Stringer question for all of you who have done it....

[gdubsmsp]

I am planning this winter on partially shutting down my shop for ONE MONTH and spending it doing stringers in my 86 sunsport. I'm not planning on a full restoration or anything here, just stringers and floor, then putting everything back together the way it sits now. QUESTION: Figuring I'll have about about 25-30 hrs a week to do this (so 100-120 hrs for the month), is it doable in the opinion of those who have done this to do it in that time frame? I have decent fiberglass experience, the old man is a woodworker and willing to come help with the wooden stringer part, and my shop is a full functioning metal fabrication shop with plenty of tools/hoist/forklift. Let me know what you guys think so I can make/change plans accordingly...I also need to start purchasing the glass/resin now so its less of a hit on the wallet than buying it all at once.

P.S. Due to recent hull repair work, the bow of the boat has already had the floorboards cut out and all the foam removed, so I really only have about 2/3 foam removal left to do...

Thanks for your thoughts and advice guys, after reading the write ups of the stringer jobs done on here, your opinions are very valued! If anyone is in the Minneapolis area and has done this, let me know as it would be nice to have some local experience to contact if I get stuck...

[wotan2525]

I think that it's totally reasonable. The biggest hurdle is when people have to learn as they go. Sounds like you know what you are doing. Shouldn't be that tough and I bet it won't even take you 100-120 hours when it's all said and done.

I'm just east of St. Paul and I've done this job. I'm not volunteering to help (it's a job that you only want to do once) but if you run into any questions, let me know.

I think the biggest time delays are waiting for supplies. For some reason, even though we're in the middle of "lake country," there isn't a great marine parts supplier in the area. Or at least not one that I've found. You may have better luck on the west side.

[ruby23m]

I love the "I'm not volunteering to help"!! My fingers are crossed for the longest time possible before I have to do a stringer job.

[gdubsmsp]

I have to agree that I like the "not volunteering to help", and I completely understand! Its just nice to know someone
local has done to reference supply sources and what not...I know there is a spot over in NE minneapolis that carries quit a bit of that stuff, just not sure about in what quantities. I can't afford a nicer, newer wakeboard boat, but I can buy one for cheap and just put labor into it!

11027

[csuggs]

Go for it. If I had your fiberglass experience and a shop like you've described, I would have done mine myself. Instead I paid someone to do it. For you it will be a good investment because these boats are really decent for the money compared to a newer one.

[sybrmike]

I had previous glass experience & with your tools, facilities, and time I could've probably knocked out a cap off stringer/floor ONLY job in 2-3 weeks. The real problem will to be staying on task & not taking on additional work while you've got it torn apart (oh so tempting as it may be). Also, schedule, plan, & multitask. Just because you've got to wait for the resin to kick before the next layer doesn't mean you're done for the day - grind yesterday's work, prep another area for tomorrow, etc.

My recommendation for supplies is U S Composites & try to find a local source for those times when you need just a little bit more of that last thing you ordered but can't remember where you put it.

[Okie Boarder]

Agreed on all the comments so far. I really took my time on mine and did a few extra things, but I worked in little chunks in the evening and on weekends. Being able to work continuous should speed it up a lot. I would second US Composites and also the scheduling, planning and multi-tasking.

[gdubsmsp]

The whole thing about staying on task is the challenge with any project...hopefully knowing I have a looming deadline the whole time will keep me on task. The boat is in pretty solid shape with all the seat frames and even the floors being really solid. The only reason I know I have to do stringers is I cannot tighten my engine mount bolts. I pulled them all out one at a time and pressure filled the holes with construction adhesive before reinstalling longer ones just to get me through the rest of the season without the engine getting out of alignment. Thanks again for all the advice guys..time to start buying.

[kreckley]

Best place to buy resin is Illstreet They have the resin and fiberglass mat. You want to use cotton flox to fill in the voids under the new stingers and round the transition to the floor from the stringer..That adds to the strength. Multiple layers I prefer vinyl ester resin vs poly ester. It has a higher strength rating and friendly to work with and has good pot life depending on how hard you hit it with hardener.. It is definitely oddd for a metal guy to use glass Good luck

[OUI]

gdubsmsp, I live in Wayzata and I'd like to watch your progress. I know mine is going to need it some day, and it would be interesting to see the process. If I can help I'd be happy to lend a hand. Where is your shop located? Let me know how I can get a hold of you. Joel

[gdubsmsp]

I did a failry large amount of speakers enclosures back in high school for a local stereo shop and they were all fiberglass, so I definitely have some experience with the stuff. I have also done a few repairs on the hull of this boat after buying it and finding soft spots. I am in the process of figuring out how much of each material I need, and read up on a bunch of stringer jobs on this forum. The one that stands out the most to me is Rickr and his comp..beautiful work! He used resin with cab o sil to thicken it up for the stringer to hull attachment and its easy to make the fillets out of. I will be using 1708 mat for everything and douglas fir for the stringers themselves. Believe me, that I gave it some serious thought on using aluminum structual beam for the stringers being we are much more equipped to do metal work, but it was just not cost effective.

[gdubsmsp]

pm sent

ill let you know when we get started