New Year Fireworks-- Viking resto started

[Rut311969]

Yeah buddy becareful with that skill saw or youll be like me patching a hull hole the width of a skill saw blade . So your going all the way right ?meaning up over the arch where your floor cut line is now. Hope to see more pics of the progress soon .

[silkeysak]

Yeah buddy becareful with that skill saw or youll be like me patching a hull hole the width of a skill saw blade . So your going all the way right ?meaning up over the arch where your floor cut line is now. Hope to see more pics of the progress soon .

Hey Rut! I will be taking all the floor out, but I'm going to use a grinder to get through last couple of inches out so I don't go through the hull. I already got a 1/2
slice up forward of the dash, but it's a minor repair and I'm gelcoating the bottom anyway. I have to get a new grinder to get the rest of the mess cleaned up, pull the tank and cut out the splash for transom repair. With the motor work I'm also doing, I will probably get a late start this spring, but I have to do it all in one shot. I don't want to drag part of this out for next year.

[Rut311969]

Sounds like where I cut mine to got alittle wild with the skill saw that day . Just think how much weight difference you"ll have with the new set up .So its not that nice down there right now so strip her down and take lots of pics so us snow bound peeps have something to watch this winter.

[silkeysak]

Sounds like where I cut mine to got alittle wild with the skill saw that day . Just think how much weight difference you"ll have with the new set up .So its not that nice down there right now so strip her down and take lots of pics so us snow bound peeps have something to watch this winter.

Talked to Scott at All Fiberglass Repair (AFR) down in Punta Gorda Fl. today. He says the Divinnycell is the way to go for everything I'm doing. Got to save a bit of weight and be stronger too. He told me how many thicknesses to go on the whole shot. What a great guy. I will try to make my misery as entertaining as I can, and maybe pass on something useful. When your under the bow, I guess it's easy for that saw to get away from you. Don't feel bad. I have over 30yrs. carpentry experience, and thought I was being careful. S#it happens, but at least it's not hard to repair. I knew I screwed up when I could see the lawn.

[silkeysak]

Was doing some research over the weekend on material options and came across a couple of interesting articles concerning composite cores etc.
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/HiTech.htm
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/Fiberglass_Boats.htm
As a result, I am seriously considering sacrificing about 40lbs of weight to go all 1708 uniderectional FG cloth on the hull instead of using balsa or composite. Total cost of material including marine ply for transom, deck and stringers is around $900.00. If you are restoring, take a little time to read this info.. If your not going for racing weight, it's something to consider.

[HST4ME]

Meh, that info is dated and a bit biased. One of my vipers is foam cored (Diab) from 2001 and I would guess near 20,000 miles underneath it with no issues what so ever. And at times has not been treated very nice. Fiberglass laminates alone do not nearly provide the stiffness that a properly cored laminate will with much greater weight savings. The problem with **** like this on the internet is everyone has an opinion, it's best to look to those who have done this with success and follow that path. I'll be on my 34th hydrostream recore in two weeks and never had a failure using balsa and plywood, or quality composites. It's more a product of the time and effort you put into the job.

[77viper]

I would bet you would have more than 40 lbs of added weight to equal the strength of balsa. I looked into using composites for my vking for the weight savings but decided I could save more weight in a good set of batteries than I could with composites and used balsa for the core but got a deal on transom material.

[silkeysak]

I would bet you would have more than 40 lbs of added weight to equal the strength of balsa. I looked into using composites for my vking for the weight savings but decided I could save more weight in a good set of batteries than I could with composites and used balsa for the core but got a deal on transom material.

Yeah that info is dated at 10 yrs old, but newer materials have not stood the test of time since then. Chet, I think you have probably found the best combination with balsa core and composite transom. Scott at AFR recommends Dinycell for the transom and stringers. How many layers of 1708 did you use over the balsa, and did you go straight to the hull with the balsa on the underside? HST, I am giving your extensive experience a lot of consideration. I have to make a decision by the time I get done grinding, and you guys opinion really helps. I threw that article up there to elicit some pro/con response. I know there is a lot of good reason to core the hull. It's just that some of the composites are super expensive, and I'm concerned about not getting voids between the balsa and hull.

[HST4ME]

Unless you vacuum bag a boat there are always going to be voids When you get further along, and it's not 1 am I'll share some tips.