LanierBoss272

That's essentially what I did as well- I just used a few layers of 1/2" chop mat along with resin. It'll work for the rest of this season and at the end of the season I'll pull it out again, cut the entire underskin out and rebuild. I also added 4 lengths of 4x4's siliconed down to the top of the fuel tank. They run the entire length so they can utilize the bridge supports inside the tank and not create pressure points. This helps distribute the load of someone stepping down onto the floor over a greater area as well as the seating and the beatings that delivers to the area. I can live with the extra 10lbs of materials I added for the benefit of essentially adding 4 more "stringers" to the floor of the boat.

puzzleboy

I agree. I can't see why that area would be damp, when it's encapsulated in fibreglass. I think the core just gets crushed from people jumping on it.

As a temporary fix for the season, I through bolted the center-most screw (instead of a screw) under the rear seat, through the seat bulkhead and floor. Used a couple large washers. The 3 screws had long ago pulled out anyway. Makes it probably 70% stronger, but you can tell the core is still slightly compressed. But hopefully this keeps the floor panel from failing. I think when I rebuild and reassemble, I'll through bolt all 3 screw locations. The center you can access through the access hole, but for the other two I think you'd have to use anchor nuts (aircraft style) or something and insert the bolts from above. Maybe just glass in some stainless nuts to the bottom or something similar. Would make a huge difference in strength here. Maybe a reinforcing angle on top as well.

Is the original core balsa?

J

puzzleboy

Just curious - what's 1/2" chop mat..... 1/2" thick? Where did you get that stuff?

LanierBoss272

1/2" Chop mat is awesome stuff! It's essentially 2 layers of heavy chop that is sewn onto a layered fabric mat. It's 1/2" thick before resin and constricts down to about a 1/4" thick once you soak it and form it. I'm not sure where I came across this stuff, but for the extra resin it requires because it soaks it up like a sponge, you save in glass mat and time in building layers. The stuff is wicked solid as well once it's cured. I used to use it for car stereo subwoofer enclosures reinforcement because it's ability to stand up to pressures and not crack.

chrisborges007

I have an 87 force and the floor and stringers are probably the only thing that i dont need to replace thank god ... Good luck!

Chris

Full Force

iTrader: (5)

Better look hard, my Force was wet as a mop, every hole for drains and such were not sealed, when I scrapped the hull I cut into it and found it to be WAY worse then I though,its amazing whats hidden...

verbi69

My thoughts exactly, what does that cost???????

Ebay Ed

i guess i need to get some pictures posted here to show what all was done to mine after 2 1/2 years in pieces it is finally 99% done just have some minor tuoch up stuff to do over the winter i have already put about 13 hours on it since the beginnng of July and not ready to stop yet this year i do have a post on Bajaboatowners.com called " my 272 rebuild " that does have a bunch of pictures with it

Ebay Ed

for my stringers and transom to be replaced not counting having it dissasembled and reassembled was around 10k plus the re rigging

puzzleboy

Ed, did yours have the drain holes through the stringers in the engine area?