Wood in stringers??

[crsavage1]

I opened the top of one of stringers to see how easy the wood would come out with the plan being to foam the stringers back in, the wood isn't really budging. Without chiseling it out, or opening the stingers from the side, it would be pretty difficult to get the wood out. There is a significant void in the stringer as they are much wider than the original wood. I could foam that in?

Or like I said, I could cut open the stringers from the side as I did the one and get the wood out?

[flyingfrizzle]

Originally Posted by Bigshrimpin

Mike - any idea what the function of the 1" x4" serves?

I talked to Donnie "Parrott" about it some time ago (had a chance to meet him and sold him some of the VE resin I had left from my project) When I seen the boat in person it was after the deck was put in so I never got to see the lay out of the stringer lay out and the exact location of the wood in it. What I remember from our conversation he said where it was located it was difficult to see an actual use of the strips. At first I thought it may be for screwing the tank brackets into but he didn't see no sign of screw holes or such. It was in such an odd place and did not really providing any support to anything from what he said. It may of been to help aid in laying up the stringers in the mold maaybe? It could of been used to kept the lay up flat and possibly backed the layers so that clamps could sandwich wet cloth between the ply wood strips and the outside surface of the mold? This would work clamping the glass to the mold surface evenly pressing air and extra resin out of the cloth maybe? Really not sure but it looked to be used in aiding the molding process when building the stringer grid prior to placing in the boat. Don't think he was ever able to find a purpose to it and that above would be my best guess.


The same size 1x4s were used to shape the cap of the race hull. Most were cut out when I was changed to a cc in 1990 but you can still see the original wood pieces down under the bow and gunnels. They are fuzzy on the outside from weather but still solid in the center. Very dense hard wood. The ones that were glassed or had cloth and resin on them are still solid for the most part. It has original wood stingers that were raised by adding ply beside the old ones that were higher. The lower original ones are fully glassed and when you knock on them they are super solid. More so than the newer taller ones. Not sure what wood they used in the 60s era hulls but it was tough stuff.

[Islandtrader]

Originally Posted by crsavage1

I opened the top of one of stringers to see how easy the wood would come out with the plan being to foam the stringers back in, the wood isn't really budging. Without chiseling it out, or opening the stingers from the side, it would be pretty difficult to get the wood out. There is a significant void in the stringer as they are much wider than the original wood. I could foam that in?

Or like I said, I could cut open the stringers from the side as I did the one and get the wood out?

No need to take the wood out.

My 21 had wood stringers...they were mostly gone. The wood is only used to form the fiberglass mat...the fiber glass mat is the strength . All I did is remove some of the wet wood, closed up the stringer and applied more fiberglass mat over the top. When they used foam same thing. The foam really has no strength it was used to form the stringer.

[crsavage1]

Makes sense. I just wanted to be sure I didn’t leave something that is going to eventually make things troublesome from the inside out if I can help it. Getting the wood out was pretty easy from the side once I saw it from the grinding. Getting it out from the top proves to be much harder.

I ran an inspection camera around in the stringers beside the wood and they all look decent. As I mentioned the wood I DID run across exposed was wet so it came out in the big slices you see in the pictures.

Raising the height of the stringers is really what I am after to get back to the deck height. Before I took the foam board out, it was raised 3 inches or so. No liner in my boat so I can really go back at almost any height. Original plan before the wood was Coosa on top of the stringers and glass it all in. Others had mentioned maybe easier just building forms around the stringers and using a 4 or 8 lb foam to bring everything to final height.

Trying to make decisions before ordering what I need. Thanks so much for everyone’s insight.

[flyingfrizzle]

Originally Posted by Islandtrader

The wood is only used to form the fiberglass mat...the fiber glass mat is the strength.

So I was kinda on the right track thinking it was a backer for the glass or a former. That was the only thing I could figure as I have used melamine board pieces to back form or press lay ups to get a nicer finish. Sometimes to hold the glass in place especially if overhead. I normally wax the melamine so I can pull if off when done but Moesly just used 1x4"s and left them there. Doubt they had melamine or Formica back then.

[dirtwheelsfl]

If that woods a major pain to get out from the top (sounds like it) i would just leave it. It's been in there that long yano...

I definitely wouldnt be slicing the sides of the stringers to get it out. The juice just aint worth the squeeze on that one!

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by flyingfrizzle

So I was kinda on the right track thinking it was a backer for the glass or a former. That was the only thing I could figure as I have used melamine board pieces to back form or press lay ups to get a nicer finish. Sometimes to hold the glass in place especially if overhead. I normally wax the melamine so I can pull if off when done but Moesly just used 1x4"s and left them there. Doubt they had melamine or Formica back then.

They had formica then. Carl used it on the race boat mold.

[crsavage1]

Perfect dirtwheelsfl. Also dig the way you set it straight. Setting forms for the raising of the deck seems to be a painful process too at least for
some of the guys that did it before. Using something like melamine seems to be a necessity or pay the price for trying to get the foam out clean etc.

[dirtwheelsfl]

Even the melamine needs some kinda release on it, the foam will stick to it somewhat. I would just foam em factory height, then add your raising material and glass over. Thats alot of form work to try and get all even.

[flyingfrizzle]

Originally Posted by gofastsandman

They had formica then. Carl used it on the race boat mold.

Forgot about that