Mike B's 19-1 Refinish

[umecheme]

for the stringers in the middle, there seems to be plenty of open space to dig around. its the stringers on the outside that are a B to dig out.  It would probably save me some time to cut more of the stringer tops off... but i'll probably just keep beating my head off the wall and dig out through the existing holes but we'll see.  It sucks.

[Tampa Bay Mike]

One other thing I forgot to mention. When you go to pour the new foam, make sure to brace the sides well, especially if  you don't have the tops completely open. I clamped a 2x4 to the side of mine and one of them still bowed out a little bit in the middle. That foam has a surprising amount of force behind it when expanding.

[umecheme]

Do you anticipate me having issues with the stringers as they sit now?  right now they are almost completely closed, but they should have sufficient support in the cross direction so they can't bow out.  Unless there is a fear that it will pop the stringers off the hull???  Am i better off pouring small batches sequentially into each stringer, so it can expand upward not outward until it is close to being full?  All advice is greatly appreciated

[Tampa Bay Mike]

Here is a pic of when I did mine. Notice the outside of the starboard stringer where it bows out just a bit. It didn't cause any issues luckily so it's more of just something to keep in mind. Just like you, I figured the foam would expand straight up but it seems to go everywhere once it starts to harden.

I believe your stringer grid is a little different so you may be ok, especially if you leave some of the top on.

[umecheme]

So Im 95% done with cleaning out wet foam... if you had told me i would have pulled 3-400 lbs of wet foam out of the bottom, id have called you crazy based on how dry it looked.  Glad i bit the bullet and cleaned all that weight out.

[umecheme]

So i find myself at a crossroad... there is some rot in the transom.  Looks like several inches of the wood in the transom near where the crack on the cap seam is.  Not all the way across, just in places.  Only the rear piece of plywood is soft.  Id guess 85% of the transom is solid, but damp.  Do i bite the bullet and cut it out.  Do i let it dry and fill the gaps with resin.. I never intended this to be a 100% resto... and dont really want to do the transom... but also dont want to be doing it in 3 years... any advice appreciated...

[umecheme]

[umecheme]

[theFunsmith]

If you are going to keep the boat, I would just dive in and do the entire transom. You'll feel much better knowing it has been done and done correctly.

[Tampa Bay Mike]

My biggest concern is that your transom is just like your stringers in that it seems relatively dry but is actually soaked. If water got in it's going to keep rotting things out

[RickK]

If you're concerned about cutting the transom out there is an alternative - Seacast. You cut the top off the transom, use a chain saw to dig out the wood, clean it up as well as you can and dam up any holes in the transom so the seacast can't drip out, either out the back into the boat. Then you pour the composite new transom.
Here is a link to Lar's topic on using Seacast. https://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?topic=12508.msg148473#msg148473

[umecheme]

Screw it.  I'm going to pour a Jack and Coke when I get home, and cut it out.  Best way is cut the inside skin out and chisel the wood out???  Go big or go home!

[mshugg]

Yes, the best way for most transoms is to cut out the inside skin.  It’s thinner than the outside skin, so you’re leaving more structure in place when you build your new transom.  Have you thought about your core?  Plywood? Coosa?  Something else?

[theFunsmith]

Good plan. It is the right thing to do. No sense in going through this much work and stopping short on one of the most important structural components. As for removal methods, I was advised during my transom tear-out to use a skilsaw with the depth set just short of the outside skin and to cut a grid pattern into the core and then you can pry those smaller blocks out. It worked wonderfully. I then went in and tuned up the rest with a combination of flap disks and sanding disks on the angle grinders.

[Fish Head]

https://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?topic=14731.0
Checkout Marco’s response to how he used Seacast to repair transom. If I had a chance for a do over I would have used his method unless I was going for a fully enclosed transom. Good Luck