Next Job - Installing new Hypalon Tubes onto Fibreglass hull

[S4Simon]

This will keep me busy over the weekend.

I'll add pics and general writeup guide as I go.

Old tubes have been removed and new tubes ready to go (pictured below). Customer also wants seat tabs installed for rowing. Tubes have been inflated to check general fit and gaps. Craft is 3.3m in length.

[S4Simon]

End of day one. Lower trim applied to the fibreglass using a heat activated adhesive.



Front bow tube tacked on to lower trim using a heavy duty 2 part adhesive. With the tubes now located in the right position at the bow - everything else should just fall into place - position wise.



Tubes deflated and the inner V applied to the hull, again using heat activated glue. The 'V' is just a strip of Hypalon that has been folded and sewn using a industrial sewing machine. Makes it very simple to keep the V shape when applying it to the tubes. Again a heat activated adhesive will be used as we can position the fabric against the tubes and then activate the glue - very simple.



Tomorrow - Day 2 we'll bond the entire lower surface and also finish off the inner V's.

[stray]

Does it work out much cheaper with all the work it involves to replace the tubes, rather than to just by a new rib?

[S4Simon]

In this instance this boat is a tender to a large Riviera cruiser, so cost isn't a concern.

To give you an idea of costings though. New Hypalon tubes $2200, Removal and prepping of hull $150. Installation of new tubes $300. So around $2650 + 10% commission to dealership for delivery costs + taxes equates to around $3000. Or 1750 UK Pounds.

[S4Simon]

Day 2. Bonded lower surface. No dramas.



Bound up the tubes so as to press them into the transom. Then the painstaking job of glueing the tubes to the transom. Always the worst job.



Transom completed. Just need to screw down the two transom tabs.



Now it's just the seat tabs and the inner 'V' to glue. Which runs between the fibreglass hull and tubes.

[stray]

Do you do this as a part time job, or is there enough work to make a living?

[S4Simon]

Part time cash job. Large jobs like this are very time consuming and would cost a fair bit from a repair shop.

[S4Simon]

Day 3 - Seat tabs on. Easy job.





And innner V glued to the tubes.



Job difficulty rating: Difficult