seacast foam transom

gbf03 · #1 01-11-2004, 08:30 PM

As soon as I get some time off from school I am going to start restoring my 20 sc cc, in the meantime I have been just doing some research on transom techniques and materials and I came across this seacast product. I was just wandering if anyone has used seacast foam instead of marine grade wood? What are the pros and cons if anyone knows of this product?
Thanks,
George

FELLOW-SHIP · #2 01-12-2004, 10:26 AM

HA GEORGE
I did my with plywood approx 2 1/2 yrs ago and did not have any problems with it, if I was to use marine plywood again I would use three ½ inch sheets instead of two ¾ inch sheets easier to work with and more epoxy barriers. But I would not use wood again I would use the new composite materials that are on the market now. They now have been on boats long enough for me to have faith in them, they do cost more but you would not have to worry about rot again. As for the seacast foam that you mix up I personally would not use that method. No boat manufactures that I know of use it and I have questions about how good it really is. Let some one else do the Bata testing on it I don’t want to be the Ginny pig remember the second mouse gets the cheese.
Fellow-Ship [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

TUGBOAT · #3 01-12-2004, 04:08 PM

Hi George I went with a Hi-Density foam in the transom.Easy to work with,should get more than 10 years outta it. I put very few HOLES in the stearn as this is the major cause.Pretty dense foam.Theres been quite a few post on this subject probably more than any (eXcept for BEER/Theory's)Do a search under repairs.
Scream'n reels' [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Briguy · #4 01-13-2004, 01:20 AM

George,

I saw a seacast transom being poured. It was somewhat easy to mix and pour. The next day I was surprised to see it had cured and shrunk leaving 1/8" gaps on both sides of the transom. I would stay away from it myself. It's sooo heavy too. Wood will last you 20 years and it is proven. If I was doing mine over, I would stick with corecell or structural foam and glass. It would be light and stiff and waterproof.

RingLeader · #5 01-13-2004, 10:57 AM

Seacast isn't a foam, its a thickened polyester resin reinforced with so glass shards and stuff like that. I have talked to 2-3 guys who have used it, and they all seemed satisfied. But will it hold up over the test of time?

As stated above, let someone else do the Beta testing. Give it some time for its flaws to come out. Besides the company isn't gonna tell you if their product is crap...

I didn't think of shrinkage. With an amount of bare resin that large.... There has got to be a ton of shrinkage. Good point... It is also nearly twice as heavy as a wood transom!