Vintage Inboard Cruisers to Centre Console Conversion

[gazza2006au]

Should end up looking like this the cabin i had a good look today will be a 2/3rd 3/4th cabin size i need the beds put in for bow structural strength but its a bit small so legs may be sticking out the cabin if i sleep in there, be good for storms tho can fit 2x 5-5.5ft adults sitting 2 can stand under the hard top
Not much roof for a dash as in front to back room its how i designed it i wanted the slim side windows with more open cockpit
The height of the cabin suits the boat but it is quiet tall i stood where the old floor was up on the side and still had a lot of head room and the dash came up to my nipples ganna be a bit sketchy in 8 knot zones with the ass boggin and nose up
Think from memory last time i checked the freeboard was 600mm my hard top is 1200mm thats 1800mm from floor to top of hard top

[catshark]

looks good, more open cockpit is a bonus and can always install press studs for storm covers or yeah a permanent cover when in storage

[gazza2006au]

Yeah when i finish i will try find a deal somewhere online for a truckies tarp one of those huge very thick canvas tarps to toss over her, i'm thinking a custom storage cover would cost a few grand that i wont be able to afford

This build i'm on my second tarp already tarps size is 7.4x5.5 meters first one cost $90 the one on there now cost $60 for just over 1 years use

[gazza2006au]

Shitting my self about doing the stringers i don't wanna mess it up and have to grind them out i still have the 4 litres of epoxy adhesive i bought for this specific job of gluing the stringers down working time sixty minutes before it kicks off so lets see how it goes

stringers have daunted me from the beginning...

[Noelm]

As long as the hull is straight and well supported, the stringers are a breeze compared to the transom.

[gazza2006au]

I'll glue down the keel stringer hopefully tomorrow if i still have acetone out in the shed and see how i go i was not good at using the zip lock bag for filletting i bought some proper pipping bags to try will see how it pans out over the next few days

Might be a really sloppy and messy looking job but i'll try

[gazza2006au]

Got away early start laid down my first bit of glue and panicked as i could feel the glue heating up on the mixing table, think i got a little worked up over the time i have been thinking of how to glue down the stringers, the glue mix i used was not peanut butter but rather runny honey just like honey on a warm springs day sitting on the bench in the kitchen i thought it was going to be thicker but as i laid it down it thickened within a few minutes i donno how as i put the fillet down than came back over it with the finger only thing i had that would fit in the V of the hull and it turned into a thick paste, kind of like it sagged at first than went stiff haha

picks will come soon my glue job is crappy but the glue looks like honey so blends in with the stringer color, i think the only thing i like about that glue mix is when u wash your hands with acetone and a rag whatever residue is left on your hands that sticky feeling washes off with soap and water so very easy clean up

what initially got me to buy the glue was the working time of 1 hour over resin mixed with filler is 20mins, but the glue is costly cost $150 for 4L i would have used about 800mls to glue and fillet the main stringer

[gazza2006au]

Dont wanna jump in the boat untill the glue cures as not to knock anything over, i think my fillets are a little small but they'll have to do

[gazza2006au]

Seems i am pissing a few people off on the forum im ganna put my head down ass up and keep progressing with the boat build when i can im going to take a break from the forum

If anyone is keen to see progress check out youtube

[shakey55]

Your fillets for this will be fine. Here is a link to filleting if your having thoughts about yours

https://www.epoxyworks.com/index.php...-with-fillets/


Sent from my iPad using Ausfish forums

[gazza2006au]

More stringers will go in coming days plan were to cut 2 more stringers today and prep to gluing in but its windy and looks like its going to storm, i was a little worried i mixed the glue on a sixty litre drum lid and checked it today and left over glue was still soft but i checked the piping bags and they were stiffs and cured

Thanks Shakey i was using a piece of off cut from the lathe of aluminium it had the perfect radius but wouldn't fit between the stringer and hull so in a rush just used my finger

[Noelm]

Did you get it all squared up, or was it OK?

[gazza2006au]

Noel totally forgot i had a toilet intake between the outside two strakes on the starboard side i havent checked but i am pretty sure this is pushin up the beam i will go out there soon to check pretty limited in what i can do as i cant untie the tarp its blowing around 60kph in Sydney

The starbored beam is also crooked no so over lapping two strakes but rater touching one steakes at the back and touching another strake at the front i asked for a cousin to lend a hand jacking it up the other day but he was busy so i had to do it all me self with only 2 jacks

I will try straighten the beam today or tomorrow before i glass in the side stringers but if i cant get it strait i guess i have to live with that slight problem

[Noelm]

Yeah, it's pretty breezy alright, no rain here though, try to get it straight, the more you glue in, the harder it is to fix anything, how did you jack it up? is it just hanging now?

[Crooked]

Hey Gazza,
The approach I took with my stringers was to run a glue bead to stick them down and clean up ALL the glue that was squeezing out ie.no fillet. When and once I was prepared with my fibreglass cloth I ran a fillet on each side and used a tongue depressor (or whatever curved tool you have) and smoothed this to a fillet. Then with the glue still dry I laid my tabbing over the wet fillet and glassed on with several layers. This made it a lot easier than doing the fillet and sanding once dry, if you let it dry any little bumps, drips and peaks are hard to see and if you don't get them off it holds up the cloth and you don't get the adhesion you really want. Was easier to lay the cloth and once set out carefully use the fin roller over the fillet are to conform the cloth into the wet glue, just be careful to try and keep your profile.

You can be a lot less careful with how neat you are with the fillet and the other little bits that get all over the place.

Cheers, Evan