Replacing a rotted transom and glassing it

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by LewisHB, Apr 17, 2012.

  1. LewisHB
    Joined: Apr 2012
    Posts: 6
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: San Diego

    LewisHB Junior Member

    How do I fiberglass the top of a small boat transom which is a square corner? I'm thinking of just glassing a piece of tape across the top connecting the glassed inside and origional glass hull outside.....

    so far we've >>>

    the plywood core in this small boat transom had totally disintergrated rotted, self combusted, fell out in a shower of pieces when we removed the glass mat inside the transom....we left the outside hull intact of course.....sanding was no problem...... the center of the transom was 3/4 thicker than the rest of the transom so filled that gap with a 1ft tall by 2ft wide piece of 1/2 inch plywood bedded to the glass hull with resin thickened to a paste consistancy, and clamped untill the thickened resin squeezed out on all four sides......

    We left it to cure a coupple weeks (it kept raining and too cold to glass)
    Then today (4/17) had a hot day so made up more glass paste with flower consistancy thickener and used the glass paste to insert a 1in thick transom all the way across the boat, about 5ft or so.... the paste consistantcy keeps it from running out.... then clamp squeesing some of the glass paste out------- but how do we strongly glass the top edge to the inside and outside???/ bending glass over a square corner....just doesnt work at all

    Thanks, Lewis
     
  2. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Welcome to the forum Lewis. What resin system are you using? Did you pre-treat the plywood first? How deep is your tabbing? Can you provide some pictures? A better materials description would also be helpful. Sorry for all the questions in reply to your questions, but it easier to start with a level playing field, to eliminate guessing and assumptions.

    You don't bend 'glass over sharp corners, it just kinks and puckers, which is very weak. You radius all edges and corners, then if you want it squared off, like the top of a transom, you build it up with thickened goo and grind it square after it cures.
     
  3. CDK
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    Location: Adriatic sea

    CDK retired engineer

    If I understand your post correctly, you replaced the laminate and core with a piece of plywood and massive amounts of polyester putty that you call glass paste.

    That really sounds like a lousy job to me. You need several layers of glass roving, saturated with resin, to obtain some strength. Fold it over the top and clamp it down with a strip of wood and plastic foil if it won't stay put and keep it a bit wider than the transom thickness. Cut the excess laminate when cured, then apply paint or gel coat to seal it.
     

  4. LewisHB
    Joined: Apr 2012
    Posts: 6
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    Location: San Diego

    LewisHB Junior Member

    reply :)

    Just redoing how the transom of the 14ft outboard boat was origionally built :) We just thickened fiberglass resin to a paste consistancy too fill up any gaps and used that to glue the plywood to the fiberglass hull as was origionally done many years ago....... then planning to glass over it after lightly sanding the bare plywood
    ... ....I dont see how there is any other way to do it.........which is why I am asking here...... no point in abandoning a perfectly good glass skiff.......looks like an origional Boston whaler type design.........

    later must cover the glassed transom with a stainless steel U shaped cover so the outboard doesnt dig holes into the fiberglass
     
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