1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

[zopperman]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

just wondering why you didnt replace all the stringers instead?

That's harder and they weren't rotted...

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

just wondering why you didnt replace all the stringers instead?

Really, because there was no reason to do so... That would be like going to the dentist and having all your teeth pulled & replaced with dentures when all you really needed was a crown and a couple of fillings! This project is going to be expensive enough, and take PLENTY of time already, why add to that?

The stringers that DID remain are perfectly fine- Only small sections of them were rotten, where a screw or nail had penetrated the fiberglass covering. Any remaining wood is solid- So there is no need to take it out. Sistering in new wood will be just as strong, so there was no real reason to remove them completely.... Whatever wood was used in the first place on this boat is some amazing stuff- 50 + years and it's still solid. I know for a fact that the last couple of years of this boats life weren't too good, either- It was sitting uncovered in a ditch and full of water!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Back to some grinding again today... I LOVE grinding glass.

I've got the bilge and stringers all ready for some glass work now... This photo is from when I was about 1/2 done. I burned out a grinder doing this, and that shop-vac is now on it's last legs- That fiberglass dust is BAD NEWS for tools!

I've still got some final fitting to do on the replacement stringers, and then they'll go back in.

The boat has been sitting in my air conditioned and dehumidified workshop for a couple weeks, so any excess moisture that was in the stringers is gone. Since I've had a change in my work schedule and will be home for at least a few more weeks, I am going to try to get the stringers and floor back in this week, so I can get the hull flipped and start on the bottom!

In the mean time, I've been sanding the gelcoat off the cap... It's terribly dusty, but almost done. I've taken it almost all down to bare fiberglass, since the old gelcoat was so bad. Before I fair and prime the cap, I'll flip it over and do a few repairs, as well as fill some of the old screw holes from hardware, as well as paint the underside of the cap. It's a LOT easier to do that now!

-Andrew

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Andrew, your pic did not post, soooo, you know what that means, all that work you did....

Neeeeeever happened!!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Andrew, your pic did not post, soooo, you know what that means, all that work you did....

Neeeeeever happened!!

Hmm... Shows up fine for me....

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Looking nice! I use a 5" air grinder and fiberglass backing plate. Works a lot better than the electric models in my opinion....light weight, runs cool, no dust issues. You do need a good air compressor however. Keep up the nice work!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

I use a 5" air grinder and fiberglass backing plate. Works a lot better than the electric models in my opinion....light weight, runs cool, no dust issues. You do need a good air compressor however.

Yeah, I could probably use one as well... The grinder that died was a $10 harbor freight cheapie, my preferred tool for this job- since they are so cheap. I did my Glasspar Citation, a Glasspar G-3, and this boat with it, as well as several other projects in between, so for $10 I can't complain. I have a lot of grinders, I am too lazy to change the wheels out on them, so I've got a few that I use for different purposes, Grinding, cutting, sanding... I've got a nicer one, too- But I try to use that one for metal work only, not fiberglass!

-Andrew

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

The replacement stringer parts are all cut and fit- Sorry about the bad pics, I am using my Iphone, My Mac is in the shop so I can't use my 'real' camera-

Next, I'll 'glue' them in place with thickened epoxy, then fiberglass them in.

When I was in there, I did some grinding on one of the repair areas- The boat appears to have a 'trailer bite' or two- And they went right through! Unfortunately, the area where the damage occurred is visible inside the boat, so I have to be a little careful about how I do it so it looks ok... Shouldn't be too hard to blend it it.

The hull is relatively thin- Three layers of glass- an outer layer of cloth, a middle layer of either CSM or sprayed chop, and an inner layer of cloth. Knowing this comes in handy when you're grinding on the hull- Since you can watch the layers and not grind all the way through!

I ground off the inner layer of cloth, and about 1/2 of the middle layer of chop. I'll build up a few layers inside, then when the hull is flipped, I'll be able to get the outside smooth and fair. Although the inside is visible, I'm a bit more worried about how the outside looks-Since it will be far more visible, especially to the 'casual' observer.

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

I managed to get some fiberglass work done today, on the underside of the cap. I filled in some of the old hardware mounting holes, and a few miscellaneous holes that were drilled in the deck and seats for one reason or another over the years. There were also a few areas around the lip that cracked when the cap was coming off, and those have been repaired and reinforced from behind-

The lip at the transom is supposed to look like this-

But that was broken off... So I built a 'mold' that taped underneath the repair area, and built up new glass-

Once it has cured, I'll grind it to the proper shape, and you'll never even know it was there.

I have a few more repairs to do on the underside of the cap, then I'll paint it... Then I'll flip it back over, and finish the Gel-Coat removal.

-Andrew

 

[Decker83]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

That old pine sure did clean up good. Looks like it is fresh cut.
With the tools you have, you should try and get more of that timber. It good trun into alot of different beautiful things.
Keep up the good work.
Kent

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

If I had the space to store it, I'd have bought ALL of it... It is some beautiful wood. It works nicely, but is a real challenge for my tools! I have to use VERY sharp blades, and take my time. I'd love to build some furniture out of it- Or, Better yet- A BOAT!

-Andrew

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

The stringers have been installed, as well as the wood backing for the bow eye-

All the wood is installed in the hull now- I've just got to 'glass it all in, then put the floor back. Hopefully, that'll happen next week, once I get my cloth.

Once that's done- all the structural and repair work is pretty much wrapped up. From then on, it's filling, fairing, and sanding to prepare for paint!

-Andrew

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

It was raining and cold today- A good day to have an indoor workshop for a project like this!

I had a long morning of fiberglass work today- I told the secretary to hold all my calls, cranked the radio up, and got to work!! This is one of those projects that, once started, can't be stopped until it's done.

I've got the stringers glassed in now-

Those were some THIRSTY stringers, too- I let the epoxy soak in to them, then glassed everything over. In the end, with all the overlapping tabbing, the entire hull has an extra layer of fiberglass, too. This old girl is going to be a LOT stronger than when it left the factory. The stringers used to be held in by what looked like 1 or 1 1/2 oz. mat, over about 75% or so of the stringers... Just enough to hold everything in place. The new 'setup' is much better- 2 layers of glass on everything.

Once all this cures, It'll be time to get the floor back in- Then, Hull flipping time!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

The floor is in- This is the original floor that I removed. It's solid 1/4" fiberglass, and in good shape, so I am reusing it.

It's bonded to the tops of the stringers, with some stainless screws used to hold it in place while it cures. Once everything is cured, I'll fillet & tape the joint all the way around, then put a layer of glass over the entire thing. I've got 60" wide cloth, so I'll be able to go from gunwale to gunwale with one solid piece.

It's nice to be this far in- All the major repairs are nearly complete, and it will soon be time to become intimately familiar with fairing compounds and sanders

-Andrew

 

[herefishy]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Very Nice.

~Fishy

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Looks like you are making great progress Andrew! Having the glass deck must be a nice plus!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

I guess there really isn't much in the way of room for flotation in this hull eh?

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

I guess there really isn't much in the way of room for flotation in this hull eh?

Virtually none. I was going to put some foam down there, but when I did the calculations, the volume of foam that I could get in there wasn't worth the hassle, so I decided against it.

FrOm the factory, it had foam floatation under the forward deck and under the fins (that big donut looking thing in the tear down photos) . This foam will be replaced.


Floatation foam is often not found in boats of this vintage- it wasn't required at the time, so it was often bypassed- my glassPar was like that, it relied on the sealed "double bottom" for floatation. Buys, if that is punctured, straight. To the bottom you go. I think the addition of adequate floatation should be a part of ANY responsible restoration!

 

[southkogs]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

I guess there really isn't much in the way of room for flotation in this hull eh?

Nope ... and boy can you tell the noise dampening foam would do when a late 50's Lake-N-Sea lands bumps down after going over a wave!! Those things shook ALL OVER. (actually made me worry about it a coupla' times)

Progress looks good Andrew.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Hello andgott,

I just finished reading through your thread. Absolutely fantastic work! This is a really neat looking boat and I must congratulate you on the fine craftsmanship you have put into it. This is a beautiful piece of Americana that you are restoring to better than original and will surely be enjoyed for many, many years to come.

Thank you for sharing and I look forward to the day it gets "Splashed".

I have also read the thread dealing with the curved transon replacement you did for your friend. Outstanding job. I have learned a lot from your work.

Best Regards and Godspeed,
GT1M