# typed by ben's 2001 Lowe 1648M all aluminum build (UD 6/27)



## typed by ben (May 18, 2013)

hi guys, glad to finally be posting my project. i have a lot of questions and judgement calls and im looking forward to hearing your wise and experienced opinions! 

ive been bass and river fishing for about 5 years now. over the last 2 years ive been lucky enough to find a gorgeous and supportive wife, buy a new house with a great yard, and welcome to the world a new daughter! needless to say my fishing and boat maintenance time has gotten nibbled away to nearly zero. my poor shiny bass boat was really being neglected and i recently got more interested in river smallmouth fishing and electric lake fishing, so i knew what i had to do. i put the stratos up for sale or trade for a modified V jon boat.

so long stratos.


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## typed by ben (May 18, 2013)

wouldnt you know it, for the first time in my life a good deal came along. he wanted my boat and i wanted his, so we traded. now i own exactly the boat i wanted to get... a lowe 1648m. good size for two people, light enough to move along with a trolling motor, and no gelcoat to wax or carpet to wash. 

i dont have any good shots of it yet but i have made some drawings. id be happy to make some for you all as well if you can send me plan views of your boats, as CAD bases have been super useful to me.



the PO added some wood deck with outdoor carpet... good enough for what he was doing but not even close to what i want.


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## gillhunter (May 18, 2013)

Welcome to TinBoats! Looking forward to seeing your project. I fish mostly electric in a 1648MV. My project was a simple one. If you want to see a really over the top total electric checkout Brine's project in the link below.



https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6551


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## typed by ben (May 18, 2013)

gillhunter said:


> Welcome to TinBoats! Looking forward to seeing your project. I fish mostly electric in a 1648MV. My project was a simple one. If you want to see a really over the top total electric checkout Brine's project in the link below.
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6551


VERY impressive project. thats why i love this site. yours is a beauty too gillhunter. in fact its one of the projects that tipped the balance to the metal boat side.

thankfully im not ALL electric. we do have plenty of electric only reservoirs in this part of virginia, but theres also plenty of lakes and rivers. for that ill use a 25 hp tiller.


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## typed by ben (May 18, 2013)

okay so lets decide what we want. foregone conclusion is removing the wood and carpet so imagine the boat starting anew.

1. bow mount trolling motor
2. rear mount trolling motor for electric only setup
3. removable tiller outboard (25 hp roughly) and fuel tank
4. comfortable operator setup
5. storage for net, seats, anchor, vests, etc. 
6. batteries and 12v bus in front and rear
7. fishfinder/depthfinder for operator in rear
8. nice fishfinder for fishing up front
9. bilge 
10. nav lights

this idea has just a large casting deck up front, since i do a lot of fishing by myself. im showing two kingpin seat mounts in the rear- one can be used by whoever is fishing the rear. the other is used when youre driving with the outboard. just jerk the post out and move it over. i have it shown on the port side because im right handed and i feel that would be more comfortable. 

up front i have extended a casting deck from the first bench up to the existing bow platform. 

-i practically never use a livewell but i know as soon as i removed it id want it back. with this setup id cut a notch over the existing lid and then just use the hardware and setup that lowe provided
-another kingpin mount up front if i want to use a chair or butt seat, but i mostly stand. 
-two side opening hatches to utilize storage under the covered deck
-an angled transition to eat up the height difference between the bench (about 6 inches below the gunwale) and the bow platform (level with gunwale)




pros: 
1. less fabrication in the rear, uses what lowe provided with the boat
2. perfect setup for one guy 
3. might be safer for little ones to fish near the rear with the side height 

cons: 
1. less ideal for more than one serious fisherman
2. no hiding spot for the batteries, fuel tank, or wiring in the rear
3. no splashwell when the motor swamps


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## Badbagger (May 19, 2013)

Sounds well thought out. If you start "with a vision", it's a WHOLE lot easier and just what I did with my SeaArk and almost done thank god! Post up photos as you go along.


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## meonline06 (May 19, 2013)

Good luck with your build. Where do you fish for smallies? I'm not a big smallmouth guy, but I've heard Watkins is good.


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## typed by ben (May 19, 2013)

meonline06 said:


> Good luck with your build. Where do you fish for smallies? I'm not a big smallmouth guy, but I've heard Watkins is good.


thats mainly where we boat out of but ive only been a couple few times. i didnt want to take my old boat down there.

i also wade out of pony pasture, the z-dam, and the kayak slide before belle isle. theres actually plenty of largemouth there by pony pasture too. they stick in the little ponds that you find inside big rock formations.

thanks for the wishes- you have a sharp looking project there!


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## meonline06 (May 19, 2013)

I used to fish around Pony Pasture a lot when I was in high school. I stopped after I got sucked over the fish ladder a short ways upriver trying to swim around it. I ended up losing my favorite rod and reel (first one I ever bought with my own money). I'm stuck on land for now until I fix my truck; I may have to see if I can snag some bass there one day. Look forward to seeing your new boat.


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## typed by ben (May 20, 2013)

okay so some of the pieces fell into the puzzle today. found a refreshed 1990 electric start johnson 25 from a guy that frequently posts stuff on CL in this area. drove down to powhatan after work and got it for the low low price of $500. It was a state surplus that had been in fogged storage since 2005. 




first to go is the ugly stencil. ill order a correct decal package. gotta look right.




i also got some quotes for .080 5052 H32 sheet. thats going to set me back a little less than i thought but im not sure how to get it home, as my truck bed is just a 6 footer. i may shear it at work because the vendor's place is right nearby our building. 

i also ordered some right angle brackets with .19 holes to tie together the frame that will support the front casting deck. $5 for a package of 10 is worth more than the time it would take to slam them so i bought 8 bags. 






thats it for today. lookin forward to sunny weather tomorrow and snapping some decent pictures of the boat and trailer.


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## ked_man (May 21, 2013)

You've got a good plan together for sure. Don't forget to take plenty of pictures and post them so those of us who are finished with our mods can still look at some good boat porn.


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## typed by ben (May 21, 2013)

still makin moves even today. got a righteous deal on a miller tig setup. may have my hands on it as soon as the weekend. 

i also came home and snapped some shots of the rig as it sits, with the previous owner's mods. itll fish just like it is but i know how i want it to be 8)





still gotta get up with the guy i traded with. he has my gator mount :evil: 






my 15" johnson in its new home.


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## typed by ben (May 21, 2013)

built-in livewell. the aerator will probably become a bilge.





ancient-now-but-once-top-of-the-line bottom line fishfinder. these still go for a good penny on ebay. i may sell it because i want to get a nice DI/SI combo for the front and this would be goofy if i moved it by the operator. at the rear i think i want to do shoot-thru anyway to minimize stuff hanging off the bottom of the boat. 



this is probably gonna find its way to ebay as well. 


i may even redo the registration numbers... crooked letters look just about tacky as hell.


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## typed by ben (May 22, 2013)

ive also started thinking more critically about how i want the decks to be laid out. this drawing shows how i would likely need to space supports for the front deck and also shows a rough idea of what the rear should look like. 

i decided i definitely want hatches in the rear to cover the batteries, bilge area, and fuel tank. that area is gonna be a tough nut to crack because ill want hatch lids as well as a built in splashwell- and the splashwell will have to be tied to the transom! ugh. thats gonna be involved.


in the front i decided not to do the angled hatches. in this layout i have three total hatches: two smaller ones on the port side and one larger one on the starboard side. 

the two smaller ones will be segregated in the center. the aftside hatch will house the batteries and the foreside hatch will hold PFDs and other stuffable things. 

the single large door will be used for seats, posts, and the oars. this layout will be much easier to build as everything is on a right angle. the whole thing would be covered with .080 5052 sheet, painted with some type of neutral tone non skid product.

heres about what that would look like skinned out:


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## typed by ben (May 24, 2013)

just two updates today but theyre good ones.

first, the repro graphics i got from ebay. lookin right.


tomorrow morning i go pick up my tig. if i have time after that i may rip the front deck out and clean up underneath. 

then i just have to start cutting material :mrgreen:


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## Abraham (May 24, 2013)

Great start so far and well planned out. Might have to steal a couple ideas from ya


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## bigwave (May 25, 2013)

I cant wait to see the transformation. Great deal on the motor......I would have jumped all over that deal too.


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## typed by ben (May 26, 2013)

so today i got a surprising amount of work done. i say "surprising" because one of the jobs wasnt even on my list! 

while i was trying to get the new transom straps worked out i noticed that the starboard bunk was totally rotted out. the bunks had that nasty velcro style carpet that just soaks up and holds water- keep it wet enough and boom, rot.



we can do better than this people :roll: 

i cut some new bunkers out of scrap that came from the demo of the rear casting deck. then i ran up to work and got a couple strips of 1.5" UHMW channel, which i countersunk and attached with some SS #10 flatheads. UHMW is the poor mans teflon so this baby ought to slide on and off like nobodys business!





once that was out of the way, i decided i didnt even want to use the strap eyes that were attached to the bunks. oh well needed to be done anyway. 

instead im using some reliefs that were cut out of the trailer. i attached some SS u-bolts to the gunwale and used a quick release strap on each side. 


next up is gonna be the fuel system for the outboard. id like to use a 6 gallon tank but theres only 12" worth of width behind the bench and 6 gallon tanks are over 13" wide. crud. i may have to custom make a tank out of aluminum which will take a LOT more time.


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## typed by ben (May 27, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=316021#p316021 said:


> Abraham » 24 May 2013, 22:45[/url]"]Great start so far and well planned out. Might have to steal a couple ideas from ya


thanks dude hope i have some ideas worth stealing.


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## typed by ben (May 27, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=316056#p316056 said:


> bigwave » 25 May 2013, 08:43[/url]"]I cant wait to see the transformation. Great deal on the motor......I would have jumped all over that deal too.


yeah funny thing is that on the way down there i almost turned around a couple times. ive had all the money i need for this project saved up for a few months now- but for whatever reason i tighten up when i have money to spend... opposite of what happens when i dont have money! :mrgreen:


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## typed by ben (Jun 24, 2013)

okay so long time no post. been very busy, and sneaking out at night to fish doesnt help either. but i HAVE been making boat parts. :mrgreen: 

heres the bracket i formed to bump up the gator mount. its .125 6061. i used 5/16-18 SS button heads because i just prefer the look, plus maybe it will cut back on stubbed toes and broken toenails. the fuzz and scuzz is leftover from the PO's carpet, and that will come off with a flap wheel some time when its not so damn hot.



to attach the bracket to the deck i used some SS rivnuts. under that front deck is a practically blind application and i hope the rivnuts have the grip required for the kind of load that bracket will generate. plus they are really easy to use- provided you have the right tools of course. for this size you just drill a .531 hole, tap the rivnut in, and use the tool to pull it in. zip zap.


AND- this happened. its way more machine than i need but it was too good of a deal to pass up- 1968 model miller 330 gold star. for what i gave, i could not have even gotten half of a crappy taiwanese TIG.


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## typed by ben (Jul 5, 2013)

busted out a deck prototype today. wanted to get a feel for how extending the deck would enhance fishability- seeing a mockup also helps decide where my storage is gonna go and how that will affect passenger movement and access to the existing features like the livewell. seeing a mockup and getting a good idea of spans also cements in my mind just how much reinforcement ill need.

i was worried about how complex the hull shape is- it did end up being pretty complex but not as bad as i thought. i just took measurements in 6 inch increments and interpolated the rest. never thought id use some of that calculus from high school and college but it did come in handy.

im still thinking ill have a hatch on the right and left hand side but the design i showed way at the start has changed. because the deck is so small and narrow compared to my old boat im no longer going for the side by side hatch option- too much work for too little return. instead ill have a flat hatch on the port side near the trolling motor. thatll give access to the battery box and maybe a little storage. 

on the starboard side ill have an L-shaped hatch that wraps from the top of the deck down the bulkhead a few inches, like a trunk lid. that should give plenty of size to the door for stowing bulky things like seats and lifejackets. 

i intend to form this from one piece of aluminum in order to provide strength. i did some espionage at bass pro today in order to see how they did lids and edges and their work was simple, if not flimsy. hopefully i can one up them with good reinforcement. i may even roll some beads!



the hardest part of this whole project, in my estimation, is going to be keeping tight tolerance on the gunwale. its a complex curve that does not lend itself to sheet metal fab as i am familiar with it. i can break straight lines but not curves so ive been racking my brain thinking of a way to form a lip around the deck like the factory provides. so far all i can think of is scoring the aluminum with a metabo disc and breaking it up. 


a worse idea, but one that still might work, is simply cutting to fit the curve and then shearing a 1" strip that can be tacked to the deck, then laid onto the hull- but that seems like a backwards way to do it.


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## typed by ben (Jul 6, 2013)

more cardboard work early this morning. laid out what i need on the front deck and i was again astonished at how quickly space got eaten up. but i do like what im seeing

got my foot pedal recess, port battery access, and starboard storage laid out along with the seat base location. i may not ever use the seat but i do want the option. the foot pedal recess actually asked some interesting questions about my support under the deck, especially as it relates to my seat base support.


i also toyed with a side storage hatch. this one is 20" wide and 57" long. i could put a cooler, first aid kit, throwable, extra life preservers, etc. in there and it would be easy to access from the ground. if i did rod storage it would have to be on top of the lid, which is okay with me as i dont leave rods on the boat. in this pic you can also see my improvised PVC boat cover supports.



im kind of thinking 20" is too broad across the top so i may cut it back a few inches and see how it fits then. i do like the side storage option like some of yall have though.


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## Ranchero50 (Jul 6, 2013)

Personally I'd go with a mid deck on the front, about battery height off the bottom of the hull. It'll give you storage under the floor and you won't be so high up while seated fishing. That's how I built mine and it's very comfortable to fish out of.


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## typed by ben (Jul 7, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=321374#p321374 said:


> Ranchero50 » Yesterday, 13:39[/url]"]Personally I'd go with a mid deck on the front, about battery height off the bottom of the hull. It'll give you storage under the floor and you won't be so high up while seated fishing. That's how I built mine and it's very comfortable to fish out of.


ya i may still pull the elevation down to that of the middle bench- just makes more fab work on account of the stringers being two different heights in that section


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## typed by ben (Jul 7, 2013)

heres the main hurdle that keeps me from lowering the casting deck:


the blue line represents a level line with respect to the final bench.

its a problem because of having to relieve the deck to avoid the stringers. if i do that, id likely end up having to do some kind of a bulkhead to keep crud from accumulating in whatever gap gets left between the deck and the hull. thats not to mention having to come up with some pretty custom support. 

now in some ways it helps... it looks cleaner with the same elevation as the bench, and keeps the boat more stable overall. it also allows me to add in a little vertical bulkhead for my trolling motor plug.

an outside the box solution is to shorten those stringers since there will be plenty of support port to starboard with all the new deck that gets added.


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## Ranchero50 (Jul 7, 2013)

I'd go with the blue line. It might be some extra fab work but you get to enjoy the boat for a long time so the 'too much work' ratio argument doesn't cut it. Just run a 1/8" x 1" angle down the line and fab some connectors to the stringers.


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## typed by ben (Sep 8, 2013)

so i felt energetic this morning while my daughter was having her nap. i looked back over the comments ive gotten and kept coming back to this one:



[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=321482#p321482 said:


> Ranchero50 » 07 Jul 2013, 17:00[/url]"]I'd go with the blue line. It might be some extra fab work but you get to enjoy the boat for a long time so the 'too much work' ratio argument doesn't cut it. Just run a 1/8" x 1" angle down the line and fab some connectors to the stringers.



its a convincing argument. i just had to see what this setup would look like. i pulled a line 4" above the rib in the gunwale, since its the only straight line on the whole boat. the top of the tape is the measurement. 


ill zing off the tops of the stringers and fill in the holes left over from the abandoned rivet points. then ill be able to lay a halo generally over the blue tape that you see, matching the profile of the hull. the halo will lay on the flat section that has been cut out of the stringer, and that will effectively box in the front of the boat. it should be incredibly strong.

heres some cardboard deck mockups. the last picture shows actual deck height, but you will have to use your imagination where the stringers pop up through, as they will be cut off below the level of the deck. 



i LOVE this setup and im 99% sure this is the final mockup for the casting deck before i start cutting material. thanks ranchero50!


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## typed by ben (Sep 24, 2013)

mmmmmmmmmmmmoving right along. the boat has moved into the garage since the sun is going down very early, and im moving into the fabrication stages. easier access to my tools and good light. 

so i went through the looking glass today and started cutting up the boat. i have officially passed the point of no return. i leveled the boat out independent of the trailer and dropped a broadcast laser into the center of the hull, marked my lines on the stringers, and cut.


this was cut with an angle grinder and a normal metabo disc. i scored the lines first, then cut through the boxed portions. after that i drilled out the rivets. the stringers pulled away from the hull ever so slightly, allowing a little clearance. i then went back to the cutting disc, working slowly and keeping the disc moving so it never had a chance to dig. that technique worked very well as i didnt even touch the hull. 

after a little cleanup i felt even MORE emboldened and decided to started cutting some of my material. this is 1" .050 square tube. nothing too crazy to see- just cut to length and formed by hand along to roughly match the hull profile.



the funny thing was just how out of wack these boats are made. some of these stringers arent even close to square- one point on the port side of the hull may be 3/4" out of the same point on the starboard side. that works in the full cartesian grid, meaning that any designs i had on cutting out square pieces and using geometry can be eliminated.

this is gonna have to be built using the time consuming and aggravating guess and check method. oh well, at least its started. :mrgreen:


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## gillhunter (Sep 25, 2013)

"the funny thing was just how out of wack these boats are made. some of these stringers arent even close to square- one point on the port side of the hull may be 3/4" out of the same point on the starboard side. that works in the full cartesian grid, meaning that any designs i had on cutting out square pieces and using geometry can be eliminated."

I experienced the same issue with my hull. Assembly tolerances must be +/- 1/2" :LOL2:. 

I ended up making cardboard templates. :mrgreen: 

Good luck with your build. I'm sure it will turn out great.


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## typed by ben (Sep 25, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=330357#p330357 said:


> gillhunter » Today, 07:04[/url]"]
> 
> I experienced the same issue with my hull. Assembly tolerances must be +/- 1/2" :LOL2:.
> 
> ...


thanks and yeah that was eye opening. they must have all kinds of randos in there slapping these things together and bucking rivets. i cant imagine trying to run a manufacturing business without consistency. 

i did some cardboard as well in my planning stages to get a better idea of what relationships i would have. i should have read the cards right there and noticed that the boat was out of wack but i chalked it up to operator error and the flimsiness of the cardboard. it took actually cutting the boat and cutting metal before i could see it for what it was. 

i think where prototyping is really going to come in handy is laying out the deck (because its expensive to mess up a sheet) and making bulkheads for the trolling motor and foot pedal recess.


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 25, 2013)

Looks good. Are you running the lowered front deck all the way to the middle bench? I mad a big hatch there, it's great for tossing the landing net in and keeping the battery in the center of the hull. If you think ahead your square tube can be used to run the electrical to the trolling motor and front mounted goodies.

My middle bench of out about 3/4" side to side. I only notice it when I work on it.


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## Flatbotm (Sep 25, 2013)

Looks like your build is going to be a great one. I'm glad I read this because I hadn't thought of running my electric thru my square tube. LOL. Thanks Ranchero50! Ben I know what you mean about the boats not being square. My center vertical stringer isn't in the center. Great choice for boat and motor. I'll be following along for sure.


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## typed by ben (Sep 25, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=330370#p330370 said:


> Ranchero50 » Today, 10:14[/url]"]Looks good. Are you running the lowered front deck all the way to the middle bench? I mad a big hatch there, it's great for tossing the landing net in and keeping the battery in the center of the hull.


 i would have loved to but i need to leave a footwell there. that bench will be a seat in case i fish with 2 others


> If you think ahead your square tube can be used to run the electrical to the trolling motor and front mounted goodies.


 definitely an option. right now i may not have anything running from front to back- front electrical will be segregated from back, again a matter of balance of the boat.



[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=330373#p330373 said:


> Flatbotm » Today, 10:31[/url]"]Looks like your build is going to be a great one. Ben I know what you mean about the boats not being square. My center vertical stringer isn't in the center.


 crazy isnt it?


> Great choice for boat and motor. I'll be following along for sure.


thanks for the compliments dude, it means a lot coming from crafty veterans like ranchero50 and you.


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 26, 2013)

When I fish 3, it's gonna be cats and it'll be me up front with the bait , the kid on the rear deck dealing with the catch and my guest sitting in the drivers position dealing with the rods. I'll anchor off the bow with a tag line going to the upstream transom corner and I'll use that to pull the boat about 45` to the current. Then I have four rod holders on the downstream side. Things can get pretty hectic and a lot of fun. 

The foot well is going to end up with fish in it so close it in. I chose to put a hatch on mine and it seems like it would be a bit odd for the guy up front. His butt is about 8-10" off the front deck and not uncomfortable at all during our commute. My fishing seat post's stay in all the time so if things get too exciting he has something to grab onto. Once we get to the fishing spot I just move the seats onto the posts and have more free space where the seats were. 

I have an extra older seat that I'll bring along if we have company.


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## typed by ben (Sep 27, 2013)

to your point ranchero, i looked at it again last night- kind of outside the box but my third or a heavier guy could just sit on the bench more or less facing the rear or sidesaddle if i did extend that deck beyond the bench. might be something i have to re-examine. sucks because ive already cut and formed a fair amount of material but i want to do it the way i want it the first time, instead of always wishing

nobody wants to be saying "damn, that would have been sweet" while theyre fishing


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## BigTerp (Sep 27, 2013)

Good work!! I like where this one is going.


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## typed by ben (Sep 27, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=330566#p330566 said:


> BigTerp » Today, 09:13[/url]"]Good work!! I like where this one is going.


thanks dude

i didnt do much today because i ran out of material, but im starting to get a little confidence with all these oddball angles and lack of symmetry. doing a lot of guess and check saw work, which is time consuming but thats fine. i have time. not trying to make money off this thing.

first off i wanted to share the tools im using. the biggest investment is the miter saw and non-ferrous blade. the miter saw is a 10' compound model by hitachi, which i already had. but the blade i had to buy last week to the tune of $60. not cheap but cheaper than a scotchman and it works as advertised. cutting aluminum is not as loud as its made out to be, either. i was expecting "727 taking off in your tile shower" noise level but it was no louder than cutting wood. 


other stuff: 19v drill motor, spirit level, metal ruler, tape ruler, protractor, scratch pad. and cant forget the PPE either, which is this case is just safety glasses


as far as progress made tonight:

since this will all be welded together, i mitered the formed side rails with the header up front. i was all worried about this but it worked out okay. just laid one tube over the other, traced the angle, measured with a protractor, then set the miter saw. done and done and it only took one cut a piece- no eyeballing. 

i work by making the biggest (most material-consuming) parts first so i cut and mitered my first cross bar. it falls directly in the center of the deck and is square with each side rail- but not square with the stringers. dont care. its imperceptible, and i just like right angles. makes measuring that much easier.


the blue tape represents where ill have other cross bars. the spacing of the narrowest cavity is driven by the width of my seat pedestal mount- i want that to fall directly on top of the tube as the floor sheet will have very little structural quality. on the starboard side of that narrowest cavity will be the foot pedal recess.


one piece of the bulkhead mitered and in position. ive noticed some people have attached directly to those stringers, but i cant because its not plumb or square so i will be chasing my tail when i go to cut material for that area. looking at at it now i see that this picture is deceiving- that first upright will be resting on another piece of square tube, formed to match the hull.


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## typed by ben (Sep 27, 2013)

and just some eye candy- i do this daily- to make sure im still in love with the design. i still like it but man it sure would be nice to have a deck from the bench to the bow. we'll see.

also, look at how much room that foot pedal recess takes on the deck. in some ways this boat feels half the size of my old 181 stratos. this is one of the main parts that is driving the "make the deck longer" dialogue.


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## typed by ben (Oct 3, 2013)

mini update this morning, with a few changes in the plan (have a plan and plan to change it as i always say)

went ahead and got some battery retaining stuff done. i want two batteries up front. that will let me switch to a 24v trolling motor in the future if i like, and right now it gives me the option of either running 2 batteries in parallel or potentially segregating my sonar power so i dont get any interference from the trolling motor. running the batteries up front also helps balance the hull since ill have fuel and another battery (as well as passengers) in the rear.

i have some rubber foam mat under the batteries to isolate them from the hull. that should minimize vibration against the case as the boat cuts through chop or gets towed down a bumpy road. they rest perfectly between the stringers. they will be retained side-to-side with these little pieces of angle, with a hole transferred through the stringer to rivet nut. the sides of those angles have strips of foam rubber attached with gorilla glue to isolate the battery case, again just to guard against damage due to vibration. the battery will be held down with some run of the mill battery tie downs like you get from an auto parts store.




then the big decision: extending the front deck all the way back to the first bench. it just makes sense- more room to fish, no goofy footwell area to keep tidy, and more under deck storage. i think itll work out really well. it meant more cutting but thats okay. 

in this photo you can also see where ive marked up the bench to be cut. as with homes, you can never have enough storage on a boat. that point was driven home last weekend when i went out in the evening with my buddy- 2 guys x 4 rods a piece = big mess. 

so, im strongly considering a 7' rod locker down the port side. to make the length part of the bench would have to be removed. i will decide on that once my solid rivets come in and i see how easy they are to buck properly.


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## Flatbotm (Oct 3, 2013)

Nice the stringer spacing of the stringers worked out for battery storage. I'm considering designing in a rod locker as well. If you don't want to remove that portion of the bench you could run golf tubes thru the bench on that side. That was what I did on my 1542 build.


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## typed by ben (Oct 3, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331145#p331145 said:


> Flatbotm » Today, 11:36[/url]"]Nice the stringer spacing of the stringers worked out for battery storage. I'm considering designing in a rod locker as well. If you don't want to remove that portion of the bench you could run golf tubes thru the bench on that side. That was what I did on my 1542 build.


thats a hell of an idea. only difficulty is the foam in the bench. id have to figure out a way to get that out to insert the tubes.


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## Flatbotm (Oct 3, 2013)

I cut the holes for the tubes with a hole saw, then I used a piece of thin walled tubing to core out the foam. When I couldn't push the tubing any further I'd pull it out and blow the foam out of the tubing with air from the air compressor.


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## typed by ben (Oct 3, 2013)

did you mention that in your thread? i must have missed it. thats something i can work with. id rather do that than cut the bench out honestly.


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## louisvillefisherman (Oct 3, 2013)

Hello, just reading your thread. Looks like you are doing a great job.

If I could make a practical suggestion however. You should seriously consider using "battery boxes" to place those batteries in. The reason is that even though you are using padding, those batteries are prone to cracking, especially when subjected to the abuses you mentioned. 

Should one of those batteries leak, your beautiful boat is going to have a major issue when the battery acid eats through it.

Also, batteries (especially marine) have a nasty tendency to explode, spewing corrosive fluids all over and potentially injuring a passenger (they tend to blow when being used so there is most often someone near them when they go off)

Battery boxes are not expensive ($10 at wallyworld) and I think they look nice as they have openings for ventilation and wiring. The more deluxe versions have a 50amp breaker built in.

I normally do not make suggestions, but this one screamed out at me and you did mention one of the reasons you are sharing your build is for tips.

Enjoy and good work!


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## Flatbotm (Oct 3, 2013)

I talked about it a little on this page and you can see the finished product on this page and the next one. https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=20341&hilit=flatbotm+1542&start=90

I didn't go into super detail but you can get the Idea. you won't have to lose any of the support your bench provides. When it comes to coring out the foam the thinner the tubing the better. I had a metal shop broom I ran over that I cut off. The super thin walled aluminum was like a razor.


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## typed by ben (Oct 4, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331167#p331167 said:


> louisvillefisherman » Yesterday, 14:10[/url]"]Hello, just reading your thread. Looks like you are doing a great job.
> 
> If I could make a practical suggestion however. You should seriously consider using "battery boxes" to place those batteries in. The reason is that even though you are using padding, those batteries are prone to cracking, especially when subjected to the abuses you mentioned.
> 
> ...


hm okay thanks for that practical information. you sound like you are speaking from experience. i do have battery boxes from the previous owner but i had no plans to use them until your post. last night i started looking at it and in that location the batteries are not likely to be level, either. i will probably end up moving them back farther to where the hull flattens out, and go ahead and enclose them in the battery boxes in case they do spring a leak. 

thanks for the heads up.


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## typed by ben (Oct 4, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331170#p331170 said:


> Flatbotm » Yesterday, 14:15[/url]"]I talked about it a little on this page and you can see the finished product on this page and the next one. https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=20341&hilit=flatbotm+1542&start=90
> 
> I didn't go into super detail but you can get the Idea. you won't have to lose any of the support your bench provides. When it comes to coring out the foam the thinner the tubing the better. I had a metal shop broom I ran over that I cut off. The super thin walled aluminum was like a razor.


i reevaluated this last night and noticed that to get the full 7' length i would have to actually bore all the way through the front of the bench and exit the other side, like you did for your steering cable. i still like just using the golf club organizers better than cutting the bench all the way out. i think it would be easy enough to set up a jig on both sides of the bench- just have to be sure that i bore perfectly square. that will be the toughest part.


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## typed by ben (Oct 4, 2013)

got my first permanent part installed in the boat last night. this piece of angle is riveted to the bulkhead on the front deck and sets the deck height. on this angle i welded two tabs so i can drop buttresses that will transfer the load of the deck from the angle down to the adjacent stringer. i just dont trust the shear strength of aluminum rivets OR the .080 aluminum around the rivets- even if theres 7 of them.


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## Flatbotm (Oct 4, 2013)

On my rod storage the golf tubes ran completely thru the bench and into the under deck storage area. I just measured down from the top of the bench on both sides to drill my pilot holes for the hole saw.


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## typed by ben (Oct 7, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331274#p331274 said:


> Flatbotm » 04 Oct 2013, 13:06[/url]"]On my rod storage the golf tubes ran completely thru the bench and into the under deck storage area. I just measured down from the top of the bench on both sides to drill my pilot holes for the hole saw.


gotcha. i think i might be able to order 3 and split them in half since the bench is nowhere near as deep as a golf bag.

i like that riser box you did as well. i may end up doing something similar on mine, maybe a bit taller, for the front bench on my boat to act as a step up as well as provide storage. thats the drawback to these boats- might be able to fit 3 people on board but thats 3 pfds, a throwable, rods, tackle boxes, coolers, etc :x storage is key and it has to be thoughtfully done or it ends up being a hassle for passengers!


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## Ranchero50 (Oct 7, 2013)

I'd leave them longer if possible. One, you'll want some notice / protection on the other of the seat so they don't get snapped off and two, because the rod feels funny when it pokes out the other side. I have one I cut short and don't like it vs. the others. You rod will only go in a couple feet before the eye will catch at the opening.

The tubes will flex and give a good bit so square isn't absolutely mandatory. I'd drill your near side and dig out the Styrofoam in the direction you want the rod to lay, then push something (long screw driver, all thread etc) through to the other wall and ding it to mark where you'll drill back through (from the other side). Go 1/8" oversize, maybe more if you plan on carpeting the seat.


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## typed by ben (Oct 8, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331564#p331564 said:


> Ranchero50 » Yesterday, 22:06[/url]"]I'd leave them longer if possible. One, you'll want some notice / protection on the other of the seat so they don't get snapped off and two, because the rod feels funny when it pokes out the other side. I have one I cut short and don't like it vs. the others. You rod will only go in a couple feet before the eye will catch at the opening.


excellent point, thats why we pay you


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## typed by ben (Oct 10, 2013)

cut some of the more complicated pieces and test fit them last night. also test fit a battery box and started to imagine how that whole assembly would be secured. 

the corner with 3 pieces of tube coming into it is going to be a sonofabitch to weld, but its one of the most important parts so its gotta be done right. 

i plan to have unsupported areas no more than 13 inches square. thats the same size as the non-reinforced areas (no stringers or rolled beads) on the hull as it came from the manufacturer, and my deck is the same .080 thickness as the hull. it should be effective plagiarism. 



the funny part is going to be servicing the batteries when the day comes. i need a way to slide the batteries out so i can access them when they need to be replaced. worst case scenario is that the deck over that area will be easily removable. what i would really like to do is have a hatch that is hinged on the left side of the tube in the picture below. that would make the hatch open counterclockwise, perfect for when you need to throw something in the boat from the outside. 



there is going to be a ton of storage space under the front deck. should be sweet. i might even have enough room to do some custom tackle dividers, wet storage, or what have you.


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## Ranchero50 (Oct 10, 2013)

1/8" or thicker triangle shaped gussets, lay them flat under the 'T' joints, clamp in place. Make them large enough to have 1" welds on each bottom flange. Weld the vertical joint and the visible sides of the triangles.

Or you can just tack everything and pull the top deck out to fully weld it. V out your top joints so the welds will stay recessed under the deck surface.

Lots of ways, just gotta think about it.


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## Mojo (Oct 10, 2013)

Looking good Ben. I like how you've put your stringers on the ribs themselves, and I really like the way you've put the deck area just a bit lower than the front. After looking at yours I kind of wonder if I should have done the same. Too late now for me, Let me know how you like it.


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## typed by ben (Oct 10, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331753#p331753 said:


> Ranchero50 » Today, 09:07[/url]"]1/8" or thicker triangle shaped gussets, lay them flat under the 'T' joints, clamp in place. Make them large enough to have 1" welds on each bottom flange. Weld the vertical joint and the visible sides of the triangles.
> 
> Or you can just tack everything and pull the top deck out to fully weld it. V out your top joints so the welds will stay recessed under the deck surface.
> 
> Lots of ways, just gotta think about it.


yeah the plan is to tack the frame near the bench in place, that will be the first assembly. after that ill tack the deck frame and that will make the second assembly. the top will get seamed out of the boat, then ill drop it all back in and weld it in the boat so all my fits are good, since none of this stuff is square. the legs that go to the hull will be bolted in im thinking. ill weld some gussets on each end of a piece of tube to make an upper case I shape. those will drop down from the deck, then bolt to pieces of angle that run perpendicular to the stringers. best way i can think of since the stringers at the front of my boat are at some odd angles.



[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331755#p331755 said:


> Mojo » Today, 09:41[/url]"]Looking good Ben. I like how you've put your stringers on the ribs themselves, and I really like the way you've put the deck area just a bit lower than the front. After looking at yours I kind of wonder if I should have done the same. Too late now for me, Let me know how you like it.


thanks dude i hope it turns out too. its custom made for ME and i think thats the neatest part. when you build your boat you gotta do it in a way that makes sense to you.


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## typed by ben (Oct 11, 2013)

took a day off so our babysitter could go out of town. got some QT in with the boat too! :wink: 

really starting to take shape. ill probably pick up my bottle next week- after that some of this stuff can start going together properly




yes, the spacing on the right is different from the left. that was me trying to decide what will work better. i have a condition on the right hand side that requires me to have a 14" opening in the front so my foot pedal recess can drop in. ill probably just do the same opening on the left side, for the sake of symmetry


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## Country Dave (Oct 11, 2013)

_Hey man looking good.................... =D> _


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## typed by ben (Oct 11, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331878#p331878 said:


> Country Dave » Today, 16:35[/url]"]_Hey man looking good.................... =D> _


thanks dave. your boat is immaculate. i love everything about it.


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## Country Dave (Oct 12, 2013)

_Wow thanks brother,

I'm in the office today for a little bit but I brought her with me. This afternoon I'm going to go run her again. I changed the prop, moved the trolling motor battery a little bit forward and mounted the trolling motor so we'll see what up. Keep up the good work on your build. _


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## typed by ben (Oct 12, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331923#p331923 said:


> Country Dave » Today, 08:08[/url]"]_Wow thanks brother,
> 
> I'm in the office today for a little bit but I brought her with me. This afternoon I'm going to go run her again. I changed the prop, moved the trolling motor battery a little bit forward and mounted the trolling motor so we'll see what up. Keep up the good work on your build. _


that sounds cool man, cant wait to tune mine in.

short nap for baby this morning = little progress. but we did go get some clamps, and i had to put back together what fell apart last night. this is very close to all the tube ill have to cut for up front.



so ill have hatches in both left corners adjacent to the bench, probably a hatch in the upper right corner, and a foot pedal recess in the center, right hand side (where the blue and red clamps are). cant wait to start buzzing some of this stuff together so i can throw out all the clamps and tape.


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## Country Dave (Oct 12, 2013)

_Slow and steady wins the race. _


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## typed by ben (Oct 12, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=331941#p331941 said:


> Country Dave » Today, 12:54[/url]"]_Slow and steady wins the race. _


yep gotta keep telling myself that. actually i dont want to finish it this winter and then have to wait until april or may to use it for the first time! 

im calling the deck done. wrote part IDs at all the joints and wrote them down. that should help with reassembly as i break it all into subassemblies. 




im gonna do some tests monday to see what the limits are of this .080 aluminum. id really rather just form the doors and seam the corners but i believe i will have to add some angle or bar in to make them stiff enough. no big deal if i have to, just another step.

after that i gotta start on supports that go from the deck to the stringers. i should be able to get away with 2 sections of support- imagine 2 lateral lines from port to starboard that break the deck into thirds. 

last is cutting the sheet for the deck. not looking forward to that.


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## spagatti (Oct 25, 2013)

Looks good. I ended up having drop in storage for most of my bins, but for others just cut the decking material (ply wood) to form a hatch.Good luck with the rest of the build, such a versitle boat you can take them in almost any way.


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## typed by ben (Oct 29, 2013)

man oh man, had hardly any time for the boat these last couple weeks. but they have not been without progress.

cut up my hatch lids and formed them last week, then welded them tonight


they were super flimsy out of the brake which had me worried about the deck material i had selected, but they tightened right up when i welded the corners. that was a nice surprise.

to make formed parts, shooting from the hip is cool and all but ultimately very wasteful. thats why you always have a plan- in this case i needed to maintain a 1.00" lid height so i can add the edge trim and remain flush with my deck. in order to do that we had to do some math to account for the metal stretching as it is bent, thats called the bend deduction. i subtract my bend deduction from my nominal size to get a cut size- form it up and it will fall right where you want.


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## Mojo (Oct 31, 2013)

Good work on those hatch lids! Once again.. I wish I had a welder in my garage. :|


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## typed by ben (Nov 2, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=333490#p333490 said:


> Mojo » 31 Oct 2013, 20:30[/url]"]Good work on those hatch lids! Once again.. I wish I had a welder in my garage. :|


lol its a blessing and a curse... makes you want to weld everything, especially now that i have a mig and tig


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## smackdaddy53 (Nov 2, 2013)

typed by ben said:


> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=333490#p333490 said:
> 
> 
> > Mojo » 31 Oct 2013, 20:30[/url]"]Good work on those hatch lids! Once again.. I wish I had a welder in my garage. :|
> ...


That is exactly what Id be doing too!


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## BayouCajun (Nov 2, 2013)

I will be watching your build, I am running into some of the same issues (batteries…and what to do with them)…

Let me share a personal battery experience. I had a battery in a 74' Monte Carlo, with a cracked post explode while my hand was holding a combo wrench over the battery, the explosion blew out a hole in the side of the battery, I was looking over the open hood at the person sitting in the drivers seat…saved my eyes…somewhat…

I thought I had lost my hand…couldn't feel anything, couldn't see anything because my eyes were burning really bad…almost as bad as my chest…

Then the service station owner came out and was freaking out, while I calmly was screaming at him to hose me off with some water :twisted: 

and asking if my hand was still there... [-o< …it was…eyes still bother me…this was back in '79.

Batteries are bombs…just like space shuttle tanks….with unreliable timers.

I haven't tied my batteries or my dual bank charger down yet…and similar to you is rod storage, thinking about punching holes in forward bulkhead and insert pvc tubes, but then that interferes with battery box…

an adjustable plan…

Love what you are doing.


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## smackdaddy53 (Nov 2, 2013)

Gel cell or AGM Batteries are more expensive but safer and better in the long run.


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## typed by ben (Nov 5, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=333617#p333617 said:


> BayouCajun » 02 Nov 2013, 15:41[/url]"]I will be watching your build, I am running into some of the same issues (batteries…and what to do with them)…
> 
> Let me share a personal battery experience. I had a battery in a 74' Monte Carlo, with a cracked post explode while my hand was holding a combo wrench over the battery, the explosion blew out a hole in the side of the battery, I was looking over the open hood at the person sitting in the drivers seat…saved my eyes…somewhat…
> 
> ...


thanks for the nice words for the anecdote... i work in automation where safety is king, and i have learned not to scoff at it like i might have 10 years ago, before i started.

my batteries are going to go into boxes and the boxes will be attached to a bulkhead of some sort, probably just another sheet of aluminum. i will probably bump that up to 5052 from my current 3003 as its better to drill and tap


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## typed by ben (Nov 8, 2013)

just to prove that i HAVE been working... just at more of a geologic pace.


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## Mojo (Nov 9, 2013)

Ben,

It's not a race buddy, Your doing a great job.. I'm sure all that welding takes more time than the ole pop rivet gun method I'm using.

Mojo


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## typed by ben (Nov 9, 2013)

i know its not- just these weekends that my wife works are really the only ones i get to put my nose to the grindstone. even then theres still balance between keeping the house up, watching the baby, that sort of thing. 

i expect to have some pretty good progress tomorrow. ive got some more complicated welds clamped on the table that i expect to knock out in the morning.


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## typed by ben (Nov 10, 2013)

as promised:

starboard deck subassembly



checking clearance for the hatch


feeling very upbeat and positive- no more blue tape, lots of clamps going back into the toolbox, fewer and fewer pieces of metal laying about!


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## Mojo (Nov 11, 2013)

Looking Good Man, Those hatch lids turned out nice!


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## Flatbotm (Nov 12, 2013)

Its looking good Ben. Your finished product should look very nice!


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## typed by ben (Nov 16, 2013)

well well well! this is not trick photography- no clamps or tape were used in the production of these photographs!

starboard subassembly looking right at home


the whole thing- some welds are just two sided seams as i ran out of time. 

BUT ITS STILL THE WHOLE THING! =D> =D> never thought id get here.


funny thing: i actually went back behind myself and rewelded some of these sections. amazing how handy ive be come with a tig torch. this is probably the hardest material to learn to tig, and it was a baptism of fire. but im very happy with the result.


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## typed by ben (Nov 19, 2013)

couple more things done tonight... finished seaming up the deck. i think ill do two more tie bars between the two sub assemblies just to make it nice and rigid. wont hurt at this point in the game.

today i sheared some material to make my foot pedal recess box. this is .080 3003 alloy, just like the lids. 

the bottom sat on my welding table. one of the sides was then set on top of that material and clamped to a piece of angle. that set my height- which makes it much easier to get a proper chamfer when you go to seam your tray



the corners had to be chamfered a little bit as well to make room for tacks:



after you get your first piece in place tack it in the corners and move piece by piece, and hopefully it all meets up like this:



seam it up, polish your welds flat if you need to maintain fit like i did:


voila, foot pedal recess- (truthfully not 100% complete, this one will have a 1" flange around the top to make it a drop in that sits on top of the deck)


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## typed by ben (Nov 24, 2013)

got the frame and rear support done. all thats left now is 4 piers going from the deck to the hull. those are going to be bolt ins, but there will be a bracket with a bolt hole that will be added to the weldment. 


overall views:

in this shot you can see i added two more tie bars between the right and left subassemblies. the two bars in the center are where my seat post will be attached, originally that was all i planned.





the sweet part is the whole thing still weighs less than 5 lbs.


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## gillhunter (Nov 24, 2013)

Looking great!! Really nice fabrication work. Been following your build since the start.


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## bigwave (Nov 24, 2013)

She is going to be stout for sure, great job man. =D>


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## DrNip (Nov 24, 2013)

Very nice.


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## typed by ben (Nov 29, 2013)

thank you for the compliments everybody. 

today i decided to rework the foot pedal recess. that aluminum one just was not going to be strong enough so i cut one out of 12 gauge 304 stainless. much stronger, heavier, though a little uglier unless i bead blast it, which i might.

fused everything together



looks like she might work


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## typed by ben (Nov 29, 2013)

one more lol. grabbed some of my scrap and took a quick look. 



im actually in from the garage for the night, cant believe it myself but its cold out and im about out of things to make for the front. 

i need the shear at work to make the piers for the front so thats probably not gonna happen until next week.

maybe start cutting material with the miter saw for the rear? i just dont know. need to use this couple of hours effectively!


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## Mojo (Nov 29, 2013)

Bead blasters AND welders.. your spoiled. :shock: But man that thing is looking good.

Mojo


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## typed by ben (Nov 30, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=335536#p335536 said:


> Mojo » Yesterday, 21:45[/url]"]Bead blasters AND welders.. your spoiled. :shock: But man that thing is looking good.
> 
> Mojo


ha the welders are here, the blast cabinet is at work. plus i changed my mind- just gonna paint the recess to match the deck. thanks for the compliment! i hope it works good!

quick shot of the piers mocked up. 


i notched the top of the angle, then bent it to match the profile of the hull, then clamped that to the table and welded the notches shut. i will transfer holes through the stringers, then put rivnuts into the stringer and bolt the angle to the hull.

i think the piers themselves will be bolt-ins to allow for movement so this thing doesnt get too racked up on the trailer or in temperature changes. the part that contacts the angle bolted to the hull will just be thru bolted. on the weldment i will either weld another short piece of angle underneath and bolt to that, or transfer the hole and use a rivnut. decisions decisions.


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## Country Dave (Nov 30, 2013)

_Bro your welds look pretty darn good.................... =D> 

Are you Tiging? _


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## typed by ben (Nov 30, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=335572#p335572 said:


> Country Dave » Today, 14:33[/url]"]_Bro your welds look pretty darn good.................... =D>
> 
> Are you Tiging? _


thanks man. they are not something like what a pro would kick out but they are good enough for this job. 


and yes this was all put together with a TIG. i have used MIG before but never TIG and never aluminum and i have to say i now GREATLY prefer TIG. its not as fast as MIG but the control afforded to you by a foot pedal is great for a beginner. 

the 1" tube i used on my build just would not have worked quite right if i chose a spoolgun IMO


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## Country Dave (Nov 30, 2013)

_Yeh the little bit I do know is, Tig for lighter aluminum like 0.125 and thinner and Mig/wire feed for the thicker stuff. I can’t wait to start practicing. I hope my welds turn out as good a yours bro.............. =D> _


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## typed by ben (Dec 1, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=335583#p335583 said:


> Country Dave » Yesterday, 16:04[/url]"]_Yeh the little bit I do know is, Tig for lighter aluminum like 0.125 and thinner and Mig/wire feed for the thicker stuff. I can’t wait to start practicing. I hope my welds turn out as good a yours bro.............. =D> _


i dont know if theres a hard and fast rule for thickness necessarily, for instance my tig is a miller gold star 330 a/bp. it can kick out 460 amps on a 100 amp supply. it could probably do 1" aluminum if i set it up right. im only on a 30 amp supply so it flips the breaker well before i get to full power

the MIG shines when you have a long bead (2" +) or are in a production environment where speed is important. IMO you just dont have enough time to get the puddle hot before you have to get going with the tip on account of your wire feed. thats just an opinion though. when you start trying it out with your torch and filler metal i think youll see what i mean.


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## typed by ben (Feb 13, 2014)

a small but important update today.

the more i looked at it the more i hated the idea of cutting openings in my deck for hatches. its unsightly and moreover unsafe to form the lids and then not add beauty edges. not only that but id have to cut and weld a bunch of tabs to the frame to stop the hatches from falling through. i just didnt have a really good and simple idea of how to accomplish it. 

not good:


then i found a piece of 1.5 x .063 angle. it meets all my criteria:

1. thin to fit the tolerance of my hatches in the frame weldment
2. easy to work
3. cheap

AND since its 1.5" and my frame is 1" i can break up the leftover and have a return lip to retain my hatches. i think the companies that do it professionally do this with custom extrusion, or just break sheetmetal but the angle works for me.

heres half of one:


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## huntinfool (Feb 14, 2014)

I just put plastic ones in mine, but I like the way hours is turning out. I just didn't have time to fan them up.


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## typed by ben (Feb 14, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=341801#p341801 said:


> huntinfool » Today, 08:06[/url]"]I just put plastic ones in mine, but I like the way hours is turning out. I just didn't have time to fan them up.


well thanks. i looked at those myself but i wanted to make sure the hatches are big enough that i can fit bulky items like PFDs.


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## typed by ben (Feb 16, 2014)

ran into another practical problem today:

what about when i need to replace/service my batteries? im pretty well tied to locating them right here. i dont want to remote them and have to run 20' of 0 gauge cable. i also want to balance out weight since this boat only weighs 350 lbs.

so, what if i just make a little hatch, big enough to take the lid and leads off the battery? 




that might be fine for swapping leads. but the day will eventually come where i need to completely lift out the batteries- like for winter storage. ill be damn well stuck.




looks like ill be cutting out that center member and forming another hatch. cutting out the member is one thing- then i gotta polish down the old welds, and (since these areas were never designed for hatches) clean out the seam welds in the corners. 

should have thought about that from the start because i rushed my way into several more hours of work. just shows how absent minded you can get when considering all the different fits and finishes you want your boat to have.


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## typed by ben (Feb 23, 2014)

cut out one of the center members i mentioned above. ill have to make some more lids at work this week, which will make 4 hatches in that area. thats a couple more than i was comfortable with but its going to make life MUCH easier WRT the batteries.



i also got 2 of the 3 pier supports knocked out. everything is welded, drilled, cut, etc. it lined up nicely and now ALL the force i apply transfers straight to the boat, like i want. 



nevermind the crappy assorted fasteners. somehow i ran out of 1/4-20 stainless hardware. just means another trip out.


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## typed by ben (Feb 23, 2014)

for those who were wondering, heres a couple more shots showing how the piers, angle, and stringers all tie together:




1/4-20 stainless rivnut, pre drilled to .386




.250 hole transferred through the angle, then secured with 1/4-20 HHCS. i went .250 instead of the customary .281 because i didnt want these things moving around in the hole too much.

above you can also see the relief cut i made to bend the angle to meet the profile of the hull. i made two parallel cuts, then bent the angle to match, then clamped it all together and welded the reliefs shut. if you are doing this to a long piece of angle you will want to weld before you transfer the holes through, as the holes may move on you

then bolt it all together!


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## typed by ben (Mar 5, 2014)

couple things to talk about today:

1. resized and moved my trolling motor mount. you may remember i had the mount following roughly the angle of the gunwale, cutting across the front part of the deck like you see on 'glass bass boats. well, real estate is at a premium on these smaller boats so i downsized the whole mount and moved it aside to make more room for a nav light and front electronics. i also get snagged from time to time and ill need to use the whole front of the boat to reach up in the tree or whatever other kind of mess ive cast into.

i also have officially removed HALF of the carpet glue from the front deck! scraping with a heat gun is not a job you look forward to.



2. cut and formed all my hatch lids. here's a pic of two of them sitting in place, no clamps or nothing:


3. i went back on my earlier word to use that 1.5 x 1.5 x .063 angle. just too goofy to do, plus it wont form. i dont know what alloy it is but it fractures too easily so im guessing 6061. one of the guys at work suggested annealing it but f that. too much work for little return.

instead i cut strips 1" wide and welded those under the frame. theyll stop the lids from falling through and give an overall more finished look to the hatches. right now they are just tacked on one side; to keep them from ripping under weight ill have to get into the corner on the top side where the lid rests. and yes, i left myself plenty of room for a bead up there. 


top view. in the corners between the strip and frame is where ill have to put another bead for strength 


to compensate for the loss of the "picture frame" beauty cover value, i bought some .5 x .5 x .050 angle. a few miter cuts and some tacks and theres my beauty cover. not sure how to attach these but i MAY weld them to the deck, since they arent integral to anything else 


were really starting to move on the front portion of the deck now. another night like tonight and ill have all the hatches done and finish welded and i can move onto the battery hold downs. 8)


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## typed by ben (Mar 29, 2014)

things have been moving slowly but steadily over the past month. 

1. i moved onto the 3rd generation of my foot pedal recess. the previous location put it really close to the front deck bulkhead, which made it cramped and left literally NO room for the TM strain relief. i ended up moving a cross member so i could have more room for the recess. 

this new one is made from .125 6061. its 4" deep and puts the top of the pedal just above the deck. it also leaves room at the front of the weldment for my TM plug to be hidden away. its a nice upgrade in those 3 facets as previous generations were shallower, smaller, poorly located, and less than ideal material.



2. started checking out how all my storage will work out. not too bad. you can also notice on the front deck bulkhead that almost all the carpet glue has been scraped off, then sanded. dont have to use too much imagination to see what shell look like now.



3. one of my uncles by marriage builds electric cars as a hobby. he is in the process of changing his pet project over to lipo batteries , and a few days back he messaged me on facebook to see if i wanted an old 4 bank battery charger. i said "sure" but was a little concerned of his asking price because what he was offering is a top of the line charger.

his asking price: FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hot dog! this is normally a $450 charger.


more to come!


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## Country Dave (Mar 29, 2014)

_Hey bro, tight work.
Looing good................. =D> _


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## typed by ben (Mar 29, 2014)

another shot of the glue-free front deck


trolling motor plug will be mounted in the area tangent to the plate dog circle and the minor wall of the weldment, on the left side 


shot of another conundrum i ran into subsequent to adding the small hatches for the batteries: my seat mount is now an interference area. i think i can trim it and move the mounting holes to work. just another pain in the neck to work around.


also have to start thinking about what i want to do in the rear. i plan to extend the deck to make a rear casting area. ill need a hatch to hide away the fuel tank/battery compartment. a splashwell would be nice too but might be too hard to work, and maybe totally unnecessary for a boat this size.


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## typed by ben (Mar 29, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=346730#p346730 said:


> Country Dave » Today, 15:59[/url]"]_Hey bro, tight work.
> Looing good................. =D> _


thanks dave- im actually a little worried about what ill do when this project is over. might have to actually fish out of it!


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## Gators5220 (Mar 30, 2014)

Lookin sweet bud!


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## Flatbotm (Mar 31, 2014)

Looking good Ben! It is really starting to come together.


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## huntinfool (Apr 1, 2014)

We use rivet nuts at work for steel application. Is that one a stainless or aluminum? I have another project that I need to use one in. 
Man this project is really turning out great.


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## BigTerp (Apr 1, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=347017#p347017 said:


> huntinfool » 40 minutes ago[/url]"]We use rivet nuts at work for steel application. Is that one a stainless or aluminum? I have another project that I need to use one in.
> Man this project is really turning out great.



Rivet nuts are awesome!! I used several in my build to mount my trolling motor and driving lights. We used aluminum ones. You don't need the setting tool either. Google homemade rivet nut tool and you'll see what I mean. It involves a bolt sized to the rivet nut, washer and oversided nut.


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## huntinfool (Apr 1, 2014)

BigTerp said:


> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=347017#p347017 said:
> 
> 
> > huntinfool » 40 minutes ago[/url]"]We use rivet nuts at work for steel application. Is that one a stainless or aluminum? I have another project that I need to use one in.
> ...



I have several of the tools. We get them with every job. Probably have 50+ in our shop and throw away 5-6 a week.


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## typed by ben (Apr 1, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=347017#p347017 said:


> huntinfool » Today, 07:50[/url]"]We use rivet nuts at work for steel application. Is that one a stainless or aluminum? I have another project that I need to use one in.
> Man this project is really turning out great.


thanks man

im using stainless on this job. just gotta use plenty of oil since im using stainless screws as well. after the nuts have been pulled its real easy to gall the threads.


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## typed by ben (Apr 1, 2014)

MONEY SHOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! first piece of deck is cut.


shot showing the plug mounted in the recess. yes the potentiometer is touching the side. not sure what to do about that yet.


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## typed by ben (Apr 2, 2014)

yeh yeh




just a little more cutting and welding to go. i still have to make a threshold to go between the casting deck and the middle bench. 

i also have to decide if i want to put the beauty tabs between the deck and the gunwale to hide the gap. i could go either way on these:


just a .750 strip that i would spot weld to the deck. not sure if it adds any value or not


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## Country Dave (Apr 3, 2014)

_looking good as always bro,

It looks like you're going to have an anniversary coming up pretty soon as well. LOL I'm just glad I'm, not the only one who's build took a year. You just cant rush perfection.............. :mrgreen: _


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## typed by ben (Apr 3, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=347312#p347312 said:


> Country Dave » Today, 07:58[/url]"]_looking good as always bro,
> 
> It looks like you're going to have an anniversary coming up pretty soon as well. _


_ ha good eye i didnt even notice that.



LOL I'm just glad I'm, not the only one who's build took a year. You just cant rush perfection.............. :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

_haha uhhh yeah thats my problem too! its far from perfect but its going to be perfect for me.


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## typed by ben (Apr 5, 2014)

got some good solid detail stuff done today. as you may remember i lamented for quite a while over what to do with my batteries. well i did some mockups today and this is what i came up with:




all .125. its a flat plate with two gussets welded to the side to give it some real rigidity. then theres two holes countersunk for 1/4-20. those line up with two stainless rivnuts i put in the stringers.


noco box sits in it like this


strap wraps around the whole thing and really ties those batteries to the boat. dont want any expensive batteries floppin around.




i also welded almost all the small filler panels to the big piece of deck, so thats all one piece now. i still have to make the threshold to transition from the middle bench to the casting deck. im not going to over think that- prob just a piece of sheet metal broken on a 45 to give a comfort edge.
one last parting shot


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## typed by ben (May 26, 2014)

latest: 

had to take a few steps back to go forward.

decided to go in a different direction with the beauty surrounds for my hatches up front. the .063 angle i had just was not going to work right, and it was quite difficult to work with on account of its slight size. unfortunately for me that meant trashing the lids i had already formed and cutting a bunch of new material. 

the new hatches are .125 so they are a lot better all around, and dont need any gussets for support so thats a nice feature.


the new surrounds are .080 aluminum with a 1" lip. looks better IMO, and much easier to work with/polish. plus with that 1" lip i can rivet them to the subframe weldment. with the .063 angle, the material was so small (about .375 x .375 angle) i would have had to weld to the deck to secure it properly. 

i also decided what to do for my extended rear deck. this feature went through MANY iterations before i got to one that i liked. it had to be strong enough to support the weight of a fisherman and accomodate the fuel tank and batteries with passages for the fuel line, bulb, and battery cables. 



im in love with this setup because it does the above as well as boxing in the rear of the boat. now the transom and rear bench are locked together- i think that will greatly help with handling and durability when the gas motor is attached.

slap the deck weldment on top like this:



and a file from the creative reuse department. these are portions of the stringers that i removed from the front, now used to support the weldment in the rear


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## gillhunter (May 26, 2014)

Looking good Ben!!! Your workmanship is top notch.


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## smackdaddy53 (May 26, 2014)

Awesome work man, I definitely appreciate people that do not settle for just "making due" even when it means scrapping a good bit of work and going another direction to be more functional.


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## smackdaddy53 (May 26, 2014)

Awesome work man, I definitely appreciate people that do not settle for just "making due" even when it means scrapping a good bit of work and going another direction to be more functional.


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## typed by ben (May 26, 2014)

thanks guys. im learning a lot doing this. as country dave pointed out ive been at it over a year... last thing i want to do now is compromise to "make due" like smackdaddy said. i dont want me or anybody else for that matter looking at this boat and saying "uhm, that took over a year to do?"

i still want to do some beauty trim between the deck and the gunwale to cover up the uneven gap that my bad jigsaw job did. after i figure out what im going to do there and get a piece of deck over the rear, ill be ready to paint. that day is going to be a little scary- first time ive ever used a paint gun.


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## hgrego115 (May 26, 2014)

I have a question. I joined this forum so that I could share pics of my boat. I have a 12 foot v hull starcraft that I have been building a deck on. I have not placed it in water yet and I am concerned that it may be top heavy. Does anyone have experience with this?


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## smackdaddy53 (May 27, 2014)

typed by ben said:


> thanks guys. im learning a lot doing this. as country dave pointed out ive been at it over a year... last thing i want to do now is compromise to "make due" like smackdaddy said. i dont want me or anybody else for that matter looking at this boat and saying "uhm, that took over a year to do?"
> 
> i still want to do some beauty trim between the deck and the gunwale to cover up the uneven gap that my bad jigsaw job did. after i figure out what im going to do there and get a piece of deck over the rear, ill be ready to paint. that day is going to be a little scary- first time ive ever used a paint gun.


What are you using over the deck for nonskid? I ran a bead of polyurethane sealant on my seams and Tuffcoat over it since It us polyurethane as well. It will flex with the boat and still seal out any water from getting inside.


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## typed by ben (May 27, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=353722#p353722 said:


> smackdaddy53 » 27 minutes ago[/url]"]
> 
> 
> typed by ben said:
> ...


tuffcoat, same as yours. caulk isnt a bad idea, hadnt thought of that. i wonder how well it would stick to aluminum.


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## smackdaddy53 (May 27, 2014)

typed by ben said:


> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=353722#p353722 said:
> 
> 
> > smackdaddy53 » 27 minutes ago[/url]"]
> ...


Rough the aluminum up with sandpaper amd it will stick like...well polyurethane to rough aluminum!
I fabbed and installed aluminum hurricane shutters on the coast for almost 8 years and we always used polyurethane to seal up aluminum to whatever substrate we were mounting to and the shutters are all still around and not leaking. 
I already finished my Tuffcoat and used Polyurethane between the deck sheet and transom on top, entire floor, gunnels and I ran silicone between the gunnel cap and sides on the outside. If you look closely in the picture you can see it. 
I learned a trick to touching up areas you want more of the tuffcoat base and less texture. After your last coat is dry to the touch, take the leftover Tuffcoat in the can and don't mix it. Let the rubber crumbs settle and just use a disposeable brush to brush on a little extra polyurethane on areas you want to cover more and fill in. Worked like a charm.


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## typed by ben (Jun 11, 2014)

been working here and there a few hours at a time. got the front deck riveted down so theres pretty much no turning back there. i still havent cut any material for the rear casting deck because, well, im out! kind of in a holding pattern there while i figure out if i want to buy a partial sheet or make do with a different thickness.

also tinkered with my rod and net storage:


heres my 7 footers, snug as a bug in a rug



ill also do "quick access" rod storage above deck with a couple of those rod saver setups.

thats it for today. i still need to order rivets for the piano hinges, cut holes for latches on the lids, devise some sort of cradle in the transom for the rear batteries, permanently mount the onboard charger, get some material squared away for the deck, and then to top it all off theres the priming and painting. 

this thing still seems far away i have to say. but at least its not as far away as it was this time last year.


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## smackdaddy53 (Jun 11, 2014)

Nice progress!


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## huntinfool (Jun 12, 2014)

Looking good still. Can't wait for the finale.


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## typed by ben (Jun 28, 2014)

summer thunderstorm season is here and that means im spending a lot of time cleaning up the yard unfortunately. still sneaking in a few hours for the boat though! 

rear deck is starting to shape up. i added beauty tabs to all the vertical elements so the tube weldment is completely encapsulated by sheet metal. i think it looks cleaner that way. 

still need to rivet the deck down to the weldment and get the holes cut for the perko latches. might get into that tomorrow.


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## typed by ben (Jun 29, 2014)

completed the rear casting deck today. 

in the rear ill have a battery (or 2) as well as a fuel tank and probably some storage. because of the nature of those items i wanted a quick release cover for emergency access.

start out like this:


twist two handles and you get this:


very handy.


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## typed by ben (Jul 26, 2014)

monthly ( :lol: ) update:

got the hinges fit which was more of a PITA than i expected. the finished product looks and works great though. i also got the pedestal mount in, which was ALSO a pita because the bottom of it requires a nearly 3" broad hole. so naturally i had to run and get a 3" hole saw at 9:30 PM.

heres everything in bare metal:



started sanding today as well. i even got some of the smaller parts primed (like the pedal recess which is missing in this photo), but theres still a lot more sanding to go. all the hardest to reach areas are going to be the ones where the paint falls off and messes up the whole job so ive gotta take my time and be thorough.


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## Natedog57 (Jul 27, 2014)

Looking pretty good, I have a question.

Where did you get the rod tubes, and what are the specs?


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## typed by ben (Jul 28, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361225#p361225 said:


> Natedog57 » Yesterday, 23:48[/url]"]Looking pretty good, I have a question.
> 
> Where did you get the rod tubes, and what are the specs?


they are actually golf bag divider tubes- i got them from golf galaxy for about 60 cents a piece. they are 1.375" around and roughly 36" long.


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## typed by ben (Jul 30, 2014)

lookin more and more worthy every day... with an order of tuff coat on the way! hope i can get some time to sneak out and lay that stuff down soon.


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## buzzbarto (Jul 31, 2014)

Very nice!


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 2, 2014)

You are not going to use the recommended Tuffcoat primer?


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## typed by ben (Aug 3, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362049#p362049 said:


> smackdaddy53 » Yesterday, 23:16[/url]"]You are not going to use the recommended Tuffcoat primer?


no- had a jar of etching primer and tuffcoat tech support cleared it. 

got a piece of material for the charger isolator. this is 1x8 UHMW. we use it frequently at work so we have drops laying all around. i think this is also used for cutting boards so that would be a way to get your hands on some if you dont have a plastic shop around. 

naturally my space requirements were limiting so i ended up counterboring the mounting holes that connect the insulator to the hull. 


mounting to the hull was done with rivnuts through the stringers, as ive done in other locations.


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## typed by ben (Aug 3, 2014)

and this just looks sweet!


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## gillhunter (Aug 3, 2014)

Your project is coming along great!! You'll be wearing out tires soon :LOL2: :LOL2:


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 8, 2014)

typed by ben said:


> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362049#p362049 said:
> 
> 
> > smackdaddy53 » Yesterday, 23:16[/url]"]You are not going to use the recommended Tuffcoat primer?
> ...


Looking great man! I like the charger mount. 
I found out that thread lock (blue thread lock) and Tuffcoat do not get along so well. I left a little bottle on the deck and it got smashed causing a little puddle. That little puddle turned the Tuffcoat into jelly. I will have to clean that spot, prime and re apply.


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## typed by ben (Aug 9, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362751#p362751 said:


> smackdaddy53 » Yesterday, 20:41[/url]"]
> Looking great man! I like the charger mount.
> I found out that thread lock (blue thread lock) and Tuffcoat do not get along so well. I left a little bottle on the deck and it got smashed causing a little puddle. That little puddle turned the Tuffcoat into jelly. I will have to clean that spot, prime and re apply.


wow even tuff coat huh? loctite will go through almost anything. i got some on a pair of polyester work pants and tried to machine wash it out. the detergent apparently did nothing and then i made the fatal mistake of machine drying afterward- it baked that little bit of loctite into a hard little plastic disc that eventually ripped out out and ruined the pants. 

i will definitely be careful with it once i get the tuffcoat on. good lookin out


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## typed by ben (Sep 22, 2014)

bittersweet moment today- tuffcoat is applied! now im almost ready to take it out and prove (or disprove?!) my work.




really like the color and finish. may take a while for all the not-totally-cured rubber crumb to work itself loose.

couple notes about prep.

1. used etch primer on bare AND sanded/painted aluminum. followed the usual rules there. nothing special about what i used, just rattle can etch primer.
2. no sanding after that, just mineral spirits on lint free rags to get up all the overspray dust.

then i got ready to shoot the tuffcoat. i again hit the primed surfaces with mineral spirits to get up dust, then masked off with blue tape and .31 mil painters film. after that i wiped all the soon to be coated surfaces with a tack cloth.


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## typed by ben (Sep 22, 2014)

i want to add some deeper info and observation about applying the tuff coat since i used a spray gun, and to me it was an intimidating method as there is very little first person information about applying it.

1. as with any coating i believe in good prep for a good application. because some of my application was bare metal i sanded EVERYTHING first with a palm random orbit sander and an 80 grit disc. that gave all the surfaces pretty even bite. then i wiped down everything in the boat with disposable red shop towels and a little bit of mineral spirits.

2. next came etch primer, again because of bare metal. tuffcoat will tell you to use their special primer but i consulted their tech support and found out just about any etch primer would do. etch primer is just what it sounds like- primer with a little acid in it that physically etches the surface material that you apply it to to make it stick better. this is what you want on bare metal; tuffcoat sticks to the primer and the primer sticks to the metal. 

3. conventional body prep wisdom will tell you to sand after the primer but i dont believe its necessary here. were not trying to get a glassy surface- just the opposite in fact. but you do want to be sure that your tuffcoat sticks. i used disposable shop towels and mineral spirits after the etch primer had cured a few days- this wiped up the significant overspray dust i encountered. 

GUN AND COMPRESSOR INFO

first you need a decent compressor setup. mine is 28 gallons and was JUST BARELY big enough to do the job without running all the time. you could go a little smaller but results would not be as good, as the compressor would heat up and start giving you a lot of water out of the nozzle.

i installed a filter/regulator assembly with a gauge- usually about $20 at a home improvement store. the water separator part was critical to me because of the wet air issue i mentioned above. the regulator part is nice to have because the gun you use only needs about 50 PSI to spray correctly- so if you regulate before the gun all you have to do is pull the trigger.


here's the gun. its called a "texture" or "hopper" gun. it was $25 from harbor freight. all things considered its actually kind of nice. it comes with three nozzles and i used the smallest. 



i added this $6 regulator ball valve to work as a local shutoff for the gun, because if you dont have it- the gun will be spewing air ALL THE TIME. thats a big tax on smaller compressors, and also just annoying.


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## typed by ben (Sep 22, 2014)

TUFFCOAT APPLICATION INFO

items i needed other than the gun and tuffcoat:
a 5 gallon bucket half full of warm water (for gun and peripheral cleanup)
a utility paint brush (to clean out the hopper)
a grout mixer
a drill motor
a nuisance mask to prevent you from breathing in overspray

1. mixing is critical. i had the thought of asking if i could throw it in a hardware store paint shaker but i dont know if the rubber crumb would respond to that. i used this grout mixer in a drill motor instead. after a couple of minutes on low speed, moving the mixer up and down should get you a brownie batter like consistency with crumb evenly distributed and even tint.


2. a little goes a long way. my first tack coat was probably 1/4 gallon, and over all i used about half what i estimated. 

3. put a few oz worth in the hopper. yes just a few- you will be moving the gun all about and you dont want product spilling out the top, like it did to me. i filled it less than 1/4 of the height of the hopper, which was still plenty of product to work with

4. set up a test piece of the same orientation and size as your application. i used a refrigerator box flattened on the ground. at this point i regulated my air pressure from the compressor to 45 lbs.

the test piece was critical for me as i had ever used a spray gun AT ALL. it gives you a little confidence on the trigger, and you will need to set up your flow rate in any case. pull the trigger and product will be spraying out- i set mine up by starting with the flow knob all the way closed, then gave it a full turn back open. worked great. the gun will make a sound about like a dentists suction or a coffee brewer- the sound of even pressure with a regular even gurgle to it.

5. spray in a tight circular motion, like little curly-qs. that will make your texture more even compared to a straight line- although with this product it probably doesnt matter that much.

6. after a very light first coat, i waited 15 minutes between each subsequent coat. that was about enough time to check for errors and spills, remix the tuffcoat, and pour into the hopper.

7. remove your masking while the tuffcoat is still wet. its your best bet to get a clean line.

8. clean your gun with warm clean water. its a simple gun so theres not a lot of disassembly. afterwards, i shot about a half a hopper of warm water from the gun to make sure it was clean again.

THE RUBBER CRUMB GETS EVERYWHERE. it sticks to your skin, gets in your hair, in your shirt, in every nook and cranny you didnt know about. dont apply this in a place you dont want to be "traction advantaged". i sprayed it in my garage and that was a mistake. the crumb does sweep up easily, to its credit, and there was little overspray.

this video will help explain some of the concepts i had to learn on the fly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-eOjnWwRtw

all in all it was not a technically difficult way to apply the coating, and the finished product looks better than rolling. i followed the manufacturers instructions more or less, and did some research. 

the ball valve on the gun and mixer were parts i could not complete this project without.


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## smackdaddy53 (Sep 22, 2014)

That is exactly how I prepped and applied my Tuffcoat and I love it. I went extra heavy and shot five coats (4 gallons) then ordered another gallon of the base without the rubber crumbs and brushed a thick coat over it all and it turned out beautiful and tough. I like the fact that it can be touched up if you accidentally drop something heavy on it that has corners "like a jack plate"...


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## typed by ben (Sep 24, 2014)

wow thats a THICK coat! id have gotten bored after the 4th coat :lol:


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## tullymars (Sep 29, 2014)

Ben- your tin is looking great, man. I really like the green tuffcoat. Looks sweet! I am jealous of all those hatches- would love to add a little more storage to mine.


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## smackdaddy53 (Sep 30, 2014)

typed by ben said:


> wow thats a THICK coat! id have gotten bored after the 4th coat :lol:


I am an over achiever I guess! 
Great product


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## typed by ben (Sep 30, 2014)

tullymars said:


> Ben- your tin is looking great, man. I really like the green tuffcoat. Looks sweet! I am jealous of all those hatches- would love to add a little more storage to mine.


thank you. im really happy with how it turned out as well. just wish i could spend more time using it!


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## typed by ben (Oct 8, 2014)

a "maiden voyage" shot from last weekend:


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## Va Larry (Oct 8, 2014)

Everything looks great Ben. =D> 
I bet your awfully happy to finally be able to enjoy it. 

Make sure you take some time to enjoy it while it's still nice out for the next month or two.


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## smackdaddy53 (Oct 8, 2014)

I am jealous you got your maiden voyage in before me! The first two didn't count.


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## typed by ben (Oct 9, 2014)

hey it wasnt without its issues. the gas motor has been acting a fool but the important stuff (water intrusion and electrical soundness) has been flawless. knock on wood.


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## gillhunter (Oct 14, 2014)

Glad to see you finally getting the boat wet :LOL2:. Hope you have a lot of great times with it.


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## typed by ben (Oct 14, 2014)

thanks gillhunter. goin out for striper this friday. big body of water for my little boat.


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