# My First Build - 12' 40" Meyers Jon Boat (updated 5/24/2010)



## Troutman3000 (Feb 18, 2010)

Here are the before pictures of my first build. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from this site and plan on making a nice but simple little fishing boat for my wife and I to enjoy.

My plan in this order.

1. Remove the transom

2. Grind all the old silicone and glue reminants of both the inside and outside.

3. Get all the leaky seems welded and all whole patched.

4. Steelflex the bottom to about half way to up the side walls.

5. Steelflex the inside floor.

6. Cut out the middle bench like Bufford did and store batteries and utilities in there.

7. Wire out the trolling motor and running lights.

8. Deck the front level with the benches. I plan on decking past the middle bench to attach to the nearest support rail.

9. Deck the rear bench and area around transom.

10. Apply decking in all the floor areas.

11. Tweak as needed along the way.

Any help is much appreciated. [-o<


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 18, 2010)

Step One is almost completed. 

How should i repair these holes? There is one that is really big,should I patch it with a piece of alluminum while I am welding it? Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jason


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## Brine (Feb 18, 2010)

Looks like an aluminum patch would work good there. No need to weld it on, unless your hyper-sensative about cosmetics and are trying to make the hole disappear. Otherwise, pop rivets and some 5200 should do the job nicely. Make sure to check out bassboys mod on his Yazoo if you haven't already and you will see the patch I am referring to. I checked with him not so long ago about how his patch was working on the boat, and he replied that he had no leaks and no concerns with doing it again.


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 18, 2010)

Brine said:


> Looks like an aluminum patch would work good there. No need to weld it on, unless your hyper-sensative about cosmetics and are trying to make the hole disappear. Otherwise, pop rivets and some 5200 should do the job nicely. Make sure to check out bassboys mod on his Yazoo if you haven't already and you will see the patch I am referring to. I checked with him not so long ago about how his patch was working on the boat, and he replied that he had no leaks and no concerns with doing it again.




I am not worried about cosmetics that much at all. I did want to reinstall another outside transom because the allumunim is thin on the transom and I wanted to re-enforce it. I should be able to install the outside transome over the patch right?


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## nbaffaro (Feb 18, 2010)

I'll tell what would be slick is a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum cut in the same shape as that outer transom that was made of wood. Take that and use some 5200 and some counter sunk hex SS #10 to bolt it through that transom. That would take care of your problem and look cool at the same time.


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 18, 2010)

nbaffaro said:


> I'll tell what would be slick is a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum cut in the same shape as that outer transom that was made of wood. Take that and use some 5200 and some counter sunk hex SS #10 to bolt it through that transom. That would take care of your problem and look cool at the same time.




So there is no need to weld it to the boat just some bolts through the inside transom? That would give me a stronger transom as well. I need to find a place that sells alluminum now. 

Anybody in the Gwinnett area know of any aluminum dealers?


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## Brine (Feb 18, 2010)

Troutman3000 said:


> nbaffaro said:
> 
> 
> > I'll tell what would be slick is a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum cut in the same shape as that outer transom that was made of wood. Take that and use some 5200 and some counter sunk hex SS #10 to bolt it through that transom. That would take care of your problem and look cool at the same time.
> ...



Try Metal Supermarkets in Norcross. They are at I-85 and Pleasantdale. Measure out the size of the piece you need and let them know. I'm interested to hear what they quote you for it. You could still put plywood on the inside to beef up the transom, but I agree the .25 on the back would look slick and serve a good mulit-purpose of covering the hole, looking good, and strengthening the transom all in one. 

You can also try Ryerson's. I believe they are in Lawrenceville. 

Another option is just to replace the wood on the outside and use aluminum epoxy on the hole inside and out. Not sure where the hole is in realtion to the waterline. If it's above the waterline, I'd use wood and epoxy and call it a day. 

And to answer your question, no, it wouldn't need to be welded on. Bolts and 5200 would do the job.


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks Brine. I'll check that out..... I believe its above the waterline so i may just go that route or get it welded on when I get the seems fixed.


Thanks Guys. I love this place.


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 18, 2010)

https://www.metalsupermarkets.com

Do I need a plate or a sheet? Just a plate right?


For the plate of .25" for an 18" x 12" its nearly 50 bux.. Wowzers.

An aluminum square of 12" is only 7 bux. Its looks like the value is in the square. I'll just have to make a square work.


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## Brine (Feb 18, 2010)

Troutman3000 said:


> https://www.metalsupermarkets.com
> 
> Do I need a plate or a sheet? Just a plate right?
> 
> ...



:LOL2: Welcome to the world of Aluminum... 

Check the thickness of that 12 x 12. I wouldn't think it would be that much less. If it is correct, it must have something to do with fall-off. I have given up trying to find recyling/scrap yards in or near Gwinnett that will sell to the public, so my last option has been...bite the bullet and pay for new, or a product called ACM which Ryerson has that's like an Aluminum/Ply. It can't be welded, but it should have the same life expectancy as aluminum. 

If it's above the waterline, I'd have no issues of just using wood on either side and sandwiching aluminum epoxy or 5200 over the hole.


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks Man. I'll look into it. It believe it is above the waterline but I really wanted to re-enforce the rear transom too for a potential outboard.


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## Rat (Feb 18, 2010)

Troutman3000 said:


> Thanks Man. I'll look into it. It believe it is above the waterline but I really wanted to re-enforce the rear transom too for a potential outboard.



The wood and any transom braces (knees) are what make the transom stronger; a little piece of 12 x 12 Alu. isn't going to do anything really, no matter how thick it is. You would need to run it from member to member (side to side and top to braces) to give it any real strength. 

I say just patch the hole and put in a good solid transom board and if you are worried about additional strength for an outboard install some transom braces.


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 19, 2010)

I talked to my welder and he is going to brace up the back transom and replace the outside transom for me. I am having him hit up all the leaky spots, all the seams, and re-enforce/patch the transom for 100 bucks. If I get all the leaks sealed I wont need to use Steel Flex and can avoid that expenditure.

Jason


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## Brine (Feb 19, 2010)

Troutman3000 said:


> I talked to my welder and he is going to brace up the back transom and replace the outside transom for me. I am having him hit up all the leaky spots, all the seams, and re-enforce/patch the transom for 100 bucks. If I get all the leaks sealed I wont need to use Steel Flex and can avoid that expenditure.
> 
> Jason



Would you ask him how much he would charge me to:

1. Attach a bow eye.
2. Patch (2) 1.25 holes in the hull

I'll do as much prepwork as I can with a flapper disc. 

I have pics in my Rhyan Craft thread of each issue.

Thanks!


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 19, 2010)

What do you all think about repairs to something like this. I can trade for it for really nothing so if it cost 100 bux or so thats fine really.




_I have an old Sears outboard motor, 7 horsepower. It won't start right now, because it is not getting spark. It probably needs a magneto. It has great compression and ran strong before this spark problem popped up. Anyway, I don't really need it anymore, so I have not been motivated to fix it. 

The motor has an internal gas tank, but also has the connections for an external tank. I'll throw in an external tank, hose and pump with the motor. You can even have the sawhorse it's sitting on, if you want it. 

I would love to swap it for a ping pong table. First choice, by far. 

However, if you have something else to offer, send it to me. I don't need any computer stuff, but other than that, I'm pretty open. Guy stuff, power tools, Ferraris...whatta ya got? I'm just ready to get this out of my garage, at this point. _


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 19, 2010)

Made some progress today. Stripped the transom and grinded all the silicone and jb weld off so that the welder can weld the seams. Also got about half done with the bottom so I can paint it or steelflex it. I think even after its welded I am going to seal it with steelflex.


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## Troutman3000 (Feb 23, 2010)

Pics to come.....

Progress made so far. 

Desgined and cut and sealed all my decks. Waiting for them to dry and then I will carpet them.

The boat will get welded on Friday and then steelflexed asap.

After that install the decks and seats and its time to fish.


What kind of paint should I use on the interior? I want to lay some kind of base coat down to reduce corrosion and so forth.


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 4, 2010)

The welder is fabbing up a support and patch for the rear transom. Here are some pics so far. 

The problem he is running into is that the seems on the stern have taken a lot of time to weld and it will be another week before I get it back. So my question is will the steel flex be enough to seal these leaky seems or should I get him to finish the job and wait for the boat....


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## Loggerhead Mike (Mar 4, 2010)

i would personally get it finished and done rite

looks like he's doin a good job so far


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## MeanMouth (Mar 4, 2010)

You're getting the job done the correct way, so if money and time permits, then continue on with the welding route. You'll be happy knowing the fixes are strong and will last the boats lifetime.


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 4, 2010)

Yeah, its still 40 degrees here so I am not rushing to get on the water. I'll let him finish then. I just want to get back to my new obsession.


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 5, 2010)

Newest progress. This guy is so honest. The job turned out to be more than expected but he refuses to take anymore money from me.


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 22, 2010)

Transom is all better. However, some of the seams on the stern were unweldable due to all the junk and silicon that was applied over the years. I plan on removing as much of it as I can and steelflexing the entire outside of the boat and inside where the seams meet. This should more than seal the boat for the rest of its life time.

Here are some pics of the work the guy did.


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 22, 2010)

I shouldnt need to add a wooden transom to the outside right?


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## russ010 (Mar 22, 2010)

I wouldn't think so... only add it if you plan to put a huge motor on the back of it to strengthen it up even more.

He did a good job with the welding... you'll be out on the water in no time!


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 22, 2010)

russ010 said:


> I wouldn't think so... only add it if you plan to put a huge motor on the back of it to strengthen it up even more.
> 
> He did a good job with the welding... you'll be out on the water in no time!



Yeah,

I hope it will be sooner rather than later. I got a couple more weeks of working on this thing. 

Russ have you used steelflex before?


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## MeanMouth (Mar 22, 2010)

Yeah, your welder did a great job; not to mention he didn't raise the price. Boat looks great...can't wait to follow your next move. 

As far as steelflex is concerned, there is a thread with LOTS of info here that you might want to look over:
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11977&hilit=steelflex


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 22, 2010)

Got my decks almost finished. I have to seal and carpet them and add the hinges at the stern and bow. Not too bad for a first time carpenter. I plan on installing a removable seat on the front and I am contemplating the same for the rear, just unsure so far.


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 23, 2010)

I have a question: I want to make two hatches up front to access the battery and so forth. I know it will get a decent amount of stress up there being on the bow and such. How can i give it something to rest on where it meets the hull. I was thinking angle iron but im not to keen on putting more wholes in my boat. If I were to use angle iron how ouwld I attach it. Obviously welding would be the best but I just got back from that guy.


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 23, 2010)

Maybe I could just cut a square one in the center. But still how would I support the front part of the board as it moves away from the seat?


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 24, 2010)

Going to add these bad boys now insteasd of the other seats. These will look cool and should last a lot longer....


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 28, 2010)

Made some progress this weekend.

Carpeted my decks.

Installed 2 inch foam under the floors.

Got my seats and seat base.

I sould have more detailed pics this week. I designed my front deck to be removable.


However I still need to paint and steelflex.

Bolt and seal the transom and bolt down the decks.

Ran out of carpet right before my last piece.(hatch lid)


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 28, 2010)

More pics....


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## Brine (Mar 28, 2010)

Looks good man! =D>


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks Brine....


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## dyeguy1212 (Mar 28, 2010)

Really coming together nicely =D>


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 29, 2010)

I did have one goof up that I had to improvise on. I bought a small can of sealer stain from home depot to do the transom with, little did I know I bought the dark "base" without any color. I didnt want the transom to be natural wood color so I mixed a dab of my olive pigment from my steel flex. I was unsure how it would turn out but it ended up working very well. I put about 5 coats on the transom and its water tight now.


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## raven174us (Apr 2, 2010)

That's some great work. I'm looking for my first project and its great to see all these great mods.


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 2, 2010)

Made some progress today.

Got the steel flex done. Had a couple spots were it sagged a little but i had to gob it on the seams real good. You cant even see it, but i know its there.

I rolled it like paint and put it in a tray. I thought it was easier that way.

Picked up a trailer for $175. Fully adjustable and ready to go.



WHAT COLOR SHOULD I PAINT THE TOP?


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## perchin (Apr 3, 2010)

Looking good man. I just wish it would stop raining here so that the temp would come up a little. What kind of roller did you use?


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 3, 2010)

High density 4" foam rollers from Home Depot. The temperature is very important, I tried using the stuff this morning before it warmed up and it was a nightmare..


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 3, 2010)

Finsihed steel flexing. 

Now to primer and paint inside and add "racing stripe".


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## perchin (Apr 3, 2010)

:shock: Wow, the finish you got rolling it on is most impressive. I can only hope mine goes on half this good. =D>


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 4, 2010)

Its on there good and it has some texture in there as well, which was good because it breaks up the imperfections of the hull....


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 5, 2010)

Got the outside done but took it to tribble mill and didnt seal the transom area....ooopppssss.....had to come home and patch it up...........


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## alanbird_87 (Apr 12, 2010)

Great job on the paint man. I've started sanding mine Thursday of last week but have posted any pics yet. I should have them up shortly, and check mine out sometime.


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## Froggy (Apr 13, 2010)

Thats one of the better steelflex aplications I have seen, very nice . You did this alone?


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## WhiteMoose (Apr 13, 2010)

Great job on the steelflex there. It makes me wish I had a 2nd chance to do mine.


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 13, 2010)

Froggy said:


> Thats one of the better steelflex aplications I have seen, very nice . You did this alone?




Yes - I used a 4 inch foam roller in 2 cup applications. I mixed the steelflex, poured it in a painters pan and then rolled it on like paint. It worked great until it got cold. There are a few imperfections in it, but you cant see them unless you really look. I just cant believe how solid the finish is, its like having a plastic glove on your boat. I would use this stuff on any Jon I bought, especially one that has smoe leaky rivets a what not.

Thanks for the compliments.


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 13, 2010)

alanbird_87 said:


> Great job on the paint man. I've started sanding mine Thursday of last week but have posted any pics yet. I should have them up shortly, and check mine out sometime.


\

Thanks - I'll check yours out.....


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 14, 2010)

Here are some pics of the transom and rear deck with the seat bases and grommets installed.

The last pictures or of the bow mounted trolling motor. That thing aint going no where.

I still have to wire wheel the gunnels to get the steelflex off and touch up some paint on the transom. Its not polished yet but its almost ready to be fished out of. 

I also applied some jb water weld to the end of the alluminum supports to seal everything. I must have used a whole tube of 5200 on the transom alone. SHould be water tight for a few years.......


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## perchin (Apr 14, 2010)

Looking good.... I will be steelflexing mine hopefully this weekend, If the weather is bad Its going down in the basement or in the garage with a heater. Question did the rolloers you found and used say high density on their package? I can find foam roller but not that say high density. Of course I have not checked with HD yet either. That bow mount looks good and clean, Your next pictures will be of you holding up a trophy in that thing. :mrgreen:


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 14, 2010)

perchin said:


> Looking good.... I will be steelflexing mine hopefully this weekend, If the weather is bad Its going down in the basement or in the garage with a heater. Question did the rolloers you found and used say high density on their package? I can find foam roller but not that say high density. Of course I have not checked with HD yet either. That bow mount looks good and clean, Your next pictures will be of you holding up a trophy in that thing. :mrgreen:




Yes high density is what you want. Your gonna need 2 of the five packs. I didnt like the ones wal-mart sold, I prefer the ones from the Depot.


YEAH - CANT WAIT FOR THAT LUNKER! :LOL2:


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 15, 2010)

Took her out again and not a drop of water in the boat. Furthermore, the motor almost put my in the drink. I couldnt figure out how to urn it off of fast mode so I did circles for a while. :shock: 

Once I got the hang of it I did just fine. I didnt catch any fish but I had a good time. It felt good to see the fruits of your labor.

I didnt get a lot of finished pics yet but we are going camping and fishing this weekend so Ill snap some more then.


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 16, 2010)

Taking her to Allatoona this weekend. Hope I can catch some lunkers.


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## WhiteMoose (Apr 16, 2010)

Greeat job. Looking forward to some fish pictures too.


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## Brine (Apr 16, 2010)

Looks great Troutman. Be careful out on the Toona. I'm sure the lake will be packed this weekend, and jon boats don't get much love on the big lakes.


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 20, 2010)

Brine said:


> Looks great Troutman. Be careful out on the Toona. I'm sure the lake will be packed this weekend, and jon boats don't get much love on the big lakes.





Thanks Guys!


It really wasnt that bad Brine. I stayed near our campsite which had plenty of different structure to fish. Whenever I saw a Giant wake coming I just turned towards it and rode it out. It really wasnt that scary. I have been swamped before at Weiss and we went to the bottom. Had to dive for 3 hours to get all of our stuff.


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 20, 2010)

No keeper bass but here are a few of the Crappie we caught. Not the biggest but fish none the less. Never had fished Allatoona before so it was more of a learning expirience.

I plan on taking a plenty of pictures of the finished product later so I can document the start to finish. I still need to cut the front seat out, but I think I may have lost my motivation for now.


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## perchin (Apr 20, 2010)

So..... Did you use the livewell, or just throw em in a bucket?


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 20, 2010)

perchin said:


> So..... Did you use the livewell, or just throw em in a bucket?




Livewell was too big for me. Sold it to a local for a little profit. I used the good old stringer! Thats what I was brought up on. I plan on making a cooler livewell soon, but much smaller.


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## Brine (Apr 20, 2010)

Way to go man! Hard to complain whenever you show up to a lake for the first time and catch fish. Those crappie look good (beside the grits  )

Sounds like the boat is working out good too. Seeing how you've experienced the "swamp" already, you are probably more aware of the possibility than some others. That must have been brutal.

Thanks for the update. Sounded like a good time with the new rig.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 20, 2010)

You look like that crappie just slapped you. :lol: 

Nice job on the build and congrats on the fish.


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 20, 2010)

Quackrstackr said:


> You look like that crappie just slapped you. :lol:
> 
> Nice job on the build and congrats on the fish.




This was after my sister rear ended my trailer too. I wasnt that mad really just tired, but a few largemouths would have made me happier :LOL2: .


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 21, 2010)

More Pics of the finished product minus the front seat cut out. Will probably do that this weekend to free up some more room for my foot control.


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## Ictalurus (Apr 21, 2010)

Your boat looks great troutman, love the Tanaka.


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 21, 2010)

Ictalurus said:


> Your boat looks great troutman, love the Tanaka.




Thanks,

The tanaka works great for what it is. I just got an air bubble in the fuel line, how do I fix that?


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## russ010 (Apr 21, 2010)

sounds like you might need new tubing - there might be a pinhole in it somewhere.

Other thing is make sure your seal around your tank lid is good - that's the other way air gets in


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## Troutman3000 (Apr 21, 2010)

russ010 said:


> sounds like you might need new tubing - there might be a pinhole in it somewhere.
> 
> Other thing is make sure your seal around your tank lid is good - that's the other way air gets in




Well it also got run all the way out of gas and then i leaned it over on its side which I think is what got the air bubble in there. The tubing is brand new. Should I just pull the lines and fill it with gas then reattach it or should I just empty the tank and lines and the refill it from empty?????


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## CHILLWILLATX (May 20, 2010)

I didn't really get a good look at the motor... what is that thing? Also how did you atatch your seat pedistoles to the floor ?


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## Troutman3000 (May 24, 2010)

CHILLWILLATX said:


> I didn't really get a good look at the motor... what is that thing? Also how did you atatch your seat pedistoles to the floor ?




Its a Tanaka 3hp gave $125 for it and it runs like a champ. I keep saying I want to get a bigger one but this one has served it purpose well. Uses no gas and gets me where I need to go, slowly.

I used #6 or #8 1 & 1/2" stainless steal screws right into the floor. Sorry I didnt see this sooner.


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## Troutman3000 (May 24, 2010)

Few pics of me and my favorite fishing buddies.


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## Loggerhead Mike (May 24, 2010)

nice!


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## Troutman3000 (May 25, 2010)

Thanks Mike.


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## RBuffordTJ (May 27, 2010)

Great build man! I really like the way it turned out.

Bufford


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## Froggy (Jun 1, 2010)

I just clicked on this link for another look at your build, done and...............gone!!! Good luck with the new one!!


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## Troutman3000 (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks Guys. It was a lot of work, but I learned so much about boats it was well worth it. Ended up getting $1400 for it so I was happy about that. The new owner loves it, and he will be fishing in smaller lakes so it suites him.


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## redneckfisher (Jul 8, 2010)

i have the same motor but mine is the one tanaka built for sears roebuck and co.


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## Troutman3000 (Jul 10, 2010)

This tin is up for sale. The guy I bought it from is moving and cant take it with him.

J


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## Howard (Jul 10, 2010)

Just sent you a private message.......


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## SmallieBigs (Jul 16, 2010)

Hey Troutman3000 awesome job on this boat! 

I just picked up an old '67 12' Sea King V today and I am thinking of doing the same type of mods that you did to yours. I filled her up when I got home and there are no leaks so I think I'm good to go. 

I noticed that your seats were pretty high up for a 12 footer. How stable was your boat, did it feel tippy with those pedestals at all? Mine is a semi V and not a flat bottom so it will probably be different, but just looking for some useful info :mrgreen:

Thanks,
SB


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## Troutman3000 (Jul 29, 2010)

SmallieBigs said:


> Hey Troutman3000 awesome job on this boat!
> 
> I just picked up an old '67 12' Sea King V today and I am thinking of doing the same type of mods that you did to yours. I filled her up when I got home and there are no leaks so I think I'm good to go.
> 
> ...




Sorry I missed this, mine was a lil tippy in teh back but its a 12' foot jon so you had to be careful. The front seat was very stable with the wide base and the fact that it was a little lower. I had no trip to the drink it it.


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## tripleup05 (Nov 19, 2010)

How much steelflex did you end up using, Troutman?


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## Troutman3000 (Nov 19, 2010)

tripleup05 said:


> How much steelflex did you end up using, Troutman?




I think I got the gallon order. Two half gallons. I had enough to do the entire outside with two coats and had some left over for touch up. It was around 65 bux with shipping.


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## pharaoh2 (Dec 12, 2010)

Your too much like me. You put your heart and soul into building that and then you sell it. I've done that from time to time and always regret it in the end.  

Your boat looked great!


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## Troutman3000 (Jan 28, 2011)

Thanks Man! I miss her a little but Love my new one!


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