# First Boat /project 16ft Aluminum (Starcraft)



## AZSunDevil (May 11, 2017)

Hello all this is my first post. First I have to say thank you to all who have contributed to the wealth of information on this site. I've been lurking for a week or so and just absorbing as much as I can from the site.

(Tried Editing and Rotating Photos; Still not working)

I've been toying with the idea of getting a small boat that I can use here in Arizona in our "high country" or Rim lakes where we are limited to 10hp on most lakes or Electric only. Primarily I just want something I can fish for trout from and maybe once in a while I might take on the bigger lakes down in the "low country" on cooler days. A friend in Colorado fixed up a 14ft aluminum v-hull and he initially inspired me to start my search for a budget fishing boat build.

I know an older guy who is somewhat of a hoarder/picker, lives out in the boonies, and has a 16ft aluminum boat sitting on an old rusty tilt trailer. Very little is known about the boat. Somebody owed him money back in the 90s and left it with him as "payment." He offered to give it to me for essentially nothing. He had started to fix up the trailer (new winch, tongue/hitch mount, and rims/tires) so that another one of our friends could drag it back to Montana but he ended up finding something near his home in Montana.

Boat is very straight, no damage or dents, rivets and seams look to be tight and in great shape from what little I know about boats. As you can see from photos there's some trash in the boat but the paint, from my initial look, seems albeit faded, in pretty good shape; not bubbling , a little flaking. Transom wood looks a bit dry rotted and baked from decades in the intense AZ sun. Wood on the bench needs to be replaced as well. The external Hull Identification tag/plate is missing. There are two inside the boat near the transom, one is illegible from fading the other I can barely make out says Max Capacity 5 Persons and I think it said ~800lbs (I'll have to look again more closely). I have no idea of the manufacturer or model of the boat but it seems like something I could work with given the price.

Will try to get better photos when I get a chance to go down and look at the boat again but here's what I have so far:


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## Johnny (May 11, 2017)

Welcome Aboard !!









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## JigglyJohnson (May 11, 2017)

The boat looks super clean. Great platform to start with. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## AZSunDevil (May 11, 2017)

Johnny said:


> Welcome Aboard !!
> 
> 
> .


Thank you for fixing my photos. Not sure what in the heck is wrong with this computer/browser. I am sure it is Operator Error. #-o


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## Shaugh (May 11, 2017)

It's a nice boat. So how do you want make it ? Like a bass boat with the usual stand up carpeted deck ? Or something more traditional like a 50's sittin and fishin type ... Wood floors... a little varnish and paint... ?


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## AZSunDevil (May 11, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> It's a nice boat. So how do you want make it ? Like a bass boat with the usual stand up carpeted deck ? Or something more traditional like a 50's sittin and fishin type ... Wood floors... a little varnish and paint... ?


I would prefer a universal approach if that's possible but I'm terrible at envisioning these things so I'll be looking at others examples to get an idea of what I like. I definitely don't want a full up bass boat. I'd like to be able to use it to troll for trout, cast spinners, and if once in awhile I decide to fish for stripers or bass maybe I'll have functionality for that too. So maybe a floor but not super raised up. The sun can get intense here so whatever I pick for flooring id like to be something that does not get too hot and if I could walk on it barefoot even better.


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## Shaugh (May 11, 2017)

I like trolling and doing a little standing too. A pallet type floor is a good choice for that kind of fishing. A nice level surface to walk and move around but easy to take out for cleaning etc.


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## ProduceMan (May 11, 2017)

Nice find! No idea about the manufacturer. I really like the hull's lines, seems like a deeper hull with some pretty stout bracing by the seats. How many ribs does it have. Knee brace looks 15-30 hp-ish.


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## AZSunDevil (May 12, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> I like trolling and doing a little standing too. A pallet type floor is a good choice for that kind of fishing. A nice level surface to walk and move around but easy to take out for cleaning etc.


I was thinking maybe some plywood flooring with outdoor carpeting adhered to it. Maybe I could screw some d-rings into the top of the flooring so I can reach in and pull it out easily? I think the most difficult part of it will be figuring out how to frame it in, measure it, and cut it correctly. I have a skilsaw but I may need to get a jigsaw or rent or borrow some other type of saw. I need to research how others have done this on here. I saw some folks framed in with aluminum pieces but that would likely be well above my skillset. 

For painting I'm lucky that I have a buddy who went to school at Texas State Tech for Auto Body/Painting and paints cars from time to time. He told me I could borrow some of his equipment or I could go over to his place and he'd help me do the painting. Not really sure about the color. I do a lot of upland bird hunting but have never really been into Duck Hunting. I have considered it in the past and maybe this is an opportunity to paint the boat to where it could be multi-purpose Blast & Cast.


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## AZSunDevil (May 12, 2017)

ProduceMan said:


> Nice find! No idea about the manufacturer. I really like the hull's lines, seems like a deeper hull with some pretty stout bracing by the seats. How many ribs does it have. Knee brace looks 15-30 hp-ish.


I hope to pick it up either this weekend or next at the latest. Once I do I'll get some better pictures of it and then I'll be able to answer your questions! Thanks for taking a look and replying!


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## Shaugh (May 12, 2017)

Pallet floors are pretty easy. just cut down 2x4's to run next to the ribs and screw your decking to the top edges. You don't need to be perfectly flush with the sides. Plenty of room for fingers;


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## AZSunDevil (May 12, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> Pallet floors are pretty easy. just cut down 2x4's to run next to the ribs and screw your decking to the top edges. You don't need to be perfectly flush with the sides. Plenty of room for fingers;
> 
> View attachment 1


That looks really sharp I guess my only reservations would be stuff falling through that gap and then rolling around under the floor when fishing? Also how much heat would it absorb in the AZ sun, if I take my little daughter out is she going to burn herself on the decking? The carpeting might feel better on the feet is all I'm thinking. Not sure though!


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## mrdrh99 (May 12, 2017)

Looks like a great hull! 

CAUTION! 

get the paperwork/title/registration out of the way before you start to sink $ into it! My first boat I had over $900 into only to have to wait 6 months to get the paperwork straight!


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## Shaugh (May 12, 2017)

I can't really see the floor ribs in your boat, but you'll see on that one how the ribs pretty much keep you from getting flush to the sides unless you make the floor quite a bit higher. I guess if I drop something I usually just grab another one and clean it out when I get home. The point was that making it flush is quite a bit more work and you seemed unsure about it. Carpeted plywood is just as good as wood for the decking. I was trying to show how the lightweight floor sections could be designed to simply sit in the bottom of the boat. Sun is a problem no matter what you use... You'll want to think about a canopy once you get that far along..

... sounds like you're airborne... good luck.


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## AZSunDevil (May 12, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> I can't really see the floor ribs in your boat, but you'll see on that one how the ribs pretty much keep you from getting flush to the sides unless you make the floor quite a bit higher. I guess if I drop something I usually just grab another one and clean it out when I get home. The point was that making it flush is quite a bit more work and you seemed unsure about it. Carpeted plywood is just as good as wood for the decking. I was trying to show how the lightweight floor sections could be designed to simply sit in the bottom of the boat. Sun is a problem no matter what you use... You'll want to think about a canopy once you get that far along..
> 
> ... sounds like you're airborne... good luck.


All great considerations thank you and I'll keep the progress updated here once I start working on it.Probably


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## AZSunDevil (May 12, 2017)

mrdrh99 said:


> Looks like a great hull!
> 
> CAUTION!
> 
> get the paperwork/title/registration out of the way before you start to sink $ into it! My first boat I had over $900 into only to have to wait 6 months to get the paperwork straight!


Thanks! Definitely will.


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## AZSunDevil (May 13, 2017)

ProduceMan said:


> Nice find! No idea about the manufacturer. I really like the hull's lines, seems like a deeper hull with some pretty stout bracing by the seats. How many ribs does it have. Knee brace looks 15-30 hp-ish.


went down-and looked at the boat again today and I saw that it is a starcraft also it has about 13 ribs from what I can count


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## AZSunDevil (May 13, 2017)

Took some more photos. Not sure if you can make out the Starcraft logo or letters. Looked at capacity plate again best I can make out is 5 persons and 790lbs. 

Wonder if this is an old Marlin?? Looks like something was crudely cut out of the bow area on the inside you can see two remaining aluminum strips riveted in.

Also got a pic of the front of tilt trailer where a roller is missing. You can see the handle for the "tilt" function. I bought a 3ft section of steel rod 5/8" and took some measurements to make a couple replacement roller shafts. I bought some 5 inch keel rollers to replace the rotted ones. Originals measure closer to 6 1/4" not sure I'll find those so I guess I'll use some washer mechanism or pvc Pipe to keep the roller centered.


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## AZSunDevil (May 16, 2017)

Trying to determine what year the Starcraft is. I looked through all of the brochures on a link someone posted in the forum. Based on the logo used and positioning of the Starcraft lettering my best guess is a late 70s to early 80s Seafarer. But there were quite a few gaps (years) in the brochures and not all of the boats were shown in the years that were available, from what I could tell.

Waiting for the guy to get back into town with title for trailer so I can get it registered and then I'll give him a few bucks for it. Project is on hold until that happens. He's a buddy of mine so I'm just being patient.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 17, 2017)

After a longer than expected delay I got the boat home today. 

One question does anyone know what these metal pieces are? Trying to determine if should remove and replace with something else or if they serve a purpose. Also trying to determine what the jagged leftover metal strips were from. They're riveted in.



Also took a couple other measurements. Nothing scientific but looks like transom is about 22", rib width toward back of boat (widest point?) is about 51".





Rivet missing here not sure how hard it would be to replace. Never worked with rivets before. This looks like a large one too.



This platform looks original. Also riveted in and the wood still feels decently solid but definitely needs replaced... I guess this would be for a gas can? Was this a "unique to starcraft" thing?


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## Johnny (Jun 17, 2017)

good job !! you have a lot of potential there.
I think the two metal things are for a shelf for one of the previous owners.
cut them out, plug the holes.




and the little box things are to hold wood or plastic slats
to support a canvas cover.... if you are not going to use a cover,
they can be removed. (save them, you may decide to use them later).











.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 17, 2017)

Johnny said:


> good job !! you have a lot of potential there.
> I think the two metal things are for a shelf for one of the previous owners.
> cut them out, plug the holes.
> 
> ...


So by cut out you mean drill out the rivets ? What do you recommend for plugging them? I'll have to research it here I guess.


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## Johnny (Jun 18, 2017)

yes, we drill out rivets when removing items from the hull.
the best method to plug the holes would be solid rivets.
just enough length to hold them fast. if you use pop rivets
or any protruding fasteners, it could be problematic later on.
as you get more involved in your project, you will find hammers
of different sizes, tin shears, pop-rivet gun, bucking bars for
3/16" solid rivets, and the list grows as your needs to modify grows.



*This is a bucking bar I made out of a 1" x 10" bar of round steel.
the dented hole must be perfect without ridges or swirls as the 
rivet head will mirror what is used to set the tail. of course if you are
not concerned with cosmetics, you can use a 2 or 3# flat face hammer for the dolly.
(which will work fine, just the head of the rivet may have a flat face).*












.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 18, 2017)

Thank you for the detailed reply! Looks like I have some more tools to buy. 

Today I cleaned the crud out of the boat and stripped all old wood out. Drilled out some rivets as well. 

Filled her up with water and I was really surprised to see the ONLY spot with some occasional drips of water was in the front.





I guess I could gluvit that inside area of the hull. The rivets all look to be in solid shape along the hull.


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## g0nef1sshn (Jun 18, 2017)

looks like the other brace on your seat is a pop rivet. easy to use. when I did mine I used pop rivets where it wasnt really a structural element. And used solid rivets for things like the z brace that the transom wood sits in. 

https://www.forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=36664&hilit=open+starcraft

Restoring is addicting and the plan always changes on the go.


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## Brandtcountry (Jun 18, 2017)

I just found the same exact boat (star-craft/seafarer). Here is a picture of that missing shelf.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 18, 2017)

Brandtcountry said:


> I just found the same exact boat (star-craft/seafarer). Here is a picture of that missing shelf.


Nice! I'm really curious what year mine is. Do you have any idea how old yours is? Mine had some old tags from 1991 ...last year it had been registered apparently. No idea when it was originally made or purchased.


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## water bouy (Jun 18, 2017)

That's gonna make a fine fishing machine. My '97 Monark looked a lot like it except for the bench braces. It was made by Starcraft which probably had something to do with it. It had the same raised area behind the rear bench for the gas tank.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 18, 2017)

g0nef1sshn said:


> looks like the other brace on your seat is a pop rivet. easy to use. when I did mine I used pop rivets where it wasnt really a structural element. And used solid rivets for things like the z brace that the transom wood sits in.
> 
> https://www.forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=36664&hilit=open+starcraft
> 
> Restoring is addicting and the plan always changes on the go.


Man I am so full of dumb questions... but does anyone have a good video or instruction on Solid rivets vs. pop rivets. Such as do they require the same methodology and tooling to install? Wondering what tools and materials I need to buy. I have a micrometer so I'm guessing I'll have to measure these holes to get the right sized rivets.

Is this guy doing it right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAWPo8F-gXc

I appreciate everyone's inputs and opinions on the subject matter. Thank you for replying above!


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## Johnny (Jun 19, 2017)

SunDevil - check the good ole *YouTube* for some tutorial videos.
but just be advised . . . just because someone did it a certain way and
posted a video of it, does not necessarily mean it is the correct way.
form your own opinions that will fit your skill level and tools available
for your particular projects.
good luck !

*the common size rivets are 3/16" diameter = available at any Big Box Store.*
buy some _good quality_ 3/16" drill bits and you will be in business !!




.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 19, 2017)

Johnny said:


> SunDevil - check the good ole *YouTube* for some tutorial videos.
> but just be advised . . . just because someone did it a certain way and
> posted a video of it, does not necessarily mean it is the correct way.
> form your own opinions that will fit your skill level and tools available
> ...


Johnny I watched a few videos on pop rivets (blind rivets) vs. solid rivets and I think it clicked for me!  So making your bucking bar-- what are those bits called that you used to carve the indentation in the bar? Don't have access to any milling equipment, lathes or heavy duty drills but wondering if there's any way I could pull something like that off with my Dremel tool. :| I have a buddy who works at a salvage/scrap yard locally so maybe I can get a steel bar or block similar to what you have. Just trying to figure out the most cost effective way to get a nice indentation in the end like you have.


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## Johnny (Jun 19, 2017)

Sun - I started off with a drill bit the size of the rivet head in a drill press.
drilled about 3/4 of depth needed then went to the metal "rotary files"
to get the overall fit for the rivet head.
the rotary files left swirls which were not pleasant to look at,
so I finished it up with the rotary stone. all in a 18v cordless drill.
the more smoother the dimple is = the more the smoother the rivet head will be.
practice on some scrap metal first until you get the hang of it.


I have had these tools for over 40 years but see them often in the Big Box Stores
in the hand files and Dremel tool section.

if you are going to do dozens and dozens of solid rivets, you could consider a pneumatic
chisel (air hammer) from Harbor Freight and rivet tools from Northern Tool. (a $50 investment to get started). 




the bucking bar itself could be any steel object; round or square and weighs about 2 or 3 pounds.
the yellow one that I have is a piece of drive shaft from the PTO in my old tractor.


.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 19, 2017)

Johnny said:


> Sun - I started off with a drill bit the size of the rivet head in a drill press.
> drilled about 3/4 of depth needed then went to the metal "rotary files"
> to get the overall fit for the rivet head.
> the rotary files left swirls which were not pleasant to look at,
> ...


Beautiful. Exactly what I was looking for... I'll be making a stop by Harbor "Fright" and Lowes today after work.


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## Johnny (Jun 19, 2017)

please post some photos of your project.

good luck !


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 20, 2017)

Johnny said:


> please post some photos of your project.
> 
> good luck !


As I make more progress I will definitely get some photos going. Right now the record-setting Heat is slowing me down.  

Hoping it drops back down out of the "hundredteens" after this week so I can make a little evening progress on it. I work normal business hours for the most part so that kills me. Then on the weekends I'm dealing with pregnant and needy wife... :lol:


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 23, 2017)

Well I was able to get the trailer registered and titled no problem. I repacked the bearings and hubs so that I could drag it 30 miles to the local Fish & Game office here in AZ. I called ahead TWICE on separate occasions once before I picked up the boat and then again this last week let them know there were no visible numbers on the boat, no tags on the Transom, etc. and to ask what the process would be for registering it. "Oh no big deal" they said "just bring it down and we will have to do a visual inspection and then if we have to we can print a new Hull ID # and attach it to the boat."

Well I took the afternoon off yesterday to take it over to AZGFD the female employee (civilian not LEO) comes out walks around the boat, looking high and low, inside and out, and determines that it cannot be registered by her, it will need a Fish and Game Officer to inspect and determine if it can be registered or not. Of course the LEO agent is not there, so I have to call his cell phone, leave a voice mail and he will call me back to arrange an appointment for inspection. This means I have to waste another half-day and take time off of work to get it looked at and potentially have them tell me to pound sand. I asked the lady what the possible outcomes could be, she said "well you could always just use it as a rowboat with oars".... :roll: :roll: RIIIIIIGHT. Because I REALLY want to row a 16ft aluminum boat around.

I have a "bill of sale" my buddy gave me for record purposes with no useful information as the year/model of the boat cannot be verified. I've been over every conceivable square inch of this boat cleaning it, I even pulled the caps off the bow and aft, no numbers stamped there. I believe the boat was probably manufactured prior to the 'Hidden VIN' days in the early 80s. Do I have the guy make another bill of sale and allege that it's a 1970 (pre HIN days? :---) )--well that's not very honest. [-X Do I hope and pray there is some waiver or exemption process that the state will allow me to go through to get the boat a new HIN assigned? [-o< 

Maybe I can sand it all down, seal any and all existing holes that could be associated with the HIN tag (as that seemed to be her hang-up) and then repaint it. Then take and register as a pre-1970s or as a Homemade boat? :?: :?: 

I could see it being an issue if this was a big fancy boat but we're talking about an abandoned piece of glorified scrap metal, that's been sitting for 20+ years. There is literally no value to the boat except perhaps its weight in aluminum.

So now I am not sure where I stand with this project. I may end up hauling it to my buddy's salvage yard in Phoenix. #-o 

Well at least I have an old trailer with newly greased hubs and bearings? 











Man I am frustrated with the Photo uploading here. I have saved the photos to my desktop, opened them with photo editor, rotated them and they still come up the same way every time I upload them. The forum controls here seem pretty antiquated to other forums I've used.


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## Johnny (Jun 23, 2017)

Sun - as for the photo orientation, try resizing to 600 pixels.
sometimes if they are are too large, they end up in the wrong direction.



yep - that is the way it goes with a "Bill of Sale" only with no title.

this is the very reason that we emphatically suggest you do the paperwork
_before_ investing your precious time and money into any project.

In Florida, the DMV issues the registration and if there is no title in hand,
they "could" write a letter to the last person on their registry to sign an
affidavit passing ownership to the person that has the Bill of Sale.

thus lies the risk that you have a stolen boat on your hands with a LOT of questions
to answer as to how you now have this vessel in your possession . . . . . 

*word of advice to all - - -* _RESEARCH THE TITLE_ PRIOR TO ACTUALLY HANDING OVER THE MONEY



.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 23, 2017)

Johnny said:


> yep - that is the way it goes with a "Bill of Sale" only with no title.
> 
> this is the very reason that we emphatically suggest you do the paperwork
> _before_ investing your precious time and money into any project.
> ...


Luckily I didn't spend much time or money on the boat. This is exactly why I wanted to get the thing registered before I started painting. Only regret is not taking it DIRECTLY to the fish and game office with all of the trash and dirt in it. Would have saved me 5 or 6 hours of pressure washing, stripping hardware, and ridding it of debris. My buddy said if we can't get it registered he will give my $200 back.


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## Fire1386 (Jun 23, 2017)

I had dealings with the DNR here in Ohio when I went to sell my older tin. I had it for years, but they had changed the laws that 14 feet or over needed a title. All I had was the registration which said it was 14 feet long. According to the DNR it was common practice for the manufacturers to round up to the next foot. I measured it and it was 13 feet 6 inches. DNR said that they would have to officially measure it and change the paper work on it. I was fortunate to have a DNR officer live not to far away and they would ask him to stop on his way home. Couple days later he did and then they sent me the new paperwork on the boat.... I thought they had went out of the way to help me. I was very pleased with the DNR here. I would give them a try and hopefully it will work out for you. I think they just want to make sure that it is seaworthy and that someone isn't trying to put a real dangerous piece of junk out on the water. I really don't think there will be a problem getting it ok'd as long as it is seaworthy. Just my 2 pennies worth...


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## derekdiruz (Jun 23, 2017)

I've also had great success with ohio dnr

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 23, 2017)

Success!!!!!!It's a 1981 starcraft. They found it in the system using a combo of old registry numbers off the bow and the old trailer license plate. They're going to give me a new Hull ID plate for it. Last time it was registered was 1992. 

Whewwwwww


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## Johnny (Jun 23, 2017)

wow - CONGRATS !!!!! (this is a learning lesson with old boats - next time you will know).

now - onwards and upwards into your project !
have fun - be safe - enjoy the summer !



.


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## Fire1386 (Jun 23, 2017)

Awesome, congrats.....


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## Brandtcountry (Jun 23, 2017)

awesome! I was gonna drive out there and give you 200 Lol


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 24, 2017)

Started stripping paint today. Decided to try "Citristrip" about $12 per quart from Lowes. I am about 3qts in and have almost the entire boat exterior stripped. I tried some on the inside of the boat but the interior paint seems to be much more stubborn...to be fair I only used a small amount on one of the benches. First things first, I figure I 'll get the exterior stripped and then move to the interior. I know some guys say they just sand or rough up the existing paint and paint over that as it is easier and less expensive (less materials & time involved) to prep bare aluminum for paint but this thing had several layers of "rattle can" camo and then a base layer below that which was pretty old too....so I didn't want to risk it. Would rather start with a blank canvas so to speak.

With the citristrip I find it takes that rattle can layer off right away, then the second coat (OEM paint?) below it requires some more touch up as you can see in the photo below there's some "almond" colored base paint that appears to be the original layer in patches that I had to go back and touch up. I'm waiting on a second coat of citristrip to soak in now. 




Does anyone with experience on citristrip know if it matters to remove it BEFORE it dries? It's extremely tough here because it is so HOT and DRY. I am working in the garage to keep it out of direct sun, per the citristrip instructions, but not sure if I should be removing it before it dries.


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## nccatfisher (Jun 24, 2017)

Stripper in conjunction with a turbo nozzle with a pressure washer will do wonders. Make sure to wear protective goggles, that stuff in the eyes is bad news.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 24, 2017)

nccatfisher said:


> Stripper in conjunction with a turbo nozzle with a pressure washer will do wonders. Make sure to wear protective goggles, that stuff in the eyes is bad news.


There's a greenish bottom layer only in some areas that seems impossible to get off with the stripper / pressure washer combo. Is this some kind of paint prep leftover from factory? Any thoughts on another angle of attack for removal?



Noticed on the bow there's some brown epoxy like substance. Some is loose and coming off or is missing now. Thinking I may have to hit this area with Gluvit but I believe most only use Gluvit on the interior?


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## Johnny (Jun 25, 2017)

any paint that can not be chemically removed can be sanded smooth
after the final cleaning and just primed and painted over. 
ensure the edges are feathered down smooth so the area won't ghost through the final coat of paint.

in my world, any open seams such as the ones you show,
I would force caulk or sealer deep into the crevice and wipe smooth
with the finger or cloth. please avoid any and all of that spray seal stuff you see on TV.

doing great so far - keep up the good work !!


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## Shaugh (Jun 25, 2017)

> Any thoughts on another angle of attack for removal?



Wow that's looking good. You won't be sorry if you do the extra work to bring it back down to bare aluminum. Bare aluminum is so much more durable and good looking compared to chippy paint imo. 

To get that last bit of paint and corrosion off try one of these brushes in an electric drill. They're soft so they're easy to use (unlike metal wire brushes) but they still remove most anything:

https://www.amazon.com/Dico-541-778-4-Nyalox-4-Inch-Orange/dp/B00004YYD8/ref=pd_sim_469_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00004YYD8&pd_rd_r=EDSP99DHNEZB0FH15GB0&pd_rd_w=MjmDA&pd_rd_wg=19jPz&psc=1&refRID=EDSP99DHNEZB0FH15GB0


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 26, 2017)

Johnny said:


> any paint that can not be chemically removed can be sanded smooth
> after the final cleaning and just primed and painted over.
> ensure the edges are feathered down smooth so the area won't ghost through the final coat of paint.
> 
> ...


I ended up using a dark red (maroon color) scotchbrite pad cut and fit to my little Makita finishing sander to finish the sides man what a difference maker. Wished I had figured that out earlier. It has that "brushed" aluminum look to it now all along the sides. So for the bottom of the hull I'll need to take the boat off of the trailer and flip it over. It isn't painted but I guess it could just use a once over with the scotch bright pad -- maybe some soap and water or is there something else you guys would recommend for scouring and cleaning the bottom? 

This weekend really took it out of me getting the exterior stripped. The interior is really going to be a nightmare I think. The citristrip stuff works but it works slowly and sometimes takes multiple applications. In hindsight, not sure it was the most cost effective route. Probably should have just bit the bullet and used Aircraft Remover like I see a lot of guys recommend, then pressure wash the hell out of that. 

So for the interior do you think I can get away with a light scouring (with same scotchbrite pad on sander?), clean with soap and water, wipe down with Acetone, self-etching prime the bare aluminum spots and then prime & paint? I already pressure washed the interior and most of the paint is adhering very well. Still a couple of chalky areas I missed that the sander would probably address.


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## Johnny (Jun 26, 2017)

> *do you think I can get away with a light scouring (with same scotchbrite pad on sander?),
> clean with soap and water, wipe down with Acetone, self-etching prime the bare aluminum spots
> and then prime & paint?*




*A B S O L U T E L Y !!!!!*

*( please keep in the back of your mind that you are working on a BOAT - not your grandmothers china cabinet )*

*and, if you over think it - - - it will surely be over thunk !!!*









.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 26, 2017)

Johnny said:


> > *do you think I can get away with a light scouring (with same scotchbrite pad on sander?),
> > clean with soap and water, wipe down with Acetone, self-etching prime the bare aluminum spots
> > and then prime & paint?*
> 
> ...



Well I started one section with my 4.5" angle grinder and a wire cup brush but realized it was probably too harsh for the aluminum. I like the suggestion above to use the Nylon wheel which will help me get between the rivets on the outside of the boat.

Once I get it sanded and cleaned then wiped with acetone, I am going to GLUVIT the interior seams and rivets. Although I only had one leak in the front, I figure it's not going to hurt to use it since I have the entire quart.

Self-etching primer I can just buy at autozone or o'reillys in the rattle can. Do I need to prime again on top of that for the non-bare metal portions (where factory paint remains?) and if so, do you have any recommended primers for that?

I like the idea of spraying the interior battleship grey, maybe a non-skid type texture or material if such a thing exists. I haven't decided to stick with just low profile and simple flooring or if I want to put a casting deck into a portion of the boat. I may do low profile floors to start, just enough to cover the ribs and then add on to the boat later as my needs/desires dictate.

For exterior paint I like the idea of the top portion being either a Glossy Forest/Deep Green or Maroon with White or battleship grey on the bottom portion of the hull. I've never been very good at putting what I visualize into reality...my "artistry" skills are zero to none. I'm really a hack.


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## Shaugh (Jun 26, 2017)

> There's a greenish bottom layer only in some areas that seems impossible to get off with the stripper / pressure washer combo. Is this some kind of paint prep leftover from factory? Any thoughts on another angle of attack for removal?



The green stuff is likely just aluminum corrosion like this:



The orange nylon brush should take it right off.. better than scotchbrite... This is a 57 boat with 60 years of corrosion built up ... It was like a coat of black paint.


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 27, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> > There's a greenish bottom layer only in some areas that seems impossible to get off with the stripper / pressure washer combo. Is this some kind of paint prep leftover from factory? Any thoughts on another angle of attack for removal?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


OK good! I ordered the Orange Nylon Brush and a $50 quart of Gluvit from Amazon...both are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get to spend a few hours here later in the week on it. I should also have some time over the holiday weekend to work on the boat.




The interior looks pretty ugly, mostly on bottom of the hull and bench tops. Otherwise the paint is really clinging. This is after I went over it about 3 times with a 2800psi Gas powered Pressure Washer with a 15 degree nozzle, holding it about 2 to 3 inches away from the surface. If this is truly factory paint not sure why there's so much overspray on the inside of the gunwale. I definitely need to strip that part as my plan was to polish out the gunwale (not paint it).

I'm going to try to read back through some of the painting threads but to be honest I'm feeling a little intimidated by it. I put so much work into getting the boat prepped, if the paint doesn't turn out really nice I'm going to be pretty disappointed. I definitely don't want to have to go back and do all of that stripping and painting work again.


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## Shaugh (Jun 27, 2017)

Stripping the interior is probably too much on that boat. sounds like you're on the right track and have it near ready to paint. Just sand down any rough parts.... put some bare aluminum primer on the spots that don't have any paint and start laying on the Rustoleum gloss... You'll be surprised how good it looks compared to what you started with.... that's one of the big satisfactions in working on these boats imo.

Not painting the gunnels and the bumpers is also a great idea... less chipped paint that way...

Rustoleum smoke grey is what I used on mine and it's a little dark imo...seems like it gets extra hot in the sun....If I was going to do it again I'd go lighter than that... Maybe consider buying a quart of grey and a quart of white and mixing them ?


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## AZSunDevil (Jun 27, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> Stripping the interior is probably too much on that boat. sounds like you're on the right track and have it near ready to paint. Just sand down any rough parts.... put some bare aluminum primer on the spots that don't have any paint and start laying on the Rustoleum gloss... You'll be surprised how good it looks compared to what you started with.... that's one of the big satisfactions in working on these boats imo.
> 
> Not painting the gunnels and the bumpers is also a great idea... less chipped paint that way...
> 
> Rustoleum smoke grey is what I used on mine and it's a little dark imo...seems like it gets extra hot in the sun....If I was going to do it again I'd go lighter than that... Maybe consider buying a quart of grey and a quart of white and mixing them ?


Wow yours looks great. Did you use a HVLP gun ? I was looking at one of the ~$50 HVLP spray guns because I don't think I want to mess with rolling it on. Also temperature here is a concern. At best I can get up at 5am and paint it when it's 85 to 90 degrees out, in the garage with door open but at least in shade that way. By 10 or 11am it could be 100+ degrees outside. Wondering how that might impact my painting process.

So I can just put the gloss right over the existing paint, unnecessary to prime on top of the existing paint --just Self Etch prime the bare spots. 
Would you add a clear coat?


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## Shaugh (Jun 27, 2017)

If the original paint is sound there's no reason to prime it. Only prime bare aluminum. I just used a foam roller. Spraying paint is very messy and harder than you think to do a good job... I like rolling because you have so much more control and a lot less mess to clean up. You also can do it in the shade of a garage... with a beer in one hand..


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 1, 2017)

Decided to put some work into the trailer this week. Yanked all ofnthe old crappy rollers and brackets off of it. Bought four CE Smith Bunk Bolster Brackets online, to try and go with bunks Instead. Also bought some 2x6x10's at big blue box store for $14 went with kiln dried Douglas fir. Cheaper and better weight displacement than to replace the old crappy rollers and rusted brackets. Not entirely sure I'm doing this right but it seems to work. I mocked it all up to see if everything will align. Next need to spar varnish the 2x6s and carpet them.






Need to find some short shaft "large flange" 3/16" rivets for the bench spars. Decided too much work to pull all the benches out. Don't want to deal with all of that riveting to remove and replace. So in need of a blind rivet to replace factory blind rivets that attached the spar to the bench.



Bought these off boltdepot.com but they will obviously be far too long. Didn't think about rivet length when I bought them. Flange (head?) Size is dead on however. 



Not sure where to get shorter length blind rivets with this head size. They will have to be blind rivets as the benches are full of foam and I will not be removing them.


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 1, 2017)

It is very hot and dry here, upwards of 105 to 110 degrees on average right now by 1pm. Is there a Maximum working temp for applying Spar Urethane? Can I apply it in the warm temps in the shade of my garage? Or should I wait and only do it in the AM when it is 80F to 85F?

I have been searching google for the answer to my question but have not found anything on "highest" temperature for applying spar urethane. Plenty of discussion on Cold weather application.

I bought a can of this Minwax Spar Urethane at HomeDepot and was going to use it on my Bunk boards before carpeting. Maybe 4 or 5 coats starting with very thin coats per Johnny's suggestions in another write-up I saw. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Minwax-...-Indoor-Outdoor-Spar-Urethane-63210/100156304

Nothing on the can about maximum application temps.

I am considering using the same stuff on my transom when I get ready to make that.


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## Johnny (Jul 1, 2017)

Sun - modifying paints and varnishes only comes with experience.

in the sign painters world, we have no control over the environmental conditions
when painting outside.... when it is hot and dry, we would use the slowest evaporating 
thinner we can find plus a few drops of kerosene.
Naphtha and Turpentine are slow evaporating thinners and mineral spirits and is a bit faster.
so in your condition, I would suggest Naphtha or Turpentine as the thinner and another conditioner
such as Flotrol or Penetrol as a modifier ..... some are specific to latex water based paints
and some are specific to oil-based paints.... be sure to use the correct one for your products.
follow the directions on the label.










you could perform your own experiment with putting equal amounts of each thinner in 
the same size container - such as bottle caps and compare the evaporation
rates under controlled conditions - such as in your garage or outside under cover and check them daily.
the slowest rate of evaporation would be your choice of thinner for 100* temps with low humidity.

mix only the amounts you think you will need for the project at hand
do not return any modified products back to the original container or the whole can could ruin in a short time.



.


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## shoestringmariner (Jul 2, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> I like trolling and doing a little standing too. A pallet type floor is a good choice for that kind of fishing. A nice level surface to walk and move around but easy to take out for cleaning etc.



Man, those pallet floors look great! And I love the 58 Johnny on autopilot lol


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## shoestringmariner (Jul 2, 2017)

That's a great looking hull...nice and deep


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 2, 2017)

Well i made the transom from 3/4" plywood and put first coat of spar urethane on. Sanded with 150 then 220 to prep the surface I guess that will work? Not much of a wood worker at all. Had some areas that the finish split and cracked when drilling the holes. First slid the glued together transom into boat to make sure it fit. Then drilled holes while it was in there. Some of the top needed to be taken down to be flush. My cuts were not great but a belt sander I happen to have on hand made short work of that. 


I didn't bother messing with thinning the varnish it's beyond my scope of expertise and my patience. I just waited until morning when temps were reasonable (85 to 90) to apply. As mentioned before humidity is no factor here. Super dry!



I glued the exterior grade plywood together with Elmer wood glue. Not sure this was the right call or not but oh well! Hope she holds up.



Rinsed the brush with acetone and will try letting it sit in a cup of acetone to see if that works to keep it workable between coats. Stuff is kind of expensive 8$ a quart or so...so i dont want to be throwing gallons of the stuff away. If this doesn't work I'll buy cheap brushes and throw them away after each use. Don't really care just going to see what works. Not trying to win any beauty contests just going for functionality especially on the bunks.

I'll probably go for 5 coats on the transom and bunks. It says sand with 220 grit Between coats And wait for 4 hours to dry between Coats


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 2, 2017)

Again I apologize for the photos coming in sideways from my phone. Hope you don't all get a crick in your necks.


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## Johnny (Jul 2, 2017)

good job so far !!
I use regular cheap gasoline @ $1.99 a gallon (for now) and use that
to rinse the brushes 3 or 4 times . . . pour the gas onto an old tree stump
I am trying to kill. then let the brushes soak in mineral spirits to keep the paint
from hardening in the top of the bristles.... then whack that out on a chain link fence
and into a can of paint brush cleaner/conditioner and let that soak for 24 hours and rinse in warm soapy water.
use a large stainless wire brush to break up any stubborn paint that wants to cling to the bristles.
I have over 3 dozen brushes of different sizes so I can always use a clean brush for the next coats.
I think in Arizona if you threw a cup of acetone into the air, it would evaporate before
it hits the ground. if it is less than 24 hours between coats, you can wrap the brush
(with paint in it) in Saran Wrap and put in the refrigerator.
I think you will have better results by using mineral spirits instead of acetone or lacquer thinner.
all kinds of tricks to learn in the painting field.


when you pay $20-30 for a single brush, you take care of it a little better than a $4.00 brush.

* *paint or varnish = same treatment.*


.


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 13, 2017)

Got quite a bit done since I last posted. Sorry but this is really frustrating for me to add photos to this forum but I'll try to add some later. It would be nice if they updated this forum platform/architecture to where you can just drag and drop photos like many of the newer forums out there.

As far as boat progress goes I finished the transom and bunks for trailer with 5 coats of spar varnish. I carpeted the bunks with $10 worth of outdoor carpet from Lowes. I had a buddy come over and help weld bunk brackets to the angle iron on my trailer. I got the trailer wire brushed down with angle grinder, washed with TSP, then sanded some more rough spots or hard to reach areas with a hand wire brush, wiped it all down again with lacquer thinner then Primed it. I had to shoot primer first thing in the AM here as it's over 90 degrees by 8am. So I got up about 5:30, several days in a row, to primer and then put a couple of coats of paint on the boat. Paint I used was the Rustoleum Clean Metal Primer for the trailer. I hit the bunk brackets with Universal Bonding Primer because somewhere I saw Rustoleum Tech advice that this would work on Galvanized metal. Then after reading the can it said to not use on Galvanized metal. Well it stuck so far, so we'll see how it holds up. For topcoat I used Protective Enamel Black Gloss, thinned it with the max recommended 15% Xylene since it is so hot and dry here and I also decided to try the Valspar Enamel Hardener which I've seen so many good reviews on. I thinned the clean metal primer with Mineral Spirits as this is what the Manufacturer instructions called for on the primer. I ended up using about half a quart of primer and 1 full quart of Enamel Black Gloss. I shot the paint with my cheap little "Husky" HVLP. The second coat looked much better than the first. However I do not think I'll be using Rustoleum on the Boat because I do not want something that will fade and get chalky here in AZ. The boat will be parked outside, and of course I'll do my best to keep it covered but I really just question the durability of this paint. Also the Rustoleum paint is still soft, two days after shooting. I was assembling the trailer yesterday and noticed how easily the paint would gouge or just scrape off. Not really a fan based on these first impressions. 

After putting all of that work into the boat to prep for paint I'm planning to use an automotive DTM Epoxy Primer followed by a single stage urethane. Yeah it's going to cost me 10 times more than a few cans of rustoleum but it should also hold up better over time. I REALLY do not want to be stripping paint and repainting every 2 or 3 years and I just don't feel the rustoleum is going to hold up well in this HOT and INTENSE Arizona climate. The Epoxy Primer is going to run me about $100 for two quarts with necessary additives. The Urethane will cost me about $60 per quart with necessary additives. I'm going to be close to $300 when it's all said and done to paint the outside of the hull above the chine, and the entire inside of the hull. I will leave the gunwale bare aluminum and the bottom of the hull I think I am going to leave bare aluminum.

So that's where I am at today...it was nice to finally get the trailer put back together even though I felt like the Rusto paint job was a bit half-assed. Oh well, it's a trailer and it served as a good learning platform.


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 13, 2017)

The way my phone takes the photos seems to disagree with the way this forum accepts them. They look fine from my end until I upload and then the forum displays them in all different directions. I apologize but I do not have the time or patience to deal with it. I can only upload from my phone, they look perfectly fine from the phone so it is impossible for me to predict the way they will turn out on here.

As for the bow roller, the bracket is too long and not in the right position. I need to get that figured out. I ran new wiring yesterday and used a split wire loom for the first few feet of exposed wire. For the rest of the wire I ran it inside the angle iron of the frame and used little metal brackets/clips to hold it in place. I will cover any bare wire with liquid electrical tape when I'm done splicing and dicing.


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 13, 2017)

Fixed bow roller stop. Cut bracket down and drilled two new 1/2" holes to mount it tighter to the winch post. It's probably not the way a boat trailer designer would build it but doing the best I know how with what I have.


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 14, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> > There's a greenish bottom layer only in some areas that seems impossible to get off with the stripper / pressure washer combo. Is this some kind of paint prep leftover from factory? Any thoughts on another angle of attack for removal?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Man oh man have I got my money's worth out of that Orange Nyalox Brush you recommended. I bought the cup brush (2.5") from amazon https://www.amazon.com/Dico-541-780-21-Nyalox-2-Inch-Orange/dp/B00004YYD1/ref=pd_sim_469_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00004YYD1&pd_rd_r=JWVFDCEDQ0AEP21RSY9F&pd_rd_w=m3DNQ&pd_rd_wg=Toj9I&psc=1&refRID=JWVFDCEDQ0AEP21RSY9F

I also tried the much more expensive Angle Grinder version of the orange brush to see if it would speed things up but it leaves melted plastic/rubber marks on the hull so just creates more work than it does solving problems. The drill version of the orange brush paired with my $40 Lowes corded Black & Decker drill (1500-2000rpm?) seems to do the trick just fine. It's just tedious work.

Entire exterior of hull is completely stripped. Also stripped the gunwale. Aircraft Remover and a 3100 PSI Pressure Washer would probably work faster but I like the brush swirl marks the Nyalox leaves. I'm still undecided on the interior the paint in there is pretty chalky. When I hit it with the cup brush, it throws paint dust everywhere. I'm going to try to wash it and scrub it with a scotchbrite pad but if it still has a chalky residue the next day I think I'm going to be forced to strip the entire interior as well. I don't want to throw all of the effort and money away by having new paint flaking off in a year or less due to poor substrate.


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## Shaugh (Jul 14, 2017)

Looking good ... a bite a day and pretty soon the dead elephant is bones...




> Man oh man have I got my money's worth out of that Orange Nyalox Brush you recommended



The cup brush is ok for hard to reach spots but it's too small and underpowered. You'll get much quicker removal with the 4" brush I linked. The grinder size melts... the fine and coarse are not as effective... that 4" orange one works perfectly. It also limits the swirl marks because you can keep them all in straight lines..


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 14, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> Looking good ... a bite a day and pretty soon the dead elephant is bones...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They have the 4" wheel brush (orange) at my local Ace Hardware for $10. I'll stop by and pick one up to give it a whirl. Will report back with my findings. 

Do you have a link to your thread of prep and paint for that particular boat you showed with the brush? I searched your posts but couldn't find it.


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## Shaugh (Jul 14, 2017)

I've never done a build along thread... Might do it on the next one.. 

For painting I like to use the roll and tip method. Alternating between the 2 when appropriate. And then as a last move before you move on to a new area, use the brush one last time to smooth everything out. Keep your final brush strokes light and long and all in the same direction. Use a top quality brush.. And in a hot place like AZ the thinning is a must..
here's a decent how to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGHucs9FpmU

I know you said you wanted to spray with epoxy, but it's easy to get great results doing it like that.... been getting done that way since boats were made from trees... I've actually read some discussion about how rolling and brushing paint makes it stick much better than spraying.. because you're actually using physical force to apply the paint, rather than just having it float down...


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 18, 2017)

Here in AZ where it is 30% humidity and 90 degrees by 7:30 or 8AM I am going to try to spray and use a slow urethane reducer as recommended by manufacturer. This really helps me get the paint on quickly. It is messier and maybe the results won't look quite as good as the Roll and Tip method but I believe with the proper preparation the Epoxy Primer and Urethane will hold up much better than the rustoleum over time. So I'm going to give it a whirl. I went to my local automotive paint supply store and bought a gallon (only because cheaper than quarts) of Matrix System Epoxy Primer (White) MP-450 and the manufacturer recommended MAV-420 Activator. I also purchased a quart of Advantage Refinish single stage urethane with catalyst and Advantage Refinish Slow Urethane Reducer as recommended by manufacturer for my application climate considerations. My goal is primer and paint the exterior of hull this weekend. If all goes well I will attempt to do the interior of the boat the following weekend.

I plan to clean exterior with TSP, scuff with red scotch brite pad, blow off with compressed air, then I will wipe down again with clean rag and solvent "prewash" for a final cleaning. Then I will shoot the primer, instructions call for two medium flowing coats but I'll probably start on the thinner side with the first coat then go just slightly more on the second coat-- Flash time between coats per TDS is 10 to 15 minutes on first coat, then 15 to 20 minutes on second coat. I will then wait about an hour just to be sure the primer coats are flashed. Then I'll go straight into shooting the urethane topcoat. We will see how she turns out. Will post pics when done. If you wait more than 24 hours on this particular Epoxy Primer you have to sand it prior to top coating or recoating. Every paint I've researched is a bit different depending on variety and manufacturer so I am attempting to follow their instructions to the letter.

I'll probably have $300 worth of paint on this boat when it's all said and done. It probably won't look like a beauty queen but I'm pretty confident it will hold up better and longer than the Rustoleum job. Also I am feeling better about the spray gun since I've practiced a bit on the trailer, cardboard and also some scrap sheet aluminum I picked up from my buddy's scrap yard.


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## gatorglenn (Jul 18, 2017)

Can't wait to see how this turns out. Same way Iam going 


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 23, 2017)

Painted exterior as planned. Looks good from about 10ft but I should have done some stuff differently because I got a decent amount of orange peel and a rougher than desired finish. Lines from tape and masking came out great so that was a bright spot.

Was advised not to use a reducer with the primer. The primer was too thick and went on rough. I decided to paint over it anyway because I was running out of shade. In hindsight should have probably sanded the primer down smoother. Then also the Top coat was a bit orange peel even on my test metal which may have been from also being a bit too thick. Oh well live and learn. Maybe there's a way to improve it by doing a little sanding and polishing? Not sure. The fish won't care anyhow.

Also I'm confident we prepped the aluminum correctly for this epoxy primer. I don't think that urethane will be coming off anytime soon! Should hold up tougher than the rustoleum I used on the trailer.


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## water bouy (Jul 23, 2017)

Very nice. What kind of motor ya putting on it.


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 23, 2017)

water bouy said:


> Very nice. What kind of motor ya putting on it.


Probably just a little 15 or 20hp tiller. Haven't decided between a 2 or 4 stroke. Will try to find something on Craigslist. 

My debate on motor size is many of the mountain lakes here are 10HP or electric only. But if I do get a desire to take it on a larger lake I'll probably want more than a 10hp I'm guessing. Not really sure how a 15 would push the boat but saw a really nice 2 stroke merc Long shaft for $1200 still looked brand new.


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## gatorglenn (Jul 24, 2017)

Well from the pics it looks awesome. Great job [emoji106]


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 24, 2017)

gatorglenn said:


> Well from the pics it looks awesome. Great job [emoji106]
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Glenn if you have more time than I did, and a larger window to work in when painting, I'd really take more time to practice with the material and gun. You can pick up some scrap metal or aluminum from a local salvage yard and just practice spraying it, see how it sets up and dries. The only downside as others have pointed out is that the setup, mixing paint, cleanup (gun cleaning too) can be labor intensive and time consuming. But like I said if you don't have a climate-constrained window to paint in -- like I did, you could probably get it to turn out much better. I should have practiced more and probably taken my time a bit better but the weather here in the summer has been unforgiving and my wife is about a month from having our first child. Given this combined with my desire to get the boat finished and on the water, I've rushed it a little more than other guys may have. If I was retired or single, I'd probably be much slower and more methodical. Some day....

She looks OK, definitely looks good from 10 feet!!! :lol:

EDIT: When I say climate constraints and window to paint it has to do with the weather this time of year (monsoon season) and the heat. So I have only about 4 hours of morning light before it gets too hot to apply paint. I'm working outside because I don't have another practical option. I could rent a paint booth for $100, but then you're under a time constraint again... and more money. I really didn't want to break the painting into too many phases. The primer needs to be topcoated within 24 hours, otherwise you have to sand it again before you shoot the topcoat. If you wait a day here, it could mean that its pouring down rain. You have to seize the day this time of year in Phoenix. So yeah, if I didn't paint the entire exterior yesterday it would have meant postponing another week and who knows what the weather would be like next weekend. Hope to get the interior done next week!


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## gatorglenn (Jul 25, 2017)

Thanks for the heads up[emoji106]


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 28, 2017)

Trying to decide what I want to do for seat brackets. I went to the local bass pro and the seats I like range anywhere from $50 to $75. It seems like there are a lot of options for mounting the seats but I'm trying to find an option that won't require drilling holes into the OEM aluminum bench seats. I plan to put 3/4" plywood over the bench tops then would like something that can bolt to the wood without having to cut a hole. For the front of the boat I may end up decking it and putting in a storage compartment, and up there I wouldn't mind installing one of those rounded swivel seat post brackets. I've used the seat brackets that just clamp to the bench in the past and I remember them being pretty unstable and not really a long term solution.

I am planning to paint the interior tomorrow morning if the weather holds up. I am using AIC 2k Urethane a single stage industrial application that I got from my local paint store. It is going to be a medium/light gray and I had them flatten the mix to a "satin" finish. I bought 2 quarts of the paint with hardener and the slow dry urethane reducer I purchased for the exterior paint is compatible. I also had to buy some more gun strainers, mixing buckets, etc.... in total it all came out to just shy of $140.

Maybe something like this mounted to the wood top of the bench: https://www.amazon.com/Wise-8WD15-Locking-Boat-Swivel/dp/B0009TO6NE/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1501258884&sr=1-1&keywords=wise+locking+swivel

Not sure about seat placement. I saw some seat slider brackets but they seem to have mixed reviews. I think for the back of the boat I'd like to run the tiller from the right rear of the boat. For the middle bench I could set up a seat to the left and then for the front I'll have to determine whether I want to build a deck and install a swivel post type mount or just leave it alone for now.


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## water bouy (Jul 28, 2017)

Maybe you could use attach aluminum to each end of the plywood and rivet it to flat bar running down and under the bench .. if you have access. For the rear swivel mount I bought a cheap two-piece and cut it down to about 3 inches.


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 28, 2017)

water bouy said:


> Maybe you could use attach aluminum to each end of the plywood and rivet it to flat bar running down and under the bench .. if you have access. For the rear swivel mount I bought a cheap two-piece and cut it down to about 3 inches.


Having trouble visualizing. What did you mean by the flat bar running under the bench. ? The support spars that attach gunwale to top of bench?


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 29, 2017)

Painted interior today, reassembled transom and riveted the bench support spars/braces back on. Eventually will add floors, seats, want to carpet the wood floors and carpet wood for bench tops so I can mount swivel seat brackets to the wood. Pretty happy with how it turned out. Epoxy primer on inside with industrial /fleet (AIC) single stage urethane light gray satin finish for interior. Not perfect but better than I had hoped for my first try using automotive paints and HVLP. I spent hours taping and masking which I think really paid off because I had super clean lines.


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## Fire1386 (Jul 30, 2017)

Turned out very nice indeed. =D>


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## Shaugh (Jul 30, 2017)

Looks great. Nothing like a fresh, clean paint job. I really like that classic Crestliner combo of light colored wood and red...


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## water bouy (Jul 30, 2017)

Very nice. I was thinking if you frame around the bench on each end of the plywood with angle and flat you wouldn't have to drill into the bench. Just spitballing.


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## AZSunDevil (Jul 30, 2017)

water bouy said:


> Very nice. I was thinking if you frame around the bench on each end of the plywood with angle and flat you wouldn't have to drill into the bench. Just spitballing.


I'll take all of the ideas I can get! Thank you!


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## Shaugh (Jul 30, 2017)

You're right about not wanting to drill holes in those thin hollow seats. The results of that are always marginal. Cover the bench top plywood with carpet then maybe bend some threaded rod into 2 big U bolts that you can use to go all the way around the aluminum seat and board to clamp on the ends.

Or you could consider just using 2" Velcro strips... There's another thread in the boat house where that is discussed.
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43556


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