TOPIC: Glasspar G-3 gets a new transom...

the early centerdeck was rated @55hp and the open deck mdl was @65hp, personaly I run an 85 on my opendeck and a 125 on my centerdeck....

I re-enforced my transom to change from a Merc 650 to this Merc 1000 recently.

I raced a G-3 from 1960 to 1974 with a v-4 75hp JohnRude (biggest motor on the market at the time).

Don't exactly know how I posted this twice, but I can't seem to delete the one with only 1 pic.

I re-enforced my transom to change from a Merc 650 to this Merc 1000 recently.

I raced a G-3 from 1960 to 1974 with a v-4 75hp JohnRude (biggest motor on the market at the time).

A little more progress today. This morning, I cut the repaired area down to the proper height-



I used a strip of masking tape to mark the line, and cut away! I used one of those Harbor Freight oscillating tools- It did a great job... ANYONE working on a boat needs to have one of those handy!



After that, I cut some plywood to fit it in place. My template was fairly close, just needed to make some adjustments with the grinder. Once it fit, I needed to get the curve of the transom right-



The outside of the transom is supposed to be 3 1/2" from the yellow string- 3" from the inside corners of the boat, plus 1/2" for the plywood that's in there, too... It's CLOSE, but will need to be 'pushed out' a bit to be dead on.

I clamped a notched 2 x 2 to the stringer, to push the transom out where it needs to be.



And, it's right where I need it to be. I'll mark the 2 x 2 so I can re-clamp it easily when I epoxy the plywood in place.

The next step is to epoxy this layer of plywood in- BUT, I am out of epoxy! I've got an order coming, though...

IN the mean time, I'm going to get all the clamps, wedges, and other Misc. "stuff" I need together so I will be ready to roll once I get my supplies.

-Andrew

Great progress, really looking over the top. thanks for the pictures.
Cal

like was said above,wow you and cal are really going to town on these boats,great jobs guys,john

the savage ii wrote:

I re-enforced my transom to change from a Merc 650 to this Merc 1000 recently.

I raced a G-3 from 1960 to 1974 with a v-4 75hp JohnRude (biggest motor on the market at the time).

Yeah Savage .....now that's what i am talkin about ............yeah buddy .

OFFSHORE GINGER wrote:

the savage ii wrote:

I re-enforced my transom to change from a Merc 650 to this Merc 1000 recently.

I raced a G-3 from 1960 to 1974 with a v-4 75hp JohnRude (biggest motor on the market at the time).

Yeah Savage .....now that's what i am talkin about ............yeah buddy .

Hope Frankenmerc can chime in here with the "Wild Thang " report

I feel like such a slacker! I took the WHOLE weekend off from boat projects (had to take the wife out on a boat to remind her why I do all this!), and then I was stalled on the G-3 while I waited for materials... Luckily, I had the Lake N Sea to keep me busy while I waited...

My epoxy came today- So I could get back to work on THIS project.

I had already dry fit the transom, and I cut some wood wedges to hold it in place while the epoxy sets-



I know that the transom is supposed to be 11 degrees from vertical when done, so I cut the ends of the 2 x 4's at that angle, then cut them about 1/8" longer than the distance between the transom and the stringer, and drove 'em home with a hammer. It is a nice, tight fit- But not TOO snug, because I've still got to get a layer of thickened epoxy in there. Once I was sure it all fit, and that I had all my clamps ready to go, I mixed up a nice big batch of epoxy. Sorry, no photos of this stage- Epoxy and expensive camera equipment just don't mix

I spread a good layer of epoxy, thickened with microballoons, on the inside skin of the transom, about 1/8" or so thick. Then, I installed the transom, and clamped it down all around, using the wedges on the bottom, and clamps on the top. I checked- and double checked- the measurement from the string across the back to make sure that the curve was right- Once this cures, there is no going back!



One layer down- Two more to go!

I SHOULD be able to laminate the next two layers at the same time- I didn't want to do more than one layer of ply this time, because I had a lot going on trying to get the curve & angle of the transom correct... But, once this cures, that will be set- And I'll have a lot less going on... I should be putting the rest of the wood in tomorrow.

-Andrew

Looking good partner. I should be able to come down tomorrow.
Cut the grass today ... RAIN is forecast for Thursday .??

I see you are in Upper Garage.. Great.

Looking good Andrew, glad to hear the supplies came in. You seem to get more done in a few hours than I can in a few weekends. Great progress on both projects. I sincerely appreciate you sharing them, and I believe others here do as well.

Forecast for Atlanta (75 mi. south of you) is for possible rain and thunderstorms Thurs., clearing Fri and a nice weekend ahead!

Yeah, She got moved into the garage in anticipation of the upcoming rain tomorrow... Need to get the transom DONE before the weekend if I can! We're headed down your way (stone mtn).

andrew you amaze me doing 2 boats at once,thanks for the threads,john

All the wood is in place today... It was a good thing I moved it in to the garage- Although it's a bit more cramped in there, it was raining this morning, pretty hard.





It was good and solid with just the first layer of plywood in- now that there are three, it should be rock solid. Once this all cures, it'll be time for some fiberglass.

-Andrew

john_gibson wrote:

andrew you amaze me doing 2 boats at once,thanks for the threads,john

Gotta stay out of trouble somehow, John...

I sure like the way you stay out of trouble! I am amazed at the work you do.

More progress. First, I got the top of the transom cut down to where it needs to be-




Then, I did the final prep work that needed to be done before putting in the stringers... A bit more cutting and grinding-



The floor had been cut out prior to it arriving at my shop. I cut it back another 3 inches or so, so that the joint between the new and old plywood was in a better spot. It'll be concealed by the center deck here, rather than being right in the cockpit. I also tapered the old stringers so that I could join them to the new ones.

Then, I cut all the wood for the new stringers. This is the dry fit-



The new & old stringers will be joined with Scarf joints, so I tapered them-



Then I took all the wood out, and did the last of the glass work on the transom. It's tabbed in to the hull, and the top of it is now glassed as well. This is a weak spot in most glasspars- Where water gets in to the transom to start the rot... That won't happen on this boat!



After the final glass work was in place, I installed the stringers-



They are 'glued' in place with thickened epoxy. Where appropriate, I used fillets for reinforcement. Once this cures, I'll glass them in to the hull to provide more strength, and to seal them off.

It's starting to come together now...

-Andrew

The stringers are glassed in-



Almost time for a floor! Looks like I need to go get some plywood...

-Andrew

The floor is in.





I don't have 'in progress' photos, since I had a lot of epoxy on my hands (well, on my gloves)... But it was a pretty normal installation.

First, I cut it to size, And dry fit it to make sure it was correct. Once I had a decent fit, I beveled the edges so the glass cloth will lay over them etter, and so it looks a little better when it's all done. Then, I flipped the floor over, and spread a good thick coat of unthickened epoxy on the bottom. For those who wonder how much resin it takes to do a job like this, the ply is about 43" x 48", and it took 20 ounces of mixed epoxy to coat it well.

Then, I mixed up a big batch of thickened epoxy. It was 30 oz. before adding filler- I added about 4 cups or so of Cabosil to it, until it was good and thick, about the thickness of peanut butter- Still sticky, but thick enough to 'stand' on it's own without sagging. Then, I put it in a big ziplock bag, and cut the corner off. I used it like a pastry bag to squeeze a generous bead of the mix onto the tops of the stringers, probably about 3/8" or so.

Next, I CAREFULLY dropped the floor panel in place. I used stainless screws in a few places to hold the plywood in place. I like to use stainless deck screws- They are smaller in diameter than wood screws, and they don't require predrilling. Also, the shape of the heads allows them to sink below the surface of the wood, so the hole can be sealed off with epoxy. They are fast, and easy.

Then, I filled the gap between the floor and transom, as well as the gap between the new and existing floor. Before laying the floor, I beveled the edges where they would meet, so I had some room for filler. Once it's sanded, then painted, You'll be hard pressed to see where the old floor ends and the new begins.

Tomorrow, The floor will get a layer of 10 oz. glass cloth on it, then this job is basically done! I'm a little behind schedule, but not too bad...

-Andrew

Andrew,
She's coming along great, that boat is going to be SOLID!

Bob

very well done,whoever your doing this g 3 for is a lucky person,john

The floor is glassed in now.

First, I cut the glass to size-


Then, mixed up a nice big batch of resin... 32 ounces!

And, wet it out-


Having the couple of extra minutes of working time in the relatively cool temps (upper 60's) is nice!

Whenever I'm doing a project like this, I try to have other small projects standing by in case I have leftover resin... I started reinforcing the motor well also-



Much less waste that way!

I'm almost done with this phase of the project now. The owner has to make a few decisions about power and other things before I do anything else- Which probably won't be happening anytime soon...

Really, all that is left now is installing the drains, and finishing and fairing the outside of the transom

-Andrew

JG wrote;

very well done,whoever your doing this g 3 for is a lucky person

You are so right, John! I got the chance to check out this craftsmanship first hand yesterday, Super nice! Having never had the opportunity to check out a G-3 up close in person, I was highly interested in checking out this project. (As well as a couple others there in progress, like ALL of them!) I better understand now the allure to these little speedsters, very cool design!

Most impressive array of Classic Glass to a novice like me, thank you very much for your hospitality and the tour d' eleglass, Andrew! We all have "rare moments in time" that hang in your memory forever, that will be one of mine for sure.

Thanks, Mark... It's too bad you were pressed for time (and it was raining so hard!). You're more than welcome to stop in any time.

This boat didn't drop off the face of the earth- I stopped working on it for a while, because I thought I was heading out 'to sea' for a while... That got pushed back, so I got a little more done.

The transom, stringers, and floor are done. I drilled the holes for the transom drain plugs, and sealed them with epoxy. I won't be installing the plugs until I am done sanding and fairing the transom, But I am going to be putting her away for a little while, with a tarp, and wanted to have a way for water to get out just in case.

I also popped the cap back on-



I don't know HOW I worked before having that gantry- It makes life so much easier- especially when working alone!

The cap isn't permanently installed yet- There is still work to do underneath it. But, I wanted to test fit it to make sure that I got the curve and angle of the transom right. I was a little nervous about that- Remember that a lot of the transom was missing when I started- And I had to get the curve and angle from measurements taken from another boat.

I must have done something right-





It FITS. That is always a relief

The curve is almost dead on, and the angle is just right... I don't need to get out the grinder!!

I'll finish fairing the transom next- It was a little on the chilly side today for epoxy. Once I get that done, I'll put the plugs in.

-Andrew

Excellent Andrew. Glad that new tool is working out so well for you. Definitely very handy for those big jobs.

Bob

andrew i didnt have any doubt that it would line up for you,because i know the great work you do,john

Thanks for the vote of confidence, John- but I'm sure you know how it goes! You measure over and over, and everything should be perfect... But until it actually goes together you've got to keep your fingers crossed

Luckily on this one I had measurements and guidance from someone who's rebuilt plenty of g3s in the past, which really helped.

I'm itching to get some power on this bad boy so I can test drive before delivery to its owner

Really turned out great. Shows to go how patience and attention to detail get the job done the right time the first time.
Thanks for sharing.
Cal

I did a little more today... Since I was working on the stringers in my Lake N Sea, I had the epoxy out I did some little things on the G-3 too.

The splashwell is mangled pretty badly around the back, I think that at one time someone attached it with resin, and when it was removed it was broken. It needed to be reinforced, which I've had to do in 'stages' so one repair could support the next. Once this cures, I'll use some filler on the other side, sand it all down, and once painted, you shouldn't be able to tell that it was ever damaged... In theory



-Andrew

Andrew, you do excellent work and I'm sure NO ONE will tell.

Bob

I popped the cap back off this week, since we were supposed to have some warmer temps.... Man, having a lift like this makes life SO easy-



I took off the windshield and grab rails, so the cap would be ready to sand. The grab rails had been installed by some previous owner with galvinized toggle bolts, not exactly the preferred method! I had been using the grab rails as lifting points, in their absence I am using a couple of eye bolts temporarily installed in the mounting holes.

I hit the inside of the hull with my pressure washer. I've got a tip on it that produces a kind of 'rotary' pattern, that REALLY digs in to old paint. It took a lot of the old Zolatone off the inside of the hull, all of it in some places. The paint that did remain was well attached to the underlying glass.

When I pressure washed, I found an area in the floor that the fiberglass had been worn through- It looks like it was where the gas tanks had been stored, just forward of where I had replaced the floor. The plywood floor was fine there, just a little discolored, So I ground what was left of the glass off, and replaced it with another layer.



Then, I gave it all a good coat of primer-



It's amazing how much more finished things start to look when they are all painted one color, and the repairs are blended in.

Great, looks like you have the hard stuff all tackled. Now the fun begins. Slow down for the season and take a breath.

andrew,i envy you,getting all this work done on 2 boats,i wish i were working on one of mine,but i dont have any heat besides 2 electric heaters ,that skyrocketed my electric bill.
time to save up for a propane plaque wall heater.
i hope to get to work soon,i have alot of other stuff to do.
keep it up andrew,im living through your work,it keeps me dreaming of doing some of mine,thanks buddy,john

John- I know the feeling- It's FRUSTRATING to not be able to work on things... I've been under the weather for the past few weeks, and not able to work nearly as much as I want/need to. It drives me crazy!

I'm in a bit of a rush to get this boat to a point where I can call it done for a while- I just found out I'll be heading back out on a ship next week for a while, so I need to get projects packed up!

-Andrew

I got the second coat of gloss white on the interior this morning- Why is it that when you open a can of paint, Mosquitos appear??? Come on, It's DECEMBER. I guess this warm spell we've been having confused them.



It turned out pretty nice, I think. I had the supplies on hand to do the white, so hopefully the boats owner is OK with that color... If not, It can always be repainted! It's just SO much easier to paint it with the deck off...

I'm going to be packing up the projects this weekend, and heading out 'to sea' for a few weeks... I'll have a lot to get done when I get back.

-Andrew

Looks great Andrew. Have a safe trip and be careful out there. Look forward to your progress once you get back.

Bob

I had the supplies on hand to do the white, so hopefully the boats owner is OK with that color...

I DON'T think he's gonna complain Andrew! If he doesn't like the white, you/he could do a speck/fleck job over it with white as the base color? Echoing what Bob said, please be careful out there and stay in touch!

Yeah, doing a 'fleck' job wouldn't be a problem... I thought about doing it on this one- But when the deck and seats are installed, you really can't see much of the hull anyway, so it would be a lot of work for little benefit. Should he want it done, though, it won't be THAT tough to do- Although it's a lot easier to do with the deck off!

-Andrew