Stringer material for 87 Supra

[horsappl]

I cut the old stringer out and it is plywood (2x8x14'). Is this material available, should I use a Douglas Fir 2x8, or do I need to laminate sheets of marine plywood together?

Thanks.

I just cut one stringer out. It is fabricated from 1" marine plywood. What adhesive should be used to bond the sheets together?

[Salty87]

welcome to the site horsappl

you've got choices with just about everything. doug fir works great but so does plywood. i used marine grade, it's tough stuff. i have half a sheet leaning against my house, it's been there almost 2 years standing on the ground. it hasn't delaminated at all. some people use a/c plywood figuring they'll coat it with fiberglass anyway.

same goes with resin. you'll need many gallons of whichever resin you choose...epoxy or polyester. either way, use your resin to laminate sheets together and to bed stringers to the hull. the type of resin will determine the types of cloth you'll use.

most of these choices depend on your budget.

[Okie Boarder]

Welcome. Take a look through the rebuild threads and you can learn a bit. There's a lot on my thread (Okie Boarder' Stringer and Floor Repair). Salty hs a good thread in his signature. RickR has a good one too.

I went with solid doug fir. 1" for the secondaries and 2" for the mains. I'm also using some 5/8" plywood in some areas.

If you want to laminate plywood (either marine grade or just A/C exterior grade), use a thickened epoxy mix and clamp together, much like laminating wood for cabinet work.

There's a lot of information on all the rebuild threads that will probably answer a lot of your questions getting into this. Start a thread of your own, too, and share pictures and progress. We'll all help you along the way as you have questions, as well.

[horsappl]

Thanks Salty & Okie!
I have been reading your threads, and they provide excellent info., I just couldn't see the stringers closely enough. I think I will use Okie's method because it is easier, and I am a mechanic, not a cabinent maker. ;)

[Okie Boarder]

Amen to that brother. I'm a decent rough carpenter, but I'm not very good with finish work. Working with the "lumber" size worked out pretty good for me. I also am using basic tools...circular saw, jigsaw, router, planer, sander. The clamps I have I borrowed from my neighbor, but I could have bought them for just over $100. That's a small amount of money in the grand scheme of this project.

I would highly recommend using the CPES. There are a lot of people out there that swear by it and I see why. It adds a couple hundred dollars to the project, but it's extra protection against water seepage and rot.

Just let us know if you have questions come up.