how long -life of fiberglass?
11-07-2002, 05:45 PM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: istanbul
Posts: 1,580
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
how long -life of fiberglass?
I see lots of new projects starting by using old boats...
there are also old nice boats for sale at very low prices..
what is the life of fiberglass?
is it safe to redesign and put hi-hp engines on them?
Steve 1 ?
there are also old nice boats for sale at very low prices..
what is the life of fiberglass?
is it safe to redesign and put hi-hp engines on them?
Steve 1 ?
11-07-2002, 07:51 PM
#2
VIP Member
to many variables in that question my friend. it depends on many different things all the way back to how the resin was mixed in the first place. quality can very widely ( or wildely :rolleyes 
) depending on the manufacturer. also can depend on how a boat spends its days . . . abused race boat or trailer queen . . . .ultra violet rays play hell on fiberglass quite a bit too. if you are looking at a project best bet is to get a pro to look at it, someone that knows structural fiberglass. 
) depending on the manufacturer. also can depend on how a boat spends its days . . . abused race boat or trailer queen . . . .ultra violet rays play hell on fiberglass quite a bit too. if you are looking at a project best bet is to get a pro to look at it, someone that knows structural fiberglass.
11-07-2002, 07:57 PM
#3
holy crap timucin . . you been on this site since only may of this year and you have already got 900+ posts 
look out troutly an audio. . . new post whore in town . . . geeze, when do you have time for boating 
. . .do you even sleep???
look out troutly an audio. . . new post whore in town . . . geeze, when do you have time for boating . . .do you even sleep???
11-07-2002, 08:02 PM
#4
Registered
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Grand Haven, MI USA
Posts: 3,124
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I ha d a friend who bought an old piece of crap boat and when he stepped into it to get started on rebuilding it he went thru the floof and the hull!! It does and will rot over time if not taken care of. You can tell by how chaulky it is an pourous. At least it lasts longer than wood
11-07-2002, 08:52 PM
#5
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
Timucin
When talking Conventional Fiberglass we should think in terms of Half Century Life spans. Which also is a problem how do you dispose of it??
The problem is supporting structures, internal scantlings and the like; made from Crude Plywood Are part of natures infinite and never ending Recycling (Like just add fresh Water) this is a variable of unknown Proportions, and one should make every effort to examine and determine the extent of Dampness in these elements of a Marine Structure!
I have also seen where Fiberglass life has been projected to around one hundred Years of age!!
This and a decrease in strength of around 30-40% at this extended range!
Also there are claimed Increases in Young’s Modulus With long term aging Explained below.
(Young’s modulus is the elastic modulus for tension, or tensile stress, and is the force per unit cross section of the material divided by the fractional increase in length)
There are things also happening inside the laminate Per example in the old days we would simply take a boats length and use that number right on the shop floor to establish the laminate cross-section thickness of a solid laminate or single skin i.e.: a 30’ Boat would require a Laminate of 300/1000 ths or 3 tenths of an Inch Another example a 38’Boat would be 380/1000 or a little over 3/8 of an Inch. Talking about the hull Bottom now.
The main problem with the above is flexure (solid glass has very poor stiffness)as we work this structure to the extreme some small amount of filament is broken but recovers shape nothing noticeable, now on the next slam the unit gives a little more, and so on! LOL it’s worn out! We all know tons of small cracks! Run from this.
When talking Conventional Fiberglass we should think in terms of Half Century Life spans. Which also is a problem how do you dispose of it??
The problem is supporting structures, internal scantlings and the like; made from Crude Plywood Are part of natures infinite and never ending Recycling (Like just add fresh Water) this is a variable of unknown Proportions, and one should make every effort to examine and determine the extent of Dampness in these elements of a Marine Structure!
I have also seen where Fiberglass life has been projected to around one hundred Years of age!!
This and a decrease in strength of around 30-40% at this extended range!
Also there are claimed Increases in Young’s Modulus With long term aging Explained below.
(Young’s modulus is the elastic modulus for tension, or tensile stress, and is the force per unit cross section of the material divided by the fractional increase in length)
There are things also happening inside the laminate Per example in the old days we would simply take a boats length and use that number right on the shop floor to establish the laminate cross-section thickness of a solid laminate or single skin i.e.: a 30’ Boat would require a Laminate of 300/1000 ths or 3 tenths of an Inch Another example a 38’Boat would be 380/1000 or a little over 3/8 of an Inch. Talking about the hull Bottom now.
The main problem with the above is flexure (solid glass has very poor stiffness)as we work this structure to the extreme some small amount of filament is broken but recovers shape nothing noticeable, now on the next slam the unit gives a little more, and so on! LOL it’s worn out! We all know tons of small cracks! Run from this.
11-07-2002, 09:26 PM
#6
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
Timucin
In one race Miami-Bimini Long time ago I lost a Bottom in a new Boat on my return Leg (Started my Build everything myself career) Cool race 48 miles open sea each leg in a 2-4 Knot northward current I had 3 Compasses in the dash.
To make a long story short had less than a week till the Bacardi Race all I could find was an old allegedly beat boat upon my inspection it seemed ok against the warnings of EXPERTS (bane of my existence BTW) And went racing this Old boat with new rigging ran better than My Previous new Hull& Deck.
Point I am trying to make is Inspection-Inspection-Inspection
In one race Miami-Bimini Long time ago I lost a Bottom in a new Boat on my return Leg (Started my Build everything myself career) Cool race 48 miles open sea each leg in a 2-4 Knot northward current I had 3 Compasses in the dash.
To make a long story short had less than a week till the Bacardi Race all I could find was an old allegedly beat boat upon my inspection it seemed ok against the warnings of EXPERTS (bane of my existence BTW) And went racing this Old boat with new rigging ran better than My Previous new Hull& Deck.
Point I am trying to make is Inspection-Inspection-Inspection
11-08-2002, 06:02 PM
#9
Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: istanbul
Posts: 1,580
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
glassdave: I have no friend here in turkey to give me right ideas about performance boating.if you followed my posts most of them are my 'strange questions'..
this site is my gate to hi-perf..I spent most of my time here.
-true: sometimes I dont sleep
reading about :experiences
different problem solving ideas,
graphics
rights,wrongs
do's,dont's
problem causing parts and reasons
I have learned a lot.
steve:trying to decode your posts by two dictionaris...
this site is my gate to hi-perf..I spent most of my time here.
-true: sometimes I dont sleep
reading about :experiences
different problem solving ideas,
graphics
rights,wrongs
do's,dont's
problem causing parts and reasons
I have learned a lot.
steve:trying to decode your posts by two dictionaris...
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Jolley
General Boating Discussion
0
05-14-2003 09:47 PM
