# Lowe 16x48 Restoration



## wyodeputy

Hello everybody,

I've been poking around the site for some time now and its pretty clear I've found a bunch of sick-os who dig this boat stuff as much as I do - so I joined and I'm looking forward to associating with you guys. So I'll get right to the point: I submit exhibit A ...


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## wyodeputy

A little history on this boat. When I was very young and growing up in Southeast Texas, my Dad traded a co-worker a 14x36 with a 15 hp evinrude for this Lowe 16x52 with a 35 hp evinrude (straight across trade). I guess the other guy wanted a smaller boat? Growing up I spent countless hours fishing and duck hunting from this boat. Somewhere in there, Dad replaced the motor with a 25 hp. Eventually, college and work transplanted me to Idaho and the boat hasn't seen much use in recent years. In fact, it hasn't been registered since '04.


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## wyodeputy

Dad has agreed to trade me my current boat, an alumacraft waterfowler 16, for the family boat. Most would say I'm getting the short end of the stick (my alumacraft is in great shape) but this was my choice and its a reunion of sorts. As just mentioned, me and this boat have history and I hope you guys will assist me as I attempt to bring her back to a useful condition.


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## ben2go

:WELCOME: 
I completely understand wanting Dad's old boat and trading for it.I still have my dad's old house trailer and land that I grew up in.Looks like a solid boat.Little cleaning and paint,she'll be good as new.


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## wyodeputy

Most folks wouldn't think there'd be much use for this type boat in Idaho but it'll be perfect for duck hunting my local river and fishing some of the lakes. Dad's gonna keep the 25 hp Johnson and I'm looking to run my Mud Buddy 45hp on the Lowe. This will require some serious work on the transom, both building it up a few inches and beefing it up considerably.


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## wyodeputy

So here's the plan:

As the Lowe will be used primarily for duck hunting and secondarily for fishing, I'm gonna gut the thing completely and leave mostly an open hull with pedastal bases to accomodate the ride out to the duck blind or the fishing trips. Both seats are coming out and I think I'll build onto the front one to extend it a bit. (I'm really concerned about the structural consequences of removing the seats and how to compsensate for it?) 

Also, weight is a huge factor for me. You'd think 45 horses would fly but at 6200 feet, I'm robbed of some power due to elevation and carbueration. My current setup (the alumacraft) is very heavy and it shows. The boat alone weighs in at 530 lbs. Add 2 guys at 220 lbs each, 2 dogs, 2 guns, decoys, battery etc and its too much; well over 1200 lbs. The Lowe is light enough where I can lift up the front fairly easily. Therefore, I wanna keep it that way and do all my mods with aluminum and a mig welder (spoolgun).

This also is a concern as Dad says the boat's hull material may be too thin for a mig? We'll have to see.


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## ben2go

I agree with Dad.The best way to weld that thin metal is with a tig that has a water cooled torch.I have welded thin aluminum with a mig.It warped a little.I stitch welded it and allowed the metal to cool.I also had a professional set up the welder since I was doing the welding at work.I am use to welding plate steel.As far as removing the seats,I don't see a problem since the plan includes welding structure back in.You could always tack weld everything and then take it to a friend or shop to have the welds finished.Just a random thought.


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## wyodeputy

Excellent suggestion Ben2Go. Please keep track of me as your experience and expertise could sure help me with this project - Thanks


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## dedawg1149

:WELCOME: aboard wyodeputy i would have to agree, i would of traded for the sentimental value to. as far as the welding goes that would depend on your experience .i have a buddy that can weld light aluminum with a MIG and a spool gun but he has been welding all his life.all you can do is try a small area if it looks like you are going to burn through you could do like ben2 go suggested tack it or you could build the frame out of the boat then have someone weld it in .as far as the benches i would say take them out if you are going to put a sub-floor in the back that way you can Tye the sides back in structurally


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## wyodeputy

Wow, its 2:16 am and I've already gotten some good feedback. Thanks guys

Continuing with info on the boat, currently about 1800 miles seperates me from this project but I've got plans to ride down with an uncle and bring it back before the end of the month. Don't know if you can tell but that trailer ain't gonna make the trip. Hoping to take a cutting torch to it and salvage the axle, springs and maybe some other parts. So in addition to a boat restoration, I'll be building a trailer pretty much from ground up. Are pictures of trailer manufacturing ok on the boat mods page? In all actuallity, that'll probably be the first order of business as it'll make moving the boat in and out of the garage much easier. The wife had some input on that ... [-X


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## dedawg1149

yeah the wives get there say so dont they. u can post your trailer build. we like pictures and it would be interesting


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## bassboy1

Dad and I have built a few trailers. If you need specific pictures or help in that sort, just lemme know.


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## Andy

Welcome aboard!

I would have traded for Dad's boat too! Can't wait to see more pics of the build.


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## Zum

I agree with the sentimental value...I have the boat my grandfather built(wood/fiberglass bottom),it's in a hayloft right now hanging from the rafters(wouldn't fit in my house).
The guy who welded my bracket for my trolling motor used a mig and my decking is factory(pretty light);he had no trouble.Although he is a welder by trade.
I wanna see pictures of the mud motor on the 1652


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## taino_racing

=D> welcome aboard i really like the history behind the boat,this will make the boat that more enjoyable!good luck with your project keep us informed!


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## SlimeTime

Ditto on the Welcome! Here's some info on MIG'ing aluminum if you're interested.https://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/content/compactmig.asp


ST


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## ben2go

wyodeputy said:


> Excellent suggestion Ben2Go. Please keep track of me as your experience and expertise could sure help me with this project - Thanks



You're welcome and thanks.I'm no expert but I have learned a lot from tinkering over the years.


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## wyodeputy

Guys I feel welcomed already and thanks for all the advice, please keep it coming. Slimetime, thanks for the link, great info there.


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## wyodeputy

So here's an idea I had about bringing back some structural integrity after removing those seats: I'd like to use diamond plate aluminum on the floor and also on the sides (yes I'm prepared for a coronary when I see the price of that stuff). I thought maybe I could fill those sides and the floor with the pourable closed cell foam. I've heard manufacturers build the walls of walk-in freezers with that stuff and it actually has a lot of strength. So if I could pull this off, that would tie the sides and floor together (to some degree). Anybody think this would stay rigid enough to make up for the seat removal? 

If I went this route, another issue that arises would be those channels in the floor that could get filled with foam and then dam water from running to the back drain hole. Seems like somewhere on the site, I read about somebody using PVC pipe to keep the channels open but I don't know if they used only short pieces, and then removed them after the foam dried? Wish I'd have marked that thread? Am I way off here or does this seem feasible? If anybody has a link to a similar idea, I'd love to have it. Thanks


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## ben2go

wyodeputy said:


> So here's an idea I had about bringing back some structural integrity after removing those seats: I'd like to use diamond plate aluminum on the floor and also on the sides (yes I'm prepared for a coronary when I see the price of that stuff). I thought maybe I could fill those sides and the floor with the pourable closed cell foam. I've heard manufacturers build the walls of walk-in freezers with that stuff and it actually has a lot of strength. So if I could pull this off, that would tie the sides and floor together (to some degree). Anybody think this would stay rigid enough to make up for the seat removal?
> 
> If I went this route, another issue that arises would be those channels in the floor that could get filled with foam and then dam water from running to the back drain hole. Seems like somewhere on the site, I read about somebody using PVC pipe to keep the channels open but I don't know if they used only short pieces, and then removed them after the foam dried? Wish I'd have marked that thread? Am I way off here or does this seem feasible? If anybody has a link to a similar idea, I'd love to have it. Thanks



The foam will help a little.The dimond plate will work and look good.I suggested in another thread about cutting PVC pipe down it's length giving 2 u channels.Then lay the U upside down making a channel for the water to run through and preventing the foam from plugging it up.It was just a passing idea.I've never tried it on a boat.


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## FishFry

I'm about to attempt what your describing (foam under aluminum deck) within the week. My current plan is foam the sides, and leave the middle open for water to head towards the back. And I'm going to lay in plastic sheet first, so if I ever need to fix anything under the deck, I won't have that foam stuck to everything. I'll have pictures up in my thread when I get it done. 

Your making the right decision working in aluminum. Not really more expensive than wood + epoxy + carpet + weight + maintenance. MIG will work fine, just not as slick looking as TIG. Biggest problem with MIG will be the distance from the welding machine to all areas in the boat combined with needing to keep the feed line as straight as possible, as the aluminum wire will often not feed well if the line has sharp turn or loop in it.


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## wyodeputy

Well that is good to hear. Glad there is someone else doing the same thing. I'll be sure to watch for your thread. Just to clarify, are you gonna leave a channel in the middle of the floor for water, and then foam in everything else from that point to the sides? That actually sounds like a great idea. Anxious to see your pictures. Also, are you gonna mig weld the floor or rivet it down. As you said, you may need to remove the floor in the future? Do you think some sort of releasing agent on the underside of the floor piece would also work to keep the foam from sticking? I was concerned with this as well. I'm very interested in seeing your project. - Thanks


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## dedawg1149

i had a 24 foot sea ark that i did the floors and sides with diamond plate let me tell you it gets hot so i carpeted mine.i would take some pipe split it in half and lay them upside down in the original rain gully tape them to stay in place will you foam it


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## FishFry

To sort of answer your questions I'm planning on screwing the floor down to my framing with countersunk holes to keep everything flush. For a release agent you typically grease up everything but laying in a sheet of plastic seems much more effective to me. I'm leaving a channel down the middle.


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## Cheeseball

wyodeputy said:


> So here's an idea I had about bringing back some structural integrity after removing those seats: I'd like to use diamond plate aluminum on the floor and also on the sides (yes I'm prepared for a coronary when I see the price of that stuff). I thought maybe I could fill those sides and the floor with the pourable closed cell foam. I've heard manufacturers build the walls of walk-in freezers with that stuff and it actually has a lot of strength. So if I could pull this off, that would tie the sides and floor together (to some degree). Anybody think this would stay rigid enough to make up for the seat removal?



Welcome to the site wyodeputy! 

You spoke of weight concerns. All that aluminum and foam sounds pretty heavy to me.


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## MickT

I will be watching to steal your ideas! I'm about to start on a Lowe 1448 that is laid out the same way.I am looking to set mine up for fishing and fowling as well.


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## wyodeputy

Cheeseball brings up a good point. I counted on some extra weight from the aluminum (it being considerably less than plywood) However, I never really considered the foam making a difference, I guess because well ... its foam. Anybody know what a cubic foot of that foam weighs? Please weigh in (pun intended).


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## ben2go

Cheeseball said:


> wyodeputy said:
> 
> 
> 
> So here's an idea I had about bringing back some structural integrity after removing those seats: I'd like to use diamond plate aluminum on the floor and also on the sides (yes I'm prepared for a coronary when I see the price of that stuff). I thought maybe I could fill those sides and the floor with the pourable closed cell foam. I've heard manufacturers build the walls of walk-in freezers with that stuff and it actually has a lot of strength. So if I could pull this off, that would tie the sides and floor together (to some degree). Anybody think this would stay rigid enough to make up for the seat removal?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome to the site wyodeputy!
> 
> You spoke of weight concerns. All that aluminum and foam sounds pretty heavy to me.
Click to expand...





wyodeputy said:


> Cheeseball brings up a good point. I counted on some extra weight from the aluminum (it being considerably less than plywood) However, I never really considered the foam making a difference, I guess because well ... its foam. Anybody know what a cubic foot of that foam weighs? Please weigh in (pun intended).




Foam and aluminum won't be as heavy as wood,bracing,and carpet combined.When I was a pilot,I hung around the experimental and home built guys.They used the same foam to build wings.After they were reinforced with fiberglass,they were still really light.3 layers of fiberglass is pretty heavy compared to off the self aluminum diamond plate.


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## Jim

wyodeputy said:


> Are pictures of trailer manufacturing ok on the boat mods page?



Never even thought about it.... :-k 

I guess put it where you feel is the best area for "exposure" and we can always move it.

And :WELCOME: 

Thanks for joining! :beer:


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## wyodeputy

Hey there, I was wondering if you could let me know where you're buying the foam (two part mix?) If its mail order or you got it on the internet, could I have the link? Again, I'm anxious to see how yours turns out? Thanks 



FishFry said:


> I'm about to attempt what your describing (foam under aluminum deck) within the week. My current plan is foam the sides, and leave the middle open for water to head towards the back. And I'm going to lay in plastic sheet first, so if I ever need to fix anything under the deck, I won't have that foam stuck to everything. I'll have pictures up in my thread when I get it done.
> 
> Your making the right decision working in aluminum. Not really more expensive than wood + epoxy + carpet + weight + maintenance. MIG will work fine, just not as slick looking as TIG. Biggest problem with MIG will be the distance from the welding machine to all areas in the boat combined with needing to keep the feed line as straight as possible, as the aluminum wire will often not feed well if the line has sharp turn or loop in it.


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## wyodeputy

Here's the Mud Buddy 45HP that's going on the Lowe. Like I said in a previous post, the elevation and carbeurator are killing my power here so keeping the Lowe as light as possible is a must. The guys at Mud Buddy tell me another $1200 in after market add-ons (twin carbs) will boost the motor's power up to a 60 hp but I'd rather spend that money on the boat restoration.


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## dedawg1149

nice motor


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## Zum

I think those things a cool.
How they can go threw the flats,bounch when they hit stumps,etc.
I'm looking at the exhaust...they must be pretty loud.
Any louder hen a regular outboard?


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## ben2go

That's the first mud motor I've seen that didn't have a straight shaft from the motor to the prop.Kind looks like an out board on steroids.I like it.looks rugged and stronger than and outboard.I'm sure it is stronger.


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## Cheeseball

FishFry said:


> I'm about to attempt what your describing (foam under aluminum deck) within the week. My current plan is foam the sides, and leave the middle open for water to head towards the back... I'll have pictures up in my thread when I get it done.



I like the idea of keeping the middle open for water. You can hose the whole lot out that way. I'm also getting ready to restore a jon 1436 and I'm thinking of making a deck from aluminum mesh, like they use on cat walks. Maybe even give the mesh a coat of bed liner before installing.


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## ben2go

Cheeseball said:


> I like the idea of keeping the middle open for water. You can hose the whole lot out that way. I'm also getting ready to restore a jon 1436 and I'm thinking of making a deck from aluminum mesh, like they use on cat walks. Maybe even give the mesh a coat of bed liner before installing.



You will need to add more bracing.Aluminum mesh is really weak unless it's stamped out of some thick plate.Stainless mesh is another option and it's not much heavier than the thick aluminum needed for walking on.


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## wyodeputy

Yeah they really have come a long way with mud motors. Growing up in SE Texas, the straight shaft Go-Devil's were really popular. Several other manufacturers build them now and they all have this build. Mud Buddy calls theirs a hyper sport drive. Although the straight shafts are still around, they're becoming more and more scarce. 

I had originally run a yamaha jet but in my local river, the moss would plug the intake within 100 feet and shut that thing down quick. It became quickly apparent I had to have a mud motor to run it effectively due to the shallowness and moss so I sold it and got this thing last November. Idling at the ramp it sounds about like a harley with a pretty mellow tone but at full throttle it is loud. 

Zum, you mentioned their running capabilities, check out this link I put on youtube last November: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDYfTbE68Dw

They make all kinds of claims about mud, sand, hydrilla ... I think I'm the first to really test it in these conditions. I got all kinds of cautions from viewers telling me to wear the kill switch (which I forgot all about.) 

By-the-way, after restoring my Lowe, it will NOT be subject to this kind of running (not purposely ... anyway) The alumacraft did fine but its just too heavy with a load.

Anyway, thanks for posting.



Zum said:


> I think those things a cool.
> How they can go threw the flats,bounch when they hit stumps,etc.
> I'm looking at the exhaust...they must be pretty loud.
> Any louder hen a regular outboard?


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## Cheeseball

ben2go said:


> You will need to add more bracing.Aluminum mesh is really weak unless it's stamped out of some thick plate.Stainless mesh is another option and it's not much heavier than the thick aluminum needed for walking on.



The stuff I've seen seems pretty heavy.


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## Zum

Man,looks like you needed a ice breaker not a jon boat.
Did that episode put any dents of your hull?
Pretty tough boat if it didn't.
Was that a musk rat on the ice that you scared?


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## wyodeputy

Nope, no dents. Very tough hull which is why my boat is too heavy. Also, the hull has a slight V to it, another reason why its not a good shallow water boat. Good eye on the little critter - it was a muskrat !


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## wyodeputy

Well I've been away for awhile but I'm happy to be back. My last post was in October and I planned to have my new project by Halloween but the travel arrangements fell through. Luckily my brother went to Texas for Christmas and brought the project boat back. As you can see, winter has hit us hard in Idaho but I'm thankful to have a garage to work on the boat till next spring. Notice the trailer in the background. That'll be a project also, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it. (Can you believe that thing made it from Texas to Idaho?) Anyway, I always thought the boat was 52 inches across the bottom; a tape measure proved me wrong... its a 16X48. So I'll try to change the post headings as I get time .... there's a lot of them.


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## Waterwings

Cool pics! 8)


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## ben2go

Nice werk.Any clever plans to reuse the old bench seats,foam,and rod racks?


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## Zum

Looks like your well on your way.
Nice job,,,pressure washing in freezing tempetures,always fun.


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## ben2go

Locate an ice covered hill and go sledding in the boat.


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## Big Buck

Looks really good. Keep up the good work.


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## bAcKpAiN

Looking good! It always feels good to finally make some progress on a project after a long wait.


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## wyodeputy

Day Two: My mudbuddy 45 needs a 19" transom (tall transom). The sides at the back of the boat are 19" tall, so I've gotta match the transom to the sides (about 3.5 more inches). That required the removal of the corner braces. These corner braces are cast-aluminum and handles were molded into them. My Dad used to drag a small shrimp net behind the boat by these handles so I know they're built very solid and I wanted to use them again in the mod. Luckily, they were only welded in three spots; a little work with a saw and grinder freed them up and I'll weld them back on after I get the transom re-built.


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## FishingBuds

yep looken good, that thing is gonna be better when your done with it than the day it came out brand new :lol:


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## wyodeputy

ben2go said:


> Nice werk.Any clever plans to reuse the old bench seats,foam,and rod racks?


Ya-know, I really hadn't considered re-using any of those items. I'd like to build some storage boxes but the old seats were built out of thin material and dented up pretty bad. I have a better plan for rod-racks than using the old ones which never worked anyway and ... the old foam is gonna be a new archery target. But hey I'm open to suggestions ... which is why we post here ... right? 'all ears!


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## Waterwings

Lookin' good, and great step-by-step pics of the transom work! 8)


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## Zum

I have a question.
You have already probably thought of this but is 19 inches going to be high enough?Just was thinking that with the width of your boat plus the weight of your motor,mods maybe it will be to shallow?
No experience here, just thought I'd throw that out there before you start.
Theres always a jackplate mod,that I like watching people build as well.
Nice work,it's going to look great.


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## taino_racing

great job even in that cold temp! keep up the great job and pics


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## baptistpreach

Very impressive!


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## Macgyver

I have always thought that transom heights were @ 15" (short shaft) and 20" (long shaft) ?


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## wyodeputy




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## russ010

Awesome job! Those are some great pics as well...

Did you use a regular wood blade on your chop saw and table saw?


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## wyodeputy

russ010 said:


> Awesome job! Those are some great pics as well...
> 
> Did you use a regular wood blade on your chop saw and table saw?



Yep just a regular wood blade on both. It worked fine but it did get a little warm on the table saw, due to the aluminum pinching the blade on the long cut. Thanks for looking.


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## CrappieReaper

Best to use an older wood blade and turn it around backwards. It will cut the aluminum. I would suggest using one that does NOT have carbide tips. I've seen a tip fly off a brand new blade before just cutting wood. Went through to dudes eye and put it out. A fine tooth, non carbide tip blade, (cheap and cheesy) mounted backwards will suffice. I would not try this on thick, or hardened metal, but will work fine on a soft aluminum. Always wear a quality set of goggles!


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## bAcKpAiN

I knew a guy that uses a circular saw to cut rebar :lol:


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## Zum

Sure looks sturdy.
It's going to be a hole new boat once your done with it.


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## Waterwings

Nice work! 8)


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## wyodeputy

Day 4 - We concentrated on cutting and mounting the back transom piece today but not before doing some patchwork on the old transom. We considered removing the old piece completely but I don't have enough faith in my aluminum welding skills to ensure it would be watertight so I kept the old transom and patched the rivet and bolt holes. As mentioned before, the hull is made from very thin aluminum (.080) so burning through was a constant concern. I bought some aluminum TIG rods to fill some of the holes with then welded as lightly as possible around the rod. This helped some, but it wasn't full proof. After welding the holes, I came back with a flap disk (aka a tiger disk) on the grinder and took off the excess. These disks really blend the aluminum well. The back of the transom looks terrible but stay tuned, it'll be covered soon.


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## Zum

Should be pleased,looks real nice.


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## Waterwings

Nice lookin' work! 8)


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## wyodeputy

Guys, I need help finding a link on tinboats. Although I'm not to the point of adding the pourable foam, my mind is drifting that way and I'm trying to plan a few things. Somewhere on the site during all the browsing, I found a link to a mod where the guy filled the floor of his boat with pourable foam, used a handsaw to shave the foam even with the ribs, then floored over it. I believe the boat was a V hull? I've searched extensively on the site but can't find it? Wanted to ask him some pros and cons questions as I'm thinking about going the same route? Any help is appreciated as always. Thanks


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## CrappieReaper

I'm against pouring foam in the floor area unless you can keep it off the bottom enough to allow water to flow towards the back. If you don't, the foam will become saturated eventually and be near worthless, not to mention the added weight of holding the water. Not all foam completely rejects the water. It will do fine for periods of time, but in the long run will absorb the water like a sponge. If you must foam, I would keep it on the sides, or at least off the floor. I know the post you're speaking of. I can't remember where I saw it either. It did look good, but if the water cannot flow under it, he will have to eventually remove it and do something else. In my post, "rebirth of the tin", I removed a bunch of foam and every peice was saturated on the bottom 2-3 inches. Be careful as to what poured in place, urethane foam you choose. Most of it is designed to only insulate from temperatures, and NOT meant to be a floatation material. Make sure you check it out before purchasing.


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## Loggerhead Mike

welding aluminum takes alot of skill. looks great


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## Zum

Heres his link:
https://tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4450&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=40


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## bassboy1

> If you've ever tried installing these big boys, you know what I'm talking about. Unless I'm doing something wrong (and I AM a novice with the rivet thing) I could not operate that thing alone. In the future, I'm gonna look into using a cheater bar on each handle?


2 words.

Pneumatic riveter.

Nuff said.


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## bassboy1

CrappieReaper said:


> Best to use an older wood blade and turn it around backwards.


For thin stuff. 

However, for thick stuff or structurals, carbide is the way to go. A standard wood blade, not backwards, is perfectly acceptable. In fact, on the Northern West Coast, where plate alloy boats (basically bigger aluminum boats using a minimum of .1875 inch hull plating) are common, some custom builders employ only a shear and circular saw with carbide blade to do all the cutting. I learned about this pretty recently, and I must say, it is amazing to watch one cut a perfect 12 inch diameter circle with a circular saw, in a matter of seconds. Purely magical. 

My question out of all this is how did you manage to rip that angle in the tubing without it jamming it up. My experience with the way square tubing reacts to carbide blades says that the shown cut is very likely to jam up, and break something. I'm impressed. :shock:


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## wyodeputy

Loggerhead, you're very kind. CrappieReaper, thanks I'm re-thinking the foam floor thing. Zum you're awesome - thanks for the link. Bassboy1 we just kept the piece from pinching the tube on the off-feed, seemed to work. Most of our cuts have been crosscuts on the chop saw and the ripped piece was a specialty cut. It wasn't fun ripping it as there were lots of pieces of aluminum thrown back on me and ... I'd like to borrow your pneumatic riveter !  thanks - Guys!


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## CrappieReaper

This place is in Wichita. You can get used or new. https://www.yardstore.com/

Here's a site someone else turned me onto but I have yet to shop it.
https://www.hansonrivet.com/w28.htm

You can find a decent rivet gun, clecos, bucking bars, and other items at a fair price.
The other site deals with fasteners.


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## Quackrstackr

Why did you go with a hollow rivet instead of just welding the transom sheet back in? Now you have to seal those rivets. :?:


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## FishFry

Regarding pourable foam: You do need a channel for water to flow towards your drainplug. This does not exclude using foam, you just have to plan out for your channel. You can't see the channel in my boat but it is there under the foam. A v-hull is probably easier to do this to than a flat bottom jon. The foam must be closed cell, intended for boat floatation so it won't asorb water. Pour it into plastic sheet or garbage bag so you can remove or replace foam easily if necessary, it is sticky. Balance the quantity of foam front to rear so your boat will float level when full of water. The stuff is cheap enough to be well worth your while if you tend to push some limits.


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## bassboy1

wyodeputy said:


> I'd like to borrow your pneumatic riveter !  thanks - Guys!


I actually don't yet have one yet. I pulled well over 2000 rivets, of varying size, probably 700 of those being 3/16, on my rig, with a number of hand riveters (We had 4 - I broke every one of them). I have pulled a couple of those 1/4 inch ones, on an industrial pop riveter with 18 inch handles, and they are still a wrist breaker. Holy crap! I have used a pneumatic one at my dads shop, and those are the best thing since sliced bread. I am saving up for a nicer brand than the Harbor Freight version. I think I would wear it out too fast.


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## wyodeputy

Quackrstackr said:


> Why did you go with a hollow rivet instead of just welding the transom sheet back in? Now you have to seal those rivets. :?:


The back piece of the transom as well as the rivets are gonna be covered with camo clad vinyl. Having used the stuff before, I know it'll waterproof the rivets and it'll last quite a while. I've got a duck boat (canoe/kayak sortof) and its still watertight after applying the camo sheets in 2001. Also, I didn't want a bunch of bolts in the transom (although there will be a few for the floor to transom braces and the motor bracket). I will be welding the edges of that back piece to the existing sides, but I had to fasten the middle span somehow and I liked the rivets. thanks


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## Quackrstackr

Camoclad waterproofs? :?: 

I'm really not trying to be a s/a here but please be careful in that boat after you get it finished if that is all that you are doing. I am extremely familiar with Camoclad myself and I know how brittle it gets, how the glue hardens and tends to lift after UV exposure. I would hate to see someone get in trouble while hunting during the winter because some vinyl contact paper sprung a leak and sank their boat.


----------



## wyodeputy

Quackrstackr said:


> Camoclad waterproofs? :?:
> 
> I'm really not trying to be a s/a here but please be careful in that boat after you get it finished if that is all that you are doing. I am extremely familiar with Camoclad myself and I know how brittle it gets, how the glue hardens and tends to lift after UV exposure. I would hate to see someone get in trouble while hunting during the winter because some vinyl contact paper sprung a leak and sank their boat.




Are we still talking about waterproofing a few rivets?


----------



## FishingBuds

Your doing a great job with it, thing's gonna be better than brand new soon :lol:


----------



## Quackrstackr

wyodeputy said:


> Are we still talking about waterproofing a few rivets?



I am talking about the twelve 1/4" rivets that appear that they will be below the water line, yes.

If the studs pull through those as they are apt to do, it could be the equivalent of pulling the drain plug. Worst case scenario that will probably never happen in a million years but I would rather have something with a little more substance than camoclad film sealing holes in my boat. Especially if it has a surface drive mud motor strapped to it.


----------



## wyodeputy

Howdy, been gone for awhile and finally got days off to work on my boat. I'm learning lots along the way; I think the phrase " measure twice, cut once" was coined by someone working with aluminum rather than wood. One mistake with this stuff is costly. Anyway, I've lost my photographer and co-builder (brother back to school) and I'm stuck with a cheap digital camera. I had to make a mental note to stop along the way and take some pictures; luckily the resizing process makes them appear somewhat in focus.


----------



## wyodeputy

Quackrstackr said:


> wyodeputy said:
> 
> 
> 
> Are we still talking about waterproofing a few rivets?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I am talking about the twelve 1/4" rivets that appear that they will be below the water line, yes.
> 
> If the studs pull through those as they are apt to do, it could be the equivalent of pulling the drain plug. Worst case scenario that will probably never happen in a million years but I would rather have something with a little more substance than camoclad film sealing holes in my boat. Especially if it has a surface drive mud motor strapped to it.
Click to expand...


Okay Quackrstackr, I've gotta admit, I wasn't on board with you on this ... at first ... then a rivet popped on me. #-o I'm not as concerned about the boat filling with water (even if they did all go at once) cause I still have the old transom piece in place. But obviously I want that new rear piece solid. So I'm re-thinking the rivets on the transom and considering welding it. Thanks for the insight (now excuse me while I swallow my pride!)


----------



## HOIST-N-HAWGS

Man that's dedication right there! God bless ya! I love working on boats, but would have never gone to those extremes,lack of proper tools and maybe even the lack of motivation to engulf myself that deep, I would have opted for purchasing another. I give you all the credit in the world for even attempting it. Looking good so far and wish you the best of luck. Looking forward to seeing the finished results.


----------



## Jeff

Hey buddy, First off, I can only imagine all the work you have put into that boat. It looks like it would be alot of fun to do. I know when I built my layout boat, I put a lot of time into it and it was so rewarding when I was done and put it in the water for the first time. Keep up the good work, you got me hooked on this thing now.


----------



## Jeff

Oh yeah and one of these days I'm going to come out there and go fishing and hunting out of that boat. =P~ Later.....JT


----------



## Captain Ahab

Welcome aboard Jeff :WELCOME: :WELCOME: 


and Awesome Boat work there wyodeputy


----------



## Zum

Always like reading about this restoration project.
The pictures and desciption are great and the work,seems to me,to be top notch as well.


----------



## ben2go

That's some great work. =D>


----------



## Jeff

Hey deputy, so are you finished with filling all the holes from the rivets? When I filled holes when I was welding we used copper on the opposite side of the hole and we could fill up a hole without any grinding and it would be water tight. You probably did it that way, but if not, I just wanted to add a suggestion.


----------



## wyodeputy

Hello, we've made a little progress today. I have to apologize ahead of time here ... I forgot to take some pictures early on in the fab process so I'll try to catch you up. I've recruited some help in the form of a duck huntin' buddy and luckily he can weld ! We decided to build new corner braces at the transom. Earlier on, I said I wanted to use the old cast aluminum corners but they required too much altering and it was better to just start from scratch. Basically, we took a piece of .125 aluminum and made a triangle to fit on the rear transom corner. The transom actually is angled back, so this required a bend in the corner piece. We then welded on exterior sides and back.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

nice nice.


----------



## Fly_Guy

looking good. What's your overall plan? I'm doing a 1448 for duck hunting and just trying to get some ideas.


----------



## wyodeputy

Fly_Guy said:


> looking good. What's your overall plan? I'm doing a 1448 for duck hunting and just trying to get some ideas.



This boat's gonna be used primarily for duck hunting but I'll fish from it too. I wanna keep an open hull, but I am gonna extend the front deck by about 18", and I'm toying with the idea of building a gun box (not sure of my capabilities there). Pedestal bases for seating and gonna steelflex the hull as I'm gonna run a mudmotor on it and the steelflex will help it slide over shallows and obstructions. Thanks for looking


----------



## wyodeputy

Jeff said:


> Hey deputy, so are you finished with filling all the holes from the rivets? When I filled holes when I was welding we used copper on the opposite side of the hole and we could fill up a hole without any grinding and it would be water tight. You probably did it that way, but if not, I just wanted to add a suggestion.



Jeff, wish I'd have gotten your input before I started filling the holes, the copper idea is something I hadn't heard. For the most part we are done, but a few more may crop up? Keep the input coming ! thanks


----------



## FishingBuds

awsome job =D>


----------



## Specknreds

Awesome job so far!! =D> You all might want to research mixing copper and aluminium. I believe that they are reactive together.


----------



## Fly_Guy

That kind of where I'm at too. Planning on an open design and I'm still on the fence about the gun locker on the side. I'd sure would be nice to have it, but I'd hate to give up and space on the floor.

Keep up the good work.


----------



## wyodeputy

Day 6 - we didn't get much done today but with only a couple hours to work, Ryan and I started on extending the front deck. This is gonna be hard to explain but I'll try. The rib on the side of the boat where I wanna end the front deck, is not exactly vertical. (This is where the front of the boat starts to rise on the bottom.) So we had to fabricate a piece which would carry the plane of this front piece, across this rib. Hard to explain, stay tuned...


----------



## Captain Ahab

That is a sweet framing job - you got loads of strength with very little weight


----------



## Fly_Guy

Looks great!


----------



## sparkbr

Quote: File comment: If you'll remember, the back transom piece was cut a little big to allow welding to the sides. This wasn't the route I wanted to go but I didn't know of any other way to do it. After welding, I came back across with a grinder and took off a lot of the weld and the edge of the new transom piece. I had to be careful not to go too far and take too much of the weld, rendering all that work useless. It worked out better than I thought and I cleaned it up with a flap disc which really blends the aluminum well. Hope its not too hard to see but this picture shows part of the weld and transom edge ground and rounded off.

_______________________________________________________________

Another way to construct the transom is to let the bottom overhang the transom rather than the other way around. Here is a pic of the boat I built.

https://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo22/sparkscustomboats/Done15-1.jpg


----------



## wyodeputy




----------



## Fly_Guy

I like the way it's coming out. I'm actually going to start working on mine in about an hour.


----------



## Jeff

Awesome Job! I wish I could be there to help do some of that welding!


----------



## wyodeputy




----------



## Zum

Stern looks real nice.
If Stanley doesn't warranty it,you can always make it stronger and weld it back together.


----------



## baptistpreach

Pretty sure Stanley has a lifetime warranty on their products. Keep up the great work!!


----------



## bassboy1

Wow. I never broke one _like that._ All of mine were damaging the internals.

You may find that if you aren't using it that much, you can probably buy the Harbor Freight pneumatic one for the same price as renting a quality one. Then, you have it for random jobs in the future too, if you need to pull 3 or 4 rivets while installing a new gadget on your boat.


----------



## wyodeputy

bassboy1 said:


> Wow. I never broke one _like that._ All of mine were damaging the internals.
> 
> You may find that if you aren't using it that much, you can probably buy the Harbor Freight pneumatic one for the same price as renting a quality one. Then, you have it for random jobs in the future too, if you need to pull 3 or 4 rivets while installing a new gadget on your boat.



Well maybe I'll look into that. Do you have a particular one in mind from Harbor Freight? Its gonna take 2 weeks to send this one in and get a replacement. If I do get a HF pneumatic, maybe I could just sell the Stanley replacement on Ebay? Thanks


----------



## wyodeputy




----------



## bassboy1

wyodeputy said:


> bassboy1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow. I never broke one _like that._ All of mine were damaging the internals.
> 
> You may find that if you aren't using it that much, you can probably buy the Harbor Freight pneumatic one for the same price as renting a quality one. Then, you have it for random jobs in the future too, if you need to pull 3 or 4 rivets while installing a new gadget on your boat.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well maybe I'll look into that. Do you have a particular one in mind from Harbor Freight? Its gonna take 2 weeks to send this one in and get a replacement. If I do get a HF pneumatic, maybe I could just sell the Stanley replacement on Ebay? Thanks
Click to expand...

Heres one. Sometimes, they go on sale for something like 12 or 15 bucks.
https://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93458

Sell it, aw come on, you can never have too many tools, even if they are duplicates. :lol:


----------



## wyodeputy

bassboy1 said:


> wyodeputy said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bassboy1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow. I never broke one _like that._ All of mine were damaging the internals.
> 
> You may find that if you aren't using it that much, you can probably buy the Harbor Freight pneumatic one for the same price as renting a quality one. Then, you have it for random jobs in the future too, if you need to pull 3 or 4 rivets while installing a new gadget on your boat.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well maybe I'll look into that. Do you have a particular one in mind from Harbor Freight? Its gonna take 2 weeks to send this one in and get a replacement. If I do get a HF pneumatic, maybe I could just sell the Stanley replacement on Ebay? Thanks
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Heres one. Sometimes, they go on sale for something like 12 or 15 bucks.
> https://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93458
> 
> Sell it, aw come on, you can never have too many tools, even if they are duplicates. :lol:
Click to expand...



Oh wow ... if I'd have known they were THAT cheap, I'd never bought the manual one ! I'm gonna buy one ... thanks for the insight on this !


----------



## wyodeputy




----------



## Zum

Looks real nice.
Going to be a hole new boat.
Just curious,why you decide on putting the hatch that way?


----------



## wyodeputy

Zum said:


> Looks real nice.
> Going to be a hole new boat.
> Just curious,why you decide on putting the hatch that way?




Hey Zum, 

Do you mean so the hatch lays open rather than lifts open? I wanted it this way so I wouldn't have to hold it open with one hand while pulling out the gas tank or battery with the other ... and I didn't want to install a gas shock. I considered putting the hatch in the floor of the deck too, but would have had to beef it up considerably to hold my weight. Which way do you prefer?


----------



## Zum

I normally just see them installed on the deck ,was all.
I'm thinking the side install may be a better idea.If theres nothing that you to get to constantly(often).I like the fact that you don't have to stand on it(even if it does hold your weight)and I think you could make it more watertight than a deck mounted hatch.

I didn't go back through your posts,what are you planning to put in there?


----------



## russ010

awesome man!! I really like that front deck, it gives me a few ideas.. Are you going to carpet the aluminum that you put in?


----------



## wyodeputy

Zum said:


> I normally just see them installed on the deck ,was all.
> I'm thinking the side install may be a better idea.If theres nothing that you to get to constantly(often).I like the fact that you don't have to stand on it(even if it does hold your weight)and I think you could make it more watertight than a deck mounted hatch.
> 
> I didn't go back through your posts,what are you planning to put in there?



Just a battery and gas tank and then I'll have room for miscellaneous items (life jackets, dry box, etc) Think the gas fumes will be a problem especially with the battery uder there? I did it on my last boat and never had any problems but Dad is a little concerned? What do you think?


----------



## wyodeputy

russ010 said:


> awesome man!! I really like that front deck, it gives me a few ideas.. Are you going to carpet the aluminum that you put in?



Hey Russ, I had originally planned on using diamond plate but then I saw a comment from Jim (I think) about using black rubber mats from Tractor Supply and after looking into it, I'm really leaning towards that idea for the front deck and the open floor of the boat. Plus that diamond plate is incredibly expensive (which I thought I was prepared for) but as I move through this project the $$ is disappearing fast so I'm having to cut some corners. By-the-way, I really liked your live well design. Thanks


----------



## daltonmcgill

wyodeputy said:


> Zum said:
> 
> 
> 
> I normally just see them installed on the deck ,was all.
> I'm thinking the side install may be a better idea.If theres nothing that you to get to constantly(often).I like the fact that you don't have to stand on it(even if it does hold your weight)and I think you could make it more watertight than a deck mounted hatch.
> 
> I didn't go back through your posts,what are you planning to put in there?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just a battery and gas tank and then I'll have room for miscellaneous items (life jackets, dry box, etc) Think the gas fumes will be a problem especially with the battery uder there? I did it on my last boat and never had any problems but Dad is a little concerned? What do you think?
Click to expand...

i would think you woul in florida u have 2 have ventilator ducts in a encloused area where your gas tank is


----------



## ben2go

This is one sweet build.I can't wait for splash in.


----------



## Zum

I think I remember you posting that the gas and batteries were going up there.Might be alittle bit of a pain or atleast awkward to put a full tank of gas in through that hatch,have to take it out to fuel it also.?
Just to make your Dad happy and maybe it is needed,vents wouldn't be to hard for to install.Then he could bug you about ever time you talk about the boat.


----------



## wyodeputy

Mock up day. We needed to get the mud buddy on the transom to mark some holes that needed drilling. Ryan saved us some back breaking work bringing over a tractor to lift 300 lb motor. I'm glad we were able to do this as it gave me an opportunity to size up the fit on the transom. After looking it over, I've got some questions as it doesn't look as if its sitting low enough, although the measurements seem to be the same as the boat which the motor came off of (and the guys at mudbuddy mounted the motor) So I've got an email and picture into them and I hope they say its all in my head and the fit is good... standby.


----------



## ben2go

The prop does look a slight bit high.As the boat moves through the water,a wave comes off the back,maybe this is enough water to keep the prop submerged. :?


----------



## wyodeputy

ben2go said:


> The prop does look a slight bit high.As the boat moves through the water,a wave comes off the back,maybe this is enough water to keep the prop submerged. :?



Yes it is a bit high and here's why" I'm finding out from the mud buddy guys that I'm dealing with two factors here, only one of which I considered, which was the transom height. I'm good there but the angle of the transom on this boat differs greatly from my other boat; its rocked back whereas the other boat had none (or very little) They're telling me I can buy a shim from MB to counter the angle but I'm thinking I'm gonna have to notch that new transom .... uggggh ! #-o After all that work ..... this is really, really discouraging ... had it the way I wanted it and was happy with the finished product. If the motor wasn't so heavy, I'm sure we'd have checked the fit several times along the way but at 300 lbs ... it just wasn't feasible. If anybody needs me ... I'll be sulking somewhere....


----------



## ben2go

Oh cow!I hope a shim can solve the issue.


----------



## Fly_Guy

It's coming along nice. 

I'm stuck in Cleveland for work for another three weeks, so I can't do a thing to my boat.


----------



## ben2go

Fly_Guy said:


> It's coming along nice.
> 
> I'm stuck in Cleveland for work for another three weeks, so I can't do a thing to my boat.



It's gonna be a long 3 weeks.


----------



## Fly_Guy

Your telling me.


----------



## caveman

hello
I am a new be here and i like this project. As i am looking to mod my 07 l1648m lowe/06 25 hp 4s. just want to know how blue board
worked out because i was going to use under floor with .080 alum. for the floor. Will this hold water? i like how you did your deck framing
i just wish i could weld. all an any help/in put i think all for.


----------



## Jim

caveman said:


> hello
> I am a new be here and i like this project. As i am looking to mod my 07 l1648m lowe/06 25 hp 4s. just want to know how blue board
> worked out because i was going to use under floor with .080 alum. for the floor. Will this hold water? i like how you did your deck framing
> i just wish i could weld. all an any help/in put i think all for.



:WELCOME: caveman!

Thanks for joining. :beer:


----------



## wyodeputy

caveman said:


> hello
> I am a new be here and i like this project. As i am looking to mod my 07 l1648m lowe/06 25 hp 4s. just want to know how blue board
> worked out because i was going to use under floor with .080 alum. for the floor. Will this hold water? i like how you did your deck framing
> i just wish i could weld. all an any help/in put i think all for.



Hey there caveman I'm pretty new here myself but welcome. There are some great guys on this site who can help you with your project. So far I haven't gotten my boat wet yet, so my project (and the blueboard) is yet unproven. The main reason I went with it was because one of the guys on here builds boat professionally and he uses it (see sparkbr) so I felt pretty good about it. 

As far as the .08 aluminum ( and I'm sure you've thought about this) I think it will work fine as long as you have the foam under it ... that foam will actually support some weight, but if there is any part of the floor without the foam under it, I think .08 aluminum will give noticeably under your weight. As far as the foam's longevity, I really can't speak to that but I made an archery target out of the stuff and its been out in the elements for about a year now and seems to be holding up fine ... doesn't hold any water that I can tell. Again, I'm trusting the professional.

Again, welcome and good luck ... keep us posted - Wyodeputy

PS ... I wish I could weld too !


----------



## wyodeputy




----------



## Zum

Looking real nice.
Just a general question...do those seat pedestal bases ever wear out?
Probably not,just was thinking might be hard to replace them.

I was wondering about conduit but it would be a pain to notch them ribs to run that.


----------



## Henry Hefner

Zum said:


> I was wondering about conduit but it would be a pain to notch them ribs to run that.



I was thinking the same thing. I used outdoor grade PVC conduit in mine, which may bend enough to thread behind the ribs, but I don't know if you have room for it. You might consider finding some plastic tubing or such that will fit, for fear that vibration might cause the aluminum edges to cut into the wires over the years ahead. At the very least, run a file or something over the edges to remove any sharpness. 
Don't take this as an insult, I think you are doing a great job! I would just hate for you to have a short circuit spoil a trip for you down the road.


----------



## Waterwings

Henry Hefner said:


> Zum said:
> 
> 
> 
> I was wondering about conduit but it would be a pain to notch them ribs to run that.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was thinking the same thing. I used outdoor grade PVC conduit in mine, which may bend enough to thread behind the ribs, but I don't know if you have room for it. You might consider finding some plastic tubing or such that will fit, for fear that vibration might cause the aluminum edges to cut into the wires over the years ahead. At the very least, run a file or something over the edges to remove any sharpness.
> Don't take this as an insult, I think you are doing a great job! I would just hate for you to have a short circuit spoil a trip for you down the road.
Click to expand...


What about some wire loom to cover the wires? Comes in different sizes, colors, flexible, and most of it's spilt to enable ease of putting it around/over wires and such. I think Lowe's carries it in their electrical dept. My front tm cable has it over it where it's exposed on the rear deck.

https://www.wiringproducts.com/index1.html?lang=en-us&target=d90.html

Here's their Flame Retardant Loom for the Marine/Auto industry: https://www.wiringproducts.com/index1.html?lang=en-us&target=d90.html

Here's a pic of the loom mat'l covering my tm wiring before it goes to the battery:


----------



## wyodeputy

Well thanks for the input. I hadn't considered insulating the wires. Ryan is actually an electrician so I'll run it by him and if he deems it necessary, I'm sure he can supply me with conduit or a "loom" material. Thanks


----------



## caveman

I am planing on doing my floor the same way But i am going to screw mine down with short self-tapper screws so i can remove easy if need be.
I just want to tell you something ,I would really put my wires in pipe .I to am a electrician so think about this ,you can always add wires/replace with a fishtape .I am useing smurf pipe 1/2" lowes/home depot sells it (it is blue thus smurf) it works great. I am also useing it for my fuel line do not know if fuel line will fit in 1/2" my have to go to 3/4" but that is fine. that way if fuel line goes bad just tape new one to old and pull. Just my thinking and how i am doing mine. I can not wate to more of your work.
GOOD LUCK IT LOOKS GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Waterwings

Don't have a pic of the front section where the wire runs, but can take one tomorrow and post it. The loom mat'l only covers the exposed part of the tm wiring, before it goes into the guwale track. The remainder of the wire runs through the full length of the track in the inboard side of the gunwale, with the track being covered by the black strip you see to the right of the corner brace. The rubber strip is easily attached/removed as it has "flanges" on the back side that insert into the track. The stbd side track didn't have any rubber in it when I got the boat, as I didn't have any wiring running down that side. After I bought my FF I ran the wire down the stbd track, ord'd some rubber stripping from the dealership and installed it myself. The dealership didn't have any rubber stripping for a Lowe rig on-hand, so he sent me some that goes to WarEagle boats. I think the track size may be standard for a few different boats, but not 100% sure.


----------



## Waterwings

Lowe and some other mfrs (WarEagle, & Triton I believe) have the feature, may be others I can't think of. It's part of the gunwale itself, and besides using the track as a raceway for wires, it can be used to add accessories such as rod holders, cup holders, oar locks, etc. that attach in the track and are normally tightened through the use of a thumbscrew.

Here's a link to the '09 Lowe site. Mouse-over the top middle flashing dot on the boat pic and a view of the track will show: https://www.loweboats.com/showroom/welded-jon/roughneck-jon/r1655.php


----------



## wyodeputy




----------



## CrappieReaper

You gonna need a whole bunch of Battleship Gray when that rig is complete. Looking great!


----------



## Nick Jones

looking good man!


----------



## Loggerhead Mike

lookin great


----------



## Zum

Boats going to be bullet proof.
Way to go.


----------



## daltonmcgill

lookin good


----------



## caveman

Hello,

Let me start by saying your boat looks good your doing a great job. I just have a few questions for you , if you can take the time to answer them. 
1 How far do the seat mount stems protrude into the floor.The ones I have here are 2 1/4 " and the ribs are only 1 / 1/2 "
I'm mounting mine on bench seats so it doesn't matter just curious .

2 How thick is the blue board you are using? All I have been able to find is 2" and ribs are only a 1 1/2" ?

3 Last but most important . Did you use the .080 alum or did you use something else for the front deck ?

I hope you can find time to answer my questions ? As looking at what you are doing is helping me out very much.

Thank you and you are doing a great job on your boat .


----------



## wyodeputy

caveman said:


> Hello,
> 
> Let me start by saying your boat looks good your doing a great job. I just have a few questions for you , if you can take the time to answer them.
> 1 How far do the seat mount stems protrude into the floor.The ones I have here are 2 1/4 " and the ribs are only 1 / 1/2 "
> I'm mounting mine on bench seats so it doesn't matter just curious .
> 
> 2 How thick is the blue board you are using? All I have been able to find is 2" and ribs are only a 1 1/2" ?
> 
> 3 Last but most important . Did you use the .080 alum or did you use something else for the front deck ?
> 
> I hope you can find time to answer my questions ? As looking at what you are doing is helping me out very much.
> 
> Thank you and you are doing a great job on your boat .




Hey there,

The ribs on my boat are also 1 1/2" deep and the bases are the same as yours (2 1/4"). I had to cut mine down to fit the 1 1/2" depth. I was worried about the seats being less than sturdy before cutting them down but I took extra care and consideration and welded them around the entire edge of the bases and looks like it worked as they are still pretty stout. I also used 1 1/2" blue board. My local lumber yard stocks 1", 1 1/2" and 2". Maybe try a different supplier in your area. If not, you maybe able to "score-cut" the 2" board with a table saw, then cut out the right depth with a hand saw? The front deck has not been "decked" yet but I intend on using .125 aluminum and have the material on hand ... just haven't gotten around to it yet. Hope its going well, send more questions my way ... if you have them - thanks


----------



## caveman

Thanks for taking time to reply just one more thing for a 4'x12' .080 alum is 50$ a good deal?


----------



## wyodeputy

caveman said:


> Thanks for taking time to reply just one more thing for a 4'x12' .080 alum is 50$ a good deal?



As long as its a good quality alloy, then 50 bucks is a screamin' deal. Buy it and get me a piece too!


----------



## ben2go

6061 I believe is marine alloy.


----------



## caveman

Hello wyodeputy
I just want to first thank you for all your help and taking time to respond.
1 why did you go with rivets vs screws for the floor??

2 What size rivets did you use and what size hole was drilled for them (i am dumb and don't understand rivets size)

3 What are you plans for the finish floor cover????

AGAIN THANKS AND POST MORE PICS. SOON
CAVEMAN


----------



## wyodeputy

caveman said:


> Hello wyodeputy
> I just want to first thank you for all your help and taking time to respond.
> 1 why did you go with rivets vs screws for the floor??
> 
> 2 What size rivets did you use and what size hole was drilled for them (i am dumb and don't understand rivets size)
> 
> 3 What are you plans for the finish floor cover????
> 
> AGAIN THANKS AND POST MORE PICS. SOON
> CAVEMAN



Hey Caveman, no problem ... happy to tell you what I know (which really ain't much)

I had the rivets so I used them. They're cheaper than stainless steel screws. Also, because we're welding the seem (where the sides meet the floor) its pretty much permanent. Even then, grinding off the head of the rivet and drilling it out isn't a real big deal but the screws would be easier. In the back of my mind, I know if I ever HAVE to get back into the floor, I can cut out the welds at the seem with a plasma cutter ... but I'd rather not go there. 

I used 3/16" aluminum rivets and I can't recall the drill bit size... I'm not at home right now so I'll have to get back to you, but it only needs to be big enough to fit the head of the rivet in.

And on the floor, I'm looking at using some craftsman shop floor mats cut to fit the floor. I have to credit the site administrator (Jim) for the idea of a floor mat and Ryan saw the craftsman style at a job site and noticed they were very light-weight ... so he suggested using those and I'm gonna follow through with that idea. They're very light and will blow out when trailering so we're gonna glue them down with contact cement or other adhesive. 

Thanks


----------



## wyodeputy

Not a whole lot here but we did get the other interior side in place today which is kind of a landmark for us as we knew this would be the hardest part of the restoration/rebuild. This side was actually much easier than the first piece which was a relief to both me and Ryan. Mainly just wanted to show the new look of the inside with the floor and sides in place.


----------



## Waterwings

That's looking really good! 8)


----------



## lizard drager

thats gona be so cool,cant wait to see the finished product.


----------



## wyodeputy

FINALLY !!! I got the steelflex ... and its not like it took an unreasonable amount of time to get from Florida to Idaho but its just the waiting ... I'm like a kid waiting on Christmas for this stuff ... And then I don't know if any of you have a UPS guy like mine but he's sneaky ... like he turns down my road and goes into _stealth-mode_. I gave him till 6 pm and then gave up on him for today ... then at 12:45 am, I went out to check if it was snowing and there on my doormat is the package ... I don't know when he came .... anyway 

Not sure I like the pigments that I chose ... I was thinking beige would've been darker ... also got olive drab and was gonna experiment with mixing the two for the right shade. The guy at Fasco also said any polyester based paint should mix with the steelflex so I'll have to figure that out before I start putting it on. Here's few shots of the stuff and the flyer that came with it. Hope to have more accomplished in the next few days. Thanks for looking. 

.


----------



## baptistpreach

PUT IT ON!!! PUT IT ON!!! PUT IT ON!!! PUT IT ON!!! PUT IT ON!!! PUT IT ON!!! PUT IT ON!!! PUT IT ON!!!


----------



## wyodeputy

At the request of Baptist Preacher, I have put it on.... 

I called up Jerry at Fasco to get a little more info on the tinting and colors. As I said before, I was way off on my tint choices and rather than send them back and wait for another shipment from Florida, Jerry offered some other options. At his direction, I went to a hardware store and picked out the color I wanted. I then asked them to give me just the colors they'd normally add to paint ... but not the paint. I had to do some guessing as these colors are usually added to a can of white paint to formulate the actual color on the sample card. Once satisfied with the color, I came home and tested a small amount of the Fasteel part 2 hardener with the coloring from the hardware store and they blended well. 

As directed by the instructions, I mixed the tint with the entire batch of hardener for an even color throughout, then added small portions of the epoxy and hardener together and applied this to the boat, which I'd previously wiped down with acetone. This steelflex is a real pain to apply ... like spreading cold molasses ... but after a couple hours it was done and I'm pretty happy with the finished product (although not yet cured). I had earlier pm'd Brewfish and Ouachita with questions about the steelflex and they were very helpful and gave me lots of guidance, so thanks again to them... this really is a great site. Now that I've got some experience with the steelflex, I'm happy to pass along some of my insights to anyone needing a little guidance. Thanks for looking


----------



## Waterwings

Lookin' good! 8)


----------



## russ010

that looks awesome! I like that shade of beige.

Can you not mix brushing thinner with it to make it go on? I know the purpose of this stuff is to seal, but just wondering..


----------



## wyodeputy

russ010 said:


> that looks awesome! I like that shade of beige.
> 
> Can you not mix brushing thinner with it to make it go on? I know the purpose of this stuff is to seal, but just wondering..



Yeah I was wondering that too but the instructions said not to thin it down ... would've made it MUCH easier if thinning was ok.


----------



## Ouachita

That looks really nice. When I did mine I poured it out onto the boat and used a 4" foam roller to spread it out. It is not the funnest stuff to work with. I'll bet you have some bulletproof plastic containers now that some of the steelflex has dried in them.


----------



## baptistpreach

Thanks for doing that steelflex for me. You've done so much work to the structure of the boat, I just was dying to see you do something to the outside.
That being said,

Well I for one gotta say, I don't like it. Your steelflex looks like it went on nice and smooth. I don't see any runs or brush marks like I see when I painted my boat , and that was just with regular marine paint!
So, you did to good a job #-o =P~ 

Really, looks fantastic, and I love that you went with a non-conventional color! Keep up the great work!


----------



## wyodeputy

Camo Clad day:

After making a fuss about the pigment in the steelflex, we learned today it didn't matter much. We covered the exterior of the boat with the camo-clad camouflage sheets (Advantage Max-4 HD) and covered most (if not all) of the steelflex on the sides. I expected to have more areas exposed (such as the channel running down the sides) but we were able to cover this with the camo clad and there was no need. So sorry about going on and on about getting the right colors in the steelflex. Of course, we didn't cover the bottom. Anyway, it took just about 2 hours and we are happy with the end result.


----------



## Waterwings

Looks good! 8) 

Did you have to use a blow dryer or anything else to form it over the side splash rails, or did it form fairly easy without heat?


----------



## wyodeputy

Waterwings said:


> Looks good! 8)
> 
> Did you have to use a blow dryer or anything else to form it over the side splash rails, or did it form fairly easy without heat?



We used a small propane torch to lightly heat the material not just over the splash rails but on the entire boat ... in the past I have used a heat gun. We found we did need to heat the vinyl to really make it bond to the steelflex; otherwise it was pretty easy to pull off. It might be easier to apply in warmer weather but in my garage with only a small heater, it needed a little more help. thanks 4 lookin'


----------



## Fly_Guy

Your boat is coming along great. I've been out of time for a month and haven't been on, I'm really impressed on your progress.


----------



## caveman

HELLO 
Boat looks great!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know all things take time as i am working on mine. But i really want to see what you are doing to the inside.
as this is what i am doing. and i can tell you cutting that alum. with as skill saw /jig saw is a job but you have a plasm cutter.looks great lets see in water.can't wait as i am sure you can't wait.


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## Cheeseball

Wow...I've been away from this site for quite some time and man you've made alot of progress. Keep it up looking great!


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## caveman

hello   wyodeputy I just have 2 ? for you. 1) on what centers did you place the rivets on the floor, not sure about centers but i was thanking 4 across but maybe 6? how many screws/rivets per rib?  2) How did foam hold up with being on it out of the water?         thanks for your reply


----------



## wyodeputy

caveman said:


> hello   wyodeputy I just have 2 ? for you. 1) on what centers did you place the rivets on the floor, not sure about centers but i was thanking 4 across but maybe 6? how many screws/rivets per rib?  2) How did foam hold up with being on it out of the water?         thanks for your reply



I didn't really have any reason for using what I did ... just looked like 4 would do the job. So 4 on each rib ... The foam held my weight fine, as far as I can tell. But remember I used .125 aluminum on my floor. I'm sure yours will be fine. Thanks


----------



## wyodeputy

*CHANGING GEARS ... TRAILER FABRICATION*

Some of you may recall my earlier thoughts on salvaging the old trailer and restoring it as well. After some consideration (and a sale on channel iron at my local steel supply) I opted to start from scratch and man its been a production ... This project (the boat included) would have been impossible without the help of a good friend. Ryan's welding and general building knowledge has been priceless. Most of the following pictures show Ryan in action on the trailer.


----------



## wyodeputy




----------



## wyodeputy

Trailer fab continued ...


----------



## wyodeputy

Trailer primer


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## baptistpreach

This is too crazy! You are the man! First you recreate and revive a great boat, now you just make a trailer! Very Very nice. Thanks for allowing us to look


----------



## ben2go

AWWW SWEEEETTT!I bow to you master.


----------



## Hanr3

I'd say you owe Ryan a barrell of his favorite adult beverage.

He has some great skills.

Your project is coming along great!!!!!

Excellent job.


----------



## Waterwings

Outstanding work! 8) 


Do you think an 8' bunk board (2"x4"?) will warp/sag any after a period of time, or will there be some type of support towards the center of the bunk board? Just thinking aloud :-k


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## wyodeputy

Waterwings said:


> Outstanding work! 8)
> 
> 
> Do you think an 8' bunk board (2"x4"?) will warp/sag any after a period of time, or will there be some type of support towards the center of the bunk board? Just thinking aloud :-k



We're gonna use 2x6's for both the floor and side bunks so I hope this will be strong enough. Thanks, I hadn't considered it.


----------



## wyodeputy

Hanr3 said:


> I'd say you owe Ryan a barrell of his favorite adult beverage.
> 
> He has some great skills.
> 
> Your project is coming along great!!!!!
> 
> Excellent job.




Yes but every time I offer, he asks for water ! Thanks for looking.


----------



## Waterwings

A 2"x6" should work a lot better than a 2"x4", as it has more width to it. The steel uprights you're using for the guide boards probably don't have any flex to them considering they're welded to the frame instead of bolted on, so the 2"x6" boards will probably be okay for quite awhile.


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## wyodeputy

Trailer Paint. -2 degrees last night so keeping the heater on in the garage overnight was a must. The primer seemed to dry so I got after the painting today.


----------



## wyodeputy




----------



## ben2go

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better,there something else. =D> This is better than TV. :LOL2:


----------



## GrumMan

WOW! You didn't mod a boat, you built one!


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## wyodeputy

Finishing the gunbox.


----------



## wyodeputy

Gun box continued


----------



## daltonmcgill

wyodeputy said:


> Gun box continuedView attachment 2
> View attachment 1


LOOKING GOOD!


----------



## Waterwings

Outstanding! 8) 


Go for the bilge pump. You'd hate to deep-six all that work.


----------



## wyodeputy

Hello all, 

We're winding down on this project. Got lots done on my days off and unfortunately, the digital camera that has most of the pictures is broken and I can't get to them (right now). So I switched to another camera and have a few to post. No progress shots, just the boat in its current state. We're going back to Texas for a week and I've planned to take the boat with us for its first run (and a few fishing trips). I'd love to try it out here in Idaho but the rivers are still frozen and the boat ramps snowed in... so the first water she'll see will be muddy! So Ryan and I are scrambling to get it finished and I think we're gonna make it. Tomorrow we'll mount the motor and finish the mats on the floor. With any luck, Saturday we'll build a "poling-platform" on the back of the boat. (Hope to put the sneak on some shallow water redfish on the coastal flats with my 9 weight flyrod ... if all goes according to plan). 

Thanks for looking!


----------



## Zum

Thats a sharp looking boat.
Wonder how much she weighs now?
Hope your trip and first time back on the water great.


----------



## caveman

looks GREAT................


----------



## Cheeseball

I really like the cammo pattern. But man all that aluminum musta cost you an arm and a leg. I've been pricing aluminum around here :shock: and looks like I'm going with wood.


----------



## wyodeputy

Today, we finished the floor, put in some access hatches over the gas tank and battery, finished the camo clad application and mounted the motor. We're at 99% ... hopefully we'll get the poling platform knocked out tomorrow. Thanks for looking !


----------



## wyodeputy

99% done!


----------



## ben2go

Not to offend anyone but this has got to be one of the best builds. =D>


----------



## wyodeputy

Zum said:


> Thats a sharp looking boat.
> Wonder how much she weighs now?
> Hope your trip and first time back on the water great.



Hey Zum, 

I wish I would've weighed it completely stripped down ... we estimated it at about 150 lbs. I'd bet we've added 150 lbs to it? Still a far cry from the "mud-motor" boats like a gator trax ... very, very heavy. Hey thanks for looking ... always enjoy reading and replying to your comments.


----------



## wyodeputy

Cheeseball said:


> I really like the cammo pattern. But man all that aluminum musta cost you an arm and a leg. I've been pricing aluminum around here :shock: and looks like I'm going with wood.



Thanks and welcome back! Yep, they don't give that aluminum away ... I didn't keep up with the exact dollar amount but I'm thinking I've got about 2 grand in the project ... including the trailer.


----------



## wyodeputy

ben2go said:


> Not to offend anyone but this has got to be one of the best builds. =D>



Wow .... thank you ... that's quite a compliment ... its been a fun project and a cure for cabin fever which I struggle with every winter ... Thanks


----------



## baptistpreach

I think you've got one amazing 2K rig! I also would have to say this is one of the best I've ever seen. The work... just great. Thanks for posting for us.


----------



## Jeff

You know, you have to bring that thing to Missouri and let me show you around some of these flooded cornfields this fall. And for all those who don't know this guy like I do, I wouldn't expect anything less from him. Everything I have ever seen him do was 110%. Man that is some awesome work. =D> Let me know when you get back home from HOME (Texas), chasing those reds. Later.....Jeff T.


----------



## cprince

**Oopps ... double post**


----------



## cprince

wyodeputy said:


> Today, we finished the floor, put in some access hatches over the gas tank and battery, finished the camo clad application and mounted the motor. We're at 99% ... hopefully we'll get the poling platform knocked out tomorrow. Thanks for looking !



What is that foamy-tile-diamond-plate pattern stuff that you are putting on there? 
That looks quite interesting. How much $? Where did you get it? What is the brand name?

This is my first post on your build thread, but I have been following it from the beginning. What an amazing build this is. It is exactly how I want to do my build; Aluminum only. 

It looks like that you used rivets AND welded in some spots. Why both? Handy to use rivets to hold the parts together while welding?

Good luck with your fine boat and I look forward to your response!


----------



## Waterwings

Great build! 






When you get a chance could you talk some close-up pics of the decking, etc? Thanks!


----------



## wyodeputy

Finally hit a point where we can say we're done.... that doesn't mean there is no more to do but for this trip, our purposes are accomplished. The boat and trailer will be following us 1800 miles to the Texas Gulf Coast. Its really been rewarding to work on the project throughout the winter and the boat being in the family for years just sweetens the deal knowing it'll get use for many more years to come just as it did growing up around all those rivers, marshes and bays of the gulf coast. 

I've noticed all the junk in the garage takes away from the pictures but its dark out so I can't pull the boat out for pictures outside. I'd like to add more pictures as we travel from state to state and I'll try to get some pictures when she hits the muddy water down on the coast. Stay tuned, and thanks for looking


----------



## wyodeputy

continued


----------



## wyodeputy

cprince said:


> wyodeputy said:
> 
> 
> 
> Today, we finished the floor, put in some access hatches over the gas tank and battery, finished the camo clad application and mounted the motor. We're at 99% ... hopefully we'll get the poling platform knocked out tomorrow. Thanks for looking !
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What is that foamy-tile-diamond-plate pattern stuff that you are putting on there?
> That looks quite interesting. How much $? Where did you get it? What is the brand name?
> 
> This is my first post on your build thread, but I have been following it from the beginning. What an amazing build this is. It is exactly how I want to do my build; Aluminum only.
> 
> It looks like that you used rivets AND welded in some spots. Why both? Handy to use rivets to hold the parts together while welding?
> 
> Good luck with your fine boat and I look forward to your response!
Click to expand...



The foam interlocking flooring with diamond plate pattern are workout mats I got from Sears. The stuff is typically put down under weight lifting equipment or other similar application. This idea started from one of Jim's posts where he mentioned using mats similar to those used in horse trailers, available from tractor supply. While I was considering that idea, Ryan saw a garage which was covered with "craftsman inter-locking shop mats" and he noticed they weighed next to nothing. So I went to Sears and they had both the shop mats and the weight lifting equipment mats which were thicker so I went with them. They come in 6 packs, about 3/4" thick and they measure 2'x2' feet. About $65 a pack, so that gets you 24 square feet; I bought 3 packs and barely had enough. They are easily cut (we did a lot on the table saw for a clean edge) but a carpet knife works fine too. We glued them down with contact cement. 

The welding/rivets question is hard for me to explain ... here goes. We opted for rivets when we needed to fasten a sheet of aluminum towards its middle away from the welded edge, to prevent "drumming". The only way to weld this is to drill a hole, then weld down through that hole and into the old aluminum below (maybe a boat rib for example). So then you're left with a protruding weld that must be ground off, which is where you lose a lot of strength and the potential for the remainder of that weld to break is pretty good. Also, there were areas where we needed a rivet application to pull the two pieces together and the riveter does a good job of this just before it pops or breaks loose. This was just my theory ... and there may be nothing to it. You may wanna try it ... if you do let me know how it went. Not too sure If I explained this adequately or confused you more. Let me know.


----------



## Zum

I see you have the poling platform made,looks real cool especially with the dual exhausts off that motor.
Those mats aren't as heavy as them cattle mats?

Hope your trip goes well and uneventful.Spot lots of redfish on the platform or whatever you look for up there.


----------



## Nick Jones

I am finishing my boat up this week but have decided after seeing your I will be camo cladding it next winter. I will never use it for duck hunting because we are just too rough on boats but it looks too cool and is very affordable. 

I will be hitting my father-n-law up for a welder very soon. Thanks for the inspiration!


----------



## wyodeputy

Howdy all !

Been on the road a couple days with the restored Lowe 16x48 in-tow. We hit a bad storm on I-80 in Wyoming. Looked like I was towing a mud-sickle till we got to Oklahoma. Don't know if it shows in the picture but there's about 2 inches of nasty, muddy ice and snow stuck to the boat. But all was well when we hit the Lone Star state-line ... BEAUTIFUL weather was waiting for us. I'm happy to say the trailer tows like a champ. Very, very pleased as it will never be tested bigger than this road-trip. 

Still haven't got to the water yet ... funny thing ... when Gulf-coast bound from Idaho ... you're still only half way at the Texas state-line ! Nevertheless, when I get to the water, I'll be prepared with a camera and I'll post the pictures soon after ... as always, Thanks for looking everyone !


----------



## ben2go

Good to hear everything is going ok with the tow.


----------



## baptistpreach

Those pictures are undeniable proof that you are indeed the man! Awesome job! Makes me want to learn to weld - really. Suppose I could learn it from a book? Too bad I didn't know you were in Oklahoma, I woulda tried to drive down and see it in person. Thanks again for sharing.


----------



## Zum

Good to see your trip is going okay.
Hope the boat/motor work perfect,when on the water.

Maybe your good at sewing too...you could hand craft some new boat cover design


----------



## wyodeputy

Well I finally got to some water and I'm very happy with the results. It was not the best day on the water as a cold front hit us (never saw that coming ... musta followed us from Idaho) and it was very windy with lots of chop on the water. This area is tidal so a lot of water was blown out which made it easy to find some shallows to run in. The boat really flies ... much faster than my other boat and it handles very well. Hole shot is better than I ever expected and the boat's shallow water capabilities are outstanding. However, there were a couple hang-ups: we had to remove one of the floor bolts from the transom braces after the steel-flex application and I forgot to seal it up. Lots of water came in through that hole.... nevertheless an easy fix. 

Secondly ... not happy with the camo-clad, just about everywhere below the splash rail peeled right off. I'll be on the phone with camo-clad on Monday to see if they'll warranty the product. The new president of camo-clad (Joe Warner, I think) has helped me before on a different issue and I hope he'll come to my aid on this as well. 

But functionality of the boat rates way up there. Very pleased over all. Sorry I wasn't able to get any video (don't know how to post that anyway) but here are a few shots of the test run. Thanks for looking ! 

[/b][/size]


----------



## wyodeputy

Dad volunteered to take some drive-by's of the boat ... I really can't tell you how pleased I am with its performance ... better than I expected ... faster than I imagined and the open hull design is very roomy. Other than the previous mentioned problems ... I'll tweak a few things here and there but all in all ... she's done. Thanks for looking!


----------



## Waterwings

Cool pics ! Do you have to stencil the reg numbers on or can you also use the stick-on vinyl letters/numbers? Sorry to hear about the camo-clad problems. Let us know how that turns out with the company.


----------



## wyodeputy

Waterwings said:


> Cool pics ! Do you have to stencil the reg numbers on or can you also use the stick-on vinyl letters/numbers? Sorry to hear about the camo-clad problems. Let us know how that turns out with the company.



No I can use the stick-ons ... just had the stencils so I used them ... I will be sure to post my results with Camo-clad. thanks


----------



## 2007NNBS

Yes please post results...i was about to order mine till i read this...let me know how it turns out


----------



## Brine

I was curious how that vinyl was going to stick to the steelflex. I just recently put steelflex on my boat, and I don't see how anything could adhere to it. I would guess that is the problem, not the camo clad.


----------



## Zum

This was a great build to watch from start to finish.
Sorry to hear about the camo but glad to see the performance and handling was more than you expected.
Keep us posted and hope you get years of enjoyment out of your boat.


----------



## wyodeputy

Brine said:


> I was curious how that vinyl was going to stick to the steelflex. I just recently put steelflex on my boat, and I don't see how anything could adhere to it. I would guess that is the problem, not the camo clad.



Well I knew I wanted to put the camo-clad over the steelflex from the very beginning so I asked Jerry (at Fasco) specifically about how adhesives would stick to it and he said there would be no problems with adherence. I wanted to clear that up before making the investment in camo-clad (70 bucks per 4'x5' sheet!) So I'm not certain the steelflex is the problem. Will be following up with Camo-clad in the morning. Stay tuned.


----------



## wyodeputy

So here's a couple pictures of the camo-clad disaster. As I mentioned, the excitement of the boat's first day on the water was subdued after seeing the pieces of camo-clad hanging off the hull. The painstaking surface preparation and careful application seemed all for not; that coupled with so many positive comments about how great the camo-clad looked really caused my stomach to knot up. (I too, was impressed with the look ... much better than paint in my opinion). 

Hard to believe 1800 road miles through blizzards, sanding trucks and other hazards of the roadway (which you might expect on such a long trip) took no toll on the stuff but one hour in the water was too much. Anyway... here's a few pics .. thanks for looking.


----------



## Brine

wyodeputy said:


> Brine said:
> 
> 
> 
> I was curious how that vinyl was going to stick to the steelflex. I just recently put steelflex on my boat, and I don't see how anything could adhere to it. I would guess that is the problem, not the camo clad.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well I knew I wanted to put the camo-clad over the steelflex from the very beginning so I asked Jerry (at Fasco) specifically about how adhesives would stick to it and he said there would be no problems with adherence. I wanted to clear that up before making the investment in camo-clad (70 bucks per 4'x5' sheet!) So I'm not certain the steelflex is the problem. Will be following up with Camo-clad in the morning. Stay tuned.
Click to expand...


Interesting. From what everyone has said about Jerry, and with my Q&A with him, he sounds like he is an authority on the subject. I sure woudn't have thought you could get anything to stick to it tho without scuffing it up. 

I'm interested to hear what Camo-clad says. From your pics, it look like it would peel right off. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. You've got a great boat.


----------



## wyodeputy

Brine said:


> wyodeputy said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Brine said:
> 
> 
> 
> I was curious how that vinyl was going to stick to the steelflex. I just recently put steelflex on my boat, and I don't see how anything could adhere to it. I would guess that is the problem, not the camo clad.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well I knew I wanted to put the camo-clad over the steelflex from the very beginning so I asked Jerry (at Fasco) specifically about how adhesives would stick to it and he said there would be no problems with adherence. I wanted to clear that up before making the investment in camo-clad (70 bucks per 4'x5' sheet!) So I'm not certain the steelflex is the problem. Will be following up with Camo-clad in the morning. Stay tuned.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Interesting. From what everyone has said about Jerry, and with my Q&A with him, he sounds like he is an authority on the subject. I sure woudn't have thought you could get anything to stick to it tho without scuffing it up.
> 
> I'm interested to hear what Camo-clad says. From your pics, it look like it would peel right off. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. You've got a great boat.
Click to expand...


Well I spoke with April at Camo-clad today and I gave her the link to this site and the Lowe "16x48 restoration" thread so they could see the pictures. I was in traffic and couldn't stay on the phone so I explained what happened and I asked them to look it over and call me back. She was gonna speak with Joe and get back with me ... haven't heard back yet but maybe tomorrow. 

The thing that gets me is, it adhered to the exterior of the boat... there's no disputing that. At times during the application process, it was necessary to remove or pull the stuff back off (to remove a bubble or re-position it) and it was stuck on there and I mean stuck good! Then the long drive down here ... still stuck good ... but once in the water ... well you know the rest. I just don't get it. Bad batch of adhesive on the camo-clad? I don't know ... looking forward to speaking with them again. I really like the stuff and would like to try again. Stay tuned ... thanks for comments.


----------



## caveman

wodeyputy
glad to pics of that GREAT looking boat in the water.Sorry about the camo clad,but look at it this way that is just cosmetic and can be fixed you did one heck of a job on that boat and should be very proud of that.Thank for letting all of us see it.and thank you for taking time to answers my ?'s


----------



## Brine

Just curious if you and/or Camo-clad figured out what happened.


----------



## wyodeputy

Brine said:


> Just curious if you and/or Camo-clad figured out what happened.



Sorry, I see that you posted at the end of April and I've been off the site for awhile - sorry for the delay. I made my case to April (in the office) and while on the phone, helped her navigate to my link and the page that showed what had happened. (' pictures worth a thousand words ... better than me describing it) I asked that she show it to the president/owner (Joe) and requested he call me back... never heard a word. I guess there's my answer. Don't really know what my next option is so I'm in limbo... camo is mostly cosmetic but it will affect the functionality when hunting this fall. The camo has adhered fine to the inside of the boat, and I know I could't paint the exterior to match (not even close) so I'm in limbo ... trying to figure out what to do to finish. Kinda dissapointing to my have the peak of the project and all the excitement of the first voyaged quashed like that. Nevertheless, the weather in Eastern Idaho has improved greatly and the snowed in ramps have thawed. Ryan and I have been on the river several times and the boat runs great. If I find a solution, I'll document it here (of course). Thanks for looking !


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## Brine

No aplogies needed for me....and thanks for the reply. 

Man, I'm sorry to hear that you haven't gotten any resolution yet. I hope the folks at Camo-clad reconsider helping you determine why the product failed. For this situation....you just gotta be persistant. Many companies I work with are comfortable ignoring problems figuring that a percentage of those problems will go away without any effort. I'm not saying this is what Camo-clad is doing, but I can't imagine that a rep for their company (let alone the owner/president) took the time to read your build and could not be determined to find an answer. How could they??? It's the only blemish on an otherwise spectacular build. I sure wouldn't want pictures of my product peeling off in sheets floating around the web without addressing it.

*CAMO-CLAD...... If you are reading this......At least let us know you are interested in standing behind your product!*

opcorn:


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## Henry Hefner

Brine said:


> *CAMO-CLAD...... If you are reading this......At least let us know you are interested in standing behind your product!*
> 
> opcorn:



+1


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## Zum

Henry Hefner said:


> Brine said:
> 
> 
> 
> *CAMO-CLAD...... If you are reading this......At least let us know you are interested in standing behind your product!*
> 
> opcorn:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> +1
Click to expand...

You diffenitly deserve a response.
Hopefully they will atleast try to explain what may of happened.


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## michiganman18

keep bugging them and telling them that you will be sharing this experience with your friends and on the websites you are a part of. Just keep annoying them, they might replace/refund the product just to get you off their back


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## caveman

I do not mien nothing neg, about it being cosmetic and i do feel your disappointment.Just keep calling and e-mailing them EVERY DAY!!!!!
I had a dodge truck that the paint was coming off of,dealer said there was nothing he could do it was out of warranty. a few month's,after calling and e-mailing them EVERYDAY for about 4 month's dodge repainted no charge.

the squeaky wheel gets the grease


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## montanafishingrods

I know this is my first post here, but I have had problems dealing with camoclad in the past. And it was only for getting a price quote. Contacted several times and then went through the rep of the specialty camoflage who said he would pass on the request personally. Still no call or quote. Since its a special pattern that I am a dealer of I cant just use their standard prices. Needless to say Im not happy with their service so far, and now I see this. Looks like I will just forget about my plans for using their product. Had 4 vehicles, 2 snowmobiles, and 2 boats that were going to be done between my partner and I. Guess not.


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## Quackrstackr

I know several people that have had less than stellar results after applying that stuff to duck boats.

It's just glorified contact paper and doesn't do particularly well with abuse and constant contact with water.


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## dirtleg

would really love to see more on how you built the polling platform, this is EXACTLY what i want on my jon for fishing the oyster bars at cedar key, please shoot me and email or post more pics! [email protected]


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## Lawdog

Howdy. Found this forum while researching stuff for my new boat. Amazing work and I love this site. I'll contribute soon. 

Anyway, I just ordered up some Camoclad for my jon and was curious what ever happened with them. Did they ever respond? Any answers?


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## caveman

He has not been here since Oct 09 it was IMO a good mod.

I started living here lol during this build and enjoyed it very much .


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## River Rider

I know this is an old thread but I have the same boat. I have rebuilt my transom out of aluminum as well, and I am begining to put in floors. I noticed you used blue board as well and I have ran into a problem. The blue board is 2" thick and the ribs are 1 1/2". I wanted to put the aluminum floor right on the ribs but now they only touch the blue boar with a 1/2" gap between the ribs and floor. I was wondering if you had the same problem and what you did to remedy it. I appreciate the insight.


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## caveman

River Rader
You can't get the blue board at hd/lowes not in my neck of the woods anyway.Call a builders supply and you can get it 1.5 as this was the advice i was given in this tread.


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## River Rider

Oh. Thanks. I just happen to get some that was 2" and thought that was the thickness it comes in.


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## rusmir

great great work i like what u did with the boat... i was hoping the camo clad wouldnt do that ..


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## fender66

this is an "in my dreams" build! I'm very impressed with the entire project and end results..even with the camo mishap.
Great Job!


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## ihavenoideawhattoput

wyodeputy said:


> Brine said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just curious if you and/or Camo-clad figured out what happened.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry, I see that you posted at the end of April and I've been off the site for awhile - sorry for the delay. I made my case to April (in the office) and while on the phone, helped her navigate to my link and the page that showed what had happened. (' pictures worth a thousand words ... better than me describing it) I asked that she show it to the president/owner (Joe) and requested he call me back... never heard a word. I guess there's my answer. Don't really know what my next option is so I'm in limbo... camo is mostly cosmetic but it will affect the functionality when hunting this fall. The camo has adhered fine to the inside of the boat, and I know I could't paint the exterior to match (not even close) so I'm in limbo ... trying to figure out what to do to finish. Kinda dissapointing to my have the peak of the project and all the excitement of the first voyaged quashed like that. Nevertheless, the weather in Eastern Idaho has improved greatly and the snowed in ramps have thawed. Ryan and I have been on the river several times and the boat runs great. If I find a solution, I'll document it here (of course). Thanks for looking !
Click to expand...



Camoclad Vinyl should have required the user of 3M Primer 94 for install over curved surfaces or when heat is required, also 3M 3950 Edge Sealer.


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