lol I bet! Paid off for you tho, beautiful boat!

Arts and crafts day on the boat. Bulkheads dry fitted in, need a little tinkering but not too bad. This is way more fun then cutting out rotten wood.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...6FD22FC7AF.jpg

Should have the stringers cut Monday, and after some sanding and roughing up should be glassing next weekend.

Billy

Stringers cut and fitted. Soon as my resin gets here, they are ready to be coated, covered in CSM, and PL'ed in. Still hope to get them glassed in completely on Sunday. So much to do, so little time!

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...D6DD9214FF.jpg

Billy

Finally got my resin yesterday, so today was Fiberglass Friday.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...4AC9398299.jpg

Got everything coated both sides last night.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...4ACC3D354D.jpg

And one side currently covered in CSM, hoping it dries enough for me to flip and get the second side tonight. Luckily the hard side with the bend is done, so the flip side should go very fast.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...4ACEF5E131.jpg

Resin is taking a very long time to kick because the temperature is so low. The heat lamp is helping in the garage but not fast enough. If not tonight ill have to get up real early and get it done tomorrow morning before I leave for Cincy, so I can glue the stringers and bulkheads in on Sunday. Tabbing everything in with 1708 is going to have to wait for another nice day to help the resin kick better.

Slowly but surely!

Billy

Looking good man, that thing will be solid when your done! yeah, resin isn't much fun in this weather is it? I thought of you today when I felt that cold wind blowing, I knew you were at the glass stage.

Ever get a chance to pull a valve cover on your other motor to check casting numbers? Also, do you have a preference on the gasket brand or manufacturer for this other motor? Not sure how long you are planning to run with these motors, knowing your itching for the big block rumble. I was looking at summit racing and they have several sets for the older 350's. Not being in salt water and not sure of your repower timeframe, wondering what you want to do on that.

Brian

Hey Brian,
I texted you the number from the head did you not get it? Probably gonna run that motor for awhile, so the best gasket you suggest is good for me. Probably end up keeping them till i build some high torque SBC's, BBC's may not be in my future with the added weight etc prob not the best idea. Although it would be badass :)

Ill text you the casting number again now.

Thanks,
Billy

...and as we said...transom spacing has to be 34" for BBC and you're at 32.5". Based on the fact that your a "Master Carpenter"(at least compared to me) LOL...you could pull it off...but I would stick with the Stout SBC route...just not the right boat for it and you're going to be amazed how strong that boat will run even with twin "modest" SBC's.

Oh...BTW...nice job.:cool:

Yeah I don't feel like changing the spacing. Ill be ok with built SBC's as long as I can get them to rumble like a big block ;)

I am hardly a master carpenter haha :daz:

And thank you sir, feels good putting new wood back IN the boat

Hah, just wait untill you start dropping engines in the boat, that really is nice.

That reminds me, I need to order gaskets and a new piston ring compressor.

Brian

Now...as some inspiration...your boat with twin SBC's and Alphas might weigh 5000 lbs. Even with pre Vortec heads and a reasonable flat hydraulic cam ( I like the 350 Horsepower/350 Cu In Z/28 Cam from '69~'70 available from Crane) you put a very easy 650 horsepower in the water with 700 # of TQ. Now do the math...even with the heavy Formula "Bones" you have a serious little rig there my friend. With the boat being light enough and with the Alphas splitting the load...if you put good synthetic lube in them...add some Lucas "Snake Oil" they will live. Look around for upper shafts that don't have the "O" ring seal cut into the shaft. That's where they snap when you "Get Air".

Oh...and if you want "Rumpity Rump" put that 350/350 cam in front of thru hulls and even with stock exhaust you will make an entrance at the "Party Cove".:evilb::evilb:

It's fun to read your posts because you've picked one of my favorite boats and in my opinion one of the best boats Formula built.

Here's a video preview of what to expect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkk6M...eature=related

Have fun, thanks for sharing and keep it coming.

Yes sir, cant wait to get the engines back in :)

Sounds like a plan, although when I build engines, may have to swap everything out to Bravo's :evilb: Ill have to check out that cam, i like the Rumpity Rump :D

I saw that video when you posted it last time, that thing looks and sounds wicked!

Billy

Did some cleanup work to your heads today. Hopefully tomorrow we will pull the valves and lap them, they actually look pretty decent for how rusted out the cylinder looked.

Did you ever do a compression test on your other motor?

SWEET! Cant thank you enough for doing this Brian, I REALLY appreciate it!

I thought they looked pretty good outside of that one cylinder. I have a feeling that engine AND this boat have not run in a VERY long time. With how far gone the wood was, how drenched the foam was, its a pretty good indication that it sat outside (probably poorly covered) for years.

Not yet but its on the list once I switch back to mechanics after all the carpentry. Im ready for that yesterday, unfortunaleyt there is still a good bit of wood and glasswork to be done :lolhit:

The original bulkheads and stringers are all PL'ed into the boat. Going to add a couple extra bulkeads where I think there should have been some, then cut 2x2's to incase everything vertically and horizontally up by where the deck will sit. Then drill out my drain holes and glass in PVC pipes to drain into the tank compartment, then tab everything in with 1708, then put the decks on, then foam. Then I will build my tank mounts, not foaming that back in. Then I can put my fiberglass decks back in over the new wood. Then move to the cabin and repeat. Then I can replace the center stringer from the aft bulkead to the center motor mounts, glass and foam in the battery shelfs. Then everything from the bildge forward will get painted. Then I can drop the engines back in. Thats a lot of "thens". haha

I'm tired from just typing that....:poopoo: But it should go pretty quick once I get out of the center of the boat. Cabin is small and both it and the bildge can be done in a day.

Billy

Got my extra bulkeads cut today, I left a little room for chop strand. I learned last time that sanding to make everything fit was no fun.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...1AF645C1D6.jpg

Then I cut my vertical 2x2's covered in resin, and wrapped the new bulkeads in CSM.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...1AF2E5A900.jpg

Should have these glued in tomorrow or friday, then I can cut my horizontal 2x2's and start prepping to tab everything in with 1708. Gonna need more resin.

Billy

Billy, got the pics. Go ahead and throw that cam put, pretty bad shaped. We will go ahead and put one of the cams I have from my old 260's into the motor. When do you think you will be ready to drop it in?

Give us some updates! Gotta see what you have done.

Oh, message is here as your pms are full.

Brian

Hey Brian,
Its still going to be a couple of weeks, I am thinking of making a trip up your way to grab the motor in the next couple weeks, think that would be ok? Shoot me a text/call when you have a minute.

Billy

Ok,
Sorry its been awhile since I posted, I have been working on the boat but Mother Nature has not been kind to me. I bet it has rained 40 of the last 45 days which really screws with fiberglassing!

Anyway,
I think I left off right before I was tabbing in the stringers. I ran into a HUGE problem when I started on the port side. Apparently Resin is PL remover, because as I was tabbing in the Port Side the PL just started bubbling up and screwing up ALL of the 1708 I laid down. I didn't read this anywhere, but it really cost me time, and is still costing me time. So I moved to the Starboard side and starting removing any PL that was exposed and replacing it with PB. This took forever..........Here's a pic of what the resin did to the PL, needless to say I will never use it on another project again.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-59.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-60.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-61.jpg

So after I got all of the PL removed from the STBD side, I started tabbing everything in with 2 layers of 1708.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-52.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-51.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-49.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-48.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-47.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-44.jpg

Then I started drilling the 4 drains I needed, 1 at the back of each compartment.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-43.jpg

Then I layed a small piece of glass on the inside of the hole and added PVC Pipe.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-42.jpg

And put PB around both sides of every drain.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-38.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-37.jpg

Then I capped the rest of my stringers and bulkheads with 1708.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-35.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-34.jpg

Dryfitting the decks.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-29.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-30.jpg

Then I PB'ed 2x2's covered in resin to the stringers to give me a little more support and something to screw the decks down to while the PB dried. I decided the vertical supports weren't needed.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-28.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-27.jpg

Then I covered my decks in resin and covered the back sides of my decks with CSM and PB'ed to the 2x2's.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-53.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-54.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-55.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-56.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-58.jpg

And that how she sits currently. Hopefully I can get the decks tabbed into the hull and stringers today as soon as its dry enough for me to give it a quick sand. That should kill the rest of my second 5 gallon bucket of resin, and I can start cleaning the rest of the PL of the Port side. Should go a little quicker now that the weather is hot enough to dry the resin in about an hour.

I'll keep you guys posted!

Billy

You just made the decision with the PVC thru the limber holes and glassing them end that all but the best boat builders by pass. That decision was to glass them in. I had a 40' Sea Ray Express Cruiser that had silicone around the holes and before I sold it I glassed them in. Over time the silicone cracks and splits and you have the perfect entry point for water to wick into every piece of wood in the hull. Nice Job!!

Out of curiosity...with all that rot in the stringers...how does the transom look?

Obviously you know what you are doing and have the time and resources to do it.

Ha! Thanks for the vote of confidence brother but I'm kind of making this up as I go along lol Compilation of other threads/websites.

Anyway, the transom actually looks ok for now. The stringers and battery trays are independent of the the transom in the way that they were built. That being said, I am going to replace it anyway this winter just for piece of mind. The boat is going to go to glassdave to get new gelcoat from the rub rails up in February or March, so I will pull everything out prior to that and do the transom real quick before she goes. After all this super structure work, the transom will be a breeze.

Got the decks tabbed into the stringers and hull tonight, STBD side is a wrap. I only used one layer of 1708, but I really didn't even think it needed that. It was rock solid before, now it should be like a tank. After I finish the other side and mock up my tank mounts, everything will get painted with Rustoleaum and Hardner before I glass the liner back in.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-63.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-64.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-62.jpg

Thats all for now!

Billy

Keep up the great work what a project.

Thanks man! Not a project, just some completely normal boat maintenance :lolhit:

With the STBD side all finished up, I turned back to the Port side which I have been dreading ever since the PL incident. In order to fix the problem I had to rip off all of the glass I already laid to be able to get rid of the bubbled up PL that was causing the glass not to bond completely to the stringers. I got after it with a paint scrapper and a hammer to peel up the 1708.

Here you can get a better idea what the PL did under the glass. Still not sure why this happened, both are Poly based so they should be compatible. Nothing I hate more then doing work twice.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-66.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-67.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-65.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-68.jpg

Tomorrow I will take a utility knife and cut off the remaining PL, and s sand down the glass remittence, and restart tabbing in the stringers with PB and wet on wet 1708 tabs till I run out of resin, then order more.

In the meantime I have been thinking of ways to re-mount the tank. I am leaning towards building a complete square frame that will be bonded to the stringers and floor, that will actually suspend the tank 2-3" off the hull allowing water to run aft. Then I will have aluminum L brackets welded to the perimeter of the tank, and bolt directed to the glassed frame on all four sides. I will move the tank as far forward as I can to alleviate some of the weigh from the back of the boat, and place a bilge pump in the back of the tank compartment. The frame will run from bulkhead to bulkhead and from stringer to stringer with 1.5" x 12" "stringers" wrapped in 20 oz mat. I also plan to redo the bottom of the hull between the stingers with 20 oz matt to strengthen the keel. Should also serve to really strengthen the belly of the boat. Needless to say, this boat will be 10 times stronger then the day it came off the showroom floor :D

Billy

Today I got the gas tank compartment side of the main stringer tabbed in with 2 layers of 1708. Did the PB and both layers of 1708 all at the same time wet on wet. WAY easier and faster then letting it dry and sanding, and I also think it is a better bond. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm getting pretty damn good at glassing :D Tomorrow I will try to get the rest of it cleaned up and tabbed in so I can make my drain holes and then fab up the deck. Won't be able to get the deck on till my new 5 gallon bucket of resin is here.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-72.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-71.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-70.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-69.jpg


Billy

Hey Guys,
Been rough going here in Columbus, still raining like everyday, I never got the memo that we were the new Seattle. Grr. Anyway, progress has been slow. I'm now ready to concede that the boat won't splash till next season. I'm probably going to go ahead and tear her the rest of the way down, and do the transom before it goes to get new gelcoat. Anyway, on to the recent "progress.

Finally got the port side striped down, the old PL removed, tabbed back in, drains in and decks on.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-73.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-82.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-83.jpg

Then I went to work getting my gas tank ready to go back in since I was almost ready to engineer a frame. When I removed the tank with a homemade metal wire rope to cut through the foam, it got caught up and cut into the tank in a couple of places. So I had to fix those first. Here's the grooves I needed to fix.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-74.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-75.jpg

I filled them with low temperature aluminum welding rods. Cool stuff, you actually heat up the surrounding material to like 700 degrees and the welding rods go on like solder.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-76.jpg

After it cools completely you can grind down the slag.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-77.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-78.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-79.jpg

Then I took a fine wire brush on the angle grinder to the whole tank, wiped it down with acetone, and coated it with Coal Tar Epoxy. BTW that **** is $$$.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-81.jpg

Then I started working on a way to keep the tank in without foam. I kind of scrapped the L shaped bracket idea, although I think it would have worked well, just too complex and I needed a quick easy solution. I came up with two 2x10's (covered in chop strand of course) tabbed to the stringers and the forward bulkhead, to act as front and aft stops for the tank.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-84.jpg

Then I added 2 3/4 boards for the bottom of the tank to rest on, with beveled edges to match the shape of the hull, sitting up high enough for water to drain aft underneath, and the 4 4x4's tabbed to the stringers to brace the sides of the tank and keep it snug in its "hole". Should be a pretty tight fit when I add the rubber braces that the tank will sit on at the points of the 4x4's, and the belly straps going across the top of the tank and screwed to each 4x4.


http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-86.jpg


And all finished up and tabbed in.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-87.jpg

And the tank all the way done with 3 coats of Coal Tar Epoxy and ready to be dropped back in.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-88.jpg

Next dry day I get Ill finish the rest of the tabbing in the tank hatch and then paint the whole thing with the rustoleum industrial paint with hardner, and then drop the tank back in.

From there I havn't decided if I am going to move to the cabin or start on getting the decks back in. The decks I cut out have wood tabbed to the bottom of them, and of course its rotted so I will have to cut that out and put new wood back before I can put them back in the boat.

I've also decided to add a bulkead in the cabin that will be tabbed to the hull 360 degrees at the entrance of the the V berth. This will brace the top new gel coat and keep it from spider cracking after its redone. Then the 2 little stringers will run from that new bulkhead to the one thats already in the boat.

Anyway thats the plan for now, but it can change at any minute lol.

Billy

Wow, I like your gas tank design and rework. Good find on the aluminum welding rod. Gas tank and inner stringers are on my inspection list for one winter in the future. Only part of the boat I have not explored so far. How bad is the transom? Thought that was solid? Of course, I thought mine was solid and I could get it on the water for $8500! Hah!

Motor is wrapped up and on a skid, no hurry on that one. If mine runs next week, maybe you head over later in July and you can head out with us on one of our test runs? That is if they hold together this time......

Project is looking great, really like that gas tank!

Brian

Hey Brian,
Yes that sounds like a plan on the test run! Let me know a date that works for you and I will make it happen! Id love to get out on an old bird to get an idea what I'm busting my butt for! :D Good luck on your upcoming splash!

The transom does seem solid, but I think I'm just going to do it for peace of mind. Does't make much sense to me to put the whole bildge back together with new glass and paint and then have to rip it all out a couple years down the line if it ends up needing it. That way Ill know 100% the whole boat is rock solid without a doubt.

Thanks
Billy

Have you pulled the transom assemblies yet? Or the thru hulls? That will tell you a lot about the wood ondition. You can always use a drill and pull some samples of the wood core. Or one a small hole saw. Pop out the core piece of wood, weigh it on a sub gram scale and then dry it in an oven at like 140 to 160 degrees. Weigh again and see he moisture level.

Brian

Thanks Brian, thats good info. I have not got that far yet, the transom will probably be the first thing I do when I get into the engine bay, as it will have to go in before I set the battery trays and center stringer. I can tell you that someone at somepoint tried to move the thru hull's lower down on the transom, they were not fixed the proper way when they moved them back to the correct location. Thats my main reason for wanting to do the transom, if that had never been done I highly doubt I would be doing it just for the sake of doing it. But to fix the holes properly I think the whole transom should just be replaced.

Billy

Last night I got the rest of the glass done it the tank compartment and everything painted with rustoleoum with hardener. I was impressed with the outcome of the paint. It went on REALLY thin after you mix it with the hardener, but it did dry really shiny and hard. I will do multiple coats in the engine bay to make it really really hard but I think the one coat for this area that no one will ever see is fine. Actually probably an overkill to even paint it at all, but I'm being a bit OCD on this project.

Anyway heres the final outcome. I will probably throw the tank back in tomorrow and start cutting out the rest of the stringers and large bulkhead in the cabin. Out of resin yet again...3rd 5 gallon bucket empty, I'll probably buy like 2 or 3 more next time to make sure I have enough to do the cabin, transom, engine bay, and tab my fiberglass decks back in the boat.

I also have some plans to change up the design of the fiberglass bulkhead where the door is. I would like to get rid of the glovebox area and make room for a sliding L shaped door like the newer boats, and also make my dash out of gelcoat as well, to match the rest of the boat in that area. Obviously these things will be much later lol.

Anyway, heres the pics of how the paint turned out.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-90.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-91.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-92.jpg

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July on the water! I was on my boat, just not exactly in the way I would have preferred!

Billy

So yesterday I went out to test fit the tank and wouldn't you know it was a little tight fore and aft :lolhit: So today I spent the day getting the back brace trimmed up so it would slide back in. It was kind of a PITA but I got it trimmed up and glassed back in. If the rain holds off tomorrow after work, Ill clean everything back up and touch up all the paint I screwed up in the process, and drop the tank in for good. Anyway, heres what I had to end up doing to get enough clearance. Since I thinned out the brace a little, I will add a brace between it and the aft bulkhead for a little extra support for the weight of the tank when its full.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...12d33a236d.jpg

Thats all for now.

Billy

Tank is in. Need to find some aluminum for straps and should be good. Fits good, nice and snug. I ended up moving it about 14 inches forward, which should take some of the weight out of the ass end of the boat, which is already stern heavy due to twins. Of course I never drove it how it was before so I wont know the difference. lol

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...20/null-96.jpg

Billy

Billy...you've done a great job...very impressive!!

Thanks man. Coming together, just not fast enough for my liking. Oh well, I have some wicked plans for it now that I have conceded this season and shooting for next year.

Billy

It is amazing how plans change with boats, isn't it? I had a grand plan and schedule for mine the first year. Now I just want to see the dang thing run!

You have really dug into that boat, I think it will be a great how to thread on OSO for a long time to come. Still really like what you did with that tank and the mount, will have to do mine one of these winters.

Brian

Great thread, I give you props, I needed to do this to my 320 Baja and got very lucky falling into a dry Cig that did not need ANY stringer or transom work, my Baja was a wet mop... I would have never thrown the time and money at it to make it right, not with all the deals out there, I can say one thing, you will have a hell of a 24 ft boat as these were great boats to begin with!!

Good luck bud!!

Thanks Man, I appreciate the kind words. I realize that not many people would undertake a project of this magnitude but I'm one stubborn SOB. Not to mention I don't have 100k lying around for a new one, which this one will look like when it's done.

I will probably only have around $1000 in glass/wood work when it's ready for gel and paint. It's not that expensive just time consuming and dirty ass work. I can not wait till the last time I have fiberglass all over me and can be done itching forever, that's the worst part by far, i hate that feeling! Oh well, should be worth it in the end.

Billy

Guess my other issue is that I refuse to miss boating season lol

Touché You got me there! Not what I wanted!

Hey, how is it going lately? Somebody posted about doing their gas tank in a 242SS, so bumping this thread to the top. Hmm, might just scare him off also though....

Brian