got a question for you guys, any input would be great. i need to replace my decking in the trihull. its spongy and dry rotted. i was wondering if anyone had ever tried to use aluminum stringers (such as aluminum home studs) and if anyone had any info on this. i am thinking they will last longer, they are lighter, and stronger, and wont rot. i know i am missing something, cause it cant be that easy. if it were why wouldnt any one else be doing it. any help would be great.
I've never used aluminum stringers, although if they're tapered to make them fit you might have to cut the angle out of them and that's what gives them their strength. Since the stringers add strength and reinforcement to the hull, I'm not sure how they would work. Don't know that they wouldn't, I've just never thought about it - might be a good idea, really.:big_smile: If you can get the old stringers out in decent shape you can buy the same thickness board and use the old ones for a template. Trace the shape of the old one on the new board, cut it out, and laminate it with either resin or resin and cloth. You may not need to laminate them, but if you do and somehow get water in there again it will keep them from rotting. I had to do that with my first boat. Sorry to hear about the deck/stringer issues, hope it's not a major project to get it fixed. Hey, if you're in an airwing surely you guys have some old aircraft aluminum components laying around that might work....:wink:
technically i am not supposed to use the aircraft aluminum for person projects, but that doesnt mean that i cant buy it from DRMO and use it then. i was just looking at trying to use something that was strong, lightweight, and wouldnt rot. i think i am going to remove the deck and see how they are laid in there and see if i can work something out. a little epoxy and some fiberglass sould stiffen the joints up in i have to connect them, or i could just get some small aluminum plates cut and pop rivet them together to ensure the joints are strong. just curious if anyone had thought of it before. i cant find any good wood out here that i would use, and i dont want to e doing this over again in 2 years.
Joey, why not pm Mark J, who I feel is the resident expert in matters of this type. You'll get a solid answer from him.
do a yahoo seach for classic aquasport and go to their forum pages. They really go indepth on the hows and whys of stringers. Also they show that it is not that difficult to make them outta fiberglass and how to seal the deck so that it CAN NOT rod unless u punch a hole in bottom of boat. The downside is that when they are replacing stringers they usually find something else and after that something else, and so on. If u r that indepth into a rebuild u might as well commit urself to a several month of every afternoon and all weekends of a COMPLETE rebuild of the interior of your boat.
the aluminum may work harden ..small flexing of the joint will eventually start a stress riser that turns into a crack.. regular plywood is what most boat repair shops use here and resin coat both sides then fiber glass that in place .it is also a good idea to cover the complete board in glass......completely sealed from the elements that way.. . one other thing i carpeted over my floor ..(wish i never done that)..i will remove that and apply a white epoxy coating. and string a little black in here and there , much easier to clean than carpet
