Chris Craft Stinger 314 Rebuild
 

Greetings!
long time lurker, new poster.
So I’m finally taking on the project of replacing the transom and stringers in my old ‘85 Stinger 314.
I got the Coosa for the stringers, and the plywood for the transom ordered. Coosa is gonna be 4-5 weeks!!

The cockpit interior is out and the floor is just about ready to come off.
Then it’s off to the races with a multi tool, chisel and hammer. I’m thinking first to pull the knee braces, and then tackle stripping the inner transom wall. Shouldn’t be too hard, I think every stringer and bulkhead in this thing are pretty much empty….

the more rotted, the easiest it is !

Wishing you rot to dirt !!!

Thanks, and I think it mostly is, if I shine a flashlight against the side of the stringers I can see the light through on the other side!!

Sounds good ! Take a look at my thread just got done doing some silmilar work ! Any questions reach out !

My opinion which isn't worth much;

the multi tool burns blades by the inch, the sawzall shakes out your fillings and burns thru blades by the inch.

a hammer and chisel is a bad idea.


My 4 inch grinder rattled it self apart and out of desperation starting using my 7 inch non orbital sander/polisher. (See link)

it worked so good with what you are about to do that my plan is to never buy or use a 4 inch 12000 rpm grinder ever.


Put a cut off disc on it and cut your stringers and bulkheads loose close to the hull, spin on a 5 inch foam pad, slap on a 40 grit hook and loop and it'll make fast work grinding away the original tabbing.

650 to 3500 rpm, it doesn't try to twist out of your hands, it doesn't explode cutoff discs, the motor torques like crazy when you lean on it giving you the rpm it's set at like it's pressure sensitive, more you push, more it torques,

this is a huge bonus because you can reach in and get surgical with it.

if it snags into something it's waaaayyy more forgiving than a typical 4 inch and when you bump a finger it doesn't take a hunk out.

The hook and loop is a lot cheaper than flappy discs, them and the 5 and 7 inch foam backing pads work great wet or dry.


I'm actually using a 4 inch metal cutoff wheel with diamomds on it now for just about everything, just about ! (See link)


https://www.harborfreight.com/10-amp...der-57384.html


https://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-4...ack-57483.html

the lenox wheel gets gummed up a bit but a little cleaning out the notches and wiping it down with acetone and it goes back and forth from fiberglass, carbon fiber, steel, aluminum, pvc etc pretty damn good with out losing diameter like the abrasive fiber discs do.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/LENOX-Metal...eel/1003011574

Stinger Fan: Any pictures?

Where are you located - I see you are in NW Suburban Chicago - I live in Geneva.

Thanks for the advice Safari! I stocked up on multitool blades, but I’m glad you gave another option, anything to help is much appreciated! I haven’t started cutting anything out yet, I still gotta get the floor out. I travel a lot for work, so unfortunately I mostly have weekends to work on the boat. I did, however, schedule several days off work throughout the spring and early summer to get to work big time.
Han, I live in Algonquin, but the boat is kept in a building in Ingleside.

Pictures are gonna be coming, I tried posting but I need to have 10 posts first. I’m workin’ on it!!

Han, you may have seen this boat before. I could be wrong, but I think the guy I bought it from met you at Blarney Island several years ago.