# Weldbuilt 1652 semi-V mod



## wolfmjc (Jan 10, 2010)

This is my first time to mod a boat and I can't wait to get started. This boat was given to me by Gary a longtime friend. Gary passed away this past year of Lou Garrets Disease (ALS). I only hope that he knew how much he was appreciated. He was retired Navy, Firefighter/paramedic,hunter,fisherman,sailer,one of the origional talladega pit/mechanics (when the greats were just starting he had pics to prove! they have been donated to racing museum) and civil war re-enactor with an Alabama cannon squad. =D> 

The boat is a 1652 semi V weldcraft with a large livewell bench? near the back. The motor controls are on a center console. I have purchased a used 40# minn kota all terraine bow mount 12 volt, a 50 horse nissan 04 model w/oil injection came with the boat and still needs a break in period.I'm waiting on a friend to get me some scrap aluminum so I can save a few $$$. I have put in some new carpet and wood inside because the boat had set (new) for about 5 years, and yes the motor has been serviced, new plugs ect. run's perfect. Let's see if I can post some pics here.....

by the way, this site is awsome! Thanks for looking and any input!


----------



## Brine (Jan 10, 2010)

Welcome aboard. 

Sounds like a heck of a boat from a great man. Looking forward to some pics.


----------



## Waterwings (Jan 10, 2010)

Welcome Aboard! 8)


----------



## countryboy210 (Jan 10, 2010)

Ahoy, And Welcome Aboard ! Pics Will Not Only Help You Share Progress With Everyone Else Here On TinBoats.net, But Will Be Great For You To Review & Share With Family & Friends After You Get Her Done.


----------



## wolfmjc (Jan 10, 2010)

well here goes pics i hope... :arrow:


----------



## wolfmjc (Jan 10, 2010)

hey got some pics up!thanks for the great tutorial! I am starting to put a casting deck/ seat mount and storage for trolling battery. Has anyone made aluminum frame on a semi-v for this? I could use some tips....thanks.
my wife got me a couple seats and the doefin thats on the boat for xmas. will try to post a pic of the seats in a bit.


----------



## Brine (Jan 10, 2010)

Great lookin rig!


----------



## Doug (Jan 10, 2010)

Welcome. Nice lookin boat.


----------



## wolfmjc (Jan 23, 2010)

Hey everyone, sorry about the delay. I have been waiting for a frien to bring me some 'scrap' aluminum and square pieces for bracing. Well now that i have it it's time to get a plan and start building. pics soon to follow. hmmmm shure would be nice to have a welder .... well lets se what happens... lol


----------



## dyeguy1212 (Jan 23, 2010)

Nice looking rig! Really like that motor..


----------



## wolfmjc (Jan 23, 2010)

you know i was just thinking this boat with the center console looks just like the gamewardens boat, hmmm i would hate to make anyone nervous out on the lake.. lol :shock:


----------



## cubanredneck (Jan 24, 2010)

Hey wolf this is off topic but ru a NAPA autocare center


----------



## wolfmjc (Apr 11, 2010)

sorry everyone been tied up, started workin on the boat again forgot camera but will get pics of progress monday. By the way, went to lowes to look at piano hinges and noticed that lowes has 2 types, look on the bottom tag and you will see either steel plated or STAINLESS yes! but the stainless are 20.00 for one hinge.....but they do have them here in alabama anyway...... :roll:


----------



## wolfmjc (May 18, 2010)

well here goes some pics.....finally! sorry everyone, pics are not in the right order.... #-o


----------



## ober51 (May 18, 2010)

Thats some stout framing, really nice job.


----------



## wolfmjc (May 18, 2010)

Thanks, the aluminum is used by a commercial glass company for doors and windows, what i have was blems that could not be used. thanks to eddie for the aluminum! it helped me to save a bundle... =D>
You would not believe how light that stuff is! but really strong!!!


----------



## wolfmjc (May 18, 2010)

cubanredneck said:


> Hey wolf this is off topic but ru a NAPA autocare center


sorry i didnt answer sooner, yes we were.....since our wonderful economy has SLOWED a bit we still use napa parts but have dropped the autocare fees for a bit.. :roll:


----------



## bobberboy (May 19, 2010)

Thanks for the detailed photo's of the aluminum framing. People may think the aluminum framing part is really complicated but in my (little) experience, if you just take your time and think it through it's not so bad. Also, cutting the aluminum with an electric miter saw works really well so long as you go slowly and make sure to have full-face protection. Sometimes the little bits will come flying back and you need more than safety glasses. It would be really tedious to have to cut all those little angles you used to rivet the joints together by hand. What I did looked more or less like yours and it wasn't that hard. Another benefit of riveting is that if you muck it up it's easy to drill out the rivet and do it over. And thanks for the tip about the window company as a resource for aluminum extrusions. That's a good idea to get material that can't be used because it has a blemish. Nice job.


----------



## Rat (May 19, 2010)

I agree on the framing, that looks very well thought out and executed. I may need to hit Ventanna Glass up for some Raco extrusions for my next build! Great idea.


----------



## BassDominator (May 19, 2010)

sick. the only word that comes to mind. keep up the work and cant wait for the finished photos. also its nice that when you take pics you take a bunch. more pictures the better. we all enjoy drooling over other peoples projects.


----------



## wolfmjc (May 19, 2010)

bobberboy said:


> Thanks for the detailed photo's of the aluminum framing. People may think the aluminum framing part is really complicated but in my (little) experience, if you just take your time and think it through it's not so bad. Also, cutting the aluminum with an electric miter saw works really well so long as you go slowly and make sure to have full-face protection. Sometimes the little bits will come flying back and you need more than safety glasses. It would be really tedious to have to cut all those little angles you used to rivet the joints together by hand. What I did looked more or less like yours and it wasn't that hard. Another benefit of riveting is that if you muck it up it's easy to drill out the rivet and do it over. And thanks for the tip about the window company as a resource for aluminum extrusions. That's a good idea to get material that can't be used because it has a blemish. Nice job.



Just a note- I tried 2 blades to cut the aluminum brackets i used and the 2x2 and 4x2 tubing, the metal fiber blade was really messy with slag in the cut pieces, the best was a regular carbide tip framing blade......and yes wear safety goggles and gloves!!!!!!!!!!! 

you would not believe the scrap that commercial glass co. have when they make there own framing, they do sell their scrap though so you may want to offer to pay a little for any scrap or blemished framing they may have....i would ask about any blems, that is not usually in the scrap pile!


----------



## wolfmjc (May 21, 2010)

More pics...


----------



## wolfmjc (May 21, 2010)

does bass pro have 2 part flotation foam?


----------



## wolfmjc (May 23, 2010)

Rat said:


> I agree on the framing, that looks very well thought out and executed. I may need to hit Ventanna Glass up for some Raco extrusions for my next build! Great idea.



what are raco extrusions?


----------



## Rat (May 23, 2010)

RACO interiors

They build commercial and high end residential window and door frames out of Alu.


----------



## Rat (May 23, 2010)

wolfmjc said:


> does bass pro have 2 part flotation foam?



Not that I know of, I buy mine here at Boatbuildercentral.com:
Foam Link
It's about the best price I have found and they generally get stuff to me in three days, they ship from Florida.


----------



## wolfmjc (May 23, 2010)

thanks for the replies....raco looks like they would have some cool pieces for any project! thanks for the link for the foam..looked up the foam link was window comp,,,lol


----------



## Brine (May 23, 2010)

Rat said:


> Not that I know of, I buy mine here at Boatbuildercentral.com:
> Foam Link
> It's about the best price I have found and they generally get stuff to me in three days, they ship from Florida.



Hey Rat,
That link is the same one for the window company.


----------



## wolfmjc (May 26, 2010)

Worked on the floor (sealed, sanded and some trimming) and carpet, here's a couple more pics more to follow next day internet!


----------



## wolfmjc (May 27, 2010)

more pics...


----------



## wolfmjc (May 27, 2010)

new bonus today, a friend that works for a company that has several doctor offices gave me 6 foam coolers used for transport of new meds, they were going to dump them, the sides are 3-4 inches thick. will make great floatation when cut and fitted into the sides.


----------



## Ictalurus (May 28, 2010)

Wolf

The finished front deck looks awesome!!! I wouldn't worry about the motor height, maybe at best 1/2" or so too low, but with that 50 on there it will still fly  , probably more hassle than it's worth to raise it. For the rear deck, just notch out near the braces or have your lid open inside of them (see pic). I'll have to think about the seating question, a post in the floor will work fine for fishing, but for driving I'd be nervous about mounting anything on the livewell lid.


----------



## perchin (May 28, 2010)

That boat is sweet.......... You'll get more feedback if you post it in the Mod's section. How big is that livewell? it looks huge.
great work man =D>


----------



## wolfmjc (May 28, 2010)

Thanks guys, yeah the livewell would hold a whole lot of fish,of course chasing them down in there will be a challenge! lol..I am debating on the seats for the back cause for one, the livewell lid needs to be able to be latched, two the lid would have to have a 3/4 board on top to handle post type seating. I am looking at building a mount at the edge of the livewell on the front to mount the driver seat (on floor to top of lid edge) and then a post mount on the lid itself...

on the rear hatch, not sure if i want lids or cover with a lid on it ( thanks for the drawings Ictalurus!)
not sure how to move this to mods page, will try! Thanks Perchin! #-o


----------



## bassonater (May 31, 2010)

was that boat ever at walker marine in ashville? because it looks exactly like one they had for a while. anyway , boat looks good lots of room for fishing.


----------



## Froggy (May 31, 2010)

I like what you are doing


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 3, 2010)

bassonater said:


> was that boat ever at walker marine in ashville? because it looks exactly like one they had for a while. anyway , boat looks good lots of room for fishing.


yes i picked this boat up from walker marine (nice people!) they had been storing this boat for gary while he was sick, I also think he bought the nissan 50 from them also...they were really nice to gary and took care of me when i picked everthing up. =D>

The boat was there almost 4 years? a while i know....


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 3, 2010)

couple more pics, workin on rear hatch, pics soon on that.


----------



## Rat (Jun 4, 2010)

Sorry about the link screwup! Here is the two part foam link:
Foam Link
Sounds like you have found a solution though!


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 4, 2010)

:-s okay nobody laugh, on the sides that i carpeted in the middle of the boat i was going to put foam behind the board in the space along the ribs. well the foam is a pain to cut and then i couldnt figure out a way to shave it down.....then it hit me that the space i needed to fit was the exact size of empty oil quarts........so the larger space is 3 empty quart oil bottles and 1 20 oz soda bottle, all covered and held in place by the ribs and wall...the smaller areas are 3 quarts....lol [-X  
I am still using the foam in the beam area on the front, it will help divide the compartments...


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 10, 2010)

Okay new tip on cutting white styrofoam. take a 2 foot piece of mechanics wire, 2 large eyebolts, and some 2x4s. run wire strait from one eyebolt to another and mount seperatly in wood, use wood to mount wire higher or lower as needed for cutting. i used a large battery charger (napa) connected clamps one on each eyebolt. set charger at 2amps! no more, wire will heat up and simply push foam GENTLY on the wire and it will melt a clean cut. DO NOT TOUCH WIRE!!!!!! you will get burned....I had to cut up a few shipping coolers and this made it a breeze... :evil:


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 17, 2010)

:? Well it was the end of the line today, I have been tryin to get a title on this boat for a few months now and when i called for the first time in weeks or longer.....to check on the progress for the title it got a bit ugly. not because of anything that i had any control over, just all the hoops that you have to go through to get a title when a person dies here. soo, i just pulled everything out that i have done and took the boat back......I have just took a serious $$$$$$ loss on this fiasco.......and lost an old friend...this just bites! so this thread is now gone...........................


----------



## ncfishin (Jun 17, 2010)

That's a lesson to the buyer. Get your paperwork when you make the deal. Know your state laws. Everyone trying to sell something, is not always legit. The odds are in the favor of the seller. You always need to study the deal. Don't buy it if it doesn't have a title, and your state requires it. Don't mod it, if you don't own it. Money is not the end. It is only the means.


----------



## Brine (Jun 17, 2010)

Dang...sorry to hear it wolfmjc.


----------



## free jonboat (Jun 18, 2010)

im sorry if i am being ignorant, but what exactly happened?


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 18, 2010)

Well as best as i can tell this the boat was GIVEN to me, as per the wishes of her husband before he passed away, this was according to his sons, and wife. I usually NEVER expect anything for nothing! But in this case they insisted.....so I went with his wife and picked up the boat. The boat had been sitting for about 4-5 years, carpet wood ect was toast of course. I had the motor tuned ect. at the marine place while i was there and paid for it and left. as you can see from the pics the boat and motor were very nice and I was very thankful for it. I have had the boat for a while working on it and trying to get the paperwork for it. I sent my wife with the bill of gift paper to the courthouse and found out that his wife would have to get the boat in her name before she could gift it to me. Okay so i went back and told her this and I'm not sure what happened then, one of the things that i read on the county website was that the bill of sale had to be typed, so i downloaded a generic bill of sale for car or boat and took it over to their house and there was a paragraph on the paper about "seller has no knowledge of defects ect" I think this is a standard form? anyway, somehow she seemed to think that this paragraph meant that i expected her to give me a warranty on the boat??????????? WHAT THE HECK!!!!!!!!! I assured her that this was not what i meant and THREW IT IN THE GARBAGE! went home and printed up another one without that paragraph. Before i could get back she dropped off another hand written bill of sale at my work and said that this should be good enough....


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 18, 2010)

Part 2....Then she called and spoke to a person at the courthouse here and found out what i had been trying to tell her that she had to take a notorized form to the courthouse and a copy of the d-certificate to get it in her name, then I would have to take a copy of the d-certificate (no I did not want anything to do with that!) up to the courthouse to get it in my name......so a couple months go by and I am NOT tryin to pressure her, I call her to let her know that i will pay for any fees ect....and she lets me know that she does not want to give the d-cert to the county or me, so i said well i will take you when you want to go and let you handle the d-certificate as this seems to be an issue......then just as an idea i said would you like me to file for abandoned title which would skip this whole process and she said she will get to it and I said just whenever no hurry....
next day, I get a phone call and well, not sure exactly what happened but the fact that I was tryin to get her to give me a "warranty"???? came up and that nothing she did pleased anyone??? and to just file abandon title(not nice) and finallyI just have had enough! I told her that she would not give me anything and I AM DONE! I grew up with these people and have known them 23+ years. I am still great friends with one of her son's and he has really apologized for how she acted but i just can't take any more....I have lost at least 4-5 hundred on this........and a whole lot of time....I just don't understand how I became the bad person here.....crap this just bites, and i still don't UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 18, 2010)

ncfishin said:


> That's a lesson to the buyer. Get your paperwork when you make the deal. Know your state laws. Everyone trying to sell something, is not always legit. The odds are in the favor of the seller. You always need to study the deal. Don't buy it if it doesn't have a title, and your state requires it. Don't mod it, if you don't own it. Money is not the end. It is only the means.


 [-X I agree totaly! but this was a gift, as it was willed to me in theory....i trusted this person and never expected this mess :| #-o


----------



## Brine (Jun 18, 2010)

Sounds like you might have caught a bunch of emotions that had nothing to do with you or a boat wolf. I'm guessing she's having a hard time and when you said the words "nothing she did pleased anyone"..... seems like a cry for help to me. I'm not trying to play TinBoat psychologist, but I'm guessing that a talk that had nothing to do with the boat between the both of you might help you both. 

Sorry again. Sounds like a tough deal.


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 19, 2010)

I know that is part of this whole mess, but i don't know what else i can do...and to be accused of being dishonest is just all i can handle. This is why i just took the boat back, i dont want anyone to say that i did anything that was not right and i'll feel better about the whole thing except losing a friend......


----------



## wolfmjc (Jun 22, 2010)

By the way everyone, thanks for all the cool ideas and info on this site great job!!!!
I have 2 other boats that i have to work on. a 1979 aristocraft model19 and my dads tri-hull bass boat with a 115 merc. both boats have been sitting awhile so a lot of work on the glass to start......


----------

