Transom rebuild attempt

[den001]

Hi, name is Denis

New to the forum (what a forum it is !), and a crazy fisherman....

i have a old 18ft seafarer that i am in the process of rebuilding, i will eventually end up painting it and decking it out the way it suites me...

ATM, its fairly well set up, with a live bait tank good finder gps and its got plenty of deck space...

i have recently bought a secondhand motor for it, 99 yamaha 150.

Now, i have to rebuild the transom, i started to dig out the rotted timber in the back, to my surprise its half balsa, half ply, the ply is gone fully and the balsa fairly still good...

ive decided to get it all out, and what a mission it is.

anyhow, i was planning on using seacast from the states, as they are in the process of opening up a distributor in NZ, but shipping is nearly $1500 to sydney, they say they are trying to get a australian distributor but who knows how long away that is, so im going to give the tried and proven plywood a go myself... plus the seacast cost around $700

I will post some pics of the boat and what i plan on doing, as i have never fibre glassed anything before but i am very handy with the tools, and should pick it up.
Thats why i started this thread to get as much info as possible..

I would prefer to tackle it myself as its really not a boat thats worth throwing 2-3K on for a transom rebuild but it really is a top performing boat on the water and i LOVE it because of the deck space...

All help would be appreciated as its my first go doing any fibreglass work and i apologize now for the questions i will throw around...

I will Get some pics up tomorrow but i was thinking of cutting the splash well out as it will give me full access to the transom, it is a seafarer vermont, and there is a rear access hatch, the floors do not go all the way up to the transom, so with the splash well out of the way i was planning on cutting out the inner skin, new ply, and firbeglassing back in..

i would need as much info as possible on this job as i don't want to swim back to shore

i know it will be easier to comment with some pics, so i will put them up tomorrow..

thank in advance also!

Cheers

Denis

[cormorant]

If you do the hard yards and clean out the transom properly make teh efforta nd do it back with ply , resin and glass. Document it as if you ever sell no one ever believes it is done properly.

If you do all the cleaning out then a fibreglasser will probably give you a very good price and a professional finish.

Check out your floor and stringers as if the transom is gone they may be on the way as well.

[wayno60]

Denis,Firstly welcome aboard. We hope you enjoy your time on Ausfish and you find all the guys on here very helpful.Now to your rebuild, there has been many threads on transome rebuild so in the serch bar type in transomes and i think you'll find the last thread on this project would be the best with plenty of good ideas flooding in from everyone.looking forward to the picscheers

[Jarrah Jack]

G'day Denis Welcome to the forum. There is a wealth of info on here about transom rebuilds. You can do it from the outside as well. Your best bet would be to go to advance search in the top right corner then type in transom repair then spend some time reading the results.

Cheers and good luck with it.

[blueline]

yes take out the splash well makes it easyer, leave to outer layer to hold the shape. when i did mine 18' swifty, i couldnt get any 1 1/2 ply so i glued together two 3/4 plys worked a treat, as said before check stringers, i had to replace mine. the main thing with fiber glass is sand and clean everything with acitone before glassing and dont glass on gelcoat sand back to glass under neath.

[Eric03]

You may get better results searching with google... in the google search bar type:
site:.ausfish.com.au search term
Also works on any other site and makes searching a whole lot easier.

Im also in the process of rebuilding my transon and floor in my old Caribbean. Plenty of info out there if you know the search terms to use... i've bookmarked a few pages but they're all on the work PC... Here's one though with plenty of pics and a great write up, its US based and a VERY long read so maybe just skip through all the photos and stop where desired.
http://www.classicseacraft.com/forum/printthread.php?Cat=&Board=UBB3&main=41537&type=thread


This thread has some great info... just a shame the project never got complete.
http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?112862-Transom-replacement-project&

This is also a great read and fairly recently completed...
http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?165427-Wet-Transom-Replacement-help&

[den001]

Thanks for the welcome and info people,..

have been doing some reading and got excited and got the grinder out and started cutting...


here are some pics of my transom...


i have a few questions..

where should cut out the inner skin..


im sorta stuck here... need some info. ive been searchin and reading and there are so many different types of transoms on boats out there so im just trying to get the best possible outcome for my project...

the stringers and floor are very very hard and dry... which makes me happy..

anyhow here are some pics..

i hope some people can input on the best possible way for me to do it....
was also thinking that i mite extend the transom up and in from the sides??? or should i just rebuild it, as i wanted to make a built in live bait tank and on the other side may be a built in glassed esky for drinks and stuff...

cheers
Denis

[Ozwald]

Den
You might also try a look at ClassicMako.com. Lots of transom rebuild projects there and other inspiring stuff!
Oz

[Jarrah Jack]

Have you thought about bringing the transom all the way up and getting an Alu pod made up for the motor. That way you gain heaps more space and can design a built in bait tank etc. With the skills you pick up doing the transom you can use the rest. There may even be glass pods made to suit the seafarers. Linsey Fry would know but I don't think he works at Haines sig any more but they are helpful if you ask.

[wayno60]

This one is also from the states, also a read, but explains everything very well and heaps of pics.http://www.reel-time.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66881

[odes20]

Hi Buddy
The easiest way foward for you here is to cut the inner skin of the transom out completely and set your new ply in and then just glass in a new inner skin over it. It may seem aggressive but having done a bunch of these it will lessen the amount of work massively.
If those knees are in your way just cut them out and glass them back in after. Most boats are not as easy to get at as yours to replace the transom, you lucky bugger!
Also as a previous post said grind all gelcoat off where you will reglass to get proper adhesion. Its a must!
Cheers
John

[den001]

Thanks for the replies.

I was also thinking the same thing. But have a question before I start cutting today.

Should I leave a lip on the inner transom skin to re glass to? Or should I cut it up to the edges and reglass?

[odes20]

I would cut it out completely to the side of the boat. neater and less fiddling around getting the ply in there
John

[den001]

i decided to do that as it will make it much easier to ply in again and also glass in...

heres some pics on what im up to...

tomorrow i will clean and sand everything down and make up a template for the ply piece...

are there different epoxy resins to use or can i use the same one for the whole boat??

686356863668637http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/images/misc/pencil.png

[wakakiwi]

something else i learned when playing arround with fibre glass is to smother yourself with talcom powder stops the itching ;D;D;D

[svranjic]

As everyone has said cut the inner skin right to the edge. Then you can wrap the glass around the sides a bit for strength.

It would have been an easy one from the outside to do but seeing as you have cut out the splashwell the inside method will probably be better and simpler in the end.

Are you using epoxy or polyester????

I also agree with considering raising the transom and adding a pod. May as well do it now whilst your at it.

[odes20]

As everyone has said cut the inner skin right to the edge. Then you can wrap the glass around the sides a bit for strength.

It would have been an easy one from the outside to do but seeing as you have cut out the splashwell the inside method will probably be better and simpler in the end.

Are you using epoxy or polyester????

I also agree with considering raising the transom and adding a pod. May as well do it now whilst your at it.

Hi Shane how is your boat these days after the project?
JOhn

[den001]

i was planning on using epoxy, but am still reading about resins as im not very familiar with using them

[den001]

i ended doing this the other day, for some reason it wouldnt let me post it up...

heres some pics

still got some timber and digging out to do... but i think its coming along nicely

[Jarrah Jack]

Won't you have to get into the area where those floor steps meet the transom. Might also be worth sending a pm to Matt Fraser and using some of the same core material he used and not ply.

I like the chainsaw in the background.

[svranjic]

Hi Shane how is your boat these days after the project?
JOhn

Gday John the boat has been going strong with its new transom although it hasnt been out on the water for a while since the weather has been shite.

I am re-doing the entire interior upholstery on it now and am actually currently fiberglassing the plywood side pocket panels so that they are ready for foam and vinyl covering. I cant help myself with these boat projects :)

I am thinking of making a new thread for DIY upholstery for forum members. I baught a cheap old sewing machine and made a nice custom fit boat cockpit cover and will be sewing the vinyl etc for the new interior. Saving me big $$$$


den001 as jarrahjack said you will need to get in under those floor steps. That is the hardest part of the entire process is digging the old stuff out of there. I used a chisel but my old plywood was pretty wet so it wasnt too bad. All you need to do is get a dremel or a angle grinder with a cutting attachment and cut the plywood that is visible away from the outer skin. Be careful u dont go through the outer skin when you make the cuts at the floor line. Use a massive chisel between the outside skin and the wood and it should peel away.

[den001]

I was thinking of doing that but the ply there is all dry.

Can I epoxy to the good wood and build my new transom from the steps up? If you look from the bottom of the v and make a straight line up to the bottom side of the boat you can see that there is barley any timber in there, it's all dry and very hard.

Would what I want to do work ad it would make for a very very easy replacement?

It is still super solid there

[svranjic]

My understanding of replacing a transom is that if your going to do it its best to remove all the old plywood or as much as is physically possible. This is to 100% ensure no rot will re-occur in your new plywood.

The problem I see with utilizing the wood that is left over and building up from the steps is that most of the weight and pressure of the outboard is on the splash well and the bottom v of the hull where the floor meets the transom. If you epoxy on additional plywood your weak point is going to be at the joins between the steps and where the floor meets the transom (where you need most strength). If you read west systems boat building guide they go through replacing a transom using many pieces of wood. It is very very different from what you are considering and a lot more time consuming and costly. Whilst you have the guts of the boat out I would strongly recommend you get rid of the rest of the plywood. I had the same problem as you where not all the wood was bad much of it was still very solid. It is why I ended up cutting out both the inside and outside skins.

This is an example of why it can be beneficial to do it from the exterior. Remember the inside skin wont be as thick as the outside.

It sounds rough as hell but I got a angle grinder with a cutting blade and literally cut lots of squares into the final piece of plywood stuck to the skin. I the got one of those huge breaker bar chisels and wedged it between the plywood and skin and slowly whacked it in. I even used long flat head screwdrives just whacking lost of them in to slowly peel the plywood from the skin. You just have to be careful not to break the skin.
Another option is to cut the exterior skin leaving about a 120mm perimter of skin around the outside. But I would try hard not to go down that route.

Also remember once you use epoxy theres no going back your stuck with epoxy use forever. You cant put polyester over epoxy so you cant gelcoat the transom on the inside or outside. (technically with some epoxies you can) but in general its not the best idea. Polyester is cheaper and you can layup many layers much faster.

Your doing well this is the hardest part, after this its pretty easy.

[svranjic]

Having just looked at the photo have you dug all of the first layer of plywood out from underneath the steps and at the bottom of the v under the floor?

If you have you may be able to epoxy another piece of ply and slot it in and then using screws and long pieces of timber sandwich and compress the two pieces together whilst they dry.

But still I will leave it for john and jarrahjack and co to comment on this..... I would still want to get all the wood out if it was me. Then you can get two new solid peices of ply and epoxy or glass them together and you know 100% there is not rot or moisture and you have a solid foundation.

Are you going to raise the transom????

[den001]

Thanks for your detailed response mate..

totally understand what you say in regards to getting out all the wood.

here are my questions/thoughts and a pic to help understand what i plan on doing if it is acceptable.


the original transom was a 2 step sized one, if you look in one of the first pics of the thread you will see the inner skin pic of this..

the actual size of this piece of timber is 12mm from that step down. (fairly skinny) ...

what i planed on using is 2 peices of 18mm structural plywood butted up from the steps and the bottom of the v, i will show you the pattern of timber that will be my new transom and you will see that there is barley any timber in the positions that i planned on leaving original...


secondly, i think it would be structurally more sound if i had 34mm of plywood tied completely around the steps, the bottom of the v and side of the boat (still glued to the good 12mm Non-rotted ply). i also will put back those knees that were cut out.. rather than step down to a 12mm transom like originally built.


this is just my thought and plan of attack so im just asking you people that have done these types of projects before i bite the bullet and begin as im getting close to this stage... i think my idea is a good one but if anybody can prove me otherwise i am more than happy to take it on...

the pic here shows the timber that i was going to leave original, (inside the red triangles) obviously the rest of it is the new transom

68680

if i raise the transom, how much to come in on the sides?? i know i will come 5 inches higher as my new engine is a 25 leg. but im worried if i build it, when tilted i will not be able to have it fully turned to the sides for towing..

secondly im still trying to learn about resins, i will use expoy to glue my sheets of ply together, and at this stage im still trying to learn about both products...

what did you use?

cheers
denis

[Jarrah Jack]

With regard to the timber below the steps. What you don't want is any leftover spores invading your new timber. Strength wise I think you would be fine to leave it and compensate by adding extra knees between the floor and the transom.

Did you read this about Matts composite material for the transom. No rot ever again.http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?165039-V17-Haines-rebuild-about-to-start

[den001]

thanks for the info mate, i thought it would be strong enough....

i did skim thru that thread but i got given 2 full sheets of structural plywood which i will use as they did'nt cost me anything....

i just got back from the fibreglass suppliers, and bought some polyester resin and matting, so im off to do some more work now, will get some mopre pics up as i go for people following the build..

[svranjic]

I understand a bit better now with that photo. As long as you have dug out all the old wet wood then it should be fine with the extra knees.

Just in case the fiberglass supplier didn't explain: Epoxy bonds better than polyester (especially on wood and onto itself) epoxy can be mixed with powder additives to thicken the mixture and turn it into a paste / glue. This means that with epoxy you can glue two sheets together with thickened epoxy and no glass. You cannot do this with polyester because polyester resin is brittle without glass matting. So if you are going to glue two sheets together with polyester you need to put a layer of glass in between. The great thing about epoxy is that you can thicken it and dump a heap of it in the voids before you drop it in. You can do the same with qcell powder and polyester but the epoxy is still stronger and less expensive to do this.

Downside of epoxy is that its more expensive, you need to use more to wet out the matting and once you've started using epoxy u cannot go over it with polyester. Also you dont have to stick with using fiberglass chopped strand matting, you can also use a fiberglass weave which is stronger and requires less resin to wet out - this can save you money and end up being stronger. I utilised this heavily on my inside skin and alternated this on the exterior.

Anyhow you have purchased the polyester so as long as you prepare all surfaces well it will be fine. I dont believe there is a better or worse choice it just depends on what your trying to do.

If you raise the transom you will need to add a pod to put your outboard on. This will give you a heap more deck space and allow you maybe to build bait tanks etc.

[svranjic]

I forgot to mention, because you are doing it from the inside, after you have glued your two pieces of ply together on the side which will be the inside skin, you should put a few layers of glass on that side to make your inside skin BEFORE you drop it in. Then that way you dont have to glass the inside face of the wood whilst its inside the boat. Its easier doing it whilst its outside of the boat. Then you just add thin strips of glass around the edges etc once you've dropped in into the boat.

This is explained well in Jeff Websters secondhand boat workshop magazine.

[den001]

thanks mate...

the dude at the fibreglass shop was really helpful and explained to me the process for correct usage.
he also told me that it would be better to use epoxy to glue the 2 sheets of ply together, but to poly the rest

im sure poly will do the job since the whole boat is made out of it...
tomorrow i will make a template and glue my sheets together with epoxy and begin sanding down all areas ready for bonding

i probably wont put on a pod, and will leave the transom height as is, i have a heap of deck space in this thing as is and the bait tank i have now works well sitting under the bait board, also i don't want costs to sky rocket too much.

ive just pasted on some resin over the existing timber bout 15 mins ago, its starting to go hard now....

[den001]

here is couple of pics of the cleaned product.

i used a sanding disc on a grinder which was 80 grit..

still abut of cleaning to do but its getting there....

[matt fraser]

Sounds like you are going well Denis. I would cut the floor and knees out at the back, so you can make the transom fit all the way to the bottom of the hull.

Once you have tidied up the inside of the transom, bog all the holes up (with poly resin bog mix) and lay up a couple of layers just to neaten and strengthen up the transom, prior to putting the ply in.

I don't know much about epoxy resin, I used all poly resin in mine. It will work well with ply, but once you have your two sheets epoxied together and dry. take to the ply with a grinder to rough it up a fair bit, then paint a layer of poly resin over each side (one at a time). Allow them to dry completely and then hit them with 40 grit again before you glass them in. The major problem with poly resin is that it doesn't stick well to ply - this method will help.

Good luck with it, looks like an easy transom to work on at least.

Cheers,

Matt

[den001]

hi mate,

thanks for your comments..

I think i will be leaving the lower section of the timber in as i really dont want to go cutting the floor up, i know it would be the ideal way to do it but there is so little timber under what you see, i really think that i would'nt make a difference to strength. secondly, i would have to step the transom down to 12mm to go into those positions, i would have done it if the timber was wet/black/rotted but its very good.. ive brushed some poly resin over it before i place the new timber in...

i was actually going to see if i can get some type of poly bog to plug the holes..

also thanks for the info about prepping the new plywood, i will defiantly be doing what you have said.

cheers
denis

[matt fraser]

No worries,

Make your own poly bog, with a mix of polyresin and industrial talc or microballons, ask your fibreglass shop guy. Preferably poly/talc bog for glueing the ply into your transom.

If I'm doing a kilo of resin, I'll add a kilo of talc, mix them together until you get a nice mix, probably add a bit more talc to get the consistancy you want. Then add your hardener (10 - 20grams) and make sure you mix the hardener thoroughly through the whole container, otherwise some will go off quick and the rest will not set.

The poly resin/talc bog is stronger, sets harder, and is much harder to sand back than poly/microballon bog. The microballon bog is used in areas where you want to sand back (fairing).

Cheers,

Matt

[den001]

mate once again thanks, i just read that they use talc to make a filler/bog. i will definatly be using it....

so if i stick to using the same amount of resin and talc and use the same amount of hardener as originally instructed ill be sweet?

[blueline]

looking good mate.

[matt fraser]

mate once again thanks, i just read that they use talc to make a filler/bog. i will definatly be using it....

so if i stick to using the same amount of resin and talc and use the same amount of hardener as originally instructed ill be sweet?

I've got a set of 5kg digital kitchen scales, and go roughly 1:1 resin and talc, then add a bit more talk just to thicken it up to the right consistancy. I usually add the hardener to suit the total weight of the bog, rather than just the weight of the resin. Otherwise it takes too long to go off.

Eg: 1000g resin + 1000+g of talc = 2000+g bog - 1% hardener = 20g. If you just add 10g to suit the resin it takes 2 -4 hours to set.

I also use a triangle tool made of 3mm polycarbonate to spread the bog nicely and get nice rounded seams. see pic. Its about 2 x 2 x 2 inches with rounded corners of various sizes to suit different angles.

Rather than wait for the bog to set fully, then sand before glassing. Have some one and two inch strips of glass mat ready cut to size. Glass them on before the bog sets. It will save on sanding time.

For some jobs you can have all your sheets of mat ready to go and glass them on after bogging. Saves heaps of time.

Cheers,

Matt

[den001]

thanks mate. well decided to do some more work on it today.

went and bought some west system epoxy resin and hardner, and prepped the plywood..

i cut it closer to size rather than try to glue 2 full sheets,
then i sanded rough grind marks into it for a even better adhesion

now i have clamped and weighted it all down, its hopefully going to go off soon, im about to go and start making a internal template for the final cuts..

687126871168713

[albey]

Gday Den Welcome
Youve had some good advice here.
I particular ensure you get plenty of timber preserver or resin into the ply after you have cut to size (6 coats is not too many).BUT NOW FOR SOME REALLY IMPORTANT ADVICE WHICH I HAVE NOT SEEN ON THIS OR ANY OTHER THREAD.WHEN YOURE FINISHED AND ABOUT TO MOUNT THE ENGINE AND DRAIN HOLES----POSITION AND MARK YOUR CENTRES THEN REMOVE EVERYTHING--NOW DRILL OVERSIZED HOLES SAY 25 MM,THEN BACK FILL THEM WITH YOUR BOG MIX,WHEN DRY SAND BACK LEVEL WITH THE SURFACE.NOW YOU CAN DRILL THE CORRECT SIZED HOLES AND MOUNT EVERYTHING,BUT NOW YOU HAVE HOLES GOING THROUGH RESIN-NOT PLY,WHICH IF YOU JUST DRILLED AND FITTED THE MOTOR AND DRAINS,YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR WATERLOGGING AND ROT STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN,SOME WOULD SAY,"BUT WE ARE PUTTING A SEALER UNDER THE WASHERS!"I DONT CARE,ALL IT NEEDS IS A PIN HOLE AND YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED AS TO HOW MUCH WATER WILL BE SUCKED IN,PARTICULARLY AS THE BOAT HAS PROBABLY BEEN ON THE ROAD WITH THE SUN HEATING THE TRANSOM,THEN SHE HITS THE COLD WATER,--------SUUUUCK.
ANY WAY CONGRATULATIONS ON TACKLING A JOB YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH
WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE FINISHED JOB.
WELL DONE
AL
C and C Shipwrights

[den001]

thanks for the advice mate, i was planning on oversizing the holes and pasting some epoxy resin in there as ive read its more water resistant than poly...

luckily i remembered to screw the ply sheets together, so i ran off to the hardware RIGHT after i clamped the sheets down and i pumped 85 screws into it. im sure she will hold now.. now for the epoxy to cure, would be good, its fairly cold here today (sydney), its started to go tacky but looks like it will be at least 24 hours, the poly i used yesterday was hard after 1.5 hours.

[den001]

i ended up pulling the clamps off the 2 sheets of ply and its bonded perfectly...

then i have cut the transom out using a cardboard template.

i painted on a layer of poly resin with talc after sanding the outer side transom and let it sit for a while...

i prepped the inside of the transom and polyed in a piece of glass with a very thick layer of polyresin, then i dropped the ply in...

i used clamps, around the top, and a heap of screws again and also some off cuts of timber to press the ply against the transom skin, the screws worked very well..

i hope tomorrow it has come up well, and i will start gap filling, and glassing in a new inner skin, i was gling to use 3 or 4 layers on the inner skin for strength and i will be adding a aditional brace for the transom near the bottom of the v which will tie into the stringers, these will be glassed in after the inner skin is completed...

heres some pics.

[matt fraser]

Geez you are getting it done quickly. I'd go 6 layers on the inner skin rather than four (depending what mat you are using). I'd also be adding several braces, similar to what you are using to brace the transom in place in these pics. I'd rather over-engineer it, than have an issue on the water. Or have to redo it later.

Going well!

Matt

[den001]

thanks mate, i have this week off work i i have hit it hard,


i used a mix of chopped strands/ talc and poly resin for the gap filling and i ended up using 4 layers of the heaviest duty matt available. i glassed it in today, i will be adding the original knees back in later and also extending the timbers that you can see joined to the side of the hull to the transom for added bracing, i will also add a piece running across the transom from the bottom stringer to the other, and will triangle these in from the stringers to the new piece... it will be super strong...

there is a tarp over the transom and inside the boat, ive got a heater running in there atm, just to help with the cure, its only 16 degrees in sydney today and abit overcast, so i think it will help a little..

heres some pics, i think its going well, im pretty happy so far.

[den001]

I have a question for the experienced out there....

i have attached the splash well back on today and am looking at the best way to cap the transom.. the ally trim piece i have no longer fits but i wouldnt have used it again as rot came from the to top of these screw holed...

can u use epoxy and the specified mat to build it up where i need it and then sand to shape it how i like?? i dont want it to crack..

[odes20]

The best way is to fully fiberglass it over. have no place where water can get in or anywhere it can crack. This would mean overlapping to the outer skin a little, but this would solve the problem of where most water gets into transoms. ie from the top with screw holes cracking apart if not fully glassed over . Check the pic of mine and you will see it glassed right over the cap of the transom.
In respect of finishing the internal skin, I see no need to add extra knees unless it was failing there before. No need to over engineer it unless it was under underdone in original construction.

Cheers
John


68829

[den001]

Thanks for the advice John,

i did end up pitting a little extra bracing in, i used some offcuts of the 2 sheets of ply epoxied together and screwed them to the lower stringers and then got a decent piece of hardwood cut to correct angle of the transom and wedged it down and screwed and glassed it all in...

i flow coated it all this morning and attached the splashwell, now just trying to figure out what to do with the cap, i think i will fill the voids up with glass and poly, as the timber sits slightly lower down and the skins actually come higher that the ply (slightly). i will pack this with poly and glass, and i mite use epoxy to tie in the outer skin and splash well skin, i really hope it doesnt crack...

i had a BIG clamp attached to the top of the transom in the middle and was jumping up and down on it today with a mate looking for any type of movement, none whatsoever, i broke the clamp...

anyway here is a pic of the additional braces i put in, just for piece of mind...

can i sand the epoxy to shape my cap? and what do i use to seal it???

[odes20]

YEP Sand it real smooth and paint it with flow coat. I have used flowcoat over epoxy without porbelms If you finish the cap off with an epoxy and matting so the top of the transom is now completely filled it shoud adhere well. make sure all surfaces are sanded to clean surface before epoxy.

Cheers
John

[svranjic]

Like John said it is ok to flowcoat over the top of epoxy. Manufacturers who state not to put polyester over epoxy are being extra conservative and on the safe side. You just have to make sure you have allowed the epoxy to dry out fully and that you sand it very well to ensure an a good mechanical bond.

Dont do what I did and use single part deck paint on the inside cos once you go down that path its very difficult to turn back.

You have done a great job by the way

[den001]

thanks guys, i think i will use poly resin and sand and shape it as there is already already poly sitting in the void, i will glass it in over and around today.

the whole boat is going for a paint job, so can i use the primer to seal the glass cap? or do i still have to use flow coat and sand again???

[odes20]

Personally i would flowcoat it then sand back and paint.

John