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i dont think 1708 is meant to be used for bonding purposes. (like bonding core down to hull) one problem with using it is it takes alot more resin to properly "wet out" than csm does. i would go with 1.5 or 2oz mat to bond surfaces together. youll be a lil lighter and its cheaper than 1708 (prolly isnt wrong to use 1708 but JMO)

yes ....put a layer or 2 in between your transom boards to help bond and provide extra needed strength. (one thing to try is drill 1/8" holes in one of the trans boards before glassin and clamping together. this provides somewhere for extra resin to go. i always wet out wood surfaces (and core) prior to laying mat down. this helps prevent dry spots from wood soaking up resin.

So do you think I should use CSM for the first layer in the hull before the Balsa then put the 1708 over the Balsa? I have some 1 1/2 CSM and the 1708, but I can order whatever I need . Should I glass in the stringers and let them dry then come back and grind and smooth up any rough places and apply another coat of resin to make sure they are sealed? I read somewhere to lay the Balsa over a barrel to open up the seams and wet it with resin before laying it down in the hull.

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I made some progress today. I took the deck off and finished grinding the rest of the old core and transom and got everything cleaned up . I'm going to put the transom in tomorrow . I turned my 7 year old son loose with a scraper on the deck , he removed a good bit of the prior paint job off. I'll try to post some pictures soon.

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Transom is in, it took a lot more resin than I thought it would. I used about 2 1/2 gallons just on the transom. How many gallons of poly resin does it normally take to recore , replace stringers and a floor? I was going to order another 5 gal bucket but now I'm thinking I may need two more.

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Might as well order 2 more fives, one won't be enough and buying a couple individual gallons might cost as much as another 5.

When bonding your laminate with poly resin, always bond to chopped mat. 1708 is fine but you'll want some csm over the woven side before bonding the next layer.

Another thing, these boats can be made quite strong using the original construction method and simply substituting quality workmanship in the rebuild, you don't need tons of extra glass and wood or massive stringers and knees unless you're going with 300 horsepower and plan to beat the thing until your teeth fall out.

When these boats were new we beat the holy crap out of them yet they didn't start to break up until they aged a few years and core rot became an issue. I used to go to work on Monday all bruised up from the beating I took from the boat over the weekend.

Do you mean I need to lay CSM down then the balsa then CSM then 1708? The 1708 has a layer of CSM on one side already

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Stellix wrote:Do you mean I need to lay CSM down then the balsa then CSM then 1708? The 1708 has a layer of CSM on one side already

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Depends on the schedule you choose. Technically the balsa should be "centered" in the layup but I lean more toward a thicker outer skin. These things don't have much more than a gelcoat outer layer when the grinding is finished, so I prefer a little more beef under the balsa myself. If using 1708 I'd lay that first, csm side down, then a layer of csm on top and then lay the balsa in before that cures. If you lay the glass first and make it resin rich (a little too wet) then bury the balsa in it you don't have to bother with pre wetting the balsa, it will suck up the excess resin like a sponge. I should note that this method is technically incorrect, and may not achieve the ideal 50-50 resin to laminate ratio, but it's worked quite well for me and many others.

Main thing is to have everything cut, fitted, laid out and ready to go so you can work quickly and efficiently. I'm sure you're already aware to be using laminating resin (unwaxed) for the early part of the layup, then switch to finishing resin (waxed) for your top coat.

That's sound like a good way to do it. I'm using 404 poly resin but I have some wax for the final coat. Do you think if I use a layer of CSM on top of the balsa then a layer 1708 would be good enoughor should I add more on top of the that?

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Stellix wrote:That's sound like a good way to do it. I'm using 404 poly resin but I have some wax for the final coat. Do you think if I use a layer of CSM on top of the balsa then a layer 1708 would be good enoughor should I add more on top of the that?

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Plenty enough, that will be bulletproof. One thing I would do is put an additional layer of 1708 in the pad and also in the hull starting at the transom coming out about 4 feet, say about 18 inches on either side of the pad. That area in front of the transom is the most stressed area of the hull.

On top of the core and other layers of glass?

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