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XK-19 Should I pop the top?

Repair, or reconstruction. Gelocat or structural fiberglass. If it's hull related, you'll find it here

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Bad Ass Boat
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XK-19 Should I pop the top?

Post by Bad Ass Boat » Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:52 pm

Ok guys I am really dumb on restoring fiberglass boats. I can do engines wiring and some drives. But fiberglassing and repair forget it. If business picks up and I have the money I am going to start doing a complete resto on my 19. I was looking on line and a guy took a Chrysler Conqueror boat He drilled the rivets and popped the upper half off the boat reveling the rotten wood and other parts of the boat to fix. I dont have any help Iam a one man show. Should I seprate the halves of my 19 so I can do it right? With the upper half off the boat gutted is it safe to roll it over or will it cract the upper gunnell when I roll it? Confused Roger :?

Wood Commander
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Post by Wood Commander » Sun Mar 08, 2009 2:58 pm

I want to do this to my Lancer someday (Will I ever get around to it?, loL!). My thought is to build a lumber and plywood, simplified "egg crate" grid that fairly closely follows the contours and shapes of my topside deck area and temporarily fasten it to the deck using existing holes whenever possible. This should keep everything where it ought to be for lifting the deck off the hull.

As long as you have the capability of doing it, it will be the best way by far to work on the inner structures of the boat. Have you ever tried to work on the back of the engine or outdrive parts that are inside the boat? Yikes, it's hard!

Also, fiberglass repair isn't really all that hard. If you have a WEST MArine store nearby, or check them out on the internet, they have instruction books and even inexpensive pamphlets for doing specific jobs with their West System products. The literature will tell you which products to buy to do the job you need to do.
West System is basically an Epoxy Resin that can be mixed up and used for many different things. It can be used with fiberglass cloth or fiber matte. It has different powders that can be mixed in to make different pastes and putties for glueing, laminating, filleting and filling.

West is only one of many products that do this, but they are probably the easiest to find and have the most self- help material available. Just make sure to stay with an Epoxy rather than polyester resin. Epoxy is much stronger and more waterproof. It is however, more expensive as well.
Bret

1953 35' Commander "Adonis III"

1970 23' lancer project

Bad Ass Boat
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Pop off continued

Post by Bad Ass Boat » Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:34 am

That great advice! Once I get the top of the boat loose am I going to need to lift it off with a hoist or can two guys lift it off if all of the hardware is takin off? My other question how do you figure out the inner bracing so you dont crack the hull when you roll it over? I will need to roll this boat over to paint it. Should I leave the top on then roll the boat paint the hull? The sides of this boat is really thin I guess Chris Craft wanted to cut weight so the boat would go faster. When the top is off this boat is really going to be flimsy. I sure would hate to crack it! This sucks when you dont have any help. So how do I figure out the bracing with destorying the hull? Thanks Roger

tgbcrazy
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don't pop the top

Post by tgbcrazy » Tue May 19, 2009 4:33 pm

listen please call me and I will give you the poop on how to restore your boat. I did a lot of glass work on mine to make it stronger in places where it is weak. I completly gutted the boat. You can take out all the flooring without taking the top off the boat. I actually glassed the inside of my boat where the top and the bottom meet all the way around under the gunnel. I am almost done and have learned a lot.
Call anytime
Tim 404 555 5906 and my email is [email protected]
I also posted how they turned my boat over in the fiberglass section.

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