you know what sucks more than removing a rotten core???

[nosboss]

Coming across good core and trying to get it out! My Ventura has been 100% rotten till I get closer to the front. I'm up to the driver/passenger feet area now and the core is good up near the outer edges of the hull. I still need to cut the front floor and bulkhead out. I'm sure I'll find more good core up there.

[ Post made via Android ]

[aaron78viper]

i completely agree!! takes hours to chip it out. im in the same situation at the outsides of the boat

[VultureNo2]

[transomstand]

Mine was so dry and solid up there, I left a good bit of the original in place, only turned to mush in the lower areas.

[nosboss]

I only plan to remove the stuff that's mush in front of the bulkhead. The rest will stay to be glassed over and then covered by the front floor. Nobody will ever know. (Except russf) Lol

[ Post made via Android ]

[RussF]

I only plan to remove the stuff that's mush in front of the bulkhead. The rest will stay to be glassed over and then covered by the front floor. Nobody will ever know.

[ Post made via Android ]

I'll KNOW....................................

[Rut311969]

Come on guys its not that bad it only took me 5hr to get it all out of my Viper witch I bet the guy that bought it aprecated .I used a hammer and a 1" chisel mush in the bottum and good & hard up under the bow but still rotten down in the keel area and Im 6'2" just keep pecking away at it . And when your done come on down to Burlington this summer .

[transomstand]

I'm not advocating leaving it in, just testing a theory. I still consider this project experimental, started 37 1/2 years ago, I'll report my results when it's complete

I also reserve the right to change my mind as the test continues

[74vector]

Yes ironicly look for the worst core possible for a restore!!
On the good core areas on mine (a 74 Vector) I set my skill saw at about 1/2 inch and cut a checkerboard pattern of about 1 inch squares. Then I took a Sawzall with a long (about 10 inches) blade and ran it flat against the bottom which cut off the little squares right along the bond line. The Sawzall blade would not cut into the bottom glass if it was kept flat. Then I disk sanded out the balsa stubble left behind.
Worked pretty well once I started doing it this way.
Good luck!
Randy

[JETMORE]

IF THE CORE IS SOLID AND DRY IN THE FRONT, LEAVE THAT AREA IN. WORK AROUND IT. THIS IS NOT A GRAND PIANO. THIS IS A CORE IN A PRODUCTION BOAT, THAT EVEN WITH RUDIMENTARY ARCHAIC MATERIALS DONE 30 YEARS AGO, IS STILL GOOD. GRIND A 12/1 BEVEL AROUND THE GOOD AREA, AND DO ALL THE BAD CORE. AS LONG AS THE THICKNESS IN THE SAME WITH THE NEW CORE, THE SAME RIGIDITY EXISTS. THE ONLY WAY THE BOW AREA OF CORE IN A HYDROSTREAM GETS WET IS IF THE BOAT IS LEFT WITH WATER IN IT AND THE NOSE DOWN. THE REASON THE SEATS AND EVERYTHING BEHIND GET WET IS BECAUSE OF THE DRAIN HOLE NEAR THE PASSENGER AND DRIVERS FEET THAT DUMPS WATER RIGHT ONTO THE CORE, THAT IS OFTEN EXPOSED. IF THE NOSE IS STORED WAY UP, AND THE BOAT IS NEVER LEFT IN THE WATER FOR LONG, GOOD CHANCE A STREAM WILL SURVIVE WITH A SOLID CORE. MY 84 VIPER HAS A SOLID CORE, CLEAN AND DRY WOOD.