# Lowe 1648 project



## Tech Sergeant Ken (Jul 31, 2009)

I officially started my project by ordering aluminum angle!

Here are a couple of pictures:

Factory view:





Before (front view) The beige plastic seat is not mounted, just stored.




Before (rear view)




Previous owner used galv studs to support pressure treated deck




Found a couple of mice nests in the foam





Precision tools used to cut up existing flooring - sawzall , circ saw, crow bar




Ken


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## Loggerhead Mike (Jul 31, 2009)

its gonna be a hoss. i like that consol setup


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## caveman (Aug 1, 2009)

I have the same boat that i am working on see just my thinking. I am using all alum. and that is what is taking me so long. It is a good size boat for mods i wish i had your console i just messed one on c list. have fun and take your time good luck i will be watching your build.


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## huntinfool (Aug 5, 2009)

I have this exact same boat. Mine does not have the front seat any more. I added a larger front deck and a new transom. I'm currently looking at adding a floor. I talked to a gentleman about using Alumilite. It is corregated plastic with aluminum on both sides. I found it on the web and it states that it is many times (I forgot how many) stronger than just aluminum. I'm leaning towards that for the weight reasons. I see you have a trolling motor pad, how is your front light mounted? I'm having some concerns about how to mount mine if I add a trolling motor.


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## Tech Sergeant Ken (Aug 6, 2009)

huntinfool:

Got a picture of your boat you could post?

I don't have a front light, but plan to mount a socket for a 12" tall one so it can be seen over the trolling motor.

When you say you don't have the front seat anymore, do you mean the middle seat with the built-in livewell? I am thinking about taking this seat out but don't want to give up the livewell since it has a drain through the hull.

I did a quick search and found this article on poor man's alumilite:
https://auction.signindustry.com/tips/tips/011900-makeshiftalumilite.php3

and this for pricing:
https://www.rhino-graphics.com/signs/alumilite.html
seems a little high cost to me, as a 4 x 8 sheet would be about $1000. It would be cheaper to use solid aluminum.

Also, I'd be concerned about how will it stands up to being standed on. All I found on the web was that it is a great material for signs that hang vertically and don't have anyone standing on them. Anybody got experience with this stuff?


Ken


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## huntinfool (Aug 6, 2009)

TSK
I have seen at least one person make a floor out of it and so far it seems to work. His FIL is in the sign business so he could get it cheap (or get scraps free) so I'm trying to talk to him about it. 

I have a socket for my bow light that I am ready to mount, but without the trolling moitor I don't know exactly where to place it. I've been debating running the trolling motor sideways along the front of the deck to take up as little room as possible. My boat will be used for fishing, bowfishing, gigging flounder, and hunting. So I need as much free deck space as possible. 

I've got some pics on my phone during my modifications, let me see if I can get them on here later. 

Also my boat did not come with the middle seat with a livewell. So I extended the rear deck to about where your seat begins. I've got about 8 foot of space between the deck and the rear seat. 

I've been contemplating taking the rear seat out and building a livewell in it with a lid and recirculating system in it...but that is just more money.


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## huntinfool (Aug 6, 2009)

I guess I fibbed a bit or my typing is real bad.  My front deck is 6ft long and there is about 5 foot between the front deck and the rear seat. Still trying to figure out how to post pics...but I think I have an idea....lets see


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## huntinfool (Aug 6, 2009)

OK I am a computer dork. I can't figure out how to post pics here. Someone wanna help a rookie?

Once I figure it out I have a boat that we modified here that ya'll have got to see...I promise you have never seen anything like it.


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## ben2go (Aug 6, 2009)

Try this https://tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3664 .It's also in my signature at the bottom of this post.


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## huntinfool (Aug 6, 2009)

Well here goes....
I got this boat used with the back end full of holes. So I sanded the back end inside and fiberglassed the back to cover the holes and riveted the glass in. I went on the outside and used an epoxy (similar to JB weld) and covered the holes. I took a rib from another boat and used it to make a brace for my deck and welded it in. I used aluminum square tubing for the front supports and cut my wood to fit. I made a new transom for the boat, and *IF* it ever goes bad I will pour a solid transom. (I've done several now and they work great...but do add some weight)

Here it is with the rib/deck support in





Here it is with the deck wood on it





And here is a view of the back. You can see how I mounted my fuse panel and the transom


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## huntinfool (Aug 6, 2009)

I've got to go take some more pics of another boat that ya'll have probably never seen or even heard of. It is just incredible...let me walk to my other shop and take a pic.


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## huntinfool (Aug 6, 2009)

I dont want to hijack your thread so I started another Lowe 1032 to 1050


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## Tech Sergeant Ken (Aug 13, 2009)

Progress update: I have been removing the carpet from the bench seats. I bought a multi-tool from harbor freight and it does a great job of scraping off the carpet and the glue. I paid 40 bucks but there is a coupon in this months Family Handyman to buy it for 30 bucks.

I still can't decide if I should keep the front deck at the level of the factory platform, or have a step down to the level of the bench seats. I don't like the idea of a step, but it is a lot less work that way, and I'm a bit worried that the high level is too high (unstable) for my boat.

Ken


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## huntinfool (Aug 14, 2009)

I kept my front deck the same height as the original deck and so far I have not noticed it being unstable. I didn't want a step down up there as I plan on bowfishing from up there and needed it to be flat and stable...so far I have achieved that.


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## russ010 (Aug 14, 2009)

I think you'll regret the stepdown if you do it... Your boat is plenty wide enough, so stability shouldn't be an issue. A friend fished out of mine the other night and I let him drive it and fish from there for a while. He's bigger than me by about 4" and 75lbs... he had no problems whatsoever. It took him getting adjusted because he's fishing out of a 1236, and mine being a 1546 makes a big difference. he was running from front to back off the back bench to the center and couldn't believe how stable it was... I was fishing from the front the whole time.

One other thing you can do to help with stability if it bothers you is get a lean to pedestal seat for the front. I've just got a 13" & 11" pedestal attached to each other because I'm not spending $75 for 1 that looks like it would break (not to mention the reviews I've read on them). These seats put your body weight to the center of the boat and will even things out. Have you put it out on the water yet just to see if you like being up that high? You might consider doing that before anything (even if you have it broken down right now)


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## Tech Sergeant Ken (Aug 15, 2009)

I appreciate the feedback on stability. I have been on the existing front deck would have to sit on the seat to ride out waves from passing ski boats, but stability in calm water was never an issue. BTW, I'm 6'-4" and 225.

And you reminded me of one of the original goals of my project - to remove the need to step up and over and down the bench seat when moving from stern to bow.

Now, the next hurdle - if I put the deck up higher, I have to build up on the middle bench seat, and it has a livewell in it, so I'll have to figure out how to raise the sides of the livewell and fashion a new lid.

I am hesitant to remove the seat completely. Don't know why, just afraid of effecting the structural integrity of the boat, I guess. I'm a conservative guy  Also, that would leave me with a hole through the hull (existing livewell drain). The way the livewell is constructed now, if the plug in the hole fails or some idiot  forgets to put it in, the water might enter the livewell but won't flood the boat.

Any ideas?


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## huntinfool (Aug 17, 2009)

How much of a difference are we talking about. Is the deck only an inch or two over the seat or is it more like 6"? There is a product called starboard ( a plastic board) that you could use to make the sides of the live well between the seat an your deck. Also you could use a panel from Home Depot for a shower stall, and just leave the livewell how it is, but you would just have to reach in farther to get to the fish.


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## Tech Sergeant Ken (Aug 17, 2009)

At the higher level, I'd have to build up above the bench seat about 6 - 8 inches. The existing livewell is basically just an aluminum box with hinged lid. To raise its sides, I'd probably have to cut out the top opening about an inch all around, then build another 6 - 8 inches of wall on all fours sides. I am brainstorming maybe buying some sort of premade box that I could drop in from the top, but I don't know how to rework the thru-hull drain. Anyway, I'll figure something out.

I was also thinking I could line the inside with foam to make it an insulated space. I really don't use it as a livewell, but as a drink cooler I'm into catch-and-release and don't fish tournaments.


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## huntinfool (Aug 18, 2009)

Maybe just cut the top out of the bench seat around the livewell and fit a cooler in it's place. Plug off the drain and have a removable cooler.


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