# 1972 Appleby Conversion (New photos 09/03/12) Advice needed!



## DVeasey (May 18, 2012)

Hi all,

I just bought (well, picking up this afternoon), a '72 Appleby 14' aluminum, with a 10hp Evinrude outboard. I'm looking forward to undertaking the project of converting it to a nice bass boat as so many of you have! I'll be sure to chronicle it all and share with everyone, yet I wanted to know, if you could give me one piece of advice before I start, what would it be?

Best,

Dale


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## sixgun86 (May 18, 2012)

:WELCOME: to Tinboats!

My advice, buy your ol' lady some flowers because somewhere down the line spending time on the boat and not her, or buying the boat new things and not her, she will start to get disappointed. You risk clean underwear and hot meals.


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## IwanaFish (May 18, 2012)

I am fairly new to the site as well. What I have and am still learning. Read as much of this sites Modified post as possible. These folks do some amazing things. They have solutions for anything you will run into.

Use aluminum ange and box tubing for framing where possible. If rivited boat tend to all rivit issues before starting your deck. Spar Urathane is your friend. Stainless steel bolts and hardware.

And most importantly. If you have a question, ask. These people have done it or thought about already.

Oh and Pics are a must :wink: 

Lonny


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## flajsh (May 18, 2012)

sixgun86 said:


> :WELCOME: to Tinboats!
> 
> My advice, buy your ol' lady some flowers because somewhere down the line spending time on the boat and not her, or buying the boat new things and not her, she will start to get disappointed. You risk clean underwear and hot meals.


  
lmao. Exactly what he said.
Two dozen roses and box of chocolates later I'm still in the shitter.


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## DVeasey (May 20, 2012)

Well, finally went out and took some pictures of it, as it is now, before I do any sort of work on her. (Let's hope that I can get them posted right).

I took a few quick measurements and from bow to stern she is 13' 10", transom is 3' 11" wide & 1' 3" deep, widest point is 4' 4.75", depth at center bench is 1' 6".

Apparently when the guy I bought it from purchased it about 14 years ago, it was painted camo and he hand stripped that, and painted the inside with an industrial paint that had a bit of a grit to it (light bluish, you can see that most has already peeled off). There is one spot he discovered when stripping the pain where there is a Bondo patch, which must have been a dent as there is no sign of anything on the inside. There was a little seepage around a couple of the bottom supports, which was patched with marine fiberglass. 

Well, keep the tips coming, and I'm off to read through more of your conversions for ideas!

Dale


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## DVeasey (May 20, 2012)




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## DVeasey (May 20, 2012)

Evinrude 10hp


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## DVeasey (May 20, 2012)




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## DVeasey (May 20, 2012)

Inside paint peeling away...


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## DVeasey (May 20, 2012)

Undercoating starting to flake and peel...


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## DVeasey (May 24, 2012)

So, while I'm stuck not being able to work on the boat due to the rain, I've been researching and planning, and want to thank all of you that have helped so far!

Here's an update:

I just called Fasco and placed my order for SteelFlex (non-teflon) to re-coat the bottom (after I strip off the bed liner).

I'm also in the process of aquiring the necessary parts to remotely control my outboard, and am working that into my plans now.

This weekend is supposed to be nice, so I'm planning on beginning on the demo/stripping, and will be sure to post pictures of the progress!

Dale


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## sixgun86 (May 24, 2012)

Look into a sand blasting, couldn't have been more happy. Sanding and paint remover is such a pina. Fair cost would be $50 -$100 but you might spend close to that in sand paper and paint stripper. Also before you dump any money into that motor make sure it's worth the investment.


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## DVeasey (May 25, 2012)

Thanks sixgun, she (Evinrude) runs well and has been well maintained. Other than the cosmetic wear and tear of time, she is a great motor. 

The paint that was used (both on the hull, and interior) is already peeling/lifting, so it shouldn't take a whole lot of work. The guy I bought it from said it was painted camo (multiple layers thick) when he bought it, and he hand stripped it to bare aluminum (he restores old boats/vehicles for a hobby). If it were me I probably would have paid for the sandblasting at that point!

So I make sure that I've got it right:

Don't used pressure treated lumber with aluminum.

Use SS hardware (or aluminum for rivets).

Use hardwood for transom repairs (not poplar, etc.).

Am I on the right track so far?

Dale


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## garzilla (May 27, 2012)

I laminated two pieces of a/c half inch plywood for my transom, and then it has another piece of half inch on the outside, all through bolted to one another......stained, and urethaned up.


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## DVeasey (Jun 2, 2012)

So here's what I hate to see when I am chomping at the bit to get working on the boat this weekend...






So, after cursing mother nature, bargaining with her, I found that I could not win that battle and decided to make the most of it... research and planning! On that subject, can anyone recommend a good free CAD program? I'm handy with hand sketching, and that's working for now, yet I'd like to be more precise and be able to make changes in an environment where I can "undo" them easier... If anyone has any advice, I can assure you it will be greatly appreciated!

Dale


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## Firescooby (Jun 2, 2012)

sixgun86 said:


> Look into a sand blasting, couldn't have been more happy. Sanding and paint remover is such a pina. Fair cost would be $50 -$100 but you might spend close to that in sand paper and paint stripper. Also before you dump any money into that motor make sure it's worth the investment.



2nd this!!!

I know I spent over $50 on aircraft removed, paint wheels, etc.

My paint was flaking too, but to get ALL of it is a MAJOR PIA!!! I would gladly have it blasted (not sand, but aluminum friendly media) if I had to do it over again!!


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## Bigkat650 (Jun 4, 2012)

DVeasey said:


> So here's what I hate to see when I am chomping at the bit to get working on the boat this weekend...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Check out Google "Sketch-Up"... its free 3D rendering software. Not exactly AutoCAD level, but will get the job done, and there are TONS of 'how to' and other tutorials on youtube for it.


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## DVeasey (Aug 17, 2012)

So, due to a coworkers injury at work, most of the past three months have been spent working longer hours at work, and I haven't gotten much done to the boat until today. I took it off the trailer and brought it out to the backyard where I could work in the shade as the more I look it over the more I realize that it's going to take some serious work to get her where I want her.  

So first up is a picture before I took her off the trailer. Here you can see that the bow stop is below the bow eye, and from what I've read on here it seems that most folks like to have it the other way around for extra insurance in case of a sudden stop. Any suggestions on how I might remedy this sans moving the eye?






Next is a picture showing the layers of paint on the inside of the boat, light blue covered with brown and then with a textured gray. From some googling I've found pictures of the same boat with the light blue so I am going to figure that it is the factory original. 






The PO painted the textured gray stuff, and it held up for a while, yet it's peeling like crazy now. As for the outside, when the PO bought her she had a homemade camo paint job on the outside that he hand sanded down to the bare aluminum. 

The middle bench had this thin plywood (the only bench to have this) which I took off with little effort as the wood was never properly sealed.










I took to cutting the mixed bag of bolts and screws that held the swivel seats in place. As you can see, they have a piece of aluminum screwed to their swiveling base and that plate was bolted/screwed into the aluminum benches (front and rear). (It's fun trying to get at the correct angle when you're 6'5"! :mrgreen: )














On the port side corner brace there is a crack, that I'll be using some JB Weld to patch up. 






The PO painted the bottom with some bed liner, and I came across this epoxy like patch that once I flip her over to strip the bed liner off (I have black steel flex to apply), I'll find out the mystery of. I say mystery as there is no sign of any dent or anything on the inside...






A lot of stripping ahead of me! At least it's already peeling pretty bad, so it should come off fairly easily. I may also go rent a pressure washer (worked wonder to get the loose paint off the house before I repainted the house)! Also gives me an excuse to rent a fun toy! :roll: 






I've got a full weekend so I won't be able to get much work on the boat done, yet the next week is supposed to be nice, so I should be able to get some time in after work.

I'm not planning on having her done till next spring (I'll either bring her into the basement for the winter so I can work on her, or I have a carport type structure I can put up over her, either way, I'll be working on her through the winter for sure. I plan to take my time and do it right as I enjoy having a project to work on.  

I'll try and work on some mock up sketches of what I'm planning for decking and the like over the weekend and will share those as soon as I've got them. In the meantime I'm continuing to follow everyone's builds and getting lots and lots of great ideas!

Cheers!

Dale


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## DVeasey (Aug 29, 2012)

Not too much progress on the boat since last update, yet I'm borrowing a pressure washer this weekend, to get working on stripping/cleaning the hull inside and out.

Also scored a nearly new Minn Kota Edge bow mount for $130 off of CL! She's been very well taken care of, and is clean, neat, and in working order! :mrgreen: 

Also picked up a new cutting wheel for the grinder to cut off the old rusted hardware.

Starting to come together and I've got a three day weekend ahead to make some headway! =D>


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## DVeasey (Sep 3, 2012)

So, I got about to working on the boat a bit this morning and accomplished:

Removing cleats, rod holders, handles, and various other rusted and stuck bits of hardware.
Removed the rest of the rotting plywood from the middle bench and it seems to have covered up a place where one of the PO's cut (hacked away at) for reasons I cannot yet fathom.
Flipped the boat over onto some saw horses, to get to work on the bottom.
Found out what was hidden beneath some patches of Bondo? (I've never worked with Bondo, yet it looks to be some sort of two part mix of a patching material). 
- On the port side is a crack where one of the ribs in riveted. (picture below)
- On the starboard is a piece of aluminum riveted in nearly the same spot as on the port side. (pic below).
A good bit of silicone smeared here and there, inside and out on the hull, presumably to patch leaks. Also a good thick beading of silicone between the hull and the keel. 

So now for some pictures from this morning, and some questions to follow:


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## DVeasey (Sep 3, 2012)

First, the hack job of under the middle bench:


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## DVeasey (Sep 3, 2012)

The port side of the middle bench has pulled away from the bottom rivet altogether:






There are some cracks where the gussets are welded to the top of the gunwales:










Cut off the rear cleat, cutting through the rusted screws (there was also one on the inside of the gunwale new the bow, that I didn't snap a photo of):


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## DVeasey (Sep 3, 2012)

Silicone patching:










Rubberized liner on the bottom from the PO (stuff from auto parts store):


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## DVeasey (Sep 3, 2012)

Starboard patch:






Port patch:


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## DVeasey (Sep 3, 2012)

Now onto the questions, as I seek some insight from those more experienced than me!

- What is the best way to remove a rubberized coating (like that on the bottom of the hull)? Flap disk, wire cup, something else?

- Once everything is stripped away, should I fill the gap in between the keel and the hull with silicone as it was, or would I be better off filing it with 5200? (I'll be putting on steelflex).

- How should I go about fixed the cracks between the gussets/gunwales?

Thanks everyone!


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## DVeasey (Sep 3, 2012)

Almost forgot another question: What would y'all do with that mess of a middle bench? I'm a bit worried about stability if I take it out... I was thinking of reenforcing the bench with some aluminum angle running under the lip of the bench and attached to the side walls of the boat. It's also come to mind though, that I'm not sure I like having to step over the bench. Perhaps if I removed it, and put in a low deck and added braces going from the deck to the side walls at an angle it would keep it stable?


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## theyyounggun (Sep 3, 2012)

Its looking good!

If you think yours is in bad shape you need to check out mine!

I have the google sketch up. It is okay but it is a little tricky sometimes. I would like to get something better.


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## DVeasey (Sep 3, 2012)

So, a flap disk on the angle grinder got through the bed liner, and make quick work of the bondo covering the aluminum plate that was blind riveted on the bottom of the hull (starboard side). Figure I'm going to need 6-8 more disks to clear the bottom down to a nice clean bare aluminum hull.

I plan to seal up the patch, crack, and small crack in the chine up real good with some 5200, then a good coating of steelflex. Then I'll flip her over and start working on the inside, stripping paint, sealing bits and seams. Would it be worth putting some steelflex or something like gluv-it on the inside to add protection against leaking, or should the steelflex on the outside be enough do you think?


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## DVeasey (Sep 4, 2012)

I've been following your build younggun, bookmarked it in fact. You've been doing great on it!


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