# Slick's 1967 16' Ouachita Build - Warning Pic Heavy



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Hey Guys, This is my first thread on Tin Boats. I've been lurking around quite a bit getting ideas from everyone else for a recent purchase and first boat. 

A little background: I wanted at least a 16' jon boat that was wide as well. I've been out on my buddies 1648 and loved how much room we had. So I began the search for something that I could build to my liking and not spend a fortune. 

Found this 1967 16' Ouachita on a 1995 Hualrite trailer with a 1990 15hp Evinrude for $1200. The prior owner had used it for duck hunting and said there was just a "minor leak". Once I got it home for further inspection, I found a small crack in the center rib towards the front. The top of the boat is camo and the bottom had a rubber coating like that flex steel or 3M's rubber under coating. 

So since I had read so much about SteelFlex on here and wanted to do the boat right the first time. I decided to strip the whole boat down to raw aluminum to find any other issues it may have, have it welded and then prepped for SteelFlex. Below will be some pics of the process so far. 

I've gotten it stripped down. Past 5 layers of paint, fiber glass patch, JB weld in some areas and the rubber under coating. Not fun at all even with a grinder and flapper disk.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Transom that is rotted and will need to be replaced. Go figure that the transom brackets are riveted and welded. So its not going to be an easy task if I want it done right.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

When it first came home. I have a bunch of pictures, but it seems I have to re-size them all in Photobucket before I can put them here.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Started sanding the old paint off and removed the center seat. So I have some rivet holes that I'll have welded up. 





Back of the transom that was covered with stickers and then painted over. You can see what steel bolts will do to aluminum. It just eats away at it. Another fix on the list for the welder.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

You can see a good amount of holes in the transom with it all stripped down. Good amount of space now that the middle seat is outta there. 





Starting to remove the transom supports. I had to cut the top welds and then bent them forward.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Look at all that decking space I have now. 






Finally got the old rotted out wood out of the transom. There is too much daylight coming through there from what I can see. 





I don't think this wood looks that bad if its the original from 1967 since it was welded closed. Two pieces of 3/4" plywood.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

The beginning to the new transom. Since the last transom was two 3/4" pieces. I decided that I wanted to do two 1/2" pieces and two pieces of 1/4" aluminum shaped the same as the transom wood pieces to sandwich the wood. That way I would have a good back piece of aluminum for the welder to have a good backing when filling in all those holes. 

The free aluminum that I'm using for this came with the boat that the prior owner was using as temporary decking with some carpet glued to it. 





After sanding and 3 coats are Spar Urethane





Two aluminum pieces cut and prepped.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Big piece of aluminum in as a backing for the welder on the outside. Then the new wood.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

All in and used a clamp to hold it in place while I drill the new holes through for all Stainless Steel hardware. Don't want any corrosion going on anymore with this thing.


----------



## screamensemen (Jun 16, 2014)

I am actually having my transom cut out and a new thicker piece of aluminum welded back in place. Whoever had the boat before me used PT plywood and I had some heavy to moderate corrosion with a bunch of pin holes. looks like that way may work as well. Lookin good so far.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Here are some of the goodies. This has all came in over the past few weeks after getting the boat and some of it came from the trip back after getting the boat. The other half wanted to make a pit stop at Bass Pro on the way home so she could pic the color of the seats "She" wanted in it lol. She did a great job. On sale too. $29.99 and the cheek seat was $21.99. The pedestal sets were on sale also for $30. 





Had to order a new tank and bulb. The old tank was stamped 5/19/84. So this thing will be a good spare. 





Delivery from Fascoe. I know that I wanted to do the whole outside and the inner sides some and the back transom area. I also have an old 10' boat that I could use this stuff on. So I ordered 2 gallons with Grey pigment. 

Also some stuff from Amazon came in. I found a 1200 GPH bilge at Wally world on clearance for $5.45. Miss marked, but they gave it to me. So I had to order the bilge kit and a new Stainless Bow Eye. Also thought I'd like to try the new trailer tongue handle out and the rod holder.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Stickers and Maine trailer tag came in the mail last week. Want all that here for when the boat is finally done. Wanna get this thing in the water as soon as I can.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=355953#p355953 said:


> screamensemen » June 16th, 2014, 11:40 am[/url]"]I am actually having my transom cut out and a new thicker piece of aluminum welded back in place. Whoever had the boat before me used PT plywood and I had some heavy to moderate corrosion with a bunch of pin holes. looks like that way may work as well. Lookin good so far.




Thanks, I actually just got the boat back from the welder this past Saturday. Just still trying to re-size all these pics so everyone can see a running time line. 

Yours should be bullet proof if you are going that route.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

And on..... to the bottom of the boat for sanding/grinding. The sides and the transom were easy. That part all the prior owners must've sanded prior to painting. Now for the bottom, I don't think its ever been sanded. I had to end up using a sanding flapping disk on my grinder to get through it all. 

For a almost 50 year old boat. This thing had some paint lol. The original color was green then white, yellow, red and then black. On top of that was a layer of resin in some areas and a 3'x2' section of fiberglass that was covering 3 hidden cracks in the middle rib which were filled in with JB Weld. Then on top of all that was a layer of the rubber undercoating. 

Glad I finally got through it all, but man was it a pain. Thank god for my girl helping and for the suggestion of leaning against the house. Back Killer! leaning over grinding. 

You can see the Bow Eye is too high. Found out that it was moved up when a old eye was pulled through lower and also cracking the weld from the bottom and the bow. The welder and I fixed it up good though.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

This is the attempt at sanding first which didn't go over well. So I moved onto Aircraft Remover. This ate the rubber coating off and stopped at the layer of resin. :x 

So that's when I got the flapper sanding disk out on the grinder. Worked like a charm. 

















You can see the layer of fiberglass that I was able to pry off the section they had it on.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Getting a little burnt wrking on this thing. Had to crack out the EZ-up and beach umbrella lol. 













The old seat removed came in handy for the last bit of sanding on the sides. 









Now she is all loaded up and ready to head to the welder.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Got her back from the welder this past Saturday. So we are all caught up to today. Just waiting on some new Stainless Steel bow eye to be used as stern hooks instead of putting those old cast handles back on. 

Might not be the prettiest job but its strong. Still have some cleaning up to do to make it look pretty under the SteelFlex.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

Some leak tests





Bottom cracks reinforced from the inside as well. 





The outside of one crack. You can also see where we added 2 pieces to the bottom and a large piece to the bow to strengthen it for the new bow eye. Shouldn't pull through ever again.


----------



## smackdaddy53 (Jun 16, 2014)

Looks like a lot of work but you are definitely doing it right! May I recommend TefGel for your stainless fasteners? It is a PTFE gel (teflon) that kills dissimilar metal corrosion. I used it on every stainless fastener on my boat. Pricey but worth it if it performs like it is supposed to.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 16, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=355975#p355975 said:


> smackdaddy53 » June 16th, 2014, 12:33 pm[/url]"]Looks like a lot of work but you are definitely doing it right! May I recommend TefGel for your stainless fasteners? It is a PTFE gel (teflon) that kills dissimilar metal corrosion. I used it on every stainless fastener on my boat. Pricey but worth it if it performs like it is supposed to.



Sure, I'll look it up. I bought some 3M 5200 that I was going to use on them. But if that's better. I'll try to use the best. Just want it done right from the start.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 17, 2014)

Did a little more prep prior to SteelFlexing. Just don't want to have to drill through the hull once its painted. Installed a bilge outlet hole, front bow eye and once I get the other 2 eye's in today. I'll be drilling the holes for them on the transom.


----------



## Slick17 (Jun 22, 2014)

Got her painted today. I'll post more pics tomorrow. Also got the trailer stripped down to be redone.


----------



## smackdaddy53 (Jun 23, 2014)

Looks beefy! I should have beefed up my bow eye bracing while I was at it. I can still do it but have to crawl under the front deck...


----------

