I give in

[OTTERLY COOL]

Hey FELLOWSHIP -

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to try to replace it - the transon that is. I'm not worried about the re-building part - I've done enough wood working and fiberglassing to get by. And I have a couple of friends who are experts at it. The problem is removing the old trasnsom - HOW DO I DO IT???

I'd like to save some work and save the outer skin so how do I get it off - what tools do I use - what materials should I use in rebuilding - what about using some of the new light synthetic materials instead of ply-wood, etc, etc.

You've inspired me to give it a try BUT now you've got to help - it's your own fault.

By the way I reached the point where I would rather work on the boat than do anything else when I was 14 (40 years ago) but those "responsibilities " have gotten the better of me.

Thanks

[Trayder]

Depending on how bad your transom is will dictate what tools.

When I did my 20 the wood core literally fell off of the boat and all I had to do was grind the skin a little.

Some of best tools are wide chisles, and things you make as you go along.

[Reel Smoker]

ooterlycool, prior to redoin my transom I spoke with several repair pros 1 of them wanted to cut the entire back of the boat the other 2 would keep the skin to make a good bond, infact one guy told me if you cut the back off dont even bring it to him. Chisel your way down to the skin. I was also told to go with plywood because it has more structural strengh than the new products used today.The guy that did mine sandwiched 2- 3/4 inch Marine ply's together.I dont know if you have a 23 but if you do, it would be a good idea to run your drain holes for the corner comparments out the sides thru the solid glass versus out the rear thru the wood, this was another reason why they would rot.Good luck.RS.

[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]

[timd]

I did mine fromthe outside, and since I was raising the transom height to 25", I was not interested in saving the outer skin. I used a Skil saw and cut all the way around the perimeter. I left a 1" lip at the bottom. Then I pried off the skin and did the checker board thing with the saw. Mine was so rotten that in places the wood was gone or just fell out. The inner skin on mine was also very thin. I used 6 sheets of 1/4" luan plywood soaked in slow epoxy, with a layer of 1708 cloth between each layer of the plywood. I layed it up in one ay after having all the wood and glass cut, and then clamped it all togther with 2x4s. It makes a totally bullet-proof transom. I finshed with 3 layers of the cloth and tied it in to the hull sides. I you re-use the outer skin, you will still need to grind back the hull sides and transom to layer cloth around the edges to give it integrity.