HOW TO FIBERGLASS TABBING for Boat Stringers Transom & other Marine Fiberglass Renovation Projects

[@TheSpadre]

I use epoxy for all below deck work, and switch to polyester for the horizontal surfaces above.(deck and gunwale) to make it compatible with gelcoat wear surface. Vertical exposed surfaces, I switch back to epoxy as I paint these surfaces with 2-part urethane paint. I get my epoxy for free, but for below decks, I'd still spend the extra.

[@christopherdougherty2312]

Plastic spreader in place of resin roller is my go to

[@oxman1834]

Awesome I like how you said everyone does fiberglass different!

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Yeah. Everyone has their materials they like to use and techniques. 👍🏼

[@stewym69]

i used to use disposable baking piping bags for my coving, it makes it so much quicker to get your filler into the corner and wipe a radiused spatula or spoon across it

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Sure that works when it’s 70 degrees. In 90degree Florida heat you have about 5 minutes to mix and get the material down before it kicks. Certainly no time to load up a cake bag.

[@embemor5872]

Great video. Thanks

[@nikkojones2784]

Excellent tutorial !! Great technique, the narration covered all the key points in executing a quality repair. Keep up the great work & congrats on your channel.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Thanks.

[@rs1329]

Good video, I also radius the turn, I just use a popsicle stick. Then I prefer to lay a minimum of at least 3 layers of glass on any tab of structural use. More depending on the height or length from the turn. Cut and lay pieces starting with smallest first and expanding with each layer. I always use EPOXY below decking or the waterline.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Thanks for the comment but I disagree with your suggestions. You don't want to lay the smallest piece first because when you do that you have pieces overlapping the edges of the previous piece and that causes a ridge and an air pocket. The standard lamination schedule is to lay the largest piece first and I typically do 12" 8" 6" obviously depending on what I am tabbing. Every boat is built with poly resin. There's only a few boat builders using 100% epoxy so I am unclear on why you suggest epoxy below the deck or waterline. Epoxy is used for critical structural repairs where you are bonding to older surfaces or when epoxies extreme chemical adhesion is required such as bonding two pieces of coosa together, or bonding a new transom core. For the most part I only use epoxy when the repair calls for it, otherwise I always use poly resin.

[@rs1329]

@@boatcrafterscollective When layering, going smallest to largest WHEN DONE PROPERLY does not cause air gap from ridge and each layer bonds to the hull offering a stronger bond and by the way, stingers and transoms ARE highly structural. My opinion and experience. I use Epoxy below decks and or below waterlines simply because it is better suited for heavy water exposure. Anyone that has glass experience knows Epoxy over poly works the same as epoxy over epoxy. Other way around (poly over epoxy is a big no no.)

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I’m sorry but I’ve overlapped edges of tabbing before and it does create a ridge creating the possibility for trapped air in the laminate. Why struggle going over ridges when you don’t have to? You’re theory that every layer being in contact with the hull creates a better bond is also flawed. If you use 12/8/6 tabbing and lay them down either way, you still end up with same square inch of contact patch with the hull. You’re not gaining and bonding advantage. However to the contrary having each layer touching the hull is not ideal. You’re much better off having the second and third layer only touching the previous layer as opposed to the hull because then they are bonding directly to the brand new fresh resin and not bonding to the old hull glass. We can agree to disagree, however, no professional repair shops are going to be using epoxy resin on stringer tabbing. It’s just not done. Epoxy is a pain in the ass to work with especially when laminating large pieces and it takes a day to setup. Boat yards can’t be waiting for epoxy to cure or they’d go out of business. Even “laminating” epoxy is too thick to wet out glass easily. It takes far too much effort and the cost isn’t justifiable for tabbing work.

[@sc6512]

@@boatcrafterscollective Thank you for taking the time to make these videos and reply to the comments ,am learning a lot from them. RS has a point about starting small and going wider and it is evidence based. I suggest have a look at "Life on the Hulls" kzbin.info/www/bejne/poa5m5mHf82gd6c in order to avoid air bubbles when laminating small tab strips first then to larger and reasoning/evidence for that ...10mins 52 secs to 14mins 22secs into video . This guy is building his own 40 ft catamaran showing how to tab bulkheads in a boat. Ross is also a professional fibreglass kayak maker. The order in layering of laminates in the tabbing and the documentation of this catamaran build must conform to Australian Boat building standards and is inspected . I don't know enough to say if the American Boat building standards standards are the same (or in metric :) ) but hope people find it useful and food for thought.

[@ricklee258]

@@sc6512 I don't understand how small to big would differ from big to small, given that he stated his first layer is a high bond resin and successive layers are plain poly laminating resin. All the poly laid up prior to full cure will chemically bond making the tabbing essentially one piece. The bond to the existing hull would be mostly a mechanical bond. BB's method of getting a large surface area mechanical bond with bonding resin and then chemically bonding in successive layers of laminating poly resin is sound. Folks have argued this for decades. If the resin rich and fiber bend zone where wide tabbing covers skinny tabbing matters. Either way is recognized as acceptable.

[@freestatefishing4512]

Great video, Clearly know what you are doing. 100% correct that no boat repair shops use epoxy because it does take so long to cure they wouldn't be able to get any work done. I use epoxy on my project because I usually work on my boat 1-2 days a week and I like being able to keep everything wet the whole day while I work. I also lay up inside sometimes due to weather and the smell isn't bad like Poly. Have used poly many times for one off parts and have never experienced anything being "weaker" or with a "poor bond". Keep up the great videos!

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Thanks. Epoxy is nice if you have the budget and time. For tabbing work I’d probably always use poly just due to the cost factor.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I also need to make an update to this video. Some things I stated aren’t what I would suggest now or a little different.

[@lavachemist]

@@boatcrafterscollective I'd be interested in seeing an overview video where you explain how you tackle replacing stringers in a boat, what materials/processes you prefer, how many layers, etc.. I've seen several videos where I feel like the builder is putting way more material down than necessary.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Depends on the boat size etc. it’s not a universal process.

[@randyneese7902]

@@boatcrafterscollective

[@hellapellanyc6465]

Awesome tutorial man!

[@ego.sum.radius]

Agree polyester resin is good enough on older boats built on the same resin. But nowadays I only working small scale with my own boat or smaller jobs for others. Don't have to think about resin cost anymore😊 Epoxy sticks to everything, no matter what resin is below.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

No one makes epoxy hulled boats unless it’s a carbon hull. Poly resins have been used for decades in almost every glass boat ever built. Epoxy is an adhesive so it can’t be compared to poly resin but for most jobs epoxy is overkill and doesn’t justify the additional cost.

[@tedolmsted1810]

The mighty Paramount! Great videos. Keep up the good work!

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Thanks. Going to be posting more Paramount content over the next few weeks

[@michaelh7527]

This is tedious work, but very rewarding as well. It's also messy you itch at night lol. I did this same work on an old 14ft Terry bass boat. It only has a 40hp motor. But for the transom, I put in two 3/4 pieces of marine plywood that I glassed in fairly thick and glassed in two support brackets because I had extra wood, materials and time LOL. My friend says that is way overkill!!! I said at least I know the motor will never crack the transom 😆🤣

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I did a 14ft transom last summer and used two 3/4" pieces as well. Came out good

[@remkojerphanion4686]

I'm new to this channel, and I enjoyed this tutorial, thanks! Indeed, preparation is everything. I build RC boats, but the basic process of lamination is the same as on full size boats. I prefer epoxy resin as it gives me all the time in the world to work wet-in-wet. Obviously, the extra cost of epoxy resin is negligible as I only use small amounts. Adding a radius to a tight corner sure is a good idea - I learned that the hard way. I either make a radius using thick epoxy glue, or for longer sections, I might choose a wood profile or a piece of insulation foam cut to the desired shape.

[@4339jk]

Like that brush roller. I haven't had luck using a fin roller on poly resin like I do with epoxy. It just wants to dig in...?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I stopped using fin rollers and prefer the bubble buster rollers instead.

[@larrydorsz4647]

Thanks for the info. I need to try this myself. 👍

[@ecmo2007]

Russ would there be any difference using lacquer thinner verses acetone to wipe down the surface? Thank you. Great video. I'm getting ready to do this on my boat in a few weeks.

[@geoffstein3896]

Great video and so extremely well explained. I believe I may have some rot in my stringers, any tips for how I could check without destroying my boat or floor? Thanks

[@boatcrafterscollective]

There’s really no easy way. If you can reach them from the bilge area you can drill a hole in the side to see what you find. If you have rot stringers it’ll most likely be towards the back of the boat. Drill a 2” hole and see what the core looks like. If they are fine just fill the hole up with epoxy

[@geoffstein3896]

@@boatcrafterscollective thanks mate. I have a feeling that's where the worst of it will be too. Thanks

[@alfakrab6134]

Nice work!

[@alfakrab6134]

I have used my hands to get the air out too...

[@Jkur2009]

Bro, you need to wet out the dry surface you’ll be applying the cloth to first. There’s also no need to wet out your cloth till it’s transparent. Wet out the stringer surface, then wet out cloth on your wet-out board just wet enough so that the surface of the cloth is wet, then transfer it to the stringer and roll it out until it’s transparent. The pre-wet stringer surface will finish saturating the back of the cloth for you. The pre-wet stringer surface also makes it easier to put in place without having to fight with like you were doing.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Where was I fighting? There’s a million ways to do glass work like I mentioned in the video. Everyone has their technique.

[@lodwill5116]

It’s just stringers. Use cheap resin. Mabey a rod across three spots for side to side strength. Where it meets up with transom then good resin. 😮 I Sean something else that strengthens transom. I forgot.?? 😮

[@trader72]

Hi, may have missed something but I wondered what core material you are using for your stringers? Thanks.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Coosa

[@jrisinlove]

When you are mixing new resin are you using the same mixing cup?

[@KnottsFishing]

Great job, hoping the boat I have on my channel comes out as well as yours is! Great work!

[@poepflater]

Not all glass fabric comes with the same binders... to be on the safe side, get a can of styrene (same people should sell it) add the recommended amt. to your resin), will also decrease viscosity so it wets better and improve adhesion... (a must for no-name resins)

[@boatcrafterscollective]

CSM has one of two binders. Either a styrene binder or a power binder. 90% of CSM is styrene binder. Polyester resin has styrene in it by default. Adding more styrene to your resin is a terrible idea as it only thins the resin and reduces its chemical characteristics. Making the resin more viscous is not helping the adhesion at all. It’s making it worse.

[@nautiques1000]

What material would you recommend for stringers in an inboard Ski Boat? I believe they are 1 1/2 thick as the motor mounts attach to them. Thanks great video.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Coosa Board

[@nautiques1000]

@@boatcrafterscollective It comes in 4x8 sheets. I would need 16' so is it acceptable to splice joints with 3/4" material to make the 1 1/2 x 16'?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Yes. Make your cuts at a 45deg angle at the joints. Keep in mind that the stringer core material really only acts as a mold for the fiberglass. The strength comes from the glass lamination. The more glass that’s applied over the stringer core, the stronger the stringer will be. You can use foam as the coring material also. There’s many ways to go about it but for DIYer using Coosa board is sufficient and easy to use.

[@nautiques1000]

@@boatcrafterscollective Great thanks!! What method would you use to bond the coosa board together screws and some type of glue or epoxy?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

You can get Coosa in 1.5” thickness but it’s pretty expensive. If you want to bond two 3/4” pieces together simply use a thickened epoxy putty and you can use screws to hold it together while it cures. I’ve seen guys drill a bunch of 1/4” deep holes into the two facing sides that’ll be bonded together to allow the epoxy to fill those holes creating more surface area for the epoxy adhesive. I’m not sure if there’s merit to this technique but it can’t hurt

[@lylemirsky2843]

I have a question for you about your process. If you are using the material for your stringers that is not affected by water, why can't you simply used panel bond between the stringer and the hull and be done with it? No need to add fiber glass to protect the stringer from water and the panel bond is stronger than the fiberglass. I am a car guy and not a boat guy but I am restoring a 1966 Glastron V174 boat and I know that the panel bond adhesive on cars is stronger than the welds. If your bond between the stringer and the hull is good with Panel Bond or the WEST system, why add fiberglass mat on the sides of the stringers to the hull? Sorry if this is a stupid question, maybe I am missing something.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

The fiberglass gives the hull its strength. Not the board itself. The tabbing is staggered in widths as this distributes the weight/forces away from the base of the stringer. If you bonded the stringer to the hull alone, your hull will crack.

[@TheDoug9901]

if a boat is old enough to be rotted out usually goes to the dump so if I FIX A PIECE of shit like that I cut out the rotten and splice in the new leave the good old stringers in. Easy to get a good level and super strong

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Huh ??? The stringers were fully replaced with coosa.

[@CTCLures]

Very very good video💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 why did they change the stringers from what looks like foam filled giant ones to the cussa

[@boatcrafterscollective]

This boat had plywood stringers. The foam filled stringer I built.

[@CTCLures]

@@boatcrafterscollective cool but Im interested about why not go with the foam filled all the way?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Because it was too difficult to build a mold in that areas of the hull.

[@CTCLures]

@@boatcrafterscollective okay I like your work instantly hooked I have two boats to rebuild and I was looking up how to do those types of stringers

[@michaeltoohey9202]

Thanks very much for the tutorial - exactly what I needed as a first timer in bedding and glassing stringers. Quick question - when laying the laminate on the next part of the stringer do you overlap them slightly? If so by how much? Many thanks.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

yes overlap so it creates a continuous reinforcement. It does need to be a lot of overlap maybe 1-2"

[@michaeltoohey9202]

@@boatcrafterscollective Brilliant. Will do. Thanks.

[@bullhippo9023]

It is nice to see some one with some skills and understanding of fiberglass. As far as vinyl ester, below the water line is a good place for it, other than that ? Glad to see you are using large tabs. I use epoxy exclusive for everything, but the poly does have its appeal to me, cost and time. I normally don't completely Wet out large pieces and try to apply them , they get too hard to handle and stretch out of shape. I like mini rollers with a medium nap, Wet the back slightly , then apply to to the surface and roll over it. It puts enough down to totally Wet out by the time I add the next layer. I don't even Wet the back of the succeeding layers, just the top. For me it works out great. I work the cloth with the fin roller the add peel ply and roll it out. Looks great in a few days when I pull it. I am thinking a lot about poly, it seems a lot faster with premixed putties and structural putties. Something to consider... I am tired of Cabosil ! Keep up the good work!

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Thanks! You really don't need to use epoxy for repairs like this. There's nothing wrong with it but its overkill for the job and its not worth the cost. The only time I use epoxy is when I am doing critical structural repairs such as bonding coosa or plywood to a transom repair, bonding two pieces of core together etc. As long as you grind back to the original glass removing any delamiation and or topcoats, a good quality poly resin is plenty strong enough. Its very hard to work with epoxy in a shop environment because I can't wait a full day for the epoxy to cure.

[@hellapellanyc6465]

@@boatcrafterscollective If I am tabbing in a new deck to the corner walls where there is gelcoat. Would the gelcoat have to be taken down to glass for poly but not epoxy?

[@MLMcCarren]

I know next to nothing about fiberglass boat repair but was given a 1969 Sears and Roebuck V bottom boat in need of new floor. The outside looks great with no spiderwebing or cracks which leads me to believe it's worth fixing. The keel appears to have been made from 2" x 8" while stringers are full 1 inch lumber of which I had planned to use myself. After read different articles it seems no one uses traditional lumber...why is that... To save weight? Should I not use treated wood in my project? Any suggestions ? Thanks!

[@boatcrafterscollective]

The only real wood used anymore is marine grade plywood. Anything else is going to rot. DO NOT use treated lumber as it has chemicals that will interfere with fiberglass resins. The chemicals will cause fiberglass failure down the road. If you’re planning to use wood stick with marine grade plywood. Most restorations use some sort of composite as a replacement for wood such as Coosa Board or PVC board.

[@MLMcCarren]

@@boatcrafterscollective I see...looks like I need to read up on this some more. Thank you !

[@BinderThomas123]

Great to hear your experince with Iso polyester instead of Vinyl and Epoxy. Would I be able to lay Ortho polyester over Iso, wet in wet to get chemical bonding, or do I need to wait for Iso to cure, sanding and then lay Iso?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

All poly resins are interchangeable.

[@frankmelero5511]

Hi, did you circle router the top edge of the new Stringers? Do you glass ober the top edge of the stringer?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I’m not planning to cap the stringers

[@donaldpetrey5843]

It would be nice to use other resins but where I live it’s not possible. First off can’t get inside heated storage to do repairs that doesn’t cost you 2k a month. Also any outside covered storage is still expensive. So doing deck core repair at 35-40 degrees it’s only possible to get epoxy to cure. I know it sucks should get rich and send my boat somewhere warm for repairs.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Gotta work with the tools you have. But moving south sounds like a good idea.

[@jeffskingley6042]

Thanks for the videos. Very helpful. One question though. Don’t you need to leave a few open spaces at the bottom of the stringers and knees for bilge water?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

It’s depends on if you plan to have water enter that stringer cavity. If the cavity is foam filled you could drill a drain hole but if you get water under foam that’s a bad idea. Whenever I foam fill a cavity I cap the top of the foam with epoxy so no water can enter from the top. You wouldn’t leave a space but rather you would cut drain holes at the base of the stringer where water is supposed to pass through.

[@AaronCarrazana-v9j]

I’m about to start glassing all my stringers on a Paramount just like this. I see that you did not round the top part of the stringers, I’m using coosa just like you did. Is ok to lay the floor on top just like that?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Yes. You don’t need to go over the top.

[@AaronCarrazana-v9j]

@@boatcrafterscollective great, thanks. One tab is enough for the stringers?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

@haroldc.e567 no. Three tabs. 10” 8” 6”

[@diydadsht9785]

I have a 1985 19' bluewater open bow power boat im about to install a new transom in. The top of the transom to the hull doesnt allow for a decent tab. Ive heard tabbing should be atleast 3" on each side being joined for a total of 6" sheets of glass. With my area i might be getting 2" on the boat. Do you have a standard tab measurement you go off of? Also smaller tab first or larger tab first? I know your a busy guy thanks for any help you can give.

[@diydadsht9785]

12, 8, and 6, answered part of the question. Sorry it happens fast in your video I didn't see it prior. I wonder if 2" (total of 4" tabs) on the top of my transom would be sufficient?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

The top of the transom doesn’t really need tabbing. Typically the glass is just capped off over the top depending if the cap is off etc. focus on the bottom and sides and you’ll be fine. Large piece goes first. Don’t listen to any garbage about putting the smallest first. That will cause nothing but air pockets under the glass.

[@diydadsht9785]

@@boatcrafterscollective thanks for the quick reply!

[@jeffmarsten745]

In your video and comments, there’s no mention of hardener being added to the resin? Did you add hardener?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Of course

[@strikeforcek9149]

After the layers of glass have been laid and all the resin and glasswork is done, do you have to cover it with something like saran wrap or something to lock out all the air, in order to get it to fully cure? My chemical sales rep was explaining to me that as long as air can reach the poly resin, it doesn't cure. So in order to cure it fully, it has to be locked off from all air... So, after tabbing and covering in the stringers fully, is there something I have to do to lock out all the air from the layup in order to get it to cure fully?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

It is correct that poly resin won’t fully cure without being sealed from the air, but for work like stringer etc it’s not necessary to fully cure it. It will just have slightly tacky surface for about 24 hours. After that the surface will almost cure 100%. The only time this becomes a concern is when doing gelcoat that needed to be wetsand and buffed. In this case wax additive is added to the final coat that will rise to the surface and cure the gelcoat. You can also cure resin by brushing/spraying/rolling a thin layer of PVA over it.

[@strikeforcek9149]

@@boatcrafterscollective ok cool. So I shouldn't even be worrying about "not curing" then it sounds like. We just picked up 10gal of ISO resin and 55gal of promoted ortho poly resin, both unwaxed. He said the ISO by itself would take forever to cure because it's unpromoted, and the ortho on top would be a good idea (I learned that from you lol) because with it being promoted it'll cure no problem. After tabbing stringers and doing all glasswork, do I have to wait to cover it all in bilge paint? Or, can I just go straight to town bilge painting it all with an epoxy based bilge paint?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

“Curing” is a tricky word here. They will both cure quickly, but the ISO surface will remain tacky for longer so you can do multiple laminations without sanding. Personally I never let poly cure for more than 24 hours without sanding it for the next layer. Ideally you will always complete your lamination work on the same day. Work in sections and finish each section at a time. The epoxy paint will act as a curing agent on the poly. I would let it cure for about a day and then you can go right to bilge paint.

[@strikeforcek9149]

@@boatcrafterscollective perfect man, that makes total sense. You explain stuff in a very easy to understand laymen type of way compared to our chemical reps lol. Thanks for helping me understand it a lot better now. I'm definitely gonna keep you updated on our build, we're fully restoring a Sportcraft 270 for chartering on the Great Lakes/Lake Erie. So, poly was our choice because it's what the boat is made of.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Thanks. Good luck. You can mix in epoxy for areas that are heavy structural or need better water barrier. Anything that requires bonding I typically use epoxy, like transoms etc.

[@johnhall20]

Can you apply a skinnier piece of glass just to get the radius right and add wider pieces afterwards?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I’ve addressed this question in other comments above. Some people use smaller to larger but personally I don’t agree with that method because you want to avoid having overlapping edges of fiberglass that create air pockets.

[@juanmoas]

Did you glue them in with polyester to the hull ? Or are they held in place with epoxy ?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

The radius holds them in place till the glass tabbing is added. Not necessary to bed into the hull.

[@LindellAdventures]

I am ready to start my Coosa board transom 3 inches thick. My question is, I have a ton of holes of the transom in original glass and plan to fill once the transom is in. I was wondering when I lay in the Coosa, I was planning to use 1.5 ounce mat over the existing glass as a binder and lay Coosa on top with layers of glass between each Coosa board. Is that a good way to do it?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Are you making it 3" of coosa plus glass? 3" seems to be a little overkill. What size boat is it and how many motors? Your plan for the install sounds pretty good, however I would suggest laminating your coosa pieces together outside of the boat on a flat table. You can use layer of 1.5oz CSM in between the coosa boards as a binder. I would also put your interior glass laminations on the coosa outside of the boat on a flat table as well. The you can drop the coosa into the boat with the glass already on the inside and you just need to do the tabbing around the edges. This serves two purposes. 1. Its a lot easier to lay large sheets of glass on a flat table and 2. the glass will make the coosa 100% rigid and you will not get any warping of the coosa from the exotherm created when the epoxy is curing. Its hard for me to go into detail here. If you have questions please reach out to me on Instagram messaging. instagram.com/backyard_boatworks

[@LindellAdventures]

@@boatcrafterscollective it will be 3” and then layers of 1708. My boat is a 26’ Olympic XL and am going to an offshore bracket and a 300 Suzuki with 9.9 trolling motor. I was thinking of doing all as one too but wanted to make sure the Coosa/glass make good adhesion to the transom glass and not worry about it. I am going to be making sure it is as flat as possible and do as you suggested! The transom is 7’ wide and about 40” height. I will mock it up and see how well all in one piece works. I could always screw the pieces together for a strong bind together also.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Coosa does not hold screws so adding screws to the coosa sheets will not help at all. You are going to need to make a transom clamp of some type or you will need to through bolt the original transom through the coosa boards. Again...very hard to explain. I personally think that 3" thick coosa is unnecessary especially for only one motor. I think you could get away with 2" thick coosa with 6-7 layers of 1708 on the inside. After glass you will end up with about a transom thickness approx. 2.5" thick.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Here is a photo of the transom brackets I made. instagram.com/p/CEsMlJugNsV/?

[@LindellAdventures]

@@boatcrafterscollective now that is a setup!

[@1stinsonguy]

You didn't wet the structure before applying the glass and I noticed you having a little trouble getting the glass to stick to the structure.

[@HD-qb5uo]

Do you ever add stringers with reinforcing materials? Thinking for deck that bends under weight - or just more layers of glass? If you add reinforcement is it wood or something else? PVC tube? etc. This is a great video thank you!

[@HD-qb5uo]

one more question, what brand and size was that angled belt sander?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I’m not sure what you’re asking. All stringers have a core material either wood, foam, or Coosa board. You can see my tools at this link amazon.com/shop/petrol.burn

[@christopherdougherty2312]

Good job

[@bucknuts8824]

Hi Russell new to your channel and I love your content. Do you have any videos/tips for replacing rotten core on a bass boat deck? In particular the glassing schedule. Right now I'm planning on using 1708 with epoxy..

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Thank you. Are you replacing it with plywood or something else? You do not want to use 1708 with epoxy. You should get 1700 instead. The 1708 has chopped strand matt stitched to the back of it and you won’t need that with epoxy. It’ll hold about 30% more epoxy and make it a lot harder to wet out.

[@bucknuts8824]

@@boatcrafterscollective yes marine ply. Thank you for that suggestion!

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Chopped strand comes in two types. One type has an emulsion binder and the other has a powder binder. Ideally if you’re using epoxy you would buy the CSM with the powder binder. However, it’s perfectly fine to use epoxy with the emulsion binder it just won’t dissolve with epoxy resin. This is why chopped strand mat looks milky white when used with epoxy because the binder isn’t dissolved. It’s not going to cause any issues with the bonding. Chopped strand mat just isn’t designed to be used with epoxy. The chemical adhesion properties of epoxy don’t require chopped strand. You can do your repairs with e-glass or 1700 biaxial clothes that don’t have any CSM on them.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Gotta start somewhere 👍🏼 if you ever have any questions I’m on IG mostly. It’s easiest to message me in there. instagram.com/backyard_boatworks

[@ericpierce4510]

@@boatcrafterscollective I realize this is an old thread, but my thoughts are the strand mat is used inplace of the biaxial cloth to cut cost in the first place...Lots of example seen on lower cost boats...Thanks for all your info in your videos.

[@strikeforcek9149]

If I use coosa board for my stringers in my 270 sportcraft, do I have to cap them and enclose them like you do with wood? Or can I just install the coosa stringers and simply tab them to the hull and each other, and be good to go? Also, when setting a stringer, do I need to space the stringer off the hull bottom with little spacers (apparently to eliminate "hard spots" in the hull I was told), or can I just peanut butter them straight to the hull bottom without worrying about creating hard spots that'll risk cracking the hull?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

You do not need to cap the tops of the stringers with Coosa. I would put two layers of 1708 on each side outside of the boat and then tab them in. You shouldn’t need foam or bedding unless your hull is very thin. If your hull quality with good thick lamination just run a radius along the bottom of the stringers and then do your tabbing. Be sure to stagger your tabbing so it spreads out the loads on the hull I suggest three layers of tabbing 12” 8” 6” biggest first.

[@strikeforcek9149]

@@boatcrafterscollective Thanks a lot man, I really appreciate the guidance and help! I'm trying to map out how much polyester resin, 1708 fiberglass, and the bonding resin I'm gonna need. I've never had to order it yet so I'm kinda unsure what quantities I'm gonna need lol. I don't want to go overboard and just waste money, but don't want to fall short and have to wait for more to come in halfway through lol. I'm doing the stringers on an early 80's Sportcraft 270. The manufacture was NOTORIOUS for leaving uncapped ends on the bottom rear of the stringers, so they go to hell in a hurry. Is it best to buy materials local, or is there somewhere online that's more preferable to buy in bulk from?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

You can find resin calculators online to get a rough idea on how much you will need. Always plan for extra because a lot of it will get wasted during the lamination. You can estimate the square inches of 1708 you’ll be using and what the recommended resin per square inch is for 1708. I don’t know it off hand. I buy all of my supplies from FGCI in Fort Lauderdale. You’re not going to save much money buying online unless you’re buying in major bulk. Check out Fiberglass Florida they always seem to have good prices.

[@grumpymealey2441]

Where you get that radius compound

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Fiberglass Florida

[@brianpinzon2109]

Is the Radius Compound available online. If so, I can't seem to find it.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Yes it’s on their website

[@markmalone3064]

Are you available for hire for a complete deck, transom, stringer rebuild on an 18' boat?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Sorry I only build parts right now.

[@appalachianamerican7171]

Polyester won't bond to epoxy, but vinylester will.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Untrue. Polyester will bond to fully cured epoxy when sanded with 60grit and cleaned well. The key is the epoxy has to be 100% cured. Most common marine epoxies take about 7-10 days to fully cure and some take longer. Once epoxy has fully cured and it’s completed it’s Chemical reaction process, it functions just like cured polyester. This is a common misconception among DIY boatbuilders. However putting poly over epoxy doesn’t make much sense. The only time it would make sense would be if you were fixing a bunch of cracks and crazing with epoxy you could let it sit for two weeks and then topcoat it with gelcoat. However, using Vinylester putty for the repairs would be the better option.

[@bizzybone485]

Nice work! Prep is key for poly but I think if done properly, it works well for rebuilds and keep option for gel. Where did you get the rollers? The thick rollers are getting to be a pain.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Yes prep is always key but for sure you need to grind down to bare & clean glass on the hull. I get all of my supplies from FGCI. I bought that black wetout roller months ago and I am still using it. I just keep it soaking in thinner after I done and its always ready to go. Its saved me a ton of money on buying rollers.

[@bizzybone485]

@@boatcrafterscollective dang it i was there getting supplies a few weeks ago and stuck to the big rollers cut down to 3”. I’ll have to grab one. What are you wetting out on? What is your cleanup like of the “wet out table”?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

@@bizzybone485 I just lay down some Kraft paper and add more paper as the resin starts to harden. Then I just throw out the paper when I’m done. In this video I was wetting out on top of the stringers.

[@bizzybone485]

@@boatcrafterscollective But doesn’t that soak up resin ...going to waste?

[@howechilds5060]

@@bizzybone485 ... I agree that it would make sense that the paper would soak up resin. I use thick plastic as a wet out surface. In some cases I can peel back the cured resin and use the plastic over. Oh, BTW, good videos. Finding good methods that work is key.

[@zanderscomputers634]

What is the best stringer material to use

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Depends on the project and budget. Coosa or Foam is ideal.

[@TheDoug9901]

very neat excellent glassing the boat may not be worth the work but you have excellent work

[@joesloan1724]

Why do you start with a wide tab and move to smaller? Isn't that opposite of most?

[@joesloan1724]

disregard my question...i see the answer below.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Want avoid overlaps that create air gaps 👍🏼

[@boatcrafterscollective]

@@HappyLife-ln4tn why would you ever want to add filler in the middle of the lamination process ? Sorry but that makes no sense at all. Poly Lamination should be done wet on wet always. Stopping to add filler in the middle of the process causes multiple issues one of which is possibly lifting the wet edge by spreading filler or causing more ridges with the actual filler itself. Not to mention having to mix filler at the same time is like trying to swim with your hands and feet cut off.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I think we’re talking about different processes here. The original question was “why put the big piece first?” and the answer to that is so you don’t have overlapping edges which will create a ridge. Now…you’re going to have overlapping edges no matter how well you plan out you lamination in which case what you suggest could work but why create an extra step when you can avoid it. Sorry if I misread your comment/suggestion. I still would never spread wet filler over a wet lamination. I’ve done what you’ve suggested after the poly kicks off slightly but not fully cured so it still doesn’t require sanding.

[@christopherdougherty2312]

Bro.. good job!.. but you would save some time by just mixing up a big ass bucket of chopped fiber fill and layer that on right under the glass as you're laminating. You don't have to mess w corners etc.. all one step! 👈👽

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Sure that’ll work but not in Florida heat. By the time I mixed up the putty, wet out the glass, and got the glass into the part the resins would be kicking off. Unfortunately not possible for one person to manage.

[@christopherdougherty2312]

@@boatcrafterscollective for sure.. I'm in CT.. I've been starting 4-5 am to stay out of the heat man. I'm also a one man show. You know what I started doing on some difficult pieces? Like decks from underneath. Just cutting 1' squares. 🤷 Sometimes there no space for more hands even if you had them. I've done both ways and probably other ways lol. I enjoyed your vid bro. Top notch. 👽👍

[@diydadsht9785]

When working with polyester boat yard resin, do you get tiny air bubbles?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

No. You shouldn’t have any air bubbles if it’s thin rolled out properly

[@diydadsht9785]

@@boatcrafterscollectivewhen I mix it in a cup with a wood painting stick I get the tiny bubbles, then when I roll it onto the fir plywood it's like a foam. I have pictures but they don't let me post here

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I’ve never seen that before in poly resin. With epoxy resin you can get bubbles but you can pop them with a little touch of heat from a torch or heat gun.

[@diydadsht9785]

@@boatcrafterscollective I'm going to try a torch and I think I might get a fresh batch of resin to see if I get the same affect. Thank you for the response.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Any heat on poly resin will make it cure extremely fast. It sounds like you have something else going on but a quick pass with a heat gun should pop any bubbles.

[@boatrepair8351]

Good work but ur doing it back wards. Doesn’t make sense to glass the larger tab first then the smaller one. Skinner tab then larger always to add strength and reduce chances of delam.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

That’s 100% incorrect sir. I explained exactly why that’s incorrect in the video and comments. I love how your account was created 4 hours ago and this comment was made 4 hours ago.

[@boatrepair8351]

Yes I read ur comments in the other post. It is not 100% incorrect. Ur worried about air bubbles by going smaller to larger but yet u have air visual air bubbles on the first tab u laid down. Use 3/4 mat in between the smaller tabs and u won’t have any air bubbles like u were explaining in the previous post. 6 inch tab of 1708 then on top of that an 8inch tab of ripped mat and then the 8 inch tab of 1708 the above that a 12 inch tab of ripped mat and above that a 12 inch tab of 1708 if ur going with ur 12 8 n 6. Also u need to wet out the stringers and bulk heads before u start laying tabs. Yes it’s composite board made of fiberglass but it still will absorb resin leaving u with less resin and dry spots ( that aren’t always visible to the eye) in the tab. And who cares when my account was made?

[@boatrepair8351]

The main plus to doing larger tabs first is if it’s in areas that need to be ground down and body worked or made smooth.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Man. You clearly are missing a lot of details and making incorrect assumptions. I don’t care when your account was made, just pointing out that it looks suspect. Hiding ? First. There’s no air bubbles in my lamination. The white under the glass is bonding putty which you clearly saw me apply in the beginning of the video. Second…1708 was specifically made so you do not need to add CSM between layers. The CSM is already stitched to the back of the 1700 cloth to speed up the lamination process. Adding additional layers of CSM on top of the CSM already stitched to the 1700 only adds excessive resin to the laminate making it brittle. Lastly…I laminated the stringers outside of the boat before I tabbed them in (which I also explained) They have two layers of 1708 on them already so there’s no “absorbing” going on. I appreciate the input, but you should pay attention to the details before you comment.

[@MRScrubNasty]

Imo you are way oversaturated on resin for your tab in. I can tell you know what your doing but in my opinion you are using to much resin. Also, you are pronouncing it right. Also, did you bed those stringers or are they just directly laminated to the hull? If so, the hull is going to be at risk of cracking whenin rough water as it will have no flex. I own a repair shop in Jacksonville and get my resins locally from a surfboard manufacturer at half the price of fgci or other suppliers since it doesn't have the word boat on it lol but I'd do the same thing with vinlyester for base, then boatyard before I found my current supplier. That fgci boatyard resin doesn't even need wax or PVA to cure sandable it's so unrefined lol. I still keep 5 gallons of it on hand to use for certain projects. Anyhow, great video.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

How can you tell I am using too much resin, and how can you tell how much I pulled out when I put the tabbing in place? Just curious?

[@MRScrubNasty]

I can tell based on how wet it looks and 17 years of experience. The comment was not meant to be rude was just my opinion I did not see the final product in person to know if some of the resin was pulled out with fin roller it just looked to me like it was oversaturated but I only say that as constructive criticism because I have watched your videos and I know that when you first started your channel a year ago you were just learning how to work on boats from what it appeared when you fixed under anchor windlass. so I was just trying to give a tip I was not trying to be a keyboard Warrior I'm sorry if it came off that way.

[@perryberens618]

@@boatcrafterscollective very good question. I liked how you came to the resin "enough" when the piece becomes clear as surface below. The comment on your applying to much was also good. I wish he had answered as simply as you had in his experience of "enough" resin, not to much. . Also I live on the gulf (2' 'chop waves most days on the water) the bulwark going into my cuddy cabin was not fully tabbed as you demonstrated and over the years it broke and needed repair. The boat was a 69 Penn Yann. Built like a tank. That was the weak spot. Good video demonstration and tips thanks.

[@perryberens618]

Not sure, to fully tab or not fully tab, that is the ❓

[@dan00420]

How are your arms feeling?

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Feeling jacked. Wanna come have a feel ?

[@dan00420]

No, I'm straight.

[@TIJUANA818]

The "rubber trowl" is called a "speader" in the fiberglass world.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Thanks Captain Obvious

[@TIJUANA818]

@@boatcrafterscollective you are welcome... and thank you, I never really thought of myself as a captain.

[@boatcrafterscollective]

Everyone is a captain at some point. My videos aren’t scripted and I don’t always have the correct words at the tip of my tongue. If you’d like to script and voiceover my videos I’m down for anything that makes this easier ? After all I make no money from these videos so any free help would be awesome. Let me know Captain.

[@TIJUANA818]

@@boatcrafterscollective Sounds great. When do we start?

[@nathanvary7482]

No way that’s 1 inch radius on the fillet - 1 inch diameter at best - and if so probably a little small for a structural fillet

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I wasn’t aware there was a diameter limit to be considered “structural”. I’d love to see some technical reference regarding this if you’d like to share.

[@justinhurley8288]

Isn't the point of laminating resin is so you can come back and lay up without sanding

[@boatcrafterscollective]

You have a 12-24 hour window that you can safely add more lamination without sanding. This is all dependent on the quality grade of resin being used, temps, MEKP percentage etc. Personally I never let resin sit for more than 12 hours without sanding but I also always make sure I can finish a job before I start. The best scenario is to always complete your lamination in the same day. Allowing layers to “cure” creates weak layers in the lamination and it should be avoided especially on structure critical repairs such as stringers.

[@ronaldjohnson8697]

That's the first sign he don't know what he's doing if your gonna lay 1708 you always lay chopped stran Matt first and you don't use epoxy resin to do tabbing you use vinyl resin so you can go layer after layer with out having to sand

[@boatcrafterscollective]

You have no idea what you’re talking about. 1708 has chopped strand stitched to the back of it and you don’t need an additional layer of chop. I’m not using epoxy.

[@ronaldjohnson8697]

@BackyardBoatworks how u gonna tell me I've got two boats now and had two previously not small bullshit boats either 75 f30 Trojans twin 318s got ridda both of them now I got a 89 32' penn yan 12' beam and 26' robalo center console 10'5 beam

[@boatcrafterscollective]

I don’t care if you got the Titanic. You’re comment was wrong. Learn what 1708 is before making a dumb comment.

[@TheDoug9901]

SUNBIRD I have never seen such half-ass glassing in my life most stringers not glassed