# Alumacraft 14 Build



## enielsen (Jul 19, 2011)

Ok, so this weekend my dad gave me his boat and he said he didn't want any money for it. I couldn't believe it! It came with an old johnson 4.6 that runs on the first pull and has great compression. the boat came with a great trailer, gas tank, trolling motor, two chairs, and rod holders. Pretty cool. Anyways, I was gonna make it a duck hunting boat but I want a flatter and wider boat for that. This one I want to make a bass boat setup with. Basically a front deck and rear deck with storage.. But I have never done this before, so I am gonna need some serious help. I will have tons of questions. But I took everyone off the boat today and cleaned her up a bit...Planning on painting tomorrow.


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## enielsen (Jul 19, 2011)

It came with a cover too!


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## enielsen (Jul 19, 2011)




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## enielsen (Jul 19, 2011)

I also bought half inch treated plywood, 2x2s, treated 2x4s. I am hoping that was what I needed to buy to make the decks?!?!? I am wanting to paint it a darker grey with a red trim line so that it will match my f150 fx4. I want to trailer black. What kind of primer do I buy, what kind of paint, how much should I buy of each color, how many coats? I told you I was a newby! The trim line is actually the rail that sticks out about where the water line would be on the outside. I want to paint the interior the same color as exterior, if not darker grey.


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## enielsen (Jul 19, 2011)

this is kinda what I want.


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## mmf (Jul 19, 2011)

Do not use treated wood in an aluminum boat. Either buy marine grade or exterior grade plywood and seal it with marine spar varnish or fiberglass resin. The treated wood has chemicals that will leach out of the wood and attack the aluminum in your boat causing severe corrosion to take place, also make sure to use only stainless steel fasteners too. Good luck with your project! Nice looking boat too!


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## enielsen (Jul 19, 2011)

So I should take back the treated wood and get the other stuff? Should I get untreated 2x4s as well?


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## redrunner (Jul 19, 2011)

I would take back all the treated stuff and get cedar. This will still give you the benefit of better contact with weather and wet better than just pine. If you use pine get a good sealer for it and remember to reseal is during the off season every few years.


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## hueydr (Jul 19, 2011)

Nice hull to start with. Yes. Take back ALL of the treated lumber. Treated lumber and tinboats don't mix. I will be watching to see (read steal) your ideas. Good luck!


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## enielsen (Jul 19, 2011)

Ok, what kind of paint do I buy? I want a shiny look. Also, do I need to do any sanding because the hull is smooth and there was never any paint on it. 

Self etching primer right?


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## hueydr (Jul 19, 2011)

If it was never painted all it needs is a good cleaning and yes, the self etching primer. I defer to the forum on type of paint. Do a site search and you will be amazed at the number of cleaning and paint recommendations you will find.


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## enielsen (Jul 19, 2011)

Ok so I decided on a glossy black boat with red trim. I will be priming tonight


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## enielsen (Jul 20, 2011)

Painted the trailer black....nothing special, but looks better than before.

And I primed. I rolled the first coat on and then went over it again with a brush. I hope that will be ok. I cleaned the boat with cleaner, but I am not sure if I got everything squeaky clean. We will see I guess.


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## enielsen (Jul 20, 2011)

When I used the brush for the primer, it didn't look as smooth as wel I used the roller, but the primer didn't run when I used the brush. When I paint the boat, should I use the roller in the places I can, or should I use the brush? Or should I take the paint back and get spray cans?


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## enielsen (Jul 20, 2011)

Anyone?


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## Jonboat Jerry (Jul 20, 2011)

I prefer to use a roller because all the paint goes on the boat, and get the tight spots with a brush.
Been using a 4" roller on mine with good results. If the ribs were spaced further apart, a 6" roller would work. 
Just have to watch for excess paint leaving tracks on the edge of the roller because I loaded it to much in the tray. 
That's what the ramp is for to squeegee off the roller. 
Just take your time and check other owners builds for their ideas. There is a lot of excellent information here.


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## enielsen (Jul 20, 2011)

Good stuff, I will actually cut my 10 inch in half and use that. I just hope I got that boat clean enough before I primed. I also have decided to paint the bottom portion aluminum and then the top portion black with a red stripe. We will see how that goes. I am terrified to mess this up, I dunno why, but I am.

I have just never seen a black bottomed alumacraft and I think it would look dumb and cheap.


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## Jonboat Jerry (Jul 20, 2011)

Don't worry about it, it's just paint. If you don't like what you see, then wait until it dries
and paint over it. If you get a run, sand it out and paint it again.  
Here is my boat that I just finished painting this morning.


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## enielsen (Jul 20, 2011)

that looks sweet man. if i do get run, will i need to reprime that spot after sanding?


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

So I put on my aluminum paint...GROSS! It looks like it is silver! I thought it would look like new aluminum. I must be a dumba**. When I put the primer on, I did it with a brush and it left brush strokes and so now you can see brush strokes as texture. I think I wanna just start completely over. Do I need to sand the whole boat back to it's aluminum if I want to have the aluminum look? The thing that sucks is that I saw pictures of other people's boats that they had painted aluminum and it looked shiny and actually like metal! not silver! I'm about to take this thing to maaco or something and have them paint it. I don't think I'm very good at it. 
Could I just paint white over the aluminum color? Or is sanding and removing everything my only option. I didn't use self-etching primer. I used the rustoleum stuff that is for aluminum. I just want that shiny factory look like the lund boats on the lund website...an actually nice paint job, not silver crap.


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## mmf (Jul 21, 2011)

I would use the white foam "professional" rollers, they do a good job and you can't tell it was rolled on, plus you will get more paint on the hull than the spray bombs and don't have to breathe the fumes. Use the brush where you can't get with the roller. 8)


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

yea, I bought thw foam rollers for the paint, but the brush marks from the primer are what is showing through. My questions is, since it looks trashy silver, do I just paint over it, or should I sand the whole thing down? I don't have a sander so it would be all by hand.

do you think if i added another coat it would look bettter? that was only the first coat.


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## Sandmangw (Jul 21, 2011)

If the brush marks show now, they will show then. Sand enough to smooth out to the finish you want, and re-paint from there.


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## Sgt. Stiglitz (Jul 21, 2011)

Here is my SeaKing............Most of the lakes down near Tucson, Az. are small, electric or 10 HP and under.......You make do #-o 

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20957



https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=15880


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

would it be a lot of work to sand it down to the aluminum and polish that aluminum? The brush marks cover the entire boat basically, so I would have to sand the whole thing.


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

That is a nice boat. I think I made my mistake when I decided to pain the hull. Seems like a lot of people don't paint that.


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

Ok so I haven't had much help from anyone here. 


If someone could please help me out that would be great.


Primed the boat, painted it aluminum (which is ugly), want to get it back to its aluminum finish. How do I get the primer and paint off without scratching up the hull? And how to get it back to a shiny original polished aluminum finish?


Lastly, would it just be easier for me to sand the spots where the primer ran, and just paint over the silver paint but in a different color?


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## UtahBassKicker (Jul 21, 2011)

Not sure what kind of answers you're looking for? It seems like several people have offered suggestions. If you want a bare aluminum hull, strip the paint or sand it off. If you want to get rid of run marks you'll have to sand them down and re-paint. I think this has all been stated in this thread before I got here. In the end, it's your boat. Make it what you want and enjoy it.


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

Well when I was sanding it off, it started looking like it was scratching the aluminum under the paint. Should I just use paint stripper and not sand? What grit of sand do I use?


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## Jonboat Jerry (Jul 21, 2011)

No stress Neilson,


Sandmangw said:


> If the brush marks show now, they will show then. Sand enough to smooth out to the finish you want, and re-paint from there.


Use very fine (500 grit or higher) and sand just enough to smooth out the brush marks.



mmf said:


> I would use the white foam "professional" rollers, they do a good job and you can't tell it was rolled on, plus you will get more paint on the hull than the spray bombs and don't have to breathe the fumes. Use the brush where you can't get with the roller. 8)


Definitely use the fine foam pro rollers...you are getting very good advise here.


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## hatch17 (Jul 21, 2011)

That's the way to go... use a fine grit to sand down the paint down to where you no longer see the brush strokes (or just less visable). Then just paint over everything using mainly a roller. There is no need to strip it bare and start fresh.

Remember, you are seeing the brush strokes because you are up close and staring at it. Most folks will only notice the overall color. If you're in the water and catching fish, they won't care about the boat at all, only what kind of bait you're using. :LOL2:


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

Ok thanks guys. I think I made it confusing though when I said brush marks. The brush marks are everywhere in the primer, not the paint. So doesn't that mean I have to strip everything and reprime it all using a foam roller?


This would be easier if I could just call someone and explain it. #-o


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## mmf (Jul 21, 2011)

enielsen said:


> Well when I was sanding it off, it started looking like it was scratching the aluminum under the paint. Should I just use paint stripper and not sand? What grit of sand do I use?



since the paint is still "green", it will come off easy with stripper, just messy, if you want to go back to the aluminum hull plain (no paint), otherwise I would follow the advice on the finer grade paper till you get it like you want. It's very hard to sand "green" paint though because it will fill the paper up quickly. Also if you try to apply another coat of paint at the wrong time, I have had it wrinkle up and that is disasterious!


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

Thanks, I really appreciate it. I figure that if I am going to do this thing, I am going to do it right. I want to take it back to it's original hull. This will be a long project, but well worth it.


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## Topgun (Jul 21, 2011)

Nice find!! We have the same boat. Follow the link below to see my build. Good luck with your project!!


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## enielsen (Jul 21, 2011)

Yea I saw ur build...nice man. So I'm drenched in sweat because it is 95 out and I'm scraping away at this boat. As I a scrape off the paint I am using 150 grit to sand out the oxidation. It is the finish I want but is leaving some swirls from the sandpaper. But at this rate its going to take forever.


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## mmf (Jul 22, 2011)

when you get done removing the paint, you can take a scotchbrite pad and remove some of the scratch marks or go to a fine grit paper, then you can go buy a box of brillo pads (with the soap) and scrub the hull with them, it is a lot of work, when you start with the brillo pads, you will be able to feel the "drag" as you scrub across the surface, then as you continue, it will start getting real slick, attached pictures is the last one I scrubbed down like that. If I owned an orbital polisher (has two heads) I would have polished it to a mirror shine like the way they do the airstream campers but I did not take the time to do it........


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## mmf (Jul 22, 2011)

Here is a antique Crestliner that has been mirror polished and a feathercraft mirror polished too













here is a feathercraft polished


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## enielsen (Jul 22, 2011)

Those are exactly what I want! So when I get the paint off and I sand, it is ok if I still have those swirls as long as I use polish that you were talking about? Love the pics!


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## mmf (Jul 22, 2011)

enielsen said:


> Those are exactly what I want! So when I get the paint off and I sand, it is ok if I still have those swirls as long as I use polish that you were talking about? Love the pics!


No, you will have to get the hull smooth with alot finer grit than the 150 you are using, you should go to 400 then 1000 then 1200, alot of work!


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## enielsen (Jul 22, 2011)

mmf, do you use a circular electric sander? I have the square one and it is hard to get everything even. Lowes only had 150 or lower grit.. My paint stripper didn't work as well as I thought when I put it on, so I am doing a lot of scraping. I will attach pics as I go and maybe you could help with input?


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## enielsen (Jul 22, 2011)




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## mmf (Jul 23, 2011)

you have to go to the auto parts store to get the wet or dry sanding paper. I sand mine by hand, no machine. Get a 5 gallon bucket of water and dip your paper in it every now and then. Like I said it's alot of work but you must do it.
PS........DO NOT USE A SCRAPER, IT WILL GOUGE THE ALUMINUM! IF YOU HAVE TO USE SOMETHING ELSE, GET A STEEL OR BRASS BRUSH!


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## mmf (Jul 23, 2011)

enielsen said:


> mmf, do you use a circular electric sander? I have the square one and it is hard to get everything even. Lowes only had 150 or lower grit.. My paint stripper didn't work as well as I thought when I put it on, so I am doing a lot of scraping. I will attach pics as I go and maybe you could help with input?



SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO RE-APPLY THE STRIPPER TO AN AREA AGAIN, I HAVE HAD TO RE-APPLY SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT TAKES IT ALL OFF. ONLY DO A SMALL AREA AT A TIME, OTHERWISE IT WILL DRY TO MUCH BEFORE YOU CAN GET TO IT AND VERY HARD TO GET OFF THEN! SCRUB WITH THE STEEL OR BRASS BRUSH BEFOR YOU RINSE IT OFF. ALSO, IF YOU LEAVE ANY WATER ON AN AREA BEFORE YOU PUT STRIPPER ON IT, IT WILL WEAKEN THE STRENGTH OF THE STRIPPER! IT MUST BE COMPLETELY DRY WHEN YOU APPLY STRIPPER.


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## enielsen (Jul 23, 2011)

Ok so I stopped stripping and powerwashed. When I powerwashed it took a lot of paint and primer off. But still wouldn't get the hull. Can I just sand it until smooth and just prime over it and paint. I just can't imagine getting this done in less than 30 hrs and if I can sand and prime over what u see in the pictures will it work to just paint it? I got a quote to have it sandblasted for 150...too much money


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## mmf (Jul 23, 2011)

sandblasting would ruin it, you would have to soda blast it instead.


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## enielsen (Jul 23, 2011)

Can I just sand it until smooth and just prime over it and paint? I am currently using an air drill that has a paint remover tip and it is easier than stripping , but taking a long time still.


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## MrSimon (Jul 23, 2011)

Sand till smooth.

Clean thoroughly. 

Wipe down with mineral spirits.

Dry thoroughly. Tack cloth it off.

Apply two or three thin coats of primer. 

Apply two or three thing coats of whatever color you want.

If you have access to an air compressor, get a cheap paint gun and use that. You will be thrilled with the result. If not, just use cans. Go slow. Be careful. Have fun!!


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## enielsen (Jul 24, 2011)

Can I sand over the existing paint and primer and reprime and paint?


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## reedjj (Jul 24, 2011)

I usually just clean up the existing painted surface, scuff it good with some light sand paper, or a green 3M scratch pad. clean it again with some degreaser and paint right over that. No primer or anything. I have never had any trouble.

I think the only time you really need to prime it is if you take it down to bare metal..... Some will disagree though.


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## mmf (Jul 24, 2011)

reedjj said:


> I usually just clean up the existing painted surface, scuff it good with some light sand paper, or a green 3M scratch pad. clean it again with some degreaser and paint right over that. No primer or anything. I have never had any trouble.
> 
> I think the only time you really need to prime it is if you take it down to bare metal..... Some will disagree though.


agreed


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## enielsen (Jul 24, 2011)

Ok, so I sanded with 150, 600, 1000, 1200. Got it as smooth as I could and primed. I put on 3 coats with foam roller. It looks a lot better...no brush strokes. I am going to paint the hull smoke grey tomorrow night once this primer sets. Then I can finally start on the build!


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## Hanr3 (Jul 24, 2011)

No idea about painting the boat. 

I wouldnt use cedar, not a hardwood. Id go with exterior grade plywood, it has glue resistant to teh elements. 

Check my signature. I built a 14' Alumicraft. You can steal all the ideas you want. Click on the green text and it should take you to my build.


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## enielsen (Jul 24, 2011)

I've seen your build...very nice. But I am modeling mine off of someone elses. As far as the wood..I am staining and waterproofing all wood so I think ill be fine. Thanks though


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## Hanr3 (Jul 25, 2011)

Great your staining and waterproofing all the wood. However cedar is not a hard wood, in that it will crush under weight (read your boat motor will fall off in rough seas), it won't hold screws under load, etc. It will last forever in the elements without treatment and makes great fences, shingles and siding. In other words non-structural applications. 

For your transom, go with Teak or White Oak. Check your local lumber yard for pricing, neither are cheap, however White Oak should be a native species and might be less expensive. White Oak will last forever in the elemets without treatment, plus it is a very hard wood. It will support your motor and strengthen your transom without any troubles. Dont get RED Oak, it doesnt have the same weather resistance as White Oak. White Oak has been used for ship building for centuries.


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## enielsen (Jul 26, 2011)

I don't think I am redoing the transom


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## enielsen (Jul 26, 2011)

This is what the hull will look like....smoke grey. The top sides will be black.


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## FlyBye (Jul 26, 2011)

It looks great!


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## enielsen (Jul 26, 2011)

I didn't think it would look that good until I put the second coat on it. Thanks though. Did you see if they had that metal specks at autozone?


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## FlyBye (Jul 26, 2011)

enielsen said:


> I didn't think it would look that good until I put the second coat on it. Thanks though. Did you see if they had that metal specks at autozone?



I already had a can that I got at one of the big box stores. Tested it out on a block of wood and it looked super, just what I was looking for in color, however, I still don't know if it will work for me below the water line... I sent you a PM earlier about some of the hazards of spraying the "specks". It floats everywhere and for a long time!


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## MrSimon (Jul 26, 2011)

That looks really good. Much better than leaving it bare aluminum.


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## enielsen (Jul 26, 2011)

Mr. Simon, thanks a lot. I have put in a lot of work but I could have just went with my gut and painted it the right way to start. O well, we live and we learn. I haven't seen anyone with a smoke grey and black boat so I hope this will be a first.


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## enielsen (Jul 28, 2011)

Need some help. How Should I build my deck like shown, or just use the front two benches and leave a bench seat? Also, if you notice that my gas cap sticks up above the seat, should I build up the deck to cover it?


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## enielsen (Jul 28, 2011)




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## enielsen (Jul 28, 2011)

Do I need more floor supports?


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## enielsen (Jul 28, 2011)

If every single board isn't exactly level to the nearest degree with the other boards will it be ok? Also, should I take my decks out and stain/waterproof them or just leave them in the boat and do it?


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## topojones (Jul 29, 2011)

enielsen said:


> If every single board isn't exactly level to the nearest degree with the other boards will it be ok? Also, should I take my decks out and stain/waterproof them or just leave them in the boat and do it?


Personally, I would do that all out of the boat so it's easier to get to your board ends. Also, about your leveling question as long as it is fairly level you should be ok. Screwing down your decking will tighten everything up but as close to level as possible is ideal. Wood tolerances are much easier to work with than metal so you have an advantage there.

Boats coming right along though, keep the pics coming. I'm looking to get a project boat started soon, I'm just trying to get my off road camp trailer finished up first. Trying to limit myself to one project at a time 

Cheers,


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## hatch17 (Jul 29, 2011)

As long as there isn't a huge discrepancy in the boards, you will be fine. As the previous post states, screwing in the plywood will take care of them being a little off. Before you screw down the plywood/deck. Put it in place and walk around on it. If there is any sagging, you may want to add more support underneath. That will also answer your question on a potential leveling problem.

Keep up the good work.


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## enielsen (Jul 29, 2011)

Thakns for the help guys, I actually used a small shim in one spot and I have it leveled perfect. I just sprayed the inside of the boat today with truck bedliner. Rough finish and it has great grip. I am trying to buy a cd player that I can hook hup and a new trolling motor that is foot controlled. I just don't know how I am going to hook up the cd player since it is a car cd player. I am planning on installing speakers in the plywood. But again, I need to find the ones I want. Tough waiting on stuff! I need an auxillary switch board so I can turn everything on and off. Where do you find those. PS...Took all the wood out so I could stian/waterproof. 


Do I screw in the plywood for the deck before i put the frame back in the boat or do I put the frame in, and then put deck top on top of it after gluing carpet?


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## topojones (Jul 29, 2011)

As far as what order to put things back in I think it really comes down to personal preference and whether or not you want visible deck screws over the carpet. As far as the switching mechanisms and car stereo https://www.rocktheboataudio.com/ has some great options that will give you more of an all weather solution. Costs a little more but worth it in the end if it's something you really want in your boat.

Cheers,


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## enielsen (Jul 29, 2011)

How do I make the floor for my middle sections that is not having a deck? Do I use 2x2s or what?


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## enielsen (Jul 30, 2011)

Does anyone know how I should build my floor for my middle section (only section that won't be deck)?!?!?


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## enielsen (Jul 30, 2011)

. Rear deck done


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## hatch17 (Aug 1, 2011)

I put down some marine plywood in the bottom of mine. You could easily put down carpeted plywood if that is your preference. There are many examples on this site for different ways you could do the bottom.


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## enielsen (Aug 1, 2011)

How did you fasten it down?


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## hatch17 (Aug 1, 2011)

I simply laid the floor on some aluminum that I riveted to the floor supports. The aluminum creates an even/flat bottom support for the plywood floor. It is a large, roughly a 4' x 6' piece of 3/4" marine plywood that fits snug between two bench seats. My boat is a 14" semi v-hull Alumacraft (cir. 1960) very similar to yours. I took out the middle seat. The floor is quite heavy and helped with the stability of my boat. I have a seat base mounted to the plywood and aluminum underneath. Those six bolts fasten the plywood to the floor. With all my gear, ice chest, etc., the floor isn’t going to move.


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## enielsen (Aug 1, 2011)

I didn't know you could fasten stuff to those floor supports. I might just leave it bare. Could I make a box frame out of wood and just use that without fastening it down?


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## hatch17 (Aug 3, 2011)

You could test it out and see if it works.


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## enielsen (Aug 4, 2011)

Ok, so I found the thread that talked about when and when not to deck. My deck as it is now, will sit about 3 or 4 inches under the top rail of the side of the boat. People are saying that I shouldn't deck higher than the seats. I am currently set up to deck a 2x4s width (so a little under 2 inches) higher than the seats...should I redo all my framing to make it even with the seats?


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## enielsen (Aug 5, 2011)

I found the thread that talked about when and when not to deck. My deck as it is now, will sit about 3 or 4 inches under the top rail of the side of the boat. People are saying that I shouldn't deck higher than the seats. I am currently set up to deck a 2x4s width (so a little under 2 inches) higher than the seats...should I redo all my framing to keep it at seat height???


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## jonmac3569 (Aug 5, 2011)

If I were you I would put it in the water. Walk around on the deck and see how stable it is. If it scares you then I would change it. I wouldn't redo all of your work until you know that it doesn't work. Just a thought.


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## enielsen (Aug 5, 2011)

Ok but if I cut the deck now and have to lower it...I will have to trim the deck to drop it down those 2 inches. I don't. Have direct access to a nearby lake either. is it really gonna be that unstablethe way it is? Does anyone know if I can just continue with that height or need to take it down 2 inches to the seats?


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## enielsen (Aug 7, 2011)

Anyone????


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## trophybass13 (Aug 8, 2011)

if your deck does not sit any higher than the bench seats you should be fine. when i did my front deck i just layed a piece of plywood across the top of what was already there for the front seat. and then i just framed it back a little, leveled it out, and it's pretty stable at that height. my boat is a 1436 jon, and im 6' tall 165 lbs, and my dad who always comes out on the boat with me is 6' 150 lbs, and with the two of us both standing up in the boat at the same time, i on the front deck, my dad in the back of the boat, niether of us had the slightest feeling that it was unstable.
see my post for better details. trophybass.


https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=17916


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## enielsen (Aug 8, 2011)

ok, so having it 2 inches higher than the seats will be a prob. so I do you suggest I take the 2x4s off and attach the decking at bench height?? If I can get away with it being like it is, I wouldn't have to rebuild.


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## enielsen (Aug 9, 2011)

Put on boat resin from west marine 4 days ago and it is still sticky...not ennough hardener? Do I just try it again over it with more hardener?


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## enielsen (Aug 10, 2011)

Anyone know what I should do about the resin still being sticky?


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## breachless (Aug 12, 2011)

I have just about the same boat:

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14681

My deck is a few inches higher than the benches and it seems reasonably stable to me... I have fished from it quite a bit this year, and I haven't fallen in. Just keep in mind: there is going to be a certain amount of wobble no matter what you do, and the width at the front of these boats is less than ideal. If one is not being careful, it wouldn't be hard to accidentally fall in. If I am being totally honest, I have to pay a lot of attention to my surroundings: a big enough wake from another boat could easily throw you off. Also, the trolling motor I installed came off of a 20' fiberglass Bass Boat, and thus, is a little overpowered: if the speed is set too high, it will throw this little boat into motion with quite a jerk. The closest I have come to falling out was due to that...

One thing I know would help a great deal would be a good pedestal seat up front. It would be perfect then... I haven't installed one yet because I have yet to finalize my design up front...


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## mmarz4evr (Dec 22, 2011)

mmf said:


> Do not use treated wood in an aluminum boat. Either buy marine grade or exterior grade plywood and seal it with marine spar varnish or fiberglass resin. The treated wood has chemicals that will leach out of the wood and attack the aluminum in your boat causing severe corrosion to take place, also make sure to use only stainless steel fasteners too. Good luck with your project! Nice looking boat too!




Hey there,

What type of wood would you suggest for replacing wood benches? Can I use spar urethane on the benches as well? I will probably cover with carpet.


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## enielsen (Jun 11, 2012)

Finally done, having a baby during the build did not speed up the process, but nonetheless, all I need to do is finish up some painting, get her registered, and put some fuel in her.


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## enielsen (Jun 12, 2012)

Anyone have a similar build?


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## kcatto (Jun 12, 2012)

Turned out really nice, I would like to see pictures of the compartments and the paint.... the paint looks like a good mix in colors...


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## Bigkat650 (Jun 12, 2012)

It looks awesome!! Nice Job! =D> =D> =D> 

You'll have to let us know how it works on the water. I am in the process of building an alumacraft as well, but I kept the floors absolutely as low as possible for stability reasons. The main downside is I have no storage now. Let us know how it performs, as I would be interested to know how the stability is. Looks awesome though!


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## enielsen (Feb 25, 2013)

Ok guys, had the boat out almost every week of the summer! No problems at all!!!!! Love the boat. Ill show picks of compartments and paint.


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