Filling Holes on Transom

[Corey_lax]

I’ve sold my old motor and the new motor has a 25” leg. I’m going to weld a 1/4” aluminum piece on the back that will raise the transom 5” to suit the new motor. Most of the transom will be covered by this aluminum as shown in the one photo of a buddies boat.

I have lots of small holes in the transom from various transducer installs, speedometer, and the four large holes from the old motor mounting location. What would you do to fill these holes? Drill to fit 1/4” wood dowel and pound some dowel in with epoxy and sand flush? The holes will all be covered by the aluminum so they don’t have to be very aesthetically pleasing.

 

[kingblazer84]

I’ve sold my old motor and the new motor has a 25” leg. I’m going to weld a 1/4” aluminum piece on the back that will raise the transom 5” to suit the new motor. Most of the transom will be covered by this aluminum as shown in the one photo of a buddies boat.

I have lots of small holes in the transom from various transducer installs, speedometer, and the four large holes from the old motor mounting location. What would you do to fill these holes? Drill to fit 1/4” wood dowel and pound some dowel in with epoxy and sand flush? The holes will all be covered by the aluminum so they don’t have to be very aesthetically pleasing.

im doing the same on my hull going to use dowel material and sikaflex 291 marine white, why not run a jack plate instead of a whole sheet of alum on the transom?

 

[Corey_lax]

im doing the same on my hull going to use dowel material and sikaflex 291 marine white, why not run a jack plate instead of a whole sheet of alum on the transom?

I want it to be stronger than a jackplate. I don’t like that idea of giving a heavier engine more leverage on the transom. I’d rather spread the weight out across the transom. The jackplates also move the engine even further back and I’d rather keep it in the same plane of the transom.

I’m gonna weld in a C-shape of aluminum to mount transducers without ever putting another hole into the transom. Plus aluminum is readily available at my work.

 

[dance a jig]

before filling, I would want to make sure there is no wet wood in the holes by probe or slight overdrilling, then fill completely with MarineTex http://marinetex.com/products/marine-tex-products/marine-tex-epoxy-putty/ and fair smooth. If you do find wet wood, you have a problem you do not want to ..... grow, and I would saturate with Smiths CPES http://www.smithandcompany.org/CPES/ which alot of wood boatwrights use to stop rot, and then cover with your aluminum plate. good luck. DAJ

 

[Corey_lax]

before filling, I would want to make sure there is no wet wood in the holes by probe or slight overdrilling, then fill completely with MarineTex http://marinetex.com/products/marine-tex-products/marine-tex-epoxy-putty/ and fair smooth. If you do find wet wood, you have a problem you do not want to ..... grow, and I would saturate with Smiths CPES http://www.smithandcompany.org/CPES/ which alot of wood boatwrights use to stop rot, and then cover with your aluminum plate. good luck. DAJ

Thanks DAJ. this is my plan

 

[ericl]

Check these guys out:

https://www.rotdoctor.com/

They make a thin penetrating epoxy; give them a call.

 

[Corey_lax]

Check these guys out:



They make a thin penetrating epoxy; give them a call.

I have some of their S1 penetrating epoxy

 

[YachtMech]

I have some of their S1 penetrating epoxy

you can also get system three rotfix, works the same way, pretty much any marine supplier can get it for you in a couple days.

 

[Corey_lax]

you can also get system three rotfix, works the same way, pretty much any marine supplier can get it for you in a couple days.

I pulled all the screws today and didn’t find much or any rot. One of the transom well drains had a seal failure so the wood was a bit questionable there. I’ll scrape, S1 it or Gitrot. Then marine tex and redrill 1” for the new drain tubes. Everything will be set into a ton of 5200.

I already got S1 penetrating epoxy, marinetex, gitrot, and the regular west systems epoxy from previous projects. I don’t really want to buy anymore epoxy types lol. I feel like I got enough to be satisfied with this.

might get a long drill bit and drill some holes straight down the transom and fill with gitrot or S1 just because I like epoxy better than wood and I got epoxy lol

 

[YachtMech]

I pulled all the screws today and didn’t find much or any rot. One of the transom well drains had a seal failure so the wood was a bit questionable there. I’ll scrape, S1 it or Gitrot. Then marine tex and redrill 1” for the new drain tubes. Everything will be set into a ton of 5200.

I already got S1 penetrating epoxy, marinetex, gitrot, and the regular west systems epoxy from previous projects. I don’t really want to buy anymore epoxy types lol. I feel like I got enough to be satisfied with this.

might get a long drill bit and drill some holes straight down the transom and fill with gitrot or S1 just because I like epoxy better than wood and I got epoxy lol

since you are basically making a doubler plate by the sounds of it, all you have to do is make sure the structure is strong enough so it doesent collapse. Im sure you have been warned about using the devils toothpaste, but yeah it will hold, but honestly 4200 would be more than enough to seal everything up and would keep you from tearing apart the transom if you ever have to remove the plate. Ive actually seen gelcoat and fiberglass delam when parts that were sealed with 5200 were removed.

 

[Corey_lax]

since you are basically making a doubler plate by the sounds of it, all you have to do is make sure the structure is strong enough so it doesent collapse. Im sure you have been warned about using the devils toothpaste, but yeah it will hold, but honestly 4200 would be more than enough to seal everything up and would keep you from tearing apart the transom if you ever have to remove the plate. Ive actually seen gelcoat and fiberglass delam when parts that were sealed with 5200 were removed.

Thanks for that advice. I don’t have any 4200 but do have sikaflex 291. That’s probably on-par with the 4200?

 

[YachtMech]

Thanks for that advice. I don’t have any 4200 but do have sikaflex 291. That’s probably on-par with the 4200?

yes sika 291 is basically right in between 4200 and 5200, its slightly stronger than 4200, but does take a longer to cure. So keep that in mind if you are planning on dropping the boat in soon after mounting

 

[Corey_lax]

Back piece is on and set into sikaflex. Will let that cure and weld on the sandwich panel to it next weekend then I’m ready to mount the new motor

 

[brutus]

since you are basically making a doubler plate by the sounds of it, all you have to do is make sure the structure is strong enough so it doesent collapse. Im sure you have been warned about using the devils toothpaste, but yeah it will hold, but honestly 4200 would be more than enough to seal everything up and would keep you from tearing apart the transom if you ever have to remove the plate. Ive actually seen gelcoat and fiberglass delam when parts that were sealed with 5200 were removed.

Yes, 5200 is permanent if done right, gel coat and fiberglass will rip off when trying to pull whatever you are trying to pull apart, it’s a adhesive and sealant

 

[brutus]

Yes, 5200 is permanent if done right, gel coat and fiberglass will rip off when trying to pull whatever you are trying to pull apart, it’s a adhesive and sealant

By done right I mean sand the shinny stuff off the gel coat before applying if you don’t it will not stick properly, if you do it’s not coming apart

 

[Doubleheader]

Aluminum is for aluminum boats lol. I would have built it up with marine ply and 1708 and epoxy personally.

 

[brutus]

Aluminum is for aluminum boats lol. I would have built it up with marine ply and 1708 and epoxy personally.

Yes me too, but not all have the will to do structural glass job on a transom, will it work yes it will

 

[Corey_lax]

Yes me too, but not all have the will to do structural glass job on a transom, will it work yes it will

Brutus nailed it. Not worth the time for this old hull in my opinion. This would be a perfect time for a 16-17’ silver streak without power to come available and then I would put my new 90 hp on there instead. This hull just isn’t worth it.

if my boat was a double eagle or Hourston, then I might justify the time spend to glass it in because it would maybe hold some value over the years but a 1980 Starcraft fibreglass doesn’t hold the same allure on the west coast as a DE or a Hourston

 

[Doubleheader]

Brutus nailed it. Not worth the time for this old hull in my opinion. This would be a perfect time for a 16-17’ silver streak without power to come available and then I would put my new 90 hp on there instead. This hull just isn’t worth it.

if my boat was a double eagle or Hourston, then I might justify the time spend to glass it in because it would maybe hold some value over the years but a 1980 Starcraft fibreglass doesn’t hold the same allure on the west coast as a DE or a Hourston

One day’s work and a couple hundred in glass materials. Aluminum isn’t cheap, neither is sika or 5200.

 

[Corey_lax]

One day’s work and a couple hundred in glass materials. Aluminum isn’t cheap, neither is sika or 5200.

One days work? I’d probably separate the top from the bottom and put in big sheets of marine ply if I was doing that. Ply is more than aluminum in my case haha. I’m into it for $100 worth of aluminum and 5 tubes of sikaflex and epoxy that I already had