Need info/link on building a floor for a t-bucket

[strontium7@aol.com]

I need info or a link (*preferably) that shows how someone build a floor in a Bucket. I bought a crap rod off a guy and he had channeled the glass body over the frame rails and stuck a 1/2" plywood sheet on top the frame rails for a floor. I want to incorporate a steel frame in the body with a tranny tunnel so that I can SECURELY mount the body tho the chassis. Thanks in advance for any help. Mike

 

[donsrods]

That is the way 99% of them are done. I just go to Home Depot and pickup some 1/2 t0 3/4 exterior grade plywood, cut it to shape, tab it to the sides with fiberglass, and then glass over the whole thing top and bottom with a couple of layers of glass mat.

My 27 was done that way over 20 years ago and the wood is like brand new because it is encapsulated in the glass and no moisture can get to it to delaminate it. (seal the edges with some resin). I also add stringers to the sides to give the body some support and to attach upholstery to.

Here is how I did my old 23.

Don

 

[donsrods]

This is a picture of my 27 about 2 years ago when I redid the car. This same interior wooding is in it today and has been there for about 23 years. Most boats are built exactly like this, glass over wood stringers and transoms (well up until recent years, anyway) and those are exposed to a lot more wetness than our cars will ever see in a lifetime.

Don

 

[strontium7@aol.com]

I need info or a link (*preferably) that shows how someone build a floor in a Bucket. I bought a crap rod off a guy and he had channeled the glass body over the frame rails and stuck a 1/2" plywood sheet on top the frame rails for a floor. I want to incorporate a steel frame in the body with a tranny tunnel so that I can SECURELY mount the body tho the chassis. Thanks in advance for any help. Mike

Thanks Don, That was quick!! What you did was close to want I was thinking. Mike.

 

[strontium7@aol.com]

What resin did you use or does iot matter that much? Also did you use fiberglass mat anywhere or is that overkill?

 

[Francis Blake]

Be sure to use epoxy resin, polyester dose not stick to fibreglass very well. If there is a boat shop that does repair close to you they will probably sell you some epoxy resin at a fair price. Be liberal with the epoxy and sand the area the wood will glue to real well, and you shouldn't need any matt .

 

[2old2fast]

Huh ??? Fiberglass = [in most cases] polyester resin & glass fiber. Applied properly adheres to itself ,wood , steel , etc. quite well , I've seen this before & wonder where this idea started ?? ]fiberglass won't stick to , well, fiberglass!!! dave

 

[donsrods]

I just retired from the boat industry and most of the work we did and what the boat builders do is with polyester resin. Epoxy does have some benefits, especially if you are going back over some previous work, it will bite in better, but for installing a wood floor and stringers I always use polyester. Cost is another factor, epoxy is much more expensive than polyester.

Avoid the "discount" boat megastores as they want to sell you prepackaged mat and cloth at about 10 times what you will pay at a true marine repair type business. Same goes for the resin, a good boat store will pump it out of 55 gallon drums and sell it much cheaper than the places like West Marine (I worked there for years). The peroxide hardner is good for about a year and then it goes stale, so you need to find a place that turns it over fast. If you have a fiberglass supply store in your area they are good places to buy also.

I work with mat generally, as opposed to cloth. It conforms to corners better and wets out better than cloth. You rarely see mat pulling away from wood but you will see cloth delaminating quite often. The biggest pain with working with glass is the itch from grinding dust. Wear long sleeve shirts, or better yet one of the paper suits with a hood, and plastic gloves. If you do start to itch lather your body with baby oil and get into the shower with hot water. Use a stiff scrub brush and brush in one direction while rinsing the oil off. Ladies pantyhose is also a good item to rub over your arms and anyplace else you are itching, they will pull the glass fibers out of your pores. ( I know, kinda weird, but it works )

Don

 

[donsrods]

The post timed out before I was able to add something. The library will have some excellent books on boat building and repairs. The same procedures that work for a boat work for a fiberglass car project. I bet there are also some good videos on the subject on YouTube, if you look there.


Don

 

[strontium7@aol.com]

I really appreciate your time in responding to my question. I will start posting pics of my progress. Mike

 

[PotvinGuy]

Mike, heed Don re glass dust. I wear coveralls, disposable gloves, a painters cotton hood and a full face respirator. And cover everything you can. That dust goes everywhere.

 

[marcus]

Hey, Don;

& others: I've been wondering about why you couldn't use pink/blue foam instead of wood for bracing. & maybe the floor, & possibly the firewall, although any holes would need to be sleeved w/plastic tubing 1st, so's the foam wouldn't crush. Since we're encapsulating either the foam or wood entirely w/resin & glass, netting us basically a fiberglass tube, the only difference is the substance inside for the forms' shape.

I get that polyester melts the foam, but vinyl-ester & epoxy don't - or so I'm told. I'm thinking along the lines of EAA construction here, but have only seen/read a little bit of that, & need to do more. I'm partially thinking lighter weight here, (for a feather-weight project), but also ease of carving, etc.

I suppose that for the best strength/ lightness, I should use helicopter Al-honeycomb & magnesium everything, but don't have access to, nor the cubic coin, for either.

Don, since you've just got out of the boat-business, can you shoot this down, please?

TIA.

Marcus...

 

[Keeper]

Most people use wood since you can mount stuff to it. Much easier to screw into wood then sleeving glass and hoping you put it in the correct spot.

That being said. There are posts on here of folks using wood strips, then filling the gaps with foam, but they used the green "Planters" foam and the resin will not eat it on application.

If you search through the Body forum you should find the posts about foam.

 

[Keeper]

Here is a good thread about the foam:

http://www.tbucketeers.com/threads/wood-in-place.7003/

 

[marcus]

Hey, Keeper;

Thanks. I was thinking about the sleeves for the body to frame bolts. Just contemplating options for a future build.

I was kinda wondering about structural downsides, if any.

Marcus...