[FELLOW-SHIP]

HA OTTERLY COOL
SORRY IT HAS TAKEN SO LONG TO COME BACK TO YOU I’VE BEEN BUSY.
I CAME IN FROM THE INSIDE AND LEFT THE OUTSIDE SKIN IN TACK. THE PROCESS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IF YOU ARE GOING TO REMOVE THE OUTER SKIN. THERE ARE A FEW GUYS THAT HAVE DONE IT THAT WAY AND MAYBE THEY WILL CHIME IN ON THIS ONE. I CAN HELP IN SOME OF THE BASICS WHICH DON’T CHANGE NO MATTER WHICH SIDE YOU REMOVE. I THINK COMING IN FROM THE INSIDE DOES MAKE FOR A STRONGER TRANSOM BUT I GUESS SOME WOULD DIFFER WITH ME ON THAT. AS FOR TOOLS YOU NEED A 4 ½” GRINDER OR ONE A LITTLE BIGGER. YOU MAKE A PATTERN ON THE GLASS AND GRIND THE LINE IN THE GLASS TILL YOU HIT THE WOOD ALL AROUND THE TRANSOM THEN USE A CROW BAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND PEEL OFF THE GLASS I THINK ON THE OUTSIDE SOME GUYS LEFT A LITTLE LIP MAYBE 1” FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE HULL ALL AROUND TO HELP ADD SUPPORT TO THE TRANSOM. YOU CAN BUY A LITTLE BOOKLET FROM THE WEST EPOXY SYSTEMS AND IT GIVES YOU FULL INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO THE ENTIRE PROJECT. AFTER THE GLASS IS REMOVED YOU CAN USE A SKILL SAW WITH A DEPTH CUT OF ABOUT 1 1/4 “ AND CUT A CHECKERBOARD PATTERN INTO ALL THE WOOD (NOT DEEP ENOUGH TO HIT THE INSIDE GLASS) THEN USE A CROW BAR OF CHISEL TO REMOVE THE WOOD. THEN YOU CLEAN UP THE AREA. USE THE OLD SKIN TO MAKE A PATTERN ON YOUR PLYWOOD TO CUT. IF I WAS TO DO ANOTHER TRANSOM I WOULD USE 3 PIECES OF ½” MARINE PLYWOOD INSTEAD OF 2 PIECES OF ¾” MARINE PLYWOOD (MUCH EASIER TO WORK WITH AND YOU GET 6 LAYERS OF PLYWOOD SOAKED WITH EPOXY INSTEAD OF JUST 4 LAYERS. FOR ME WOOD IS THE WAY TO GO, I STILL DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TRUST THAT THE NEW MATERIALS WILL HOLD UP ANY BETTER AND SINCE YOU WILL BE THROUGH BOLTING EITHER YOU I/O OR A OUTBOARD ON IT AGAIN THE INSIDE SKIN MIGHT NOT BE THINK ENOUGH TO STAND THE PRESSURE OF THE WEIGHT AND TORQUE YOU WILL BE PUTTING ON IT. ON MOST OF THE BOATS THAT ARE USING THE NEW MATERIALS THE SKINS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRANSOM ARE AT LEAST ¼ OR THICKER YOUR INNER SKIN IN NOT THAT THICK. AT LEAST MINE WASN’T. USE SLOW DRYING EPOXY WITH THE GLUE AND SCREW METHOD. AFTER I INSTALLED ONE LAYER OF PLYWOOD I USED A EPOXY FAIRING MATERIAL AND FILLED IN ALL SPACES AROUND THE OUTER ENDS OF THE PLYWOOD TO THE HULL TO PREVENT ANY WATER SEEPAGE ALWAYS COAT THE ENDS OF THE PLYWOOD WITH EPOXY TO KEEP WATER FROM GETTING IN. YOU WILL NEED ABOUT 2 GAL OF THE WEST SYSTEMS EPOXY, SLOW DRYING HARDENER AND ONE LARGE CONTAINER OF #406 FARING COMPOUND. AFTER YOU GET YOUR THICKNESS IN THE TRANSOM RE INSTALL THE OUTER SKIN AND DO SOME FAIRING AND THEN IT IS YOUR COSMETICS. HOPE THAT HELPS GOOD LUCK AND KEEP US INFORMED.
FELLOW-SHIP [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]