deck so you have something to use when rebuilding the new. I have heard of people using chainsaws and grinders with cut off wheels.

I hope that helps.

 

[bigredinohio]

Also, be sure to get some protective suits and a good respirator. Fiberglass dust is bad for the lungs and you will itch like crazy without wearing protection!

 

[ndaniels]

Sorry to hear about that
I'll stay tuned, because I'm also tarded when it comes to glass/resin/structural repairs.
Good luck!


As far as the plate goes- I don't see why not. You probably won't even have to remove it when you do the repairs.

 

[Vandalizer]

Now that I know there's moisture there, it makes me really nervous. And angry.

My original thought was to start by cutting out between the seat boxes, and a little in front of where the tank sits. Then I'd rip all the foam out, see if the moisture continues. If I have to keep going to get all the wet foam I will, but hopefully I'll only have to do from the back seat to the bilge, and not even touch any of the carpeted area. *fingers crossed*

That area is way too tight for a circular saw, so is a grinder the only other option?
Then once the foam is removed, all I need to do is add foam if I want, and cut my new floor piece out of untreated plywood, use resin to secure, then glass over?

 

[Gimme Fuel]

Sorry to hear about that man. You have one heck of a winter project now......but look at the bright side, you can make it lighter and faster!

 

[Vandalizer]

And I thought I had one of the elusive completely dry Mates.

 

[Rob B]

TE sorry to hear that. My experience w/ the Pulse 170 floor resto is the foam acts like a sponge so I removed all of it. I didn't replace the foam either. To remove the floor next to the transom I used a cutting wheel attached to a drill. I got that from Lowes or you could get a die grinder(i think that's the name) as well. Take a look at my Pulse170 floor resto and you'll see the wheel attachment for the drill. Good luck, I'm embarking on the same thing w/ the Enforcer floor my second resto.

 

[illMATTic]

Put the jack on it and run it! Its been running all year with a wet floor so.......... At least you will have a base line to go on for next year.

you have all winter to worry about the bum floor.

 

[Vandalizer]

I'm gonna try Buss' 26p and see how high the motor can spin it. Depending on how quick the new steering gets here (could be next week) I might rip into the old foam and get a bunch out... it'd at least make me feel better. When I do run it I'm just gonna throw the tank back in (not mounted) with no back seat, and wires left untidy... Ed's Clam Boat was an inspiration!

 

[bigredinohio]

Now that I know there's moisture there, it makes me really nervous. And angry.

My original thought was to start by cutting out between the seat boxes, and a little in front of where the tank sits. Then I'd rip all the foam out, see if the moisture continues. If I have to keep going to get all the wet foam I will, but hopefully I'll only have to do from the back seat to the bilge, and not even touch any of the carpeted area. *fingers crossed*

That area is way too tight for a circular saw, so is a grinder the only other option?
Then once the foam is removed, all I need to do is add foam if I want, and cut my new floor piece out of untreated plywood, use resin to secure, then glass over?

Could use a dremel tool with a cut off wheel. Will be very time consuming and the tool will get really hot. That's what I used to cut into the hull to dig out core.

As for the reconstruction of the actual floor, cut your piece, coat the bottom a couple times with resin and on the third coat, add some fiberglass (cloth). Then bed it in with PL Premium or peanut butter (thickened resin). Fill in the cracks between the deck and hull. Do the same as what you did for the top with the bottom only extend the fiberglass out. Depends on what method you want to use and what resin but the quick way is to use 1708 on top otherwise you can use matt and woven roven. Note that 1708 is a resin sinkhole but is very strong.

By coating it with resin then adding fiberglass will encapsulate the wood and should waterproof it. The fiberglass will make it strong since resin alone is brittle and crack.

 

[Vandalizer]

Yea, I take it the double coating WAS NOT done from the factory by how this piece seems to be rotting. What I'm really apprehensive about is the stringers... hopefully they're OK.

 

[illMATTic]

If the floor is bad I am sure the stringers are garbage as well.

You may only have to go as far at the front seats. Thats all I did on the Predictor.

 

[bigredinohio]

Yeah, the double coating is just so when you lay the fiberglass that it doesn't become resin starved. I'd imagine that isn't the case with factory work but I don't know?

I haven't and wasn't going to say anything but the really "bad" news is usually a bad deck means bad stringers and more often then not, bad transom, especially with the older boats that's been neglected in the past. From the sounds of it though, I don't think that is your case.

 

[Vandalizer]

I'll keep that in mind... I should know more about the transom when I get the motor off- and I might dig the wet foam out of the back tonight, so I'd be able to check it there as well.

Any highly recommended tools to get the foam out in large chunks?

 

[bigredinohio]

I'd be lying if I told you I knew how to get it out in big chunks. I haven't touched mine but I'll probably use my trusty chisel and rubber mallot for removal.

 

[Vandalizer]

I think I'll try a wide putty knife and see how that works... hopefully I can break decent sized pieces away.

 

[groundloop]

Any highly recommended tools to get the foam out in large chunks?

I had good luck with a skinny shovel (OK, I AM NOT a gardener, don't know the proper name for it).






By the way, welcome to my world (fiberglass) - for some really dumb a$$ reason I actually enjoy working with glass. After building an airplane and repairing a fish-n-ski boat, you'd think I'd have learned better, but NO.... I see an Eluder that needs a good home and some TLC and I'm knee deep in glass and resin yet again.

You can do this - even if your worst fears come true and you need to replace the transom you'll know you've got a solid boat that will last for years and years after you're done.

Yea, I take it the double coating WAS NOT done from the factory by how this piece seems to be rotting. What I'm really apprehensive about is the stringers... hopefully they're OK.Yea, I take it the double coating WAS NOT done from the factory by how this piece seems to be rotting. What I'm really apprehensive about is the stringers... hopefully they're OK. 09-22-2009 10:27 AM

Really what you'll be doing is letting as much epoxy soak into the wood as possible before you put the glass cloth in place. It's not as big of a deal with mat or a lighter weight cloth, but having extra resin on the surface really aids wet-out with a heavy cloth like 1708 (and doing two coats as opposed to one heavy application is a good way to do this so you don't have as much run-off). This doesn't have anything to do with the wood rotting, that was caused by long term intimate contact with wet foam on the underside.

 

[Vandalizer]

That's standing water in that pic, isn't it! I hope my foam isn't that wet. Then again, I hoped that I'd never have to do anything like this, and look where that got me.
What did your foam feel like when you first pulled some floor up? Mushy, or still hard and crunchy?