many questions about repairing/replacing stringers

[carboncow]

How do you feel about acetone on the gelcoat since it's doing the best? Any first hand knowledge or experience?

Tried goo gone, west marine adhesive remover as well as the industrial citrus cleaner we use for adhesives at work. Will consider the difference acid but just went out and tested the peanut butter...I think that's best left to price labels on the bottom of dishes!!

[Striper80]

When I painted my outboard cowling I used 3m wood grain adhesive remover. It came in an aresol. Acetone will evaporate too fast. There's also a 3m general adhesive remover that should work. I hope that what's left is the glue and not staining from the eraser wheel. Sometimes they can heat up and burn the Gelcoat.

[carboncow]

Thanks for the input...

The acetone works great...but I just don't know what damage it can do. By evap'ing to quick do you mean it's gone before it can do the work?

I'll have a look for the other products...

If you burn gel coat it's pretty obvious even to an untrained eye. This is clearly left over decal and glue.

[Striper80]

Originally Posted by carboncow

Thanks for the input...

The acetone works great...but I just don't know what damage it can do. By evap'ing to quick do you mean it's gone before it can do the work?

I'll have a look for the other products...

If you burn gel coat it's pretty obvious even to an untrained eye. This is clearly left over decal and glue.

Exactly. I work as an auto painter and what we normally use is enamel reducer. I was talking to a guy I work with and he recommended naptha. It's available at Home Depot and he said it's similar.

[carboncow]

OK, it was a long Sunday but the floor is in and we peanut buttered all the gaps. As you can see from the photos we created a "lip" for the new floor to sit on top of as it touches the permitter of the old floor. We took 2x4 and resined them and glued/wood deck screwed them into the glass and then the new floor on top of them. We had a couple high and low spots on the stringers & bulkheads and knocked down and built up and with everything screwed in the floor is unbelievably strong...if anyone has a baby elephant we could test it.

We used cabasol (sp?) and 1/4" chopped strand with our epoxy resin to fill the gaps and we'll grind things down on Tuesday (two days). Then it's time to put down one layer of glass and epoxy resin on the deck...and the floor is done!

Next steps include restoring the hull and prepping the interior for a Line-X type product.

[mannydvk11]

nice built so far please send me a email with you number and ill be happy to answer all your questions

[carboncow]

Thanks. We are 100% done on stringers, floor, fill and sand. We will be "rolling" textured durabak this week on the floor and smooth durabak on center console and gunnel. Once dry it will be remounting t-top and hardware.