Ensure that the cavity is dry. Remove all rotted timber and vacuum clean. Scrub both inner and outer skins with Acetone before using TransCore. Plug any holes that will leak the liquid TransCore. Once you have determined the correct quantity of material needed to fill the cavity in a continuous pour (see TransCore Calculator) , add the Part B Hardener and mix well. When fully mixed (Base and Hardener), now add the Basalt fibre pack to the mix. Mix no more than the 20 kg Kit at a time. Your working time will vary greatly because of local climatic conditions, but it could be as little as 20 mins or as long as 35 minutes (in cold weather). Each kit has 3 components (1. The base-filled Epoxy Part A, 2. The filled hardener Part B and 3. The bag of Basalt chopped fibres). It is critical to mix exactly the correct amount of components (especially the hardener supplied) with each kit. To mix the product it is best to use a heavy-duty 100mm (4") double-blade mixing attachment with a heavy-duty drill with a 12mm (½”) or larger chuck. Mix the product for 3 minutes. Please note that TransCore will expand slightly when mixed and will generate a slight amount of heat.

(Suggested mixing drill attachment)

After approximately 5 hours, or better, once the material has fully solidified, carefully remove the dammed panels (if they were used). Now you will be fine to continue with any other work on the transom. Like all epoxies, full strength is obtained over the following days.

* For those wanting to understand a little more about the concept of Transom cores? And why have the two skins (inner and outer)? I have picked up snippets from various sites, but I think the one from Fiberglassics.com does cover the subject well.

The Core Principles:

Cored fiberglass, also known as sandwich construction, is stiffer than solid fiberglass of equal weight. But why is that?

The principle behind this is similar to I-beam construction (also known as "H-beam" but somewhat confusingly referred to as "W-beam," which stands for "wide flange," and even more confusingly as "Double T" construction).

In an I-beam, two thin lengths of steel are stiff in the horizontal direction but flexible in the vertical direction. These are connected by a third steel piece that is stiff in the vertical direction but flexible horizontally. The result is an I-beam that is stiffer in every direction compared to a solid piece of steel of the same weight.

Now, how does this apply to a transom with a core? While a transom isn't made from I-beams, it does utilize the same basic concept. A transom consists of sheets of fiberglass bonded to either side of a solid core. At first glance, that may not seem like the same thing.

Let's consider a hypothetical experiment: Imagine you have two lengths of 12mm (½-inch) thick fiberglass, each exactly 3 meters (10 feet) long. If you lay them on top of each other, the outer edges will perfectly align. Now, mark the edges of each piece at 300mm (one-foot) intervals with a pencil.

If you then bend them into a U-shape, you will notice the edges of the fibreglass no longer line up. This happens because the inside of the curve has a tighter radius than the outside. When you check your pencil marks, they will align perfectly at the middle of the bend, but the further away from the middle you go, the larger the gap between pencil marks becomes. This gap is referred to as "shear."

Now, if you repeat the experiment but screw the two pieces together at each pencil mark, you will find that bending them is significantly more difficult. This is because the fasteners prevent the two pieces from shearing away from each other.

This is essentially what a core does: it limits the ability of the two fiberglass panels in a transom to bend away from each other. The thicker the core material, the stiffer the overall structure. For instance, according to data from Nidacore (a manufacturer of composite core materials), a sandwich construction of fiberglass-Nidacore-fiberglass was seven times stiffer than the same amount of fiberglass without a core. When the thickness of the core material was doubled, the stiffness increased to 37 times greater than fiberglass alone.

Stiffness vs. Strength:

As demonstrated, adding a core between two fiberglass skins significantly enhances stiffness. However, it's important to note that stiffness and strength are not the same thing, and confusing the two can lead to serious problems at sea.

In the earlier example, 25mm (1 inch) of core material was sandwiched between two 6mm (¼-inch) fiberglass skins, resulting in a stiffness that was 37 times greater than just 12mm (½ inch) of fibreglass alone. But how much did this improve strength? The increase in strength was hardly noticeable. The overall strength was limited to the strength of 12mm (½ inch) of fibreglass plus that of the core material itself. Essentially, it still takes approximately the same amount of force to break through solid fiberglass as it does to break through cored fiberglass. The key difference is that solid fiberglass will deflect (bend) long before it fractures.

Here's an interesting analogy: When you hang a 113 Kg (250-pound) outboard motor from your transom, any flexing will amplify the force caused by the motor. For example, if you step on a bathroom scale and it reads 79 kg (175 pounds), but then you hop up and down on the balls of your feet, you'll see the needle fluctuate wildly. Although your weight is 79 Kg (175 pounds), during the downward motion, the needle might register 136 Kg (300 pounds). In this analogy, you are the outboard motor, and the scale represents the transom. The bouncing motion symbolizes the force amplified by the deflection.

Therefore, while a cored transom may not enhance overall strength, it effectively reduces deflection and, consequently, the amplified force acting on the transom. In summary, a stiffer transom doesn't necessarily make it stronger; rather, it helps to mitigate the forces applied to it.

I recently purchased your Ultra Clear resin for a bench top renovation. We live in a very dated house and decided to update the kitchen, but we are on a budget.

Renee Jennings

NSW, Australia

Great resin, quick delivery. Made a new top for my dinning table that was looking old. Happy with the ocean inspired look!

Jane Weldon

Great products. Delivered to your door within the time stated. Just ordered another lot!

Teena Adams

Brisbane, Australia

AA Composites Int'l - Online

AA Composites Int'l - Online

Everything you require for your composites and resin needs! - We now welcome our New Zealand Friends!
Return to HOME PAGE (www.aaci.au)
(NOTE - The epoxy, Platinum 360+ is now in stock.)

TRANSCORE - Pourable Transom Compound (PTC) Rotted Timber Replacement

AA Composites Int'l - Online

AA Composites Int'l - Online

Everything you require for your composites and resin needs! - We now welcome our New Zealand Friends!Return to HOME PAGE (www.aaci.au)(NOTE - The epoxy, Platinum 360+ is now in stock.)

TRANSCORE - Pourable Transom Compound (PTC) Rotted Timber Replacement

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Everything you require for your composites and resin needs! - We now welcome our New Zealand Friends!
Return to HOME PAGE (www.aaci.au)
(NOTE - The epoxy, Platinum 360+ is now in stock.)