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Old 04-10-2007, 08:27 AM   #21
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Just an opinion on the Fastenal screws: Jim's photo of the new fastener shows the winglet cutters that are meant to automatically shear off once screw has perforated metal back-up to whatever wood product is being installed; I thought the extra cutting oversized the mounting hole, did too much damage to the plywood, so know the winglet cutters snap off easily with pliers.

I pre-drilled the floor and spar with 1/8" bits using chalk line after finding the outside edge of spars & used a counter-sink burr on floor surface only where the plywood actually resisted compressing enough to sink screw flush; usually they crush down too far if allowed! The machine thread gives huge leverage so carefull not to punch clear through plywood...

Also about the Vulkem to bond floor to C-channel; I will be thinning vinyl ester resin down with 15% acetone and soaking the plywood edges with three coats to eliminate moisture wicking BUT I won't be sealing the channel - wood interface in hopes any liquid water that made it that far will just keep going and not start a swamp in the sea-channel...
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Old 04-10-2007, 08:49 AM   #22
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Just a clarification on the photo. Those are the orginals in the pic. I used the exact same fasteners on the new floor purchased from Fastenal. They semed to work well the first time around, so I just duplicated what the factory had done.

Around the perimeter (thru the c-channel on the outriggers) I used 1/4 " bolts fastened on the top side with two lock nuts. I also used lots of 1" pan heads in the c-channel as well as at the joints between the individual sheets of ply (over the cross members down into the small piece of wood below).

I used POR-15 on the frame (even after sand-blasting). POR makes a product that is painted on over the clean metal that etches the steel and gives the POR a base to cling to. As expensive as the POR is, it may be cheaper than the epoxy. Just have to compare prices. I gave about $35 per quart for the POR. I paid about the same (I think) for West Marine epoxy, the POR gives more coverage per quart. POR is good stuff and specifically made for this application. I don't think you can go wrong with it.

Just my 2 cents.

Jim
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Old 04-10-2007, 05:08 PM   #23
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From what I could tell on my 1973 31'r the shorter cross-members were 5/8" lower than the top of the main frame rails. I used 5/8" material which fit just fine at that joint. I happen to think that 4" to 6" of spline at that joint is just fine. I used glue similar to Gorilla glue and screws into the splines. I put my elevator bolts in place after attaching the top sheets to the splines. This way they do exert some hold on the main sheets themselves too - not just the splines. I think maybe the bisquits on the outer part is a little overkill but not a bad idea at all. The factory original did not do that and it seemed to work OK.

I used 1/4" elevator bolts in places that I could reach. I left some of my belly pan in place because it was just fine. In those areas the places that I could reach were limited to the part of the new floor panel where I could reach underneath from above to tighten the nut. I did use self locking nuts by the way.

In other places I used Teks Self-drilling Screws which I found at Home Depot. I have attached a photo that shows what they look like along with their packaging. The shorter ones were just fine for most of the work. The exception was mostly for the places where the flooring sits on top of the flange of the outer wheel wells. There I used the longer screws just fine. In most places the screws self drill without a problem. The place where pre-drilling is needed is where the metal is thicker than the standard cross-members. For me this was for the angle iron member across the top of the fresh water tank. It was also for the new rear cross-member that I put it that was also made out of 1/8" thick angle iron.

Around the bottom edges of the body where it attaches to the floor I used either pan head screws or decking screws with nylon washers. It occurred to me that the nylon washer would provide some isolation between the steel screws and the aluminum frame. Also the type that I used fit the bottom side of the flat-head decking screws just fine. I did use 1/4" bolts through the parts of the u-channel at the curves where there is no lower c-channel on my vintage unit.

I also installed the main sheets lengthwise of the trailer frame. This made it easier to get the plywood into the c-channel at the bottom of the walls and it also reduce the number of joints that occur at crossmembers. I added 3/4" plywood splines down the middle of the floor at that new joint.

I also used Polyboard instead of plywood but that is another story...

Malcolm
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Old 04-17-2007, 04:21 PM   #24
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Greetings all...please look at this picture of the step area of my frame. This was right after I picked it up after sandblasting. The steal in the step area seems to be torn up pretty badly like swiss cheese.

Can anyone recommend a proper way to fix this area? I know that a piece could be cut to fit, and welded in, then groun to be flat, but I am looking for any options.

Also, I don't know if I should be concerned about the C- Channel. It looks pretty ragged, but don't know if I should have it replaced.

Thanks,

Steve
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Old 04-17-2007, 05:00 PM   #25
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From what I can see in the top two pic's, the c-channel doesn't look all that bad. Maybe a better/close up pic would help. The step area....

If you don't want to replace the steel around the step with all new, you can buy flat steel plate in approximately that size HD or Lowes and weld or bolt it in underneath the original.

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Old 04-17-2007, 07:23 PM   #26
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Anyone else have an idea?
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Old 04-18-2007, 06:37 PM   #27
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The C channel isn't that bad use as is.

The frame with the rott....how about a piece of 3/32 or 1/8 sheet steel or alum and just scew it to the old as sister for strenth,

or if it appears to be sound just por it so it can't get worse.
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Old 04-18-2007, 06:46 PM   #28
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It's full of holes...just don't want to loose structural integrity.

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Old 04-19-2007, 06:59 AM   #29
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Then cut it out and weld it up
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Old 04-19-2007, 09:04 AM   #30
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I am prepared to use Zinc Chromate primer on the aluminum rear flooring channel & ribs & lower shell - It will abrade off where flooring binds along its' perimeter yet be a hidden protection for the rest of channel & shell against any standing water over it's next 35 years or so (I hope) ... The spray product I have is meant for aluminum inboard & outboard motor castings where they see constant immersion

On the frame iron - if it is generalized rust and the iron is paper thin you have a problem, if it is just ribbon areas where welds and the bulk of the beam is intact structurally I would be tempted to paint it and call it a "impact crumple zone" - I am curious what the underneath looks like, the remove-replace treatment is probably best as adding to the existing metal dimensions would interfere with shell, etc..
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