Strut backing plate/ shaft log repair

[sybrmike]

Great work - looks like a pro. Yeah, I found the factory used bondo to bed my stringers in & still had 6" gaps in places with no contact.

[Ptownkid]

What kind of grinding disk are you using?

[Okie Boarder]

maple...looking really good. I found some similar materials used on mine. You definitely want to do more work on your fillets. Do another pass and radius them a little more. The cloth will lay down so much smoother when you do that.

It is a lot of work on the stringers but well worth it when it comes time to lay the cloth. Try taking a piece of shim material from the home store or a large paint stir stick. Grind or sand it into a radius and use that as your tool to shape and smooth the wet thickened epoxy to the radius you want.

[mapleleaf]

P 36 and 80 grit flapper's on my 4 1/2 grinder....they're awesome...
Okie, I didn't take any pics, but heeded your advice and now have a fillet around that plate that would stop a bus, tomorrow I glass it in, in hopes that I can mount the strut once and align the shaft with the shaft log this weekend ( hoping I can tie the glass in from the backing plate to the shaft log)

[Ptownkid]

Hmmmm, that sounds like a good idea...I was just going to use a thin masonry disk, but flapper seems safer.

[sybrmike]

2nd on the heavy grit flapper discs - messy as hell, but make quick work of grinding out old glass.

Maple, good luck this weekend.

[Okie Boarder]

I just used the thin resin sanding disks and they worked good too. I tried the flappers and they seemed to work fine, also, but seemed like they wore out almost as fast as the cheapy flat ones.

[mapleleaf]

I just used the thin resin sanding disks and they worked good too. I tried the flappers and they seemed to work fine, also, but seemed like they wore out almost as fast as the cheapy flat ones.

No kidding, 8 bucks a pop up here at the box store.....

[Ptownkid]

Do you know what the dims of your backing plate are? Anyone know if it would be a bad idea to use an aluminum plate?

[mapleleaf]

Tonight I got my first taste of 5200. Holy @#*% that stuff is something I hope to never work with again, under a boat on a trailer!
After a second attempt my strut is def at the right angle (small engine alignment tomorrow) I really understand how you guys who have rebuilt feel, having reglassed and installed my repaired driveline the excitement to hit the water is building.. I should be able to tie up the packing nut, alignment and stereo by friday aft, when we should be on a small bay on Lake Huron. Its late, I'm tired hope this message makes a little sense, I've got that damn 5200 all over the back of my head, guess I'll need a hair cut!