Gluing wood transom to tubes.

[TheAssels]

Hey everyone,

So I bought myself a used Stryker PVC inflatable last year and the transom has rotted and is about to split. Tried reinforcing it with aluminum plates but that only temporarily fixed the problem so it looks like I'm going to have to replace the transom. I got quoted $1,100 to replace the transom and that seems a bit steep to me so I've been researching how to make and replace my own transom using Marine plywood.

The only thing I can't seem to figure out is how you glue the edges of the wood transom to the tubes. There are these either rubber or PVC braces that the transom fits into that are glued to the tubes but my understanding is that you have to glue the edges of the transom directly to the tubes as well as those braces.

I've read in a couple forums that the stabond 148 works on wood but I can't find anything to confirm that.

[tinker]

Hi, if you search for transom replacement on here there's a number of great posts that run through exactly what you need. Good luck , I have just re glued my Aerotec transom and its a bit of a fiddle to say the least.

[jwalker]

There's a number of post on Ribnet regarding the glueing process. Do a search. However, the principle with glue types is not to use general purpose or hypalon adhesive to glue pvc. Pvc boat fabric adhesive will glue to wood, varnish or fibreglass. The problem is that pvc contains plastisizers which will soften and ruine non-pvc adhesives. So, you must use a pvc specific adhesive for directly bonding pvc.
There's one little trick though...since pvc adhesive resists the plastosizer, it's possible to give a couple of coats of pvc adhesive to the pvc fabric to act as a barrier then use a different adhesive to join to another material.

[GARYSHORT]

Originally Posted by jwalker

there's a number of post on ribnet regarding the glueing process. Do a search. However, the principle with glue types is not to use general purpose or hypalon adhesive to glue pvc. Pvc boat fabric adhesive will glue to wood, varnish or fibreglass. The problem is that pvc contains plastisizers which will soften and ruine non-pvc adhesives. So, you must use a pvc specific adhesive for directly bonding pvc.
There's one little trick though...since pvc adhesive resists the plastosizer, it's possible to give a couple of coats of pvc adhesive to the pvc fabric to act as a barrier then use a different adhesive to join to another material.

this!

[Solgear]

Stabond is what I have used and it adheres to PVC or Hypalon and I've Used it on wood and aluminum. Honestly, $1100 is a deal! Good luck

[Unknown]

I’m guessing your transom is ply but covered in fibreglass and painted. If so, the tubes should not touch the plywood themselves. The both ends of the transom will also be fibreglass so you don’t glue the tubes to the ply it’s self.

I’ve just replaced mine, what I did was pour lots of resin on the end of the ply and slid it into the fibreglass, ensuring some resin squished out of the joints so I knew the gaps were filled.