Champ Full Transom Replacement

[rojoguio]

Well, the reason I switch over is to stay in system. Vinylester is a great resin for the skin repair. I like to use mat in the skin repair. Vinylester solvents dissolve the sizing or Starch if the name works better holding the mat strands together. Most boats have chopper shot in at this location, they roll it down after to level while in the mold. That being the manufacturer's choice I like to stay in system. Remember, mix some Vinylester in with the Rage Gold before using as a fairing compound. I leave the lid off to allow some of the solvents to gas off thickening the final product. I personally never use anything but West Epoxy inside a Transom. Only switching after moving to the outer side of the outer skin. I just makes fairing so much easier and faster. Any cosmetic work is not what gives the repair integrity. If you have a 1/4in skin times 12 is 3inches. That is plenty of mat to hold it together. A Coosa 26 Core, Epoxied in, is almost bulletproof by itself in my humble opinion.

[paulrodbender]

Thanks rojoguio. Another question, my skin seems to be bowing a little since I cut it out, is this ok and/or normal? I do have it sitting on the floor now with weight on top of it. Working on the stringers at the moment and need to get my coosa ordered now that I know what I need.

[rojoguio]

I usually stand mine up against the wall. They get memory curves but when clamped back on, as long as your core is straight, the skin will clamp on straight. Clean all the wood off the backside of your skin with a grinder, butter it with thickened epoxy, clamp it back on well, be sure to clean all the epoxy that squeezes out, off. You should have only a thin line of epoxy on the seam when your done. This is easily bridged with fiberglass when you repair the seam. As long as the fibers in your skin are not cracked, your good.

[paulrodbender]

Thank you sir. I got a little nervous but was hoping when I clamped it, she would straighten. I'll keep you posted and thanks for all the help.

[paulrodbender]

Transom (1).jpg
As of today.

[rojoguio]

Your prep work is fantastic! Prep is 90% of the job.

[paulrodbender]

Transom Brace.jpg

Question: I'm thinking since I need some small pieces of 3/4" to do two braces and my transom was double 3/4" plywood, Is it ok to just order (2x31"x48") 3/4" coosa and use for the braces and glue together for the transom instead of going with 1 1/2" for the transom?

[rojoguio]

Sure but put either cloth or mat in between the 2 halves. Wet out both sides, wet the fabric, sandwich and clamp very well.

[crank68]

That’s some neat lookin work !! And a lot of it !!!

[paulrodbender]

Thanks rojoguio and crank68..... I'm thinking 3/4" may be easier to get back in there.

[crank68]

I would think so but rojo is the man on this stuff !!

[rojoguio]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I wish the manufacturers would look at making some deep V hulls like yesteryear. I hope to get the VL100 to 8% Slip, if I can, this forum will be well served for future restoration projects. Someone needs to document possibilities achievable with older Bass boats that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

[paulrodbender]

Transom outer skin.jpg

rojo, What would you do? Decent day here today so I took my outer skin outside to grind all the wood off and get it ready but I found a hundred or so cracks that are almost through to the gelcoat. Should I just build a new skin with a few layers of 1708 and start new or should I fix this skin? If I build a new outside skin on top of the coosa, I assume to go with vinylester to top it with gelcoat? Thanks in advance for all your help so far.

[rojoguio]

first of all, Do the cracks show on the outside of the Skin?

[paulrodbender]

Just a couple that I can see and it feels very wavy on the outside. I did grind some from the back and they seem to go all the way to the gel coat.

[rojoguio]

If the cracks are all the way through the skin is compromised. Sorry for you. You will need to build up a new outer skin, I had to do this on my Champion. Be sure to alternate between 1708 and a heavy chop mat. Mat against the core and finish with a couple of layers of Mat. 1708 will print through driving you nuts, bury with Mat. Be sure to do your 12X Grind on the outside before starting. Tear the edges of the Mat where it overlaps to the outer skin, it will make fairing easier. Use Vinylester so the sizing in the Mat will dissolve. If you don't have a good aluminum fiberglass roller you need to buy one. 1708 likes to rise as it is soaking up resin, roll the air and excess resin out.

[paulrodbender]

Thanks rojo and what I suspected, build new skin. I have gotten spoiled with West System epoxy lately and was hoping I could avoid as much resin as possible but I guess no such luck. I've heard a few guys have luck with gelcoat sticking to epoxy but I probably shouldn't press my luck. I do have an aluminum roller with about 100k miles on it and plenty of resin stuck to the handle, it's pretty old but I like it (stronger) than the new ones, I think.

[90pantera]

Have you ever done a basscat? Where the transom extends all the way to the sides of the boats, but they have the pods in the back that are filled with foam. There is foam between the actual transom board and the fiberglass. How do you go about cutting the glass off the back then?

[rojoguio]

90pantera, All the transom work I did in my shop was on Saltwater boats. I live 14 miles from the Gulf. I just like Bass boats for fishing and post work here for future project reference material. From your description I can't visualize what your describing but unless the wood is rotten under the pods you can easily splice Coosa 26 into good wood. It may not be necessary to remove all the wood. Wood is not a bad thing when sound but if it is rotten, I just don't believe in putting wood back. Especially in a location where it has rotted out before. Bass Cat builds a fine boat. If you have one that has a soft spot like where the engine mounts, it can be repaired with the same process. I cut a flange into the good wood core that is left 1/2 the thickness of the wood core. A mating flange is cut into the replacement core. First you wet out the wood with straight epoxy. Then you epoxy the replacement core in where the wood was removed and reapply the skin like in the examples of my posts. Wet the wood first. The thickened epoxy with chemically adhere to form one structural mass. The big, critical, thing that must be done is the 3-4in flange not be compromised surrounding the perimeter of the transom. That area is untouchable in my opinion. I hope I have answered your question or is all the wood rotten?

[paulrodbender]

Got my Coosa board delivered on Sunday and so far, this stuff is nice to cut/work with....