TOPIC: transom wood done...and a couple of questions

Despite the dew point of 76 yesterday, I got the new transom pieces cut and fitted for the Glastron. Not perfect, but everything bears where it is supposed to. Glued the small pieces for the fins yesterday and plan on epoxying the two transom pieces this week.

There have been previous posts with some great photos of clamps for gluing the new wood to the existing fiberglass transom. I searched archives and couldn't find them. If you have a pic, I'd appreciate it if you could post it. Hope to do that next weekend.

Also, what would be the appropriate adhesive the glue the wood to the fiberglass? Would an epoxy be compatible?

I'm thinking I would brush it with resin and clamp it in place. I have a pair of those long Vice-Grip clamp that has a throat of about a foot or more. I'd beg, borrow a few pair or get some cheapies from Harbor freight. Well mine have a much deeper and longer jaws. www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps/11-inch-swivel-pad-lock-grip-pliers-39535.html OK Mine have a depth of 10 inch. These a cheapies and I'm not sure where I got them. I used them on my transom. It was not bad but needed some glue injected from the top and held in place.

fiberglassics.com/glassic-forums/2-main-forum/50141-removing-the-deck.html#50730

It figures that at least some would be in a thread that I started.

I was thinking about trying to building something using some using woodworkers handscrew clamps (on sale at Harbor Freight). Also thought of pre-drilling the drain hole and using a large bolt with washers.

It figures that at least some would be in a thread that I started.

Welcome to the "Cant Remember Squat" club Todd! LOL

Transom drain hole, splashwell hole, motor mount bolt holes, stern eye mount holes (if you're putting any on) would all be good candidates if you know where they're going to be located. Doing it this way will also enable you to coat the inside of these holes with resin as well, sealing them against future water infiltration. (Just use smaller bolts than whatever is going in the hole finally, and coat your "clamping bolts" with vaseline so you can get them out!)

I think My Flamingo was the one who had the long wooden clamps like you were talking about, or maybe MtDora Gary? (Here goes my CRS again.)

I elected to use an epoxy when redoing my transoms. Factors were strength, adhesion to wood and fiberglass. I believe I used a layer of biaxial cloth between each also. Saturated the inner skin and the wood, then put the cloth on the wood and saturated that as well. then clamped.

Some pics here-

www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-forums/2-main-forum/46435-glasspar-g-3-gets-a-new-transom.html?limit=40&start=40#47262

I'd use thickened epoxy to bond it to the existing fiberglass. If you use epoxy, there is no real reason to use cloth between the two layers... You'll want a good layer over the top of it, though. I used Biaxial, to get good thickness quickly. If you do, make sure you're using a biaxial cloth that's compatible with epoxy, some use binders that are designed to dissolve in poly resin (well, technically in STYRENE), and don't like to be wet out with epoxy...

-Andrew