dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I've read two of his older threads, but not this one.

Perhaps I should post this in the engine forum, but any tips on pulling the motor? I imagine getting the steering cable disconnected will be a pain. At least it was on my outboard.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Perhaps I should post this in the engine forum, but any tips on pulling the motor? I imagine getting the steering cable disconnected will be a pain. At least it was on my outboard.

Yeah, post that in the I/O forum. The good thing is that the more you do that kind of stuff... the better you'll get at it.


About glassing in your stringers, transom, and deck.

It's your boat and you can build it and skimp and "get away" with anything you want... but I'll tell ya. If I was rebuilding a Wakeboard boat, I would want it to be the strongest build I could get... I'd want it to be a TANK.

The glass laminates on the stringers are what holds the stringer to the boat, they're the "nails", they make the stringer part of the boat. The PB/PL is just there to hold the stringers to the hull until you get the plies of fiberglass on.

Go out and price a new wakeboard boat and see how much they cost, they're very expensive.. and for a reason. They're beefed up for the additional stresses of wake boarding.

Instead of thinking about how much your resto is going to coast... think about the fun you're going to have when it's done... which will be priceless!.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I agree. She'll get at least the minimum recommendations as per that post. I so badly wish these supplies could be bought more locally!

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Are you following along with his latest build?

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...vx-18-complete-restoration-thread-585518.html

He's fixin' to start doing some glassing and will probably do some vids on it.

Reading it now! I work weekends, so I hope to get some work done next week. I'd really like to get the motor out, bit that depends on when I get help. What is this false deck method you mentioned? A search yielded nothing relevant.

Also.curious as to how the bolts for the motor are secured into the motor mounts. I'm sure I'll see when I start cutting it apart. I hope to get things out in good pieces so I can use them as templates

In the gas tank compartment, is gel coating necessary?

Any recommendations on how to try to be sure I record where the motor is so I get it back in adjusted properly?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

What is this false deck method you mentioned?

The false deck method of pouring foam requires turning a 4x8 sheet of plywood into swiss cheese, a cheap $12 sheet of 1/2" OSB will work fine for this:

When you're ready to pour foam lay the sheet of OSB in the boat and mark the centers of your stringer spaces on each end, use a chalk line to chalk these lines in. Then lay out your pour holes on 16" centers with the first hole 8" for the end and then 16" between each hole:

Cut 1-1/2" or 2" pour holes with a hole saw at each mark. Fasten the the sheet of OSB to the stringers with screws or weight it down heavily with concrete blocks. Expanding foam is very strong in a confined space and will lift the sheet of OSB up if not fastened or weighted securely.

Start pouring your foam one stringer space at a time and from the stern to the bow. When all stringer spaces are poured remove the OSB and cut off the foam titties and any excess flush with the flat foam. Take the excess/waste foam and put it in an unpoured stringer space and Lay the OSB over it and pour again.

When you have an 8' long section poured at the stern from port to starboard move the sheet forward and trim as need to conform to the shape of the hull and start pouring again. Flip the sheet over if you need to pour any unfilled stringer spaces.

You may end up with voids or "craters" in your foam with this method... kinda like this:

These will need to be filled with more foam and then cut off flush with the flat foam with a carpenters hand saw... but with the pour holes on 16" centers these should be minimal, if you get any at all.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I see. I may try that. The reason I was wanting to do it before I deck it is so that if I pour too much the pressure of the foam doesn't distort my hull. I read a few threads mentioning to be careful of that. Plus I.can visually check that I have full coverage. What sort of paint would I put over it? ( I'm imagining flex seal haha)

 

[jigngrub]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

My first choice for paint would be epoxy resin (2 coats min.), second would be a good oil based enamel (2 or 3 coats).

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Alrighty. I have some good news. An old part time job boss called me up needing me to start helping him out again. I have not worked there since before Christmas. The upside, its 10$/hr toward boat supplies. The downside, I won't have 4 free days a week any more :/. I told him I would like two days off each week to keep up with things I need to do. Working 7 days a week sucks! I hope I can get it finished by summer working on it 2 days a week.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Alrighty. I have some good news. An old part time job boss called me up needing me to start helping him out again. I have not worked there since before Christmas. The upside, its 10$/hr toward boat supplies. The downside, I won't have 4 free days a week any more :/. I told him I would like two days off each week to keep up with things I need to do. Working 7 days a week sucks! I hope I can get it finished by summer working on it 2 days a week.

You still have all night every night... sleep is overrated.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Haha but then it would be hard to hide the full extent of my boat repairs that I'm doing from her. Right now I'm just "fixing a spot in the floor" . I can see me coming up on summer and putting in 10 hours a day 4 days for about 3 weeks to finish it up haha. I still have to rebuild the Carb and a few other odds and ends too.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I'm wrestling with the idea of creating a drainage system to allow water to flow past the stringers and bulkheads and into the bilge area, should any ever find its way past the deck. I have two schools of thought on this:

First, bad idea. If the deck is built right and taken care of water will stay topside, and that a drain hole under the bulkhead into the bilge under certain conditions could actually let water flow backwards past it under the bulkhead and get into some foam.

Two, a good idea. I was thinking something like a french drain. A PVC pipe with holes in it and maybe mesh around it to ep the foam from plugging the holes? I thought you might be able to just add holes from each section to the next, but then wouldn't foam fill the holes?

Unnecessary with a well built, sealed structure?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Nope it IS needed. Your idea has been tossed about multiple times on the forum. It's a bit problematic when using pour in foam. Lot's of methods used...Just not sure what the best one is. Do some searching and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Bomber Goober]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I cant remember which thread I saw it in for the life of me.maybe someone else knows which one but the guy used 90* pvc capping like you would use for drywall and pre-poured the foam on top of it and then put it into place.

Shop Dietrich Metal Framing 8-ft Vinyl Drywall Corner Bead at Lowes.com similar to this but with larger holes I believe

 

[jigngrub]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

If you'll keep your boat covered with the bow higher than the transom and the bilge plug out. water will never get to your foam.

The foam will plug the mesh and the holes in the french drain, plus the french drain will float out of the foam pour unless tied down. As the foam expands under the pipe it will push the pipe up. The FD is a lose/lose plan.

I have a fairly simple drainage plan for a boat with the foam poured before the decking goes down, but I haven't tried it or seen anyone else do it yet.

I'm thinking of cutting grooves in the foam with a router and a 1/2" trimming or grooving bit 1/2" deep. Cut the grooves in the foam from bow to stern about a foot apart, this includes cutting through bulkheads too. This would have to be done before the foam is sealed on top, then after the grooves are cut seal the top of the foam with epoxy resin which would seal up the cuts in the bulkheads too.

At the stern cut a couple of grooves running port to starboard so any water that gets in the grooves can drain into the bilge area.

Should be a quick and easy job to do.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

If you'll keep your boat covered with the bow higher than the transom and the bilge plug out. water will never get to your foam.

The foam will plug the mesh and the holes in the french drain, plus the french drain will float out of the foam pour unless tied down. As the foam expands under the pipe it will push the pipe up. The FD is a lose/lose plan.

I have a fairly simple drainage plan for a boat with the foam poured before the decking goes down, but I haven't tried it or seen anyone else do it yet.

I'm thinking of cutting grooves in the foam with a router and a 1/2" trimming or grooving bit 1/2" deep. Cut the grooves in the foam from bow to stern about a foot apart, this includes cutting through bulkheads too. This would have to be done before the foam is sealed on top, then after the grooves are cut seal the top of the foam with epoxy resin which would seal up the cuts in the bulkheads too.

At the stern cut a couple of grooves running port to starboard so any water that gets in the grooves can drain into the bilge area.

Should be a quick and easy job to do.

So basically, you are saying to put channels for water to run between the foam surface and the deck.

What if, in addition to this, I put a pipe running through the stringers to the bulge under the foam. Foam it, then after it sets up cut a section of foam out as wide as the pipe, pull it up, then replace the foam. If I can get it all out in large sections. This may be a little ambitious and sounds like tough work.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

What if, in addition to this, I put a pipe running through the stringers to the bulge under the foam. Foam it, then after it sets up cut a section of foam out as wide as the pipe, pull it up, then replace the foam. If I can get it all out in large sections. This may be a little ambitious and sounds like tough work.

It would be easier to just build a trench drain out of plywood and remove it after you pour the foam.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

It would be easier to just build a trench drain out of plywood and remove it after you pour the foam.

And that open channel in the foam would be OK?

When I search pipe under foam I get any post with the mention of foam...oh boy!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Just remember, any large drain will require large holes or chunks to be cut out of bulkheads... while the groove system only requires a little 1/2" wide by 1/2" deep notch to be cut out of the very top of a bulkhead.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

I think I'll just put some 3/4 holes through the bulks and stringers in key places and go with the groove system on top of the foam. I think I'll do paint over the foam since epoxy is so expensive. Should I take care to keep the paint off the top of the stringers? Or it won't affect the pl bond? I want to glue on cleats like Frisco did.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: dixie hustler "deck job" (turned full rebuild)

Yeah, keep the paint off the stringers.