Hey Lads,

Part 2..I said a few months but it's taken four, again work was in 2 or 3 hrs blocks as that's all I can manage after work or on weekends between other family commitments.

For anyone interested it started here > http://fishwrecked.com/forum/79-guardian-refurb

So material wise I was lucky to draw on a mates mate and a work contact to get a bit of help and save a few dollars. Could only get 600 chop strand mat and 600 quad axial mat to start with so went with that, yeah saved a few dollars there but used it in the resin as it took a lot to soak the thicker glass. Lay up would consist of a chop, then a wozen mat then another chop on top. Being a newby to laying fibreglass was one thing...doing it 35 deg plus summer heat another, not the best planning but so be it, first small section went well, the second larger section I bit of more than I could handle, I won't lie the second section I came unstuck, had to wait till late arvo, grind the top layer back re-prep and start again in the morning. lesson learnt there on work area and cure time. I had to ask the question about the white spots, it looks like air / dry spots but it's not....It's sweat, and there was plenty of it in the heat, so on went the headband after that as the water is not a good mix.
There are more than a few ways to do this, and there's strong opinions on the different ways.., ply, marine ply, different foams, resins, epoxy etc etc. Mate has worked in the fibreglass boat industry for quite a while, so got a bit of help from him, the rest was reading FB and online threads. I worked on the basics below.
 - All surfaces were mechanically prepared prior lay up - 24 grit, this included the marine ply.
 - All surfaces wiped with Acetone
 - Resin mixed for 1 minute as a minimum before starting
 - All marine ply soaked with resin for a period before glass lay
 - Roll both ways across all surfaces to remove trapped air

So the hull got 3 layers of glass all over to start with, this included the transom.

I then cut the transom, this changed angles so I did it in two parts as per the original removed, bottom half being 50mm thick, 25mm sheets back to back, top sections being 36mm thick, 18mm back to back, install and glue with resin and Cabosil, then another 3 layers of glass over the top.

Next was the stringers, but first more grinding...completed a quick once over straight up. The stringers took a bit of marking and trimming before getting the correct fit, Longways being recommended, these again 36mm thick. Made a jig to hold them in place, the inside proved a natural prep due to the angler so filled that with a mix of resin and Cabosil first, the other side I just poured resin in the top void until the area was full. I then glassed these in, again 3 layers.

Following that...more grinding

Next lot of stringers were the originals that I cut out, these 30mm thick, I cut and grind these to suit. Mate stated the material to be Oregon, the owner of Guardian boats, later Guardian pools loved the stuff apparently, my first thought by look was its ply, but it's actually a hardwood but still light weight. These all got glued in again with resin and Cabosil. I could give these my hardest kick with just the glue alone, no chance of breaking...pretty strong as is without the glass.

But again, 3 layers of glass over the lot. This was painful on the knees and took a lot of work to complete.

Then.....more grinding!

Before a good layer of flow coat with wax, although using Vinylester resin I wanted an extra coat to seal the glass should water ever make its way inside. Overkill maybe but I had the flowcoat given to me so why not, at this stage I felt I had turned a corner...finally!

Next was getting the tank sorted, I called on fellow FW member and mater Paul D to help, Paul runs his own business Perth Stainless services, he specialises in industrial kitchens, range hoods etc, basically anything in stainless sheeting Paul is the man. So I got a template sorted with some sizes and it was cut and pressed up in no time.

Home for fab and welding, I did this myself although I struggled with the thin shit!! a few baffles, a breather both ends, fuel sender, 38mm fuel in and 5/16" fuel out.  The tank I Pneumatic tested using my small tyre compressor and soapy water, didn't like the idea of filling with water...few leaks fixed, should do the job at 160 litres approx. Total cost around $700 mark.

Added some additional timbers using 25mm thick leftovers, these prepped and glued in where the seats will sit giving additional thickness and strength. All this was prepped and covered with Cabosil before the floor sheets were laid to help lock everything in.

All the floor sheets were prepped with a layer of glass on the underside for additional strength and protection, these 15mm thick, originally only 12mm. all stringers were prepped and covered with cabosil before the sheets went down, this after a short cure period.

Once the sheets were down 2" stainless screws went in, more grinding before another 3 layers of glass was applied, this now 450csm and 450 quad woven mat. I wasn't sure what to do about the fuel lines coming up through the floor, but ended up using PVC piping, this was prepped and glassed in. I didn't want to have any soft hatches but in the end made two to access the sender unit and fuel lines should they ever need to be changed out, these I will seal in place using Marine sika before the final coating is applied over the top, these can be cut out reasonably easy if needed.

So that's it for this stage, next will be the transom build, strengthen the cab, finish helm and build the cuddy cabin back out. Might add a bit extra to the front for future anchor winch and side walls for future Pot winch.
Totally hours to this point 144, cost so far just under 3k, but have the timber and glass to finish the job, will need another 20kg of resin and paint still to sort.
Used - 140 liters of Vinyl Ester resin, 600csm role 48m, 600 quad axial 20m, 2 x 18mm sheets marine ply, 1 x 25mm sheet marine ply, 4 x sheets 15mm marine ply. 2 liters catalyst, 30 liters of Acetone, 1kg of Cabosil.