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I didn't jig mine. The pad on the blank and supports at the chines. Spaeth does them on the foor. I didnt have a good flat surface to do it on so I came up with the plank idea. With the plank I was also able to pitch the boat bow high so I could hose out and clean the surfaces and it would all go out the drain. It was simple and worked well. The pad stayed uniform and so did the rest of the hull. It sounds like you got the right idea, My core was so wet and rotted in smelled bad. It was easy to get out though Try to get some pics Bill! If ya have any ??? Holler!

The core was bad but it's still on there pretty solid. We are chipping as best we can. Making progress. Temps in the mid 30's. Bill

Be carfull, no holes please. If its to tough to chip off, 36 grit on a grinder will chew it up pretty quick. I had a few spots like that.

Yeah - Thanks Rick, I will be extra careful. I'm real close to starting with the grinding. The very bottom of the original stringers are still in and cut off just above the bottom. Is it best to sand them out? I was nervious about trying top chisel them out. Some places were rotted enough that I got it out but other spots are still real solid. Bill

I used a die grinder with a cut off wheel on it and just kept pokin at them and next thing i knew they just fell down. Are they bonded to the hull or on top of the core? Mine were'nt in there very good. They just slapped these things togeather.

Mine are bonded to the hull. the core stopped next to the stringers. I have cut them off low with a sawsall. I have about 1/4 inch left on that will have to be grinded or chipped at. Rick, did you core under the new stringers of bond them to the hull? Do you remember how they were originally? Bill

Bonded to the hull. Thats the way it was built. There's a lot of talk about this but I figured it lasted all these years and the boat didn't break, I'll do it the same way. I used 1/2 REAL marine ply. The original was only cheap ply with only a few plies, the stuff I used had a lot of plies.

Yes, The stringers in a vulture are bonded to the hull with no core under them. Thats how mine is as well. There looks to be alot less core material in a vulture also then in a viper (Look at Chets viper) but I could be wrong. Size of the boat may make for an optical illusion.

I agree. The core on the Vulture does not come up as high on the sides of the boat as the Viper. All the core is under the floor. I was just questioning having one big sealed off core area vs three different core areas. Seems in concept that you create more areas that could possibly allow water into the core area and beginning the rot all over again. I intend to put it back in exactly like it was also. Maybe a thicker stringer though. Not sure yet. Need to start getting the materials soon. Bill

Quote 77Viper as saying "One thing I was told is that resin by itself isn't waterproof, that's why I gel coated the entire inside." Chet, could you tell me more about this? Did you spray the inside after all cleaned with gel coat before coring? Would I only do something like this if I'm going with balsa? It wouldn't matter if I went foam. Is that accurate? Bill