TOPIC: dorsett catalina floor removal

hey fellas, i got a 1963 dorsett catalina that i'm trying to restore. so i've got the old floor out with cuts from my skilsaw but now i have a 1 1/2" piece on each side next to the hull that my saw can't reach. any idea's on how to get the last strip out. thanks, Ben

Ben,

get a pair of channel locks or 2 pair of vice grips & clamp them to the remaining wood. Bend the wood up like a hatch or a door. Pull hard to break the tabbing at the hull joint. If the tabbing won't break, bend the wood up as far as it will go, then bash the bottom side of the plywood with a rubber mallet. Don't use any tools to cut or saw the hull joint. You want to break it. Don't be afraid to use brut force. I learned that this is the best way to remove a floor. I no longer use any power tools to open a boat up. I usually use a wonderbar, a pick axe, Framing hammer, and a rubber hammer. This floor on my Reinell took me about 45 minutes total to remove.

Ben , with out knowing what tools you really have on hand .... may ...............i suggest grinding , chisel , hack and slash ...ha ha ha ......Ben , just a quick mention , and that is ......if you are using a pry bar in those area's to remove that lip considering that fabric is woven roving you just might be doing more harm structuraly to the boat then good .Ben , just by chance do you have air or would you consider buying a multi tasking tool that will do the job ? www.harbourfreight.com/variable-speed-muttifunction-power-tool-67537.html or just punch in osellating tools.

the Dorsett Catalina in 1964 had a molded fiberglass floor that had a 1/2 inch plywood laminated to the bottom and was glued to the hull sides. Is your floor like this?
If it is it will be glued to the hull on the sides. You need to get a grinder with a cut off wheel and cut it as close as you can get it to the hull with out cutting the hull. then grind it flush to the hull. then you can replace the floor. and most likely the stringers.
Mike

i believe these are all good options,but myself,personaly,i suggest gingers multitool method,but put a line of tape on the blade as a guide so you dont go to deep,i use my mutitool more then any other tool i own,i even sand the boats with it,john

Morning John and Ginger,

I also like Ginger's idea. I own that tool and use it more often than I can count. Its great for getting into tight places and getting the job done with an ease of use that's hard to imagine in a power tool. I use the heck out of it for remodeling in the house and used it extensively on my Starcaft this summer. The assortment of attachments and the terrific price at Harbor Freight makes it a great addition to the toolbox.

All of these ways will work just fine. As the old saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Just for clarification, the method I suggest does not involve any excessive prying at any hull to floor joint. I've taken enough boats apart to figure out what method works best for me. The use of power cutters is fine, but it creats ugly dust, especially if you use a grinder. As John and others mentioned, the use of a power tool requires that you are very careful to prevent the tool from penetrating the hull. In some places on certain boats, a power tool is the best / only option. You have to use your judgement on that.

Most people would be surprized how easy it is to break and tear tabbing and roving away from a joint. You just have to practice it a little to see. The object is to find a weak spot in a lamination, and then get a wonder bar under the glass & start working the glass away from the wood. Ginger is correct, if you use a lot of force with the shoe of a crowbar against the boat, it can cause spider cracks. Just do small sections of tabbing / glass with the wonder bar and rubber mallet. If the tabbing can be bent 45 to 90 degrees from it's original position, it will crack & can be torn away. Leaving very little dust & allowing the wood to be removed. If the glasss was new, this would be pretty tough to do, but it's usually old and brittle.

Take a close look at these 2 photos of my Reinell - the skin & tabbing were completely and cleanly torn away from the floor. Plywood left completely intact, good for pattern making. No damage to hull, very littl clean up.

Just wanted to share this, because it works great & makes less mess - less risk.

In the end - as long as you can get her apart, how you do it is completely up to you. Good luck & please post progress PIX

John & Todd, with out a doubt one of the best Multi tools i have ever owned considering just about everytrhing i own & use is designed for air .Hey guys , i remember using this tool almost 15 years ago at a small shop/marina which at that time was a Fien and when the owner of the Marina offered me this tool to try i said yea right , and what is this going to do .......well to make a long story short i was truely amazed even though back then the Fein was somewhat pricey and now ............. Oscellating tool's are offered through places like Harbour freight at a very affordable price .

I believe I paid $29.00 for mine and have replaced a bunch of the attachements for just a few bucks each. The local HF always keeps the supply of both tools and attachments well stocked. What does make me laugh is when the girl at the counter asks me if I'd like to but the one warranty for $20 when the tool is only $29. My thought is no thanks, I'll just buy another one. My original has lasted 3 years now and is still going strong.

Thanks for all the suggestions! i really am glad i found this website, what a great resource to get tips from all of yall. heres some pics of the boat when i got her...i post more of the progress later. thanks again!...sorry can't get pics to upload...

bhben,your pics are probably too big go to the support forum,it should tell you how to post your pics,john