# Delhi 1430 Build - Completed - New Pictures 7/13



## Dockside85 (Mar 19, 2012)

Hey all!

I'm a new member to the site but I've been looking at builds on here for a couple years now. I had a project bass boat that I recently sold and bought a 14' Dehli flat bottom and trailer from a buddy for $300. I've got some pretty good ideas for the boat but it's my first jon build so I'll definitely be looking for some advice! 

I kept a lot off of my project bass boat to put onto the new build. I have:
-Motorguide FW40 bow mounted trolling motor
-Deep cycle battery (EverMaxx, don't know the model but it's the biggest one WalMart has)
-2 brand new folding fishing seats with pedestal assemblies
-New bunk brackets for trailer
-Stern light and socket

What I want to do in the build:
-Sand, seal, repaint!
-Replace transom
-Deck from the bow seat to the first bench with hatches for storage underneath
-Fabricate and install livewell behind the first bench
-Add wood floor from front bench to back bench
-Deck back bench to the transom
-Build mount for trolling motor flush with top of gunwale


Here are some pictures of the new rig:










































I found out the trailer is a tilt trailer which is pretty neat





Removed rotting wood from trailer. I am going to install 6' carpeted bunk boards





I'm really excited about this build and I'm pretty sure I can do a quality job! One question to start it off though. I have been reading about Steelflex and I'd like to cover the bottom of the boat. I may be making some modifications that would have me put new rivets or bolts through the boat (transom transducer for fish finder, etc.). I've seen a lot of guys sand and Steelflex as one of the first steps when they start a new build. Is it beneficial to do it sooner or wait until most of the metal fabrication is done before I do it? I just started sanding so it will be a bit before I get to that, but just preparing for the next step. Please feel free to leave any advice or pointers!


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## Jay D (Mar 20, 2012)

Its a nice boat and trailer and a good deal. no offense but it looks like it might be a 1432 and the build plate shows 1430. I dont think a high deck would be good on the boat, stability wise. Wood decking on the bottom of the boat and pedestal seats on the floor might work good. A 5-15 hp will push it great too. You might put it in water to check it out and see how stable it is. Have fun with it. 8)


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## Dockside85 (Mar 20, 2012)

You know what, you're right Jay! I was measuring from the wrong spot (still new to this!). It actually is a 1430. So new plan, front deck just for the storage space and trolling motor mount, but the pedestal seat will be floor mounted behind the first bench seat.


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## Dockside85 (Mar 20, 2012)

Dockside85 said:


> You know what, you're right Jay! I was measuring from the wrong spot (still new to this!). It actually is a 1430. So new plan, front deck just for the storage space and trolling motor mount, but the pedestal seat will be floor mounted behind the first bench seat.



I just realized that if I bow mount the trolling motor and put the pedestal seat on the floor behind the first bench, I am not going to be able to get to the foot control for the trolling motor. I will have to figure something else out!


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## Jay D (Mar 20, 2012)

I have a 1648 with a 25 all set up but I have a 15hp sitting in the garage I been thinking about finding a 1432 to put it on. It would make it fly and the wife would kill me [-X :lol:


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## JonBoatfever (Mar 20, 2012)

My 1432 is only rated for a 10, Ive got an 8..flies about 20 loaded down with gear, close to 25 no gear


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## Dockside85 (Mar 20, 2012)

Got a bit done to the trailer today.

New winch and jack from Harbor Freight. I also moved the winch post up about a foot on the trailer. Took off every single bolt and nut from the trailer and replaced them with new galvanized bolts to prevent future rust.





Took the old broken lights off. New light kit is on its way from Amazon but until it gets here I'm working on cutting and riveting a new aluminum bracket to mount to the trailer. I'm also installing brackets on the trailer to support bunk boards.





Tomorrow all the bunk brackets will be on and the water sealed 2x4's will be carpeted and secured to the bunk brackets.


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## Dockside85 (Mar 23, 2012)

This trailer rebuild is going slower than I'd like but I don't want to rush through it! Almost done with it though.

Got both bunk boards water sealed, carpeted, and bolted to the bolster brackets on the trailer. I may need to add a new carpeted bunk up front, but I'll see how the boat sits on it first. FYI guys, don't use your wife's fabric scissors to cut rubber-backed outdoor carpet. Find (or buy) another pair. Trust me.









The both of the mounting brackets the trailer tail lights were on were rusted and bent, so they came off to save time I just built new ones rather than looking for more to buy. Started with a 2" strip of aluminum, 4 pieces and riveted them onto an aluminum strip bent at a 90 degree angle. Made two L shapes that I will bolt onto the trailer today and secure the lights to them. Couple more holes to drill and they'll be on.









Today the light brackets will be on and the tailer will be about 90% done. The only thing I have left to figure out is some guide on bunks, but I don't quite know how to go about those yet so I'll shift over and start sanding the boat down.


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## Dockside85 (Mar 23, 2012)

Got the lights put on the trailer and it's done for now!









Not sure I like how far past the end of the trailer they ended up, but I can always move them later.





Now on to the boat. Started with sanding it down and I realize now how daunting this part is going to be! I'm using an 18v Ryobi CornerCat sander with 120 grit paper. It works great on wood, but the aluminum is smoothing out my sandpaper extremely quick. Is there a better/quicker/more efficient way to do this? 

This little bit probably took me 30 minutes and 3 pieces of sandpaper.













Looks like I have my work cut out for this weekend!


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## Jdholmes (Mar 23, 2012)

Why are you sanding it down?


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## Dockside85 (Mar 24, 2012)

The paint is 30+ years old and fading. It also has a lot of rough spots that need to be smoothed out before repainting. I figure the best way to get a good lasting coat would be to sand it all down to the metal, use self etching primer, and repaint.


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## Dockside85 (Mar 26, 2012)

Got more of the boat sanded down this weekend. Ordered Steelflex for the hull so I'll have the boat ready by the time it gets here. 


















I removed half of the rotted transom brace wood using nothing but my hand. It peeled off pretty easy!





I need some input for how to continue with this. I want to deck the boat but being a 1430 I'm going to have to stick with just a floor deck for stability. The trolling motor I have to put on it is a bow mounted trolling motor. I was originally going to deck from the bow seat to the second seat and use the underneath for storage. My problem is that if I keep the front bench seat in the boat, deck from the bow seat to the middle bench, and mount my seat behind behind the bench, I won't be able to reach the foot control for the trolling motor.









What I'm thinking is that I will have to remove the front bench seat and do one low deck about an inch off the hull and do a small deck up front to mount the trolling motor, electronics, and storage. I was thinking of making a hole at the front of the deck to feed the trolling motor cable through it. This would keep the foot control on the floor and I could mount my fishing seat closer to the front. Any ideas??


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## Dockside85 (Mar 27, 2012)

Also, wondering about when to apply the Steelflex. It would make sense to hold off until I at least have the boat to the point where I'm installing the wood for the low deck and carpet right? At least to the point where I'm no longer drilling, griding or screwing anything to or through the exterior hull. I see a lot of guys do this right after they sand and repaint, I'm just wondering if there's something I don't know that would make me want to go ahead and do it ASAP.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 4, 2012)

Got a bit of work done to the boat since my last update. I think it's coming along pretty well for my first build.

Started by removing middle bench and bow seat. I'm going to put a low deck in the boat so I took the bench out to mount my seat there.













Had to cut off all of the rivets on the interior of the transom and removed the rotting transom wood.









Sanded, washed, and primed the transom.





Started priming the interior after it was good and sanded down, washed, and wiped clean with a tack cloth.





Annnnd finished priming the inside. 













I sanded down the bottom of the hull well enough left the back area where the gas tank would go bare on the floor. Steelflex came in yesterday so that is going to cover the entire exterior hull and the gas tank area behind the back bench. That's 1 gallon in two parts with 4oz of olive drab pigment. Cost $63 delivered to GA.





New exterior and interior transom supports curing with water resistant varnish on them.









Decided after I primed the whole interior that I wanted another closed compartment for storage. I cut out an opening in the rear bench seat. I didn't photograph the styrofoam that I pulled from it, but it was completely brown and smelled like absolute death.













Battery fits in there perfect height-wise. Eventually there will be a hinged piece of carpeted 3/4" plywood covering the storage compartment. I still need to clean out the inside of that compartment but I'll get to that this weekend.





I like the way the build is progressing, but I'm just concerned about one thing. After cutting that hole in the rear bench seat and removing all the foam, I've removed all flotation from the boat. With the added weight of the wood, gear, and everything else that will be secured to the boat I'm not sure that the styrofoam would keep it afloat if it did flip, but now it has nothing. I've seen some guys on here put home insulation foam sheets underneath their floor decks in their build. Does this help flotation at all if the boat was swamped or is it more for sound dampening? What is the purpose of putting it underneath the floor?
I'll post a picture later tonight of my plan going forward for the boat.


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## Kochy (Apr 5, 2012)

Put foam back in your boat! If it gets swamped you're screwed, it'll sink right to the bottom. You can buy foam sheets, don't buy any open cell which is looks like a sponge with holes. Buy closed cell. And another thing you can do it buy pool noodles and cut them up and put them in places where there is open space under the deck that isn't being used by storage. Put flotation back in your boat. Keep us updated.


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## JonBoatfever (Apr 5, 2012)

For your deck situation, I would suggest just a little 2-3 foot deck in the front to mount your Trolling motor on, and it will give you a place for storage and FOAM! I wouldn't recommend standing on it though, stay on the floor. Check out my build for some ideas, I have a 1432.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 5, 2012)

Kochy said:


> Put foam back in your boat! If it gets swamped you're screwed, it'll sink right to the bottom. You can buy foam sheets, don't buy any open cell which is looks like a sponge with holes. Buy closed cell. And another thing you can do it buy pool noodles and cut them up and put them in places where there is open space under the deck that isn't being used by storage. Put flotation back in your boat. Keep us updated.



Yeah that's what I was thinking. I'll have about 1" of space under the floorboard and on the sides so I'll pack the spaces with as much as I can.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 5, 2012)

JonBoatfever said:


> For your deck situation, I would suggest just a little 2-3 foot deck in the front to mount your Trolling motor on, and it will give you a place for storage and FOAM! I wouldn't recommend standing on it though, stay on the floor. Check out my build for some ideas, I have a 1432.



Yeah that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm building a short deck (I believe 29" if I remember the measurements) to end right at the very first rib. It will strictly be to mount the trolling motor, nav light, and fish finder. Underneath I'll have a spot for tackle storage, anchor, and yes foam!


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## Ictalurus (Apr 5, 2012)

Looks good so far =D> =D> =D>


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## Dockside85 (Apr 5, 2012)

Ictalurus said:


> Looks good so far =D> =D> =D>



Thanks! I think she'll turn out alright.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 6, 2012)

So here's my layout of how I want the rest of the build to go. I'll see how ambitious it is when I actually start doing it. Biggest concern is keeping the weight down, so on the sides I'll be doing a rather thin plywood. I tried to balance the weight with the batteries and trolling motor on opposite sides. Think it's doable?


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## Ictalurus (Apr 6, 2012)

Dockside85 said:


> I tried to balance the weight with the batteries and trolling motor on opposite sides. Think it's doable?



Try to keep the batteries centered, you'd have a pretty good stbd list if you shifted any of your weight to that side with both batteries there. I know when I had my cooler livewell full on one side of my 1440, if I stood on that side it would list more than you would think. On that size boat, you could probably get away with one battery, a dual purpose could crank and run the TM. Also, you may find that storage in both seats would be the biggest advantage, and using a cooler for a livewell only when needed. Then again, I don't know if this is a tournament only boat. 

Just trying to give some helpful suggestions, as the 1430 will get small fast out on the water. Boat looks great, your removal of the seats looks sharp.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 6, 2012)

Ictalurus said:


> Dockside85 said:
> 
> 
> > I tried to balance the weight with the batteries and trolling motor on opposite sides. Think it's doable?
> ...



I always welcome suggestions! I've had bassboats before but this is my first aluminum jon, so some of the concerns are still new to me! I considered a cooler livewell for a while also. Ultimately I ruled it out because the of the size of my boat. Mostly because there is no where good to secure it to. If I secured it to the middle of the rear bench, it would be right in the way of me sitting while driving. If I offset it and secured it to one of the sides the weight would cause the boat to list pretty good since it is only 30" on the width. Although the ease of getting it in and out of the boat and the fact I could throw it in the back of the station wagon (yep, I drive a wagon, love it though) and just plug it in on the drive home was appealing to me, I decided I didn't want to hassle with the balast issue so I remembered Brine's setup of getting a RV water tank and thought I could rig that up in the middle of the boat. I would have to step over it when moving from the back seat to the front, but that's not a big issue to me. If it turns out that building a livewell is more trouble than it's worth I will go back to the cooler idea!-


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## Ictalurus (Apr 6, 2012)

No doubt there is a hassle to the cooler livewell. My suggestion was that if you didn't need the livewell, the space may be better suited to some storage area as floor space on the 1430 will be extremely valuable. I agree, it sure is nice to have a livewell though. I thought and thought about it on my 1470, decided not to go with one, the wide open floor plan was more appealing. Most of my fish either head straight for the ice chest or released at time of catch, not sure I've ever left one in the livewell all day and released it later, but I'm not a tournament bass fisherman either. Again, great work on removing the seats. I'm sure you'll have fun working on the boat, and just about the time you get near completing it you'll be thinking of doing another or what you want on the next boat!


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## Jdholmes (Apr 6, 2012)

I think your measurements may be a little off...

You plan on fitting a battery, tackle, cooler, life jackets and a fire extinguisher all in the back bench...that's a lot of stuff...have you actually tried fitting that all in there?


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## Dockside85 (Apr 6, 2012)

Jdholmes said:


> I think your measurements may be a little off...
> 
> You plan on fitting a battery, tackle, cooler, life jackets and a fire extinguisher all in the back bench...that's a lot of stuff...have you actually tried fitting that all in there?



No I didn't have a full size cooler in mind. I was thinking more of one of the Playmate coolers with the top that rotates down. And yes, I already tried putting most of the stuff in there at once. It all fits!


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## Dockside85 (Apr 6, 2012)

Ictalurus said:


> I'm sure you'll have fun working on the boat, and just about the time you get near completing it you'll be thinking of doing another or what you want on the next boat!



Already have man, already have! I bought this boat from a buddy because it was a good deal. Just with fixing up the trailer I could sell it for more than I paid for both the boat and trailer together. Also this is my first build so I'm not against starting small. I think the next one around would be at least a 1648, maybe larger.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 6, 2012)

Got the new transom braces in today. The old transom wood was riveted in, so I had to remove all the rivets to get it out. Since I don't have the tools to put back in rivets that size, I replaced them with stainless steal machine screws and washers with nylon locking bolts. Should hold just fine. Each piece of wood has two coats of Helmsman water sealing varnish. I don't want to Steelflex over the transom wood on the back of the transom in case it needs to be removed later on, so I'm just going to put some marine sealing silicone around the exterior and bolt heads to make a watertight seal. I have an aluminum plate that will be bolted in at the top where the motor mounts will sit, I just bolted it all in temporarily to make sure all the holes I drilled lined up with the holes in the transom aluminum. Should be finished up tomorrow. In-laws are in town for Easter so not sure how much I'll get done this weekend!


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## wcbond4 (Apr 18, 2012)

Lookin good brotha. 

I see you went OD green too!  

I saw another build on here ( sorry I cant remember whos it was) where they cut the top off of a cooler and fit it in a bench to make his live well. Just an idea. I know you said something about an RV holding tank? Old cooler might be cheap at a yardsale or what not. Just an idea I saw. GET THAT STEELFLEX ON! :lol:


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## TimRich (Apr 18, 2012)

The boat is looking good! Looking forward to the build!


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## Dockside85 (Apr 18, 2012)

wcbond4 said:


> Lookin good brotha.
> 
> I see you went OD green too!
> 
> I saw another build on here ( sorry I cant remember whos it was) where they cut the top off of a cooler and fit it in a bench to make his live well. Just an idea. I know you said something about an RV holding tank? Old cooler might be cheap at a yardsale or what not. Just an idea I saw. GET THAT STEELFLEX ON! :lol:




Love me some olive drab! I'm a little concerned with how the color will come out. I think Fascoe sent like 4 oz of pigment for the Steelflex, but I've heard it's really dark if you use it all. I'll have to ask around and see how much to use.

Also I ditched the livewell idea. I want to keep the floor of the boat open and I would have to build "bench" around the livewell. More time, more weight, more money, more hassle, less space. Decided to just outfit a cooler I have with the bilge pump and PVC pipes I have and I'll strap it somewhere on deck.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 18, 2012)

Well time to work on the boat has been few and far between the last couple of weeks. I was able to get in a couple of hours tonight though. Finally got the wood for the floor cut to fit down over the ribs. I'm using 1/2" plywood on the bottom and 1/3" plywood on the sides. Should keep the weight down more than a thicker ply but should still be plenty sturdy. I got some pink foam to pack underneath the floor and sides to help replace some that I took out of the seats. Should have base deck carpeted and secured by Saturday afternoon so I can start on the wiring and front deck.


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## wcbond4 (Apr 19, 2012)

Floor looks good man! I wish my decks were gonna be that easy! I started laying them out tonight...ugh. PITA


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## Dockside85 (Apr 19, 2012)

wcbond4 said:


> I started laying them out tonight...ugh. PITA



Tell me about it man. My boat is in the garage on sawhorses and the sheet of ply for the base deck is 8 feet long. I had to put it in and take it out a few times to get all the measurements right and the placement of the ribs to cut out. Plus I can't just lift and swing. I have to lift, tilt, swing, lift again, etc. Talk about a PITA.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 21, 2012)

Got a little time to work on the boat this weekend.

I started with the front where the small deck will be with the storage compartment underneath. I had some leftover truck bedliner spray from a different project so I sprayed the hull where the storage compartment will be. If you guys haven't used the Rustoleum Truck Bedliner spray I'd recommend it for small projects. It's quick drying, very resistant to scratching, and about $5 a can! I don't know how well it would stand up being on an actual truck bed, but it works great for smaller projects. There was a little bit of overspray on the first rib, but that will be covered by the floor deck so I'm not worried about it.










Next I cut a hole in the rear right corner cover to mount the stern light. The original 1" hole I drilled wasn't quite big enough, so I had to bend up the edges and grind it off. Not the cleanest of cuts but it got the job done. I didn't secure it in yet because I am covering the area in Steelflex, but it fits well.

















Today I started building the frame for the front deck. I got 2" frame joints and riveted them into the side of the hull. I wanted to do this before I applied the Steelflex so the rivets on the exterior would be sealed and wouldn't leak, although since the holes are up near the gunwales I'm not too concerned about them leaking. If water was up that high on the sides of the hull I'd have bigger problems to worry about!









Then I connected the two frame joints with a 2x2 and did another right behind the bow.









Tomorrow I should have the floor deck carpeted and installed and the frame complete. I also bought the carpet I am going to use today. Originally I was going to go with a kit from Bass Pro Shops or Cabella's, but I found another outdoor carpet at Lowe's that I liked. It's a decent looking outdoor carpet, I think it's 20oz. I got 72 square feet of it (12'x6') for about $55 bucks. The kits from Bass Pro and Cabella's go for about $100+ shipping so I saved probably $50 or $60 bucks with this stuff. If anyone else is interested in using this its called Graystone Cascade. I think they are discontinuing it so I'd get it soon if you like it!













I'll post more tomorrow!


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## Dockside85 (Apr 22, 2012)

Started today by carpeting my floor deck. I used outdoor carpet adhesive and stainless steel staples.









While the adhesive was drying I got the boat outside and cleaned it out again. I wanted to coat the surface of my rear storage bench and the floor behind the bench in front of the transom. I decided to use the truck bedliner again!









Boat after spraying the bedliner in the storage and rear floor.





Almost finished framing the front deck.









Floor deck before it went in.





And finally floor deck installed!









You can barely see the sheet metal screws.









Lastly I started the mount for trolling motor. Using a 2x6 that I will carpet and secure to the front deck with countersunk lag screws.





Next step will be to finally Steelflex the exterior since I'm done putting rivets through the hull. I have a buddy coming over to help me with it in a couple of days. That's it for today!


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## Dockside85 (Apr 23, 2012)

Has anyone used the olive drab pigment in their Steelflex job? I'm trying to see how the color comes out if you use all 4oz of pigment provided. If anyone has pictures of their olive drab steelflex I'd be really interested to see it!


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## bguy (Apr 26, 2012)

looking foward to some more pics...

=D> looks good.


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## Bugpac (Apr 29, 2012)

I got a bunch of that pink foam if you wanna come get it, you can pack that front deck full, I have 5 or 6 sheets of it.


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## Dockside85 (Apr 29, 2012)

Bugpac said:


> I got a bunch of that pink foam if you wanna come get it, you can pack that front deck full, I have 5 or 6 sheets of it.



I might just take some of that off your hands for you! Let me check my schedule this week and see when I'd be able to make it over to Duluth. Actually now that I think about it I'm actually going to be over near Pleasant Hill and 141 for work on Wed if you're anywhere around there.


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## Bugpac (Apr 29, 2012)

I usually get up around 11:00 and leave around 2:00 for work. I am about 3 miles from bass pro. Ill count tomorrow and let you know exactly what i got, I got it free, ill pass it for free.


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## Bugpac (May 1, 2012)

I got 3 full sheets, and a bunch of partial, its al 1/2, if u want or if u dont no problem.


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## Dockside85 (May 1, 2012)

Bugpac said:


> I got 3 full sheets, and a bunch of partial, its al 1/2, if u want or if u dont no problem.



Yeah def do! Just trying to think of when I can make it out there soon. I need to get out to Bass Pro again anyways. I'll PM you and we'll work it out.
Thanks man!


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## Dockside85 (May 3, 2012)

Finally got a few hours today to put Steelflex on! I think it came out really good. I worked alone so I mixed smaller quantities of it. If anyone is wondering how much they need, mine is a 1430 and I did two generous coats of the whole exterior and used about a half gallon. Here are some pics of how it turned out.

Olive drab pigment mixed into the neutral base. I used the whole 4oz container. I got a paddle mixer for my cordless drill from Harbor Freight for like $4 to mix the pigment in well.






First coat done. I held off on the transom because I was originally planning to do it later. I decided to go ahead and do it while I was finishing the second coat and ran out of mix halfway through the transom so I just stopped there. I'm going to do the transom and gunwales when I flip the boat over in a few days.













Second coat done

















I read the "everything Steelflex" thread about 3 times before I started this. Here are some things I can reaffirm or tips I can give for anyone else applying to their jon:

1.) Don't skimp on quality foam rollers. I started with $2 for 4 pack cheapos I got at Harbor Freight. They held on longer than I expected for $.50 foam rollers, but they still fell apart rather quick. I then switched to my higher quality $10 for 5 pack I got from Home Depot. These worked MUCH better. If you don't want to be picking bits of foam out of your Steelflex every 10 seconds, get quality foam rollers.
2.) Whoever said that Steelflex is like working with "frozen honey", absolutely right. As everyone else says, it's thick thick sticky stuff.
3.) Don't wear clothes (jeans) that you still occasionally wear out still when you apply it. They will become strictly "around the house project clothes". 
4.) If you are working by yourself you need to work faster. Don't mix bigger batches, just make more total batches. I spoke with Jerry at Fascoe the other day and he said you want to get a thin base coat and then thicker coats on top of that. Use less for the first coat and spread it out farther. Since thinner coats take longer to cure it gives you a little bit more time to get some practice with it.
5.) Walmart sells plastic 4 cup measuring cups for $.98, squeegee spatulas 2 for $.98, a mesh bag of nylon mixing spoons for $.98 and nylon ladles for $1.98. I spent about $10 bucks got like 3 measuring cups and a couple of each of the others. I used the ladles to scoop out the amounts of the base and hardener into the plastic measuring cups. I mixed the Steelflex by hand with nylon spoons because I was also told by Jerry at Fascoe that if you use a paddle mixer while combining the two parts that it generates heat and accelerates the curing process, especially if you make a large batch. To each his own, but I mixed it by hand! When it's all over I'm not torn up about having to toss the cups, ladles, etc. They served their purpose.

All in all it wasn't as totally bad and frustrating as I was working it up to be. It was mid 80's in ATL today and I did it in my garage with the door open so I'm sure that helped. I wouldn't want to do it all over again next week, but once every few years or when I upgrade boats won't be horrible.

I was looking for options for an 8 gauge wire to extend my trolling motor wiring to reach the battery in the back bench. I looked around online for 8 gauge wire but everything I could find was pretty expensive for just the amount I needed. I found this on Amazon.com. It's an 8 gauge subwoofer amplifier kit with 23 total feet of 8 gauge wire and 6 feet of plactic split loom tubing. Got this kit delivered free with Amazon Prime for $12. Not to mention it also has some other wires, screws, terminal connectors, etc that I might find use for later on. 









Anyways, that's all for today! I'm going to let the Steelflex cure a couple days and then get it flipped over onto the trailer to finish out the inside.


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## Dockside85 (May 24, 2012)

So after taking some time off to work on other home projects I got some free time to work on the boat this week. She's coming together nicely and nearly done!

After the Steelflex was done curing I installed a bow eye since I removed the handle that was previously on it. On the inside of the hull I added a thick plate of aluminum for more support. I sealed around the bolt and the whole plate with marine silicone sealant.









Next I started on building the front deck. I cut out pieces for the top of the deck and the inside facing and coated them with spar urethane. On the inside facing I routered holes for the instrument panel, an LED light, and the trolling motor plug receptacle. They may look crooked in the pictures but that's before the boards were carpeted and the pieces were secured. Just for reference though!









I got the top of the front deck cut and carpeted. I cut out a large hatch in the middle of the deck to access the storage area below.









Then I placed the front facing up to it to see how it fit.









I cut out another piece for the rear bench, urethaned and carpeted it. I secured it to the bench seat with hinges riveted in the back of the bench seat. I'm using a Swivleze system so I mounted a baseplate for the rear seat in the middle of the bench. On the underside I installed the rubber clamps to hold the stern light for storage. (If anyone is curious about the thickness of wood I used, I went with 3/4" sanded pine on the top of the front deck and 1/2" for the inside facing of the deck).









I carpeted the hatch and put it in to see how it fit. I also installed the trolling motor mount at this time. I had to make a mount for it instead of just securing it to the deck 1) because it's sturdier and 2) because I needed to raise up the motor base a few inches to clear the lip of the bow. For the trolling motor mount I used just a piece of 2x6 watersealed and carpeted. I installed it by ratcheting galvanized lag screws through the trolling motor base plate, through the 2x6, and lastly through the deck. 









And finally the front facing panel was carpeted and ready to secure to the frame!













A few shots of the wiring inside:
This is the back of the trolling motor receptacle plug. It's a 3 wire plug for 12/24 volts and a ground. Since my trolling motor is 12V and I didn't want an extra wire dangling around I cut it down and capped it with a wire nut. The power and ground cable going from the receptacle to the battery is an 8 gauge insulated wire from a car amplifier installation kit. The wires were soldered and heat shrink wrapped on both ends.





Here is the switch panel. I went with the Seasense 5 gang panel with a 12v cigarette lighter port. I will use this port to power my cooler livewell when it's done. It looks chaotic down here but I'm in the process of getting all the wires secured to the frame and tucked away.









Another shot inside the storage compartment.









I made a little elevated carpeted base for the new bow light. It came with a shiny chrome finish which I didn't like, so I coated the outside with truck bedliner. Gives it a rough more durable surface and looks cooler!





Stern light base installed and the edges sealed with silicone sealant.









As I mentioned I'm doing a locking pin Swivleze pedestal system for both seats. Main reason is that I had all the parts laying around from a previous project boat! I also prefer them to the thicker stationary pedestal stands because those cannot be removed whenever you want to. One issue I faced was the forward seat. The pin goes below the base about 2" when the pedestal stand is inserted in the base. There wasn't 2" for it to go down in the middle of the floor, so I had to raise it up. I made a carpeted block with a piece of 2x8" for the base to mount ontop of. I used a drillbit for boring holes in doors to go all the way through the block so the base and pin could sit flush. Carpeted it up and secured it to the floor. I think it came out pretty good!





Here's some more photos of what it looks like now:


















Here's the red LED light I got for the boat. I actually got 3 of them; one on the front and two on the sides. I went with the red because I've heard the white/blue is a little bright for the night vision when you're fishing after dark. I still have 2 to install so I'll see how it looks when all 3 are in.





Front and stern lights on.





Storage under front compartment. I'm going to fill any free space with closed cell foam or lifevests/seats.





Trolling motor.





So that's where I'm at right now! Still have a couple more little tasks to do. I'm debating on whether I wanted to carpet sideboards to go from the floor to the gunwales to hide all the wire, but I'm not sure I want to do that anymore. I don't like the exposed wire tubing showing though; doesn't look clean to me. I should have her out on the water early next week!


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jun 21, 2012)

hows the build going? have you taken her out on the water yet? any "in use" pictures? it looks amazing!!! good job!


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jul 16, 2012)

i gotta see how the boats coming along!!!  i just bought the exact same boat the other day and want to do alot of the same stuff you have done!


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## Dockside85 (Jul 13, 2013)

Sorry to revive an old thread but I just wanted to upload a few final pictures of the build I completed (or as much as I have time to do these days) Still need to cover the sides with something. Took it out a lot last spring and summer and this spring. It does great! It's pretty stable for a 1430 but it helps that I lowered the center of gravity in the boat with the lower mounted seats. Still need an outboard, so if anyone has one in the Atlanta area they can part with for a deal let me know!




































View from the front seat





First catch in the boat!


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## DrNip (Aug 18, 2013)

Superb job! Boat came out nice looking.


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## hercdrvrwo (Aug 18, 2013)

=D> WOW -- Great boat brother!!


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## shaggs (Aug 18, 2013)

That last picture is what it's all about,they can keep the hokey pokey LOL
You done well on that project and in the end it's the result most of us want,on the water catching fish

Regards
Shaun


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## Scott1298 (Aug 19, 2013)

Nice work! 
You said you might want to do something with the sides. I used a mesh cargo net; for a small boat it's light and hugs the sides when not in use. I bought a cheap one and cut it down the middle lengthways to fit both sides. The nets regularly hold a small telescoping paddle, fish net, bags of potato chips, extra cloths we bring etc.


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## hercdrvrwo (Aug 19, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=326526#p326526 said:


> Scott1298 » 19 Aug 2013, 00:04[/url]"]Nice work!
> You said you might want to do something with the sides. I used a mesh cargo net; for a small boat it's light and hugs the sides when not in use. I bought a cheap one and cut it down the middle lengthways to fit both sides. The nets regularly hold a small telescoping paddle, fish net, bags of potato chips, extra cloths we bring etc.




What did you buy and how did you cut it down -- I want to do the same all around my boat! Do you have any specifics?

Cheers
Herc


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## Scott1298 (Aug 19, 2013)

What did you buy and how did you cut it down -- I want to do the same all around my boat! Do you have any specifics?

I got mine at Canadian Tire (the Canadian Walmart) in the car organizer department for less than $15. It was originally 45x24" & I cut it down to 45x12", this one will stretch to 60". Just search cargo net, it looks like you can find others for longer truck boxes, maybe you can find one you can cut and fit between your seats... or you could try lashing two smaller ones together for length.
Take a look at Maestro's nets @ https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=25479, he shrunk his nets right down and used hockey tape for the trim (although he called it something much more exotic). I used the seams at the ends of the seats for S hooks, and I added rope at the bottom inside the S hooks and just kept shortening the shock cord until I had satisfactory tension around the edges. Lastly I used a torch to melt the nylon netting ends left when I cut. Check my mod below for a little more detail and a few more pictures.


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