Living For Sailvideo
Will This Transom Repair LAST? - Antidote's New Core Install
May 3, 2026 · 30 min · 11K views
What this video covers
A Liberty 458 owner repairs a rotten transom by replacing the original plywood core with Kusa Blue Water 26 panels.0:29 After removing the rotted wood, the owner grinds the inner fiberglass skin to bare glass using a 7-inch polisher and a Makita 9031 belt sander.2:36 Moisture meter readings reveal residual dampness in the upper transom, forcing a delay in the final fiberglass layup to allow for further drying.19:53 To install the new core, the owner cuts the Kusa panels into smaller, manageable "pucks" rather than attempting a vacuum-bagged installation.24:30 These panels are bonded to the transom using TotalBoat Thixo Pro, a pre-thickened epoxy dispensed via a caulking gun, which allows for precise application and prevents large batches of epoxy from overheating.26:45 The owner uses a bench-top sander to refine the fit of the individual pucks before bonding them in place.26:56
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