# 12ft Jon Boat mod finally finished!!! - New Member/first mod



## jw2 (Feb 20, 2010)

After about 2 months of grueling stripping, sanding, sealing, cutting, nailing and carpeting, I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED!! I did ok about taking pictures in the begining but slacked off in the middle. I do have some pictures of the finished product so you can get the basic idea. Thanks for looking!

This is basically how I got the boat and trailer. At this point I had already started to remove the brown paint from tthe trailer.







Stripping the paint off the fenders and frame of the trailer.










Trailer is near completion. I stripped, sanded and painted everthing as well as a new winch, new running boards, carpet, lights, wheeles and tires.


















Boat before mod. The owner did a great job on the casting decks but the color just wasn't for me. Plust there was a few things i wanted to change. Replaced all 2x4s with 2x2s to lighten the load. Also decks were built using OSB and I wanted to replace with plywood.


















Tearing out the decks.






















I didn't take any pictures of the actual build. It was freezing and raining most of the time and took everything I had just to convince myself to go out and work on it. Here is the finished product though. I tore out EVERYTHING. Patched every rivet with West Marine's aluminum epoxy. (expensive at $20 a tube but definately worth it!) Stripped and sanded and painted every square inch of the boat, rebuilt transom, all framing, decks and new carpet. Used piano hinges on the two deck compartments and built a carpeted lid/battery compartment. Lastly I added new posts and seats. I still have a few things I want to do such as wire for lights and add depth finder, but over all I AM DONE!! I love the finished product and had a blast during the whole process. Hope ya like it! Thanks for everyone's input. Thanks REDTAIL for helping with the decks and ideas for a better build!


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## eezerz (Feb 20, 2010)

Is that the same boat? It can't be?
You do good work for sure.
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>


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## Brine (Feb 20, 2010)

Looks sharp.

So did you sandblast the boat and trailer?


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## mangelcc (Feb 20, 2010)

Looks Great!!!!!!!


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## jw2 (Feb 20, 2010)

Thanks guys! Means alot! No, I never got to sand blast, the funding just wasn't there. :lol: Just alot of stripping and sanding. Got some aircraft paint remover like you guys said and it worked a heck of alot better than the standard stripper.


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## Waterwings (Feb 20, 2010)

Great work! =D> 


Would never know it's the same boat looking at the before pics.


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## mangelcc (Feb 20, 2010)

Did you use 3/4 inch plyboard???


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## jw2 (Feb 20, 2010)

mangelcc said:


> Did you use 3/4 inch plyboard???



No, I used 7/16. I was trying to lighten it up as much as I could. I was a little leary about using such a thin sheet, but the bracing underneith is pretty stout and it actually turned out pretty sturdy.


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## mangelcc (Feb 20, 2010)

Is that a 1232 or a 1236?? I have a 1236 that I used 1/2 worked great. It started to bow a little after a year. Still pretty sturdy.


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## jw2 (Feb 20, 2010)

mangelcc said:


> Is that a 1232 or a 1236?? I have a 1236 that I used 1/2 worked great. It started to bow a little after a year. Still pretty sturdy.



It is a 1236 Sears Gamefisher. Yeah, bowing is definately my biggest fear. I'm gonna see how she does with the weight in there now, and if/when I ever have to replace the decks, i'll probably go with some thicker stuff.


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## mangelcc (Feb 20, 2010)

I just bought a 1448 that Im in the process of decking out. Im going to use 3/4 plyboard. Im going to sell my 1236 crestliner. Its been a great boat, I actually fished out of it today. It really does good with the 9.9 pushing her.


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## dixie_boysles (Feb 21, 2010)

So u used aluminum epoxy to seal leaky rivets...I just bought some loctite marine epoxy, you think this would work good as well? I am very new to this restoring jonboats thing.


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## dyeguy1212 (Feb 21, 2010)

marine epoxy is marine epoxy in that situation...


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## dixie_boysles (Feb 21, 2010)

dyeguy1212 said:


> marine epoxy is marine epoxy in that situation...


What do u mean? Sorry man, like I said I am VERY new to this. My very first boat mod. I don't know what peoples opinions are on marine epoxy. I have seached and seen all kinds of different ways to fix rivets. One way is to "rebuck" them and seal. I've seen others have theirs welded. I am leaning that way on two front rivets but I'm not sure. What do u think?


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## Truckmechanic (Feb 21, 2010)

Good work...boat looks brand new.


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## S&amp;MFISH (Feb 21, 2010)

The resto looks real nice ,jw.Good Job.


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## Specknreds (Feb 21, 2010)

Wow nice build!!! You look like country singer Tracy Bird in your picture!!LOL!!


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## jw2 (Feb 21, 2010)

Specknreds said:


> Wow nice build!!! You look like country singer Tracy Bird in your picture!!LOL!!



HAHAHA thanks, maybe if I were about 100lbs lighter!


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## jw2 (Feb 21, 2010)

dixie_boysles said:


> So u used aluminum epoxy to seal leaky rivets...I just bought some loctite marine epoxy, you think this would work good as well? I am very new to this restoring jonboats thing.



I'm really not sure man. This is my first build. I do know that the West Marine aluminum epoxy is some great stuff though. It can even be put on under water. Stuff hardens to metal basically. They say it can even be tapped for a bolt or screw.


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## jw2 (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks for everyone's kind words!


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## Nevillizer (Feb 22, 2010)

Good job. =D>


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## Froggy (Feb 23, 2010)

I like how you did them runners on the trailer, same boat I have, man them seats are high....two guys packing heat, lots of weight... :wink:


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## Froggy (Feb 23, 2010)

I like how you did them runners on the trailer, same boat I have, man them seats are high....two guys packing heat, lots of weight... :wink:


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## Froggy (Feb 23, 2010)

I like how you did them runners on the trailer, same boat I have, man them seats are high....two guys packing heat, lots of weight...


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## Froggy (Feb 23, 2010)

Mmmmmmm, dont know what happen, sorry.


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## jw2 (Feb 24, 2010)

Froggy said:


> I like how you did them runners on the trailer, same boat I have, man them seats are high....two guys packing heat, lots of weight...



I know, I'm a little nervous about it. I just hope there is is enough weight in the bottom to to balance it. [-o<


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## D-Man (Feb 24, 2010)

Great job! =D> =D>


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## jw2 (Feb 24, 2010)

D-Man said:


> Great job! =D> =D>



Thanks!


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## Doug (Feb 24, 2010)

jw2,

That was a great rebuild, looked totally different. Hope you catch a lot of fish this year and enjoy the mods you've completed.


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## dyeguy1212 (Feb 24, 2010)

dixie_boysles said:


> dyeguy1212 said:
> 
> 
> > marine epoxy is marine epoxy in that situation...
> ...



Sorry, haven't check this thread in a while. I guess I misread the question.. I thought you were asking if the loctite marine epoxy would work, compared to other brands.

You pretty much nailed it.. fixing rivets is a crap shoot. In my opinion, if they are still really tight, but just leaky, i'd throw some epoxy on it and call it good. But if they are visibly loose, I'd rebuck them, or weld it up if I had the resources.


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## jw2 (Feb 25, 2010)

Doug said:


> jw2,
> 
> That was a great rebuild, looked totally different. Hope you catch a lot of fish this year and enjoy the mods you've completed.



thank you! I hope so too! Can't wait to get out there and learn some new tricks!


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