Zach Taylor widgeon by mighty layout boys HELP
- Thread starter Dylan N
- Start date
Dylan N
New member
Which foam core is best coosa board, kerdyn,divinycell?
Can't really offer an opinion, you will need to ask others, research, compare, and make your own decision.
I have an MLB Chuck Huff. I believe Dave does too? It's a bit bigger than your widgeon and is rated for up to 15hp.
The earlier Chuck Huff models had floor flexing problems and some even developed cracks and leaked. I believe there are threads documenting the early problems and solutions. Adding the foam core, as Dave and Eric have suggested, was the factory solution to the flexing issues. Mine has, what appears to be, a thin 1/2" ish thick core layer glassed on top of the boat floor/bottom.
With a 15hp motor, empty, my little boat runs around 26mph and there are virtually no flex issues. If I run perpendicular across large chop, you see a bit of movement but nothing that is concerning or worrisome. If I were you, I'd look hard into the foam core solution.
The earlier Chuck Huff models had floor flexing problems and some even developed cracks and leaked. I believe there are threads documenting the early problems and solutions. Adding the foam core, as Dave and Eric have suggested, was the factory solution to the flexing issues. Mine has, what appears to be, a thin 1/2" ish thick core layer glassed on top of the boat floor/bottom.
With a 15hp motor, empty, my little boat runs around 26mph and there are virtually no flex issues. If I run perpendicular across large chop, you see a bit of movement but nothing that is concerning or worrisome. If I were you, I'd look hard into the foam core solution.
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Dylan~
I have not worked on this vessel. I have, however, stiffened floors on numerous South Bay Duckboats whose floors are notorious for oil-canning. I add additional floors - and reinforce the existing ones. I use PVC "lumber for the frames and 1708 for both the new frames and the existing. I mill the PVC to a trapezoidal section on my table saw:
Here are both old and new - with the 1708 set in epoxy.
Having said that, the Divinycell suggestion sounds like a fine fix.
All the best,
SJS
Dylan N
New member
Thanks Steve great idea
Dylan N
New member
This thread has been of what I noticed as visual and feel when I bought the boat but now I finally put the boat in the shop and started diving into it. Here’s what I have found and now have physical evidence. But I would like to be told what the hell to do now. The floor is to what looks like to me. Glass at the hull then closed foam of some sort then mat glass on top with a dusting of paint. In the pictures u will see the oil can feeling from pushing on it come to find out is the thin void where the closed cell foam is moving to hit the hull. Also seems like a piece was ram down the bottom below that like a spine. So water went through the mat and into that foam area. I sucked as much out with my vacuum pump fluid extractor (for cars). But what now. Do I have to grind the edges and remove all this and start over. Or just put my 1708 layer over this and epoxy it? Do I try injecting thickened epoxy into the void…..? Also the combing come to find out actually does have plywood standing on edge Inside. Do I saw the top off and replace with closed cell foam or just fill it with thickened epoxy and run a strip of 1708 over it? When I pushed the silicone out of holes someone filled. It looked like the top of the boat is made of a core of that closed cell looking foam.
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Dylan
I am not a fan of patching over damaged or weak areas. I approach things as I can do better than the original builder because look at how his work held up. Looking at your pictures I would tear out any damaged areas and get back to good solid glass and then build back. Once you make up your mind to get destructive the tear down will go faster than you think. It looks to me like you can cut the floor out, put some foam pink board down with all the hard edges rounded over, and glass over the top several times to rebuild a sturdy floor. For the coaming I would dig out all that flaky loose looking stuff and see if I could cut some wood pieces to epoxy back in, filling all voids, and make solid again. Or I might remove all of it and rebuild with wood and glass it. Without being there, it is hard to say exactly how I'd go about it, but to answer your question, yes, start over. Once you set your mind to it you will feel better and begin making progress.
I am not a fan of patching over damaged or weak areas. I approach things as I can do better than the original builder because look at how his work held up. Looking at your pictures I would tear out any damaged areas and get back to good solid glass and then build back. Once you make up your mind to get destructive the tear down will go faster than you think. It looks to me like you can cut the floor out, put some foam pink board down with all the hard edges rounded over, and glass over the top several times to rebuild a sturdy floor. For the coaming I would dig out all that flaky loose looking stuff and see if I could cut some wood pieces to epoxy back in, filling all voids, and make solid again. Or I might remove all of it and rebuild with wood and glass it. Without being there, it is hard to say exactly how I'd go about it, but to answer your question, yes, start over. Once you set your mind to it you will feel better and begin making progress.
Dylan
If you need some encouragement or ideas take a look at the boat repair made by @ChadW. He was dealing with similar issues and did a really nice job at resolving them. Better than new!
duckboats.net
If you need some encouragement or ideas take a look at the boat repair made by @ChadW. He was dealing with similar issues and did a really nice job at resolving them. Better than new!
BBSB Rehab Help
Sorry for the confusion, I had a lot of problems posting. See below: looking to rehab the bottom of this old sneakbox. We've already started tearing the horizontal supports out, as they are broken and unrepairable. The previous repair attempts, by previous owners, have failed and we would like...
duckboats.net
Dylan N
New member
Thanks Eric. Yeah it’s been a mental hurdle for me. Never done large glass work. But I’ve come to the mental conclusion I need to cut it out dry it out and start over. That foam looks like divinycell to me. I’ll begin work and post pics with updates. Idk what “foam pink board” is but I was gonna use divinycell.
This would be my approach to the crack in the floor/hull.
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Dylan N
New member
Eric I read that thread he has wood stringers and a totally different animal it seemsDylan
If you need some encouragement or ideas take a look at the boat repair made by @ChadW. He was dealing with similar issues and did a really nice job at resolving them. Better than new!
BBSB Rehab Help
Sorry for the confusion, I had a lot of problems posting. See below: looking to rehab the bottom of this old sneakbox. We've already started tearing the horizontal supports out, as they are broken and unrepairable. The previous repair attempts, by previous owners, have failed and we would like...
Dylan N
New member
Wow Dave that diagram is really good. Thank you for taking the time to do that. But that “crack” is what I grinder out where it was really flexing. It seems like the tin canning I’m getting is from the play between foam board and the hull.
He tore out all the bad, got to a strong base and then rebuilt from the ground up. Same approach I'd take with your situation.