# YJs 1236 Semi V Mod



## Y_J (Jun 17, 2014)

Ok. Gonna go ahead and get this thread started.
I recently purchased and old beat up 12' (actually 11' 5") tin boat and a Gamefisher 3.5 HP OB. The motor tried to start but would soon choke out and the boat its self has been pretty abused and I think some of that abuse came from a semi small tree falling on it. No trailer as yet but I'm looking on CL and eBay. Here are a few pics of what I had acquired. BTW I got them knowing it was a project boat for only $150.00





















Thought I had a couple pics of the motor in there but that will have to come tomorrow or so. The motor wasn't working but after giving the carb a cleaning she started up kind of rough at first but as the fresh fuel flowed thru it got better. One problem I need to address is that the idle jet doesn't seem to do anything at all so I think I need to pull that out and try to clean it up. It also needs a new float bowl gasket as it leaks just a touch.

I've been trying to use some boards and C-clamps to straighten out some of the dents on the boat and need to repair the splits in 3 or 4 places on the gunnels and top center of the aluminum on the transom. The boards and C-clamps aren't doing much of any good.

I want to add a relatively low deck up on the bow to the back of the front bench, probably level with the bench but that will only be for hatch to store the anchor, PFDs, ropes, etc. I'm also going to put a flat floor in but add some of the pink foam under that. 

So there ya'll have it. That's what I have to work with. I live on a VA disability pension right now but eventually want a longer wider tin boat and a larger motor.
I have absolutely no idea what make or year the boat it but I know it's old. No HIN anywhere on it but there is a 5 digit serial number stamped on the inside upper right (looking aft) of the transom. So I'm told, by the DNR that I need to start the registration process and have a hull inspection, so in July that's going to get done.

What ever thoughts, ideas, or input ya'll might have, I'm all ears. I need all the help I can get as this will be my first ever project on a boat.


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## fool4fish1226 (Jun 17, 2014)

Do a leak test and then address the leaks if any. I then would put that motor on and go fishing to see how you like it mod from there. Good luck!!!!! :beer:


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## Y_J (Jun 17, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356071#p356071 said:


> fool4fish1226 » 17 Jun 2014, 06:23[/url]"]Do a leak test and then address the leaks if any. I then would put that motor on and go fishing to see how you like it mod from there. Good luck!!!!! :beer:



Already a done deal. It's not registered just yet. Got to wait till the 1st to get the $$ for it. A friend of mine and I put it in the back of my truck and went to a small lake and put her in, put on the motor and took a cruse once around the lake (it's about 2 miles long and half a mile wide. LOL one thing for sure, with that 3.5 hp motor it sure ain't gonna win no races. We could find not one single leak. Packed her back up and came home. But you can bet, once that registration is in, IT BE FISHIN' TIME!


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## Y_J (Jun 18, 2014)

Here is a small update from last nights post. Adding a couple pics of the OB and one of the sanding I've been doing on the bench seats, so far.



Gamefisher 3.5 HP - z20D35956 by Herb Dunn (YosemiteJunkie), on Flickr



Gamefisher 3.5 HP - z20D35957 by Herb Dunn (YosemiteJunkie), on Flickr



Tin Boat Sanding - z20D35960 by Herb Dunn (YosemiteJunkie), on Flickr

So, I took off the old junk wood from the transom and will be putting on New Aluminum Diamond Plate on the outside and new marine wood on the inside. After that it should be stout enough to handle what ever OB upgrade I put on there (within reason). Was thinking of a 9.9 HP and a transom mount TM.

I've also started sanding on the bench seats but that is slow going since for the time being all I've got is a small orbital sander. I'll be getting a disk sander along with brass wire brush for it in August. That should make things go a bit faster. Then I'll be able to prime and paint, both, the inside and outside. I do know the inside will be a lighter color plus I'll be adding a wood slat floor to make it flat.

I welcome any input, comments, critiques, or ideas.


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## bobby_r67 (Jun 18, 2014)

I have an 80's Myers 14 footer. Looking forward to see your progress.


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## Y_J (Jun 19, 2014)

Thank you, Bobby. I know for right now it's kind of a slow going cause the $$ just isn't there for supplies and tools. But come Aug. it's on, unless I'm fishing


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## Y_J (Jun 19, 2014)

Is anyone aware of any "aftermarket" Gunnel tracks that are not abusive to the eyes? The past couple of days I have done extensive internet searches and just not coming up with anything that I like. But then there really isn't that much out there that I've been able to find.
Today I kind of started contemplating the idea of fashioning my own but not to sure just how well that might work out. But got a couple ideas floating around in my head.
Any ideas or thought or your wisdom is surely welcome


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## Y_J (Jun 28, 2014)

Got a couple of tool type questions for ya'll. I'm getting ready to purchase and Angle Grinder and a Riveter. Based on your experience for working on these tin boats, what size do ya'll recommend to double duty as a grinder and polisher? I looked at some at Harbor Freight today and I'm not to thrilled with what I saw. All they had as far as any power tools goes were of "Chicago Electric" brand and I've never even heard of that brand name. But they did have sizes from 4" up to about 8".

Question 2: I wanted to get a Riveter but not to sure about just what to get. I've never used one before so that is new territory to me. Do the hand riveters work ok or should I be looking for a powered model? I'll need to go thru at least 1/2" of wood (and washer), the transom aluminum, and 1/8" diamond plate aluminum. Should I put the diamond plate outside the transom and wood inside? or visa versa? And what type of rivets should I be using?

Looking for your experience here and any ideas you might have. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.


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## shu2kill (Jul 9, 2014)

suscribed since i have one very similar to that one....


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## Y_J (Jul 10, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=359014#p359014 said:


> shu2kill » July 9th, 2014, 11:11 pm[/url]"]suscribed since i have one very similar to that one....


Great. You don't happen to know what make of boat it is would ya? I've been trying to figure this one out ever since I got it.


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## shu2kill (Jul 14, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=359136#p359136 said:


> Y_J » 10 Jul 2014, 23:54[/url]"]
> 
> 
> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=359014#p359014 said:
> ...



sorry, i cant help you on that. according to my dad, this boat was purchased by my granddad when he (my father) was about 10 years old... my dad is now 53, so, the boat is about 45 years old...


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## shu2kill (Jul 14, 2014)

you can see pictures of mine here:

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=35110


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## Y_J (Jul 14, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=359569#p359569 said:


> shu2kill » July 14th, 2014, 10:18 pm[/url]"]you can see pictures of mine here:
> 
> https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=35110



Pretty darn close but not the same. Mine has rounded gunwales and gets slightly narrower towards the stern.


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## Y_J (Jul 24, 2014)

Ok.. Small update here.
A few days ago I made a trip to Harbor Freight, and picked up a 4 1/2" angle grinder, some cut-off wheels that where on sale, and a SS 4 1/2" SS brush for paint removal. Been working on that the last couple of days. Then today I picked up an 1800 PSI Pressure washer to make sure all is CLEAN. Next up will be the Hull inspection slated to this Sat. the 26th of July to acquire an HID # and more info on the boat itself.

The past few nights I've spent several hours researching to figure out just what kind of boat this is. Make, Model, etc.
Last night I came to the conclusion that it was a Sears Gamefisher. 11' 5" fishing utility boat. Based on photo comparisons, focusing on the actual length, and the length of the splash guard, # of bench seats, and the transom bracing style and the fact that there is no drain plug in the transom. 

So far I've got the gunnels sanded down to bare aluminum and most of the bench seats done. (working on the insides.) then I'll spray a couple coats of Self etching primer on the inside and start grinding on the outside. Along with that the plan is to use marine plywood and put in a flat floor with insulation foam from Home Depot under that. A small deck up on the bow, with a hatch door for storage of the TM battery, anchor, and life jackets, and ropes. I'm thinking to take that the height of 3 or 4 inches below the top of the gunnels. All for storage area.

I was planing on putting a bilge pump back by the transom and yesterday started thinking of maybe a PVC tube thru the transom brace and thru the transom and put a drain plug in that. What are the thoughts on that from ya'll???
Shall I put that in the center or maybe off to the side of the transom bracing (no tube required)? Or, I could put one on each side of the bracing.

Also, I'm thinking of a tachometer that can clamp onto the spark plug wire of the OB Motor. (at least for the time being). Any ideas as to what kind and where I can find one like that?

In the next few days I'll add some update photos to give you an idea of the progress.
As always, thanks for any input and thoughts you can add here. I greatly appreciate any help I can get. This is my first rebuild but trying my my best to learn from ya'll.


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## Timtactical (Jul 24, 2014)

I would install a drain plug, but I wouldn't plug the bilge pump. You want that to run out above the water level normally out the side of the boat.


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## Y_J (Jul 24, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=360724#p360724 said:


> Timtactical » July 24th, 2014, 12:52 am[/url]"]I would install a drain plug, but I wouldn't plug the bilge pump. You want that to run out above the water level normally out the side of the boat.


Yep. When I was out grinding paint off today, on the transom, I got to thinking I could put two drain plugs in. One on each side of the Transom brace (about 18" long).  sound logical to me anyway.


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## SumDumGuy (Jul 26, 2014)

tach....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hour-Meter-Tachometer-Tach-Digital-LCD-YAMAHA-ATV-Motorcycle-Generator-Outboard-/121317487021?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c3f15f1ad

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hour-Meter-Tach-Tachometer-Boat-Outboard-Mercury-Yamaha-/400230297847?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d2f95b0f7&vxp=mtr


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## Y_J (Jul 27, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361036#p361036 said:


> SumDumGuy » July 26th, 2014, 2:25 am[/url]"]tach....
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hour-Meter-Tachometer-Tach-Digital-LCD-YAMAHA-ATV-Motorcycle-Generator-Outboard-/121317487021?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c3f15f1ad
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hour-Meter-Tach-Tachometer-Boat-Outboard-Mercury-Yamaha-/400230297847?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d2f95b0f7&vxp=mtr


Right on.. these are exactly what I was wanting to get.. Really appreciate it.. Thank...


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## Y_J (Jul 27, 2014)

Ok.. how about some what of an update. As mentioned somewhere above, I've been sanding/grinding on the boat to strip the paint that's on it.
Today (July 26) I had the inspection on the boat and got the all clear for use and finish of registration. The Ranger said that I could use the boat immediately. Woot yeah. I can finally get this puppy in the water. So, my buddy and I headed home to pick up the OB, PFDs, paddle, etc. and headed to the Chattahoochee River, bout 15 miles from home. Wasn't doing any fishing as yet. Just cruising and enjoying being on the water. OB is a Gamefisher 3.5 HP OB and the boat is a 12 ft Semi-V and I believe it to be an OLD Sears at that. We first headed upstream as I still didn't trust the motor to do it's job, figuring that if it stopped doing it's job, it's a lot easier to float back down stream than visa versa. Went up a couple miles or so, (quite some time with only 3.5 horses helpin us out). Ran up to a weir that I didn't want to chance going over so turned around headed back down stream. We had passed an OLD bridge that went straight into trees on both sides of the river and pulled up to the mid-river pilon and tied off for about an hour, rest, take some photos, give my dog a break (he's an old chocolate deer head taco dog and will be 14 come august 3rd). Even took a swim while we were there. We then headed on down stream and as we got closer to the boat ramp we decided that the motor thus far has been doing pretty good so we decided to go on down stream for a bit. About a mile or so we come up on another weir. OK time to turn around and head back to the ramp. Heading upstream, we got about 200 yrds or so and the motor decided to sputter out and die. Tried real quick to get it going again to no avail. Told my buddy to grab the paddle and try to get us over to the shore while i kept trying to get the motor going. Got over there and tied off on an old log. Pulled the fuel line off the carb and opened the petcock back up and fuel was flowing freely. Pulled the spark plug and it was dry with no build up on it. Only thing left I could think of at the time was the float bowl but didn't have a wrench to fit that bolt. Tried adjusting a jet valve or two and no go.
So we sat there trying to figure out what we were going to do now. We could see some clearing down stream on the other side of the river and eventually decided that my buddy would latch the keys to my truck to his PFD, swim across the river, and go for help. Buddy, (my dog) and I stayed at the boat and waited to see Jerry (my buddy) on the little road across the river with my truck. Figuring that when he got there then I would untie the boat, float downstream with the motor raised out of the water, and I would paddle my AZZZ off trying to reach the far shore on our way down. Now it get's interesting. After an hour or so my back was hurting pretty bad and I started trying to stretch it side to side. I stretched to far to the starboard side and the boat flipped over upside down from the weight change. Buddy and I both went under, He swam into some bushes right there and promptly got lost, I started trying to get the boat back upright, realising what all got lost in the mishap. For starters, My Canon 20D DSLR with a 18-135 mm lens, MY buddies zip lock bag with his wallet, cell phone, and keys, both bags of my sunflower seeds, my zip lock bag with my wallet and cellphone filled up with water but managed to stay close by. I spent the next hour or so trying to empty the boat of water by splashing it out by hand. An hour or so later I had enough water out that maybe I could get higher up on shore and get in the boat and position myself on the center bench to try to balance out the weight. Still haven't found Buddy. I tried to get back into the boat and flipped it again. Back to bailing by hand again. Getting real tired. after another hour, no sign of Jerry, my friend, or Buddy, my dog, all my smokes got wet, my lighters floated away, No soda pop left. Next thing I know the fire dept. boat showed up. The got ahold of my boat, had me untie from the log I was tied onto, had me try to find Buddy, he was under all the brush sitting up on a log out of the water saying, "all these years I've lived just so you could bring me out here in this boat and try to bump me off".  I managed to get him pulled out and start making our way to the fire dept. boat and tripped myself up on an underwater log, and buddy and I both went under, again. Finally got him up on the fire dept. boat, I moved to the back of their boat where they had a foot stop, got me up on the boat, the managed to pull my boat up where they could get the water out of it, tied it off to the back of theirs, and headed up stream. Buddy was relieved to be back on a dry surface again, and I was tuckered out. When we got back to the launch ramp, I was like, Oh S--t. Two fire truck, 6 sheriffs cars each from two different counties. and a bunch of ticked off people cause they had the boat ramp closed until they got me and buddy back in.
Thus makes the first day my boat was legally allowed on the water.
Hint: A 3.5 HP motor is NO MATCH for the Chattahoochee River. A Semi-V boat is NO MATCH for the Chattahoochee River. And My friend, Jerry swears he'll never go boating again on the Chattahoochee River.


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## ccm (Jul 27, 2014)

Glad you made it out OK, things could have always been worse. I ended up in a similar but not so bad situation the first time I took my boat out. My 2hp mariner flooded due to a stuck carb float. I ended up stuck 2.5 miles up a winding non flowing creek. I had to paddle back, I didn't have a regular paddle either, it was home made from a push broom handle & a broiling pan. It was windy so every time I went around a bend the boat spun 360, it took me 4 hours to get back home but what was worse was having to go past a large crown of crappie fisherman on the way back to the ramp.


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## fishwv (Jul 27, 2014)

YJ the main thing is no one was hurt, just a few damp spirits. I'm following your build, I just traded up a little Sea King 10' jon for lake fishing myself. I haven't got started on it yet, work has been very busy and too many home projects at this time. Glad you all are alright bud, and thank you for your service!

Joe


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## PatinIdaho (Jul 27, 2014)

Glad your OK!!!!!.
Things like this make life fun and when your sitting around years from now you can look back and say.
Man remember that time.


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## shu2kill (Jul 27, 2014)

i was about to ask if you had already taken the boat to the water, when i read your last post.... as you already discovered, this boats are really unstable.... i have managed to fish standing up when all by myself, but with another person, its impossible, if one is going to lean over to pick a fish, the other one must move to the other side. thats why im fabricating a set of pontoons, to help me stabilize the boat and hopefully allow me to add raised seats. i will only use the boat on a very small electric only lake, so maybe the pontoons are not a good option for you, but its something to consider, specially now that you realized how easy it is to flip over the boat.


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## Y_J (Jul 29, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361141#p361141 said:


> fishwv » July 27th, 2014, 9:46 am[/url]"]YJ the main thing is no one was hurt, just a few damp spirits. I'm following your build, I just traded up a little Sea King 10' jon for lake fishing myself. I haven't got started on it yet, work has been very busy and too many home projects at this time. Glad you all are alright bud, and thank you for your service!
> 
> Joe



Thanks, for sure.. I did learn a few thing from the experience. Keep that boat to lakes only, Carry a small mop bucket in the boat in case of swamping again. Don't rely on zip lock freezer bags, tie the emergency paddle to the boat, just in case, Pick up some waterPROOF dry boxes for the cell phones, keys, etc. Make sure the photographic gear is in a "floating" Dry box. Find a flat bottom Jon boat for the rivers with a bigger OB motor. There's a few more things also but the list is to long for now .


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## Y_J (Jul 29, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361142#p361142 said:


> PatinIdaho » July 27th, 2014, 10:16 am[/url]"]Glad your OK!!!!!.
> Things like this make life fun and when your sitting around years from now you can look back and say.
> Man remember that time.


Yep, they sure do. I actually had a pretty good time of it considering the possible outcome that could have been. My friend is still pretty ticked at me about loosing all his stuff, (wallet, cell phone, keys, etc), I'm pretty sore about loosing my camera and lens. It had been a great camera for the several years that I had it. But was starting to look for an upgrade camera body that would work with all my lenses. So now I just have more of an incentive in that aspect. I hate being without a camera. I still have to get a new cell phone come payday also. I look at it all this way, it was way more than 50% of our day on the river was awesome, so all in all, it was a good day. hehehe Now if I could just get Jerry to see it that way.


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## Y_J (Jul 29, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361147#p361147 said:


> shu2kill » July 27th, 2014, 10:52 am[/url]"]i was about to ask if you had already taken the boat to the water, when i read your last post.... as you already discovered, this boats are really unstable.... i have managed to fish standing up when all by myself, but with another person, its impossible, if one is going to lean over to pick a fish, the other one must move to the other side. thats why im fabricating a set of pontoons, to help me stabilize the boat and hopefully allow me to add raised seats. i will only use the boat on a very small electric only lake, so maybe the pontoons are not a good option for you, but its something to consider, specially now that you realized how easy it is to flip over the boat.



Really. This boat flipped way to easy and in my opinion, the foam under the bench seats just isn't enough floatation. When I put the flat floor in, it WILL be supported by closed cell foam, front to back. And I'm convinced that raised seats are out of the question for this boat. I'll just add some 3/4" wood to the top of the benches, Swivel brackets, and comfortable fishing seats. And add a long handled landing net to the gear so I don't have to lean over so far.


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## Y_J (Jul 29, 2014)

Thank you, everyone, for your comments and thoughts. I really appreciate them.
Hey, what the heck, life is a learning experience. Might as well learn all we can while we can.


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## shu2kill (Jul 29, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361390#p361390 said:


> Y_J » 29 Jul 2014, 02:12[/url]"]
> 
> 
> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361147#p361147 said:
> ...



yes, they flip very easy. i would higly recommend a set of pontoons, i just finished mine today. i tested them on the local lake, and i could stand up and lean over the side, and the boat would remain stable. its so stable i think i will add raised bassboat-like seats to it.


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## Y_J (Jul 30, 2014)

What size of PVC Pipe did you use? If you don't mind me asking.


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## shu2kill (Jul 30, 2014)

ok course not!!

i used 6" pipe, 5 feet long per side. im thinking maybe i will add a cone shape made out of fiberglass to make ir more aerodynamic, for now i just used regular caps. they told me PVC is expensive in the US, i live in Mexico and a 10 feet tube was $20, the 4 caps were another $10. 

there are a lot of ways of fixing the pontoons to the boat, we went with an adjustable system. if you need more pics or details i would be glad to provide them. i had the boat abandoned because i thought it wasnt worth the hassle, now im thinking i could even add a small deck to it. so, if this will make your boat more enjoyable for you, i will be happy to help.


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## Y_J (Jul 30, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361537#p361537 said:


> shu2kill » July 30th, 2014, 1:37 am[/url]"]ok course not!!
> 
> i used 6" pipe, 5 feet long per side. im thinking maybe i will add a cone shape made out of fiberglass to make ir more aerodynamic, for now i just used regular caps. they told me PVC is expensive in the US, i live in Mexico and a 10 feet tube was $20, the 4 caps were another $10.


Thanks shu2kill. I'm going to look into what I might be able to do with this. I appreciate the come back on it.


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## shu2kill (Jul 30, 2014)

hopefully you can make something like that. i just returned from the lake, we tested it with 2 people, and we were able to fish standing up without a problem. it became so stable, im drilling the benches to install the pedestal seats i have on the bassboat. at one time we were both leaning over one side, and the boat would barely lean a little bit, nothing to worry about.


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## Y_J (Jul 31, 2014)

Woot yeah. Right on. Thanks for the report on your test.
I was telling my fishing buddy about it today. May look kind of odd but hey, if it works .... =D>


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## shu2kill (Jul 31, 2014)

i know it may look odd, maybe a little redneck, but if it makes the ride and the fishing more comfortable (and dry), i dont care how it looks....


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## Y_J (Jul 31, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361708#p361708 said:


> shu2kill » July 31st, 2014, 10:41 am[/url]"]i know it may look odd, maybe a little redneck, but if it makes the ride and the fishing more comfortable (and dry), i dont care how it looks....


Hehehehe.. That's ok.. I'm part redneck anyway. Got to go back and look at your rig again to see how ya got those pontoons connected on.. Thanks again..


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## shu2kill (Aug 1, 2014)

ok, if you have any question just let me know. hopefully tomorrow i will finish the first stage of the boat modifications, including carpeting and some other things, i will keep my thread updated and i will post better pics of the pontoons and how everything is assembled.


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## Y_J (Aug 1, 2014)

Will do and thank you very much..


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## SumDumGuy (Aug 1, 2014)

I'm waiting for more tales of adventure..... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


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## Y_J (Aug 2, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361883#p361883 said:


> SumDumGuy » August 1st, 2014, 1:51 pm[/url]"]I'm waiting for more tales of adventure..... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


LOL.. Got to get back in the water again but got to get the motor running again before I can do that. She spent quit abit of time under water. Any thoughts on what to expect?


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## SumDumGuy (Aug 2, 2014)

I would expect to find the thing full of water. 

Drain hat sucker and fog everything real good. Hopefully you'll get a few hot days to evap around the electrical, etc.


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## Y_J (Aug 2, 2014)

That's what I"m hoping. Unfortunately we've got rain and high humidity days in the forecast for the next week. But hasn't stopped me from grinding the paint off the boat in between showers. And......
The registration card and stickers for the boat came in the mail today. Woooot. Fully legal now until 2017


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## SumDumGuy (Aug 2, 2014)

2017? that's nice..... I gotta redo every year (probably so they can raise rates on everyone if they want to :shock: ).


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## Y_J (Aug 2, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362040#p362040 said:


> SumDumGuy » August 2nd, 2014, 10:24 pm[/url]"]2017? that's nice..... I gotta redo every year (probably so they can raise rates on everyone if they want to :shock: ).



Damn.. that sux. Yep here in Georgia they do them for 3 yrs at a time. Gotta love it.. Just wish they did that for the autos..


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## Y_J (Aug 16, 2014)

Ok.. Update time.  I actually feel like I got something accomplished on my tin.
I had been grinding on getting the paint off until I completely wore out the stripping disk and wire brush on my angle grinder, so that's on hold until payday.
Today with a bit of help from my dremel tool grinding wheel and my neighbors drill I managed to grind a flat spot on all the rivets that needed it then drilled them out and got all three bench seats out of the boat.

The aft and middle benches had braces in the center from the bench bottom to the boat floor and I wanted to leave the braces in but I couldn't stand on my head long enough to drill out the rivets on the bench bottoms, so I opted to drill out the rivets going from the braces thru the hull. Figured out just which rivets they were, rolled the boat over so I could get to the bottom. I flattened to round tops of the rivets with the dremel then drilled them out. Whyalla.... Benches out... 
Tomorrow I'll give it all a good pressure washing then start figuring out just how I'm gonna get a flat floor inside. I don't want to make it to high but would like a little more than just 36" also. I'm planning on a small deck up on the bow, mostly to create a storage area for the battery, PFDs, anchor, etc. and a small deck in the aft for the spare fuel jug and bilge pump and baling bucket.

As usual, any comments, ideas and thought are invited and welcome. I learn from ya'll so please bring it on...


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 16, 2014)

Get a wire cup brush for your grinder and knock it out. I took my 16 foot hull down to bare aluminum with it. Go with a 3" diameter or you will burn up your grinder.


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## Y_J (Aug 17, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=363489#p363489 said:


> smackdaddy53 » August 16th, 2014, 1:55 pm[/url]"]Get a wire cup brush for your grinder and knock it out. I took my 16 foot hull down to bare aluminum with it. Go with a 3" diameter or you will burn up your grinder.


Thanks, smackdaddy. That's what I was planning on getting next payday, maybe a couple of them so I got a spare on hand.
Today I did a pressure wash job on the boat and about half the paint that was still on there just magically disappeared. I was somewhat surprised to find no primer under the paint thru it all. Onward and upward. Tomorrow I plan on breaking out the duck tape and twine to layout where the flat floor will be and get an idea of just where I need the frame work and how much foam I'll need for under the floor..


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 17, 2014)

Make sure you mask up, all that aluminum/paint dust is no good for your lungs and the wires come off the cup brush and turn into projectiles that will stick thru jeans.


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## shu2kill (Aug 17, 2014)

hey YJ, look how stable my V became after the pontoons. my friend was flipping and pitching standing on the front bench all morning long.


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## Y_J (Aug 17, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=363553#p363553 said:


> smackdaddy53 » August 17th, 2014, 12:01 pm[/url]"]Make sure you mask up, all that aluminum/paint dust is no good for your lungs and the wires come off the cup brush and turn into projectiles that will stick thru jeans.


Oh I got to agree with ya there.. My legs and bare feet both had little metal hairs sticking out of them from the last wire brush I used on the boat. Ouch.


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## scottphillips208 (Aug 20, 2014)

> Tomorrow I plan on breaking out the duck tape and twine to layout where the flat floor will be and get an idea of just where I need the frame work and how much foam I'll need for under the floor.



Hi Y_J,

An easy way to mark where the floor will meet the sides of your boat is to get the boat siting pretty level then fill it up a little bit with water. After the water has settled and isn't sloshing around, use a pencil to trace this inner waterline. After draining the water out then it's just a matter of taking measurements from waterline to waterline across the boat then lofting them up on the plywood. I did this two boats ago and it worked like a charm.

Good luck with your project!

Scott

P.S. I've had better luck with cup brushes over the regular wire wheels on grinders. Every time I've used a regular wire wheel I end up looking like a steel-clad porcupine. I also burned up a Harbor Freight grinder and a Dewalt model using too big of a cup brush. Now I just use small cup brushes on my grinder.


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## Y_J (Aug 20, 2014)

Now that is just to simple.  Wish I had thought of that one but it makes perfect sense. I tried making the duct tape and string thing work and could never get it taunt enough to hang and bubble level on (made for hanging on a line). 
At this point right now I layed a larger bubble level on the flattest part of the inside of the hull then put a stack of boards under the bow to bring it up to where the bubble level was dead center. So now, next step, as you suggested, fill it with water to where I want the floor to be (about 3" up) then trace with a pencil around the water line. I love that idea. Thanks so much for the heads up on it.. I really appreciate it a lot.


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## scottphillips208 (Aug 20, 2014)

You're welcome, YJ. Keep the pictures coming!

Scott


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## Y_J (Aug 20, 2014)

Just to let you know, that water fill trick worked out great. LOL, got it all done then realised I still need to get the rest of the paint out of the inside of the boat. Duhh
Since my property is a hill no matter which way you turn, I had the bow down hill, laid a 3-way bubble level in the bottom center, lifted the bow by stacking wood under the keel until the bubble was dead center, then used a small log on the side, bushed up under until that bubble was dead center. Taped up the holes in the bottom, (from the bench supports) then threw the hose in and filled to just above the rivet line in the back of the boat. took the hose out, sat down with a cup of coffee to let the water settle down, sharpened my pencil then just fallowed the water line. Way to easy 

Thanks again for the idea. I really appreciate it.


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## scottphillips208 (Aug 23, 2014)

YJ,

Glad to hear the water trick worked! What material do you plan to use for your floor?

Scott


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## Y_J (Aug 23, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=364194#p364194 said:


> scottphillips208 » August 23rd, 2014, 12:55 am[/url]"]YJ,
> 
> Glad to hear the water trick worked! What material do you plan to use for your floor?
> 
> Scott


Under the floor will be the insulation foam (pink) from Home Depot. The floor it's self I wanted to use aluminum but I can't seem to find it where I can afford it. So, I'm thinking use aluminum for the framing/bracing then marine plywood sealed with two or three coats of spar varnish to seal it with. I was originally wanting to use marine carpet on that but the more I think about it, I don't want to have to spend who knows how much time digging hooks out of the carpet so leaning towards the vinyl. Fore and aft will be low decks with hatches about the same level as the original benches with storage for the battery and spare fuel jug and nav lights when not in use and a bailing bucket. On top of those will be the comfortable seats on the SliderG5's. Then all the way up front will be a higher, larger deck for storage of items like the anchor, spare ropes, tools and PFDs.
hehehe Guess I got a bit carried away on the answer but what the hell.


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 23, 2014)

Tuffcoat the deck. It is worth it!


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## Y_J (Aug 23, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=364244#p364244 said:


> smackdaddy53 » August 23rd, 2014, 8:21 pm[/url]"]Tuffcoat the deck. It is worth it!


I hadn't even considered that one. I'm gonna go check into it right now.. Thanks for the idea..


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 25, 2014)

Y_J said:


> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=364244#p364244 said:
> 
> 
> > smackdaddy53 » August 23rd, 2014, 8:21 pm[/url]"]Tuffcoat the deck. It is worth it!
> ...


Prep is key but you will not be disappointed if you do it right.


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## Y_J (Aug 25, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=364368#p364368 said:


> smackdaddy53 » August 25th, 2014, 12:47 am[/url]"]
> 
> 
> Y_J said:
> ...


Yep. I got on their site last night and went thru it and watched a bunch of their videos as well. Not to shabby from what I can see. Only problem I could find with the site is that I could find nowhere where they mentioned pricing. That sux. Will investigate further.


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## Y_J (Aug 29, 2014)

Got a question for ya'll.
Earlier today I made a trip to HF and picked up a couple of their cheap sawhorses to lift the boat up off of the ground so I can work on it without having to stoop over to do the work. I haven't even done any work on it yet using the sawhorses and I'm already regretting getting them. The tops are only about 2.5 ft long and about 1.5 inches wide. They're so flimsy if you touch the boat it falls off of the sawhorses. UGGGGG.
Now the ???. Has anyone here used these things or something similar to them? If so how did you solve the problem? I thought about getting some boards and screw them into the top of the sawhorse but I'm afraid they will just rip out.
Any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated.
Also picked up some new wire cups and wheels for my angle grinder while I was there. Back to sanding the paint off the boat, I hope..


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 29, 2014)

You could make a set of very sturdy saw horses for much cheaper than the plastic ones. 2x4's, a saw and wood screws are about all you need to build them. Once you build them screw a couple of 2x4's on each of them to support the hull


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 29, 2014)

https://www.familyhandyman.com/video/device/mobile/t/62388142/sawhorse-plans.htm?m_n=true#.VAE4OHm9LCQ


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## Y_J (Aug 29, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=364874#p364874 said:


> smackdaddy53 » August 29th, 2014, 10:33 pm[/url]"]You could make a set of very sturdy saw horses for much cheaper than the plastic ones. 2x4's, a saw and wood screws are about all you need to build them. Once you build them screw a couple of 2x4's on each of them to support the hull


Got it, Mac.. Thanks.. Those on the link are cheaper than what I paid for them at HF. Appreciate it.


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## Y_J (Sep 5, 2014)

Ok question for ya'll.
I've been researching insurance for my boat. Not having very good luck at all.
I've seen on the forums here somewhere about $25-30 per year but the least I can seem to come up with is $120 per yr.
Where and who are you getting your insurance with and about how much is it per year?
Some won't even bother with the boat unless I insure my truck with them.. Need some big time help here, guys and gals.

Also as a small bit of and update on my rebuild (no photos at the moment) I'm just about done getting all the paint off and down to bare Aluminum and picked up a few cans of Self Etching Primer to get me started. Now, a ???? about that also. 
Once I put the primer on, what is the max time I should take before putting the first coat of paint on? I'm working off of a disability pension so $$$ don't come that easy so wondering if I should wait to put the primer on until nearly ready for the paint or if it is ok to put the primer on then paint when I can (if that makes any sense to ya). Also how may cans of primer should I be looking at for a 1236 boat for about 2-3 coats? (out side the hull only)


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## great white (Sep 5, 2014)

This is not meant to be a smartarse answer: follow directions on the side of the can.


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## onthewater102 (Sep 5, 2014)

The directions on the can don't address that question - at least not on the cans I've got. 

You want to be as close as possible. Within the same 24hr period is what most paint shops will tell you. The surface chemistry of the primer changes over time as it's exposed to the air, not to mention the longer it's primed the more likely you are to contaminate the surface.


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## great white (Sep 5, 2014)

Mine did. 

Top coat within a certain period of time or let dry for "X" days before top coat.

*If* the product gives direction then follow them. No one knows the product better than the manufacturer.


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## Y_J (Sep 6, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=365463#p365463 said:


> great white » September 5th, 2014, 5:39 am[/url]"]This is not meant to be a smartarse answer: follow directions on the side of the can.


after reading your message I went out and got one of the cans and read it. Closest I could find was "Topcoat after 30 minutes. Allow more time for cooler temperatures". But above that it says "Allow Self Etching Primer to dry for a minimum of 3-4 hours before dry sanding"

But my question was (based on your experience) what is the longest I can wait before the topcoat paint goes on? My problem lies in that I am on a disability pension and I can't afford to buy both, the primer and topcoat in the same month. Can I go ahead and primer the hull them get the top coat the next month. I realize I didn't word it that way but that's pretty much what I was trying to get at.

I've never been through all this before, so I'm kind of relying on the knowledge of those that come before me. If I'm misunderstanding something on the can, I do apologize. I try to learn what I can from ya'll but sometimes ya'll are above my head so to speak, and for that I apologise. 

BTW that was NOT taken as a smart ass answer. LOL would you believe I used to teach college classes before the doctors made me quit? LOL. Sometime I feel like I'm just getting stupider or something to that effect.
Hey, at any rate, you did cause me to actually break out the can and read the label. heheheheh And I thank you for that.


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## great white (Sep 6, 2014)

A month after priming is just fine.

Just make sure the paints are compatible or the primer may shrink if the top coat is the wrong type.

Google will turn up lots of info on it and you've got a month to research it.....here's a good start: 

https://www.duplicolor.com/faq/

Bon chance!


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## smackdaddy53 (Sep 6, 2014)

I would not prime it now and wait a month to top coat for the very reason that a boat can get mighty dirty sitting for a month or even working on it a little here and there for a month. 
I would take care of some other things and then prime and top coat in the same day. 
I also would not sand the primer, self etching primer is meant to go on in a single light coat. By the time you spray that whole boat the first part where you started would be about ready to top coat, especially on warm, dry days. 
Make damn sure you get the hull down to bare aluminum with your wire wheel, wipe with acetone then tack cloth to remove any "fuzzies" from your acetone cloth. 
I have done this very thing before! Trust me.


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## Y_J (Sep 7, 2014)

Thanks so much, guys. There's a lot of good info on that web site. I appreciate that.

Using the Rust-Oleum Self Etching Primer, I only need one coat? Now that could be a money saver. I'm glad you mentioned that cause I was gearing my head up for two or three coats.

Right now most all of the hull outside is down to bare aluminum. I've only got one side to go then I want to give it a quick pressure washing. Nothing major. Just get all the wire shavings from the cup brushes then take my hammer to it and tap out some small dings and dents.
Then I plan on using some low temp aluminum rods and fill in some holes in the transom and some breaks in the gunnels.

When I put the top coat on, I've been contemplating using the Rust-Oleum rattle cans but I'm not sure how well I'd be able to make the finish come out with those. The Color scheme I'm pondering on (and I'd like everyones opinion on this) is for below the waterline to be *about this shade of Blue* then on splash guards *use Black* and above the waterline *would be Red*. When I get the trailer from HF it is Red, and my truck is Red with a Black stripe down the sides. All outside paints will be High Gloss.

So what ya'll think?


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## smackdaddy53 (Sep 7, 2014)

If you have to use rattle cans I would definitely go with Rustoleum Enamel and then clear coat over it. With the right preparation and follow instructions you can have great results with rattle cans. 
Youtube search how to use Rustoleum Enamel, Tack Coth, Maguires Polish and the correct sandpaper to get great results with it.


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## Y_J (Sep 7, 2014)

[url=https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?p=365702#p365702 said:


> smackdaddy53 » September 7th, 2014, 9:07 pm[/url]"]If you have to use rattle cans I would definitely go with Rustoleum Enamel and then clear coat over it. With the right preparation and follow instructions you can have great results with rattle cans.
> Youtube search how to use Rustoleum Enamel, Tack Coth, Maguires Polish and the correct sandpaper to get great results with it.


Right on, Mac.. Thanks. Headed over to youtube now for a spell.. Appreciate it.


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## smackdaddy53 (Sep 8, 2014)

I tried to find the ones I watched but there are so many. Watch a few and you will get the jest of it.


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## Y_J (Sep 8, 2014)

Yep. there is a lot for sure LOL.. I've been on there the past couple hours. 
I'll use the Rust-Oleum Self Etching rattle cans, since I already bought those. And now leaning towards the Rust-Oleum Enamel thru my electric paint sprayer. I'm also considering getting that 10' x 17' garage at Harbor Freight and paint the boat and trailer inside of that so I don't have to worry about the nearly endless wind around here. Last thing I need is a neighbor screaming and yelling about wind carried over spray on their car or something.

Just today I hooked up a deal on a boat trailer for $100. Just got to wait on payday to get it. I will need to add a couple feet to the tongue. Looks like I'll be honing up on my old welding skills. hehehe It's only been about 40 yra. It's a homemade trailer and I believe it was actually made for a jet ski. It's got 12" wheels and tires on it that look to be in pretty good condition. He has an extra set of bunks that he's throwing in and a wench with new strap on it. The lights look to be in good condition but I'm going to put new wiring on it. I'll have to put a little money in it but it's darn cheaper than a new trailer, or even used ones that I've run across around here. Heck if worse comes to worse it would work pretty good on my fiberglass Gheenoe.


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## Y_J (Sep 25, 2014)

Ok picked up the jetski trailer today and need to add 3 (three) feet to the overall length to it. The tubing that the trailer is made out of it 3" and the extra piece of tubing that the PO gave me is 2 1/2" so I think I'm going to have to use some shims on it somehow. (or find a 2 5/8" square tube to slide in it and weld on). Move the bunk brackets out to the edges. I've got an extra set of bunks that are 6' rather than the 4' that are on it so I'm thinking put the longer ones on the bottom and use the shorter ones as guide on bunks. Put a new wiring harness on for the lights and sand it all down to metal, primer, paint and be good to go. It's even got the bearing buddies on it. No wheel fenders so I got to find a couple to put on. I'll have a few photos on here tomorrow of what I've got to work with so any input ya'll can give me I'd surely appreciate it. I only paid $100 for it so a little work into it won't hurt my ego any..


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## SumDumGuy (Sep 26, 2014)

I always check your progress YJ.

Good deal on the trailer.... getting closer and closer to more stories of adventure. :LOL2:


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## Y_J (Sep 26, 2014)

[url=https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?p=367073#p367073 said:


> SumDumGuy » September 26th, 2014, 1:28 pm[/url]"]I always check your progress YJ.
> 
> Good deal on the trailer.... getting closer and closer to more stories of adventure. :LOL2:


True story....  I picked it up day before yesterday. Got to extend the tongue another 3 ft. All the tubing on the trailer is 3" and he gave me a 4' section of 2 1/2" tubing, a near new winch with strap and hook, and 2 extra 6' bunks.. The trailer has no fenders on the wheels so got to find me a couple of them, Bearing buddies on the wheels, picked up a new light wiring harness at HF today, along with a new drill/driver and spare battery, a 3 gal. air compressor, an accessory kit for the compressor that leaks air on hand nozzle, (that sux since HF is 40 miles away)but all in all I'm acquiring the stuff I need to do the work with. 
Did some brazing yesterday on the original bench seats to repair some cracks that were near the rivet holes. Plan on putting those back in as support for the decking. Contemplating chopping out most of the center bench for battery storage. Not sure how I'll do that just yet but figure putting the weight of the batteries at center stage will help stabilize the boat a bit along with the flat floor.
Onward and upward LOL....


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## SumDumGuy (Sep 27, 2014)

I once made some fenders for a boat trailer out of a 55 gallon plastic drum and some scrap metal.

From 10 feet away (well, maybe 20 feet) they looked original to the trailer.


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## Y_J (Sep 28, 2014)

Hmmmm. Not a bad idea, SDG.. I just might have to consider that option. Living on a disability pension money don't come fast and far from being big :roll:


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## Y_J (Sep 29, 2014)

OK. Finally got some pics of the trailer. I'm definitely going to need some input from ya'll on just how to make this work with my 12' semi v boat. I took off the original bunks and brackets then tried to pressure wash the paint off. Didn't work like I had hoped it would. The trailer is steel, galvanised I think. So I'm kind of afraid to take the cup brush to it to loose the paint. And at this point I'm out of $$ until November. I do have a can of paint thinner but haven't tried that on it yet.
Here are a few pics to give ya'll an idea of what I'm up against.
Start at the bottom of the photos :roll: 

I considered having the bunks go 2 1/2' behind the trailer body but once the motor and other aft weight is there, I worry about the 2x4s holding up.. Other options is to just add the 3' to the tongue and maybe a couple rollers along the tongue.
I figure I need at least a couple feet forward of the winch post to the hitch so I'm not hitting up against the back of my truck.

Anyone with thoughts or ideas how to go about this, I am all eyes/ears and would appreciate any and all input. Also considering using SS bolts rather than welding. Thoughts on that also, please.

BTW, from the back cross bar to the tip of the hitch is 10'


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## bobberboy (Sep 29, 2014)

That's a good looking trailer. Seems that sliding the one tube into the other should work if the dimensions of both are right. It's not like you're trying to build a trailer for a Bobcat or something. Are you going to strip the wheels? I have wheels I need to deal with and haven't decided what to do. Mine are really ugly and I'm trying to figure out if it'd be easier to just get new ones or try to fix the old ones.


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## smackdaddy53 (Sep 29, 2014)

Looking good! Get it on!


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## Y_J (Sep 29, 2014)

[url=https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?p=367244#p367244 said:


> bobberboy » September 29th, 2014, 6:46 am[/url]"]That's a good looking trailer. Seems that sliding the one tube into the other should work if the dimensions of both are right. It's not like you're trying to build a trailer for a Bobcat or something. Are you going to strip the wheels? I have wheels I need to deal with and haven't decided what to do. Mine are really ugly and I'm trying to figure out if it'd be easier to just get new ones or try to fix the old ones.


I don't really want to use the 2 1/2" section I have. Use it to slide into the 3" then I got to mess with shims inside of that one. I think I'm going to take the hitch off so I can measure the ID of the 3" and get a new tube to match that, Drill holes through both and put lag bolts through them. Like you said, it's not like I'm doing it for a bobcat. I can move the boat around by myself and I'm half crippled so it don't weigh very much.

I believe I'm going to just get new wheels and tires. HF seems to have some pretty good deals on the 12". LOL plus they'll both match then. Then I'll get a spare wheel mount and use the best of the two old one as a spare until I can afford to get a third to match the new ones.


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## Y_J (Sep 29, 2014)

[url=https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?p=367275#p367275 said:


> smackdaddy53 » September 29th, 2014, 12:09 pm[/url]"]Looking good! Get it on!


Thanks Mac.. I did a mock lay up today with the boat on the trailer with the replacement bunks just laying on the trailer frame. Trying to figure out just where to mount them at. I also tried to figure out if the bunks could support the weight with them extending out about 3' behind the trailer frame. I'm not real wild about that idea though. Afraid the 2x4s won't hold up to good under the weight of a motor hanging back there, not to mention the OTR bounce that will be going on.
I've also pretty much decided to put the batteries under the middle bench to help balance the weight out on the water plus it would (currently) put that weight load just ahead of the axle on the trailer.
Onward and upward...


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## Y_J (Oct 1, 2014)

Ok. a little update. It seems that I just bought a new (to me) OB. It's a 4.5 HP Ted Williams that I found on eBay. About a week and a half ago, I put a bid in on this motor. How clean it was kind of caught my eye. Anyway the seller said it was used in a boat showroom as a display. About a week ago I started thinking about it and hoping that someone would outbid me because I couldn't figure out how to bow out of the auction. Ok, the price is low enough that someone is bound to outbid me then. I thought. What has me worried about it is being a showroom display, my thinking is that it probably don't have any innards in it. Anyway, here is the info that I have from the auction:
------------------
Vintage 60s Sears Ted Williams

4.5 HP Outboard Motor

Showroom Display Model

MOTOR LOOKS NEW OR RESTORED

BUT I AM NOT SURE

SO I AM SELLING AS A DISPLAY MODEL ONLY
------------------------------------------

Brand:	
Sears
Stroke:	
2-Stroke
Engine(HP):	
4.5
---------------------
Item condition:Used
“USED FOR YEARS AS A SHOWROOM DISPLAY IN A BOAT SALES STORE ... WAS TOLD IT WAS A NEW SHORT BLOCK AND PARTS USED FROM A USED MOTOR LOOKS NEW BUT I AM NOT SURE SO I AM SELLING AS A DISPLAY MODEL ONLY...HAS SOME MINOR WEAR AND WILL NEED A GOOD CLEANING”
Ended: Oct 01, 2014 10:12:54 MYT
Winning bid:US $202.50
Approximately RM 664.30
[ 3 bids ]
Add to list 
Postage: US $82.90 (approx. RM 271.95) Economy Shipping | See details

Item location:
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Post to:
United States
Delivery:
Estimated within 2-11 business days 
Payments:
PayPal | See payment information
Returns:
14 day money back, buyer pays return postage | See details
Coverage: Pay with PayPal and stay 100% Protected. 
-------------------
LOL, so now I'm thinking, if I'm out the couple hundred then at least it's a pretty motor. :? 

These are the photos that I took off the auction page. (ok gonna have to put the other two photos in another message.)


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## Y_J (Oct 1, 2014)

Ok here's the other two photos

So, given the known info what is your take on this motor? I tried to find out just what year it is and any other info I could find but so far haven't been able to find any useful information. If anyone has any experience with these motors please fill me in. Once it get's here I'll be able to get a bit more on it, like who made the engine (I think it's Eska but not positive on that). Could possibly be Tecumseh also. Could this motor possibly be about the same as the 5HP or 7.5HP?
Lots of questions to get answered.
Any input and thoughts ya'll have, please chime in here.


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## SumDumGuy (Oct 1, 2014)

From what I have seen it appears to be a 1974 but I am not positive.

also...

_*"If the model number of a Sears or Ted Williams outboard begins with 217, it was built by Eska Outboards -- which purchased Tecumseh's designs before Tecumseh built any motors -- between 1968 and 1986."*_

kind of strange a "display model" would not be the correct color scheme. The power head, that can be seen, does look very clean though.

1/4 pint oil per gallon fuel mix (chainsaw type air cooled motor oil). 30-32:1


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## Y_J (Oct 2, 2014)

Right on, SDG. That's some of the info that I had been trying to find. I though I had seen a listing somewhere on the net that listed model #s and what year they were but I'll be darned if I can find it now. 
I went by West Georgia Marine today to check on progress on the Gamefisher motor and he told me they hadn't got to it yet, so I just picked it up and put it in the back of my truck. Told him that after being submerged, I doubt very much it would ever run again so no need to worry about it anymore.
He then proceeded to tell me about a guy that kept coming in to trade him and Evinrude 9.9 HP. I told him that if he would allow me to make payments on it, I'd be interested in taking it off his hands provided it ran. He said he thought we could work something out, so who knows. I may have just landed what I wanted all along anyway. Evinrude cause parts are easy to come by and 9.9 close to the max my boat will take.
Thanks again for the info bro..


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## SumDumGuy (Oct 2, 2014)

Even if the Evinrude is not running (which may be preferable so as to lower the price) they are super simple to work on.
Check the compression on it and do a bit of an overview inspection for something major - seized, bent shafts, etc.
A 9.9 ought to make that boat of yours scream across the water.

As far as the submerged motor. You might try fogging the cylinders and trying to make them move. If they move, check your other fluids, sling oil all over to get bearings, etc and try and start it up. It is possible it will still run. If it does run perhaps it could be used in the Evinrude acquisition.  

Good Luck!


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## Y_J (Oct 2, 2014)

SumDumGuy said:


> Even if the Evinrude is not running (which may be preferable so as to lower the price) they are super simple to work on.
> Check the compression on it and do a bit of an overview inspection for something major - seized, bent shafts, etc.
> A 9.9 ought to make that boat of yours scream across the water.
> 
> ...


Yep.. I'm going to try to go thru it and was thinking that if it does start to work, I may just put it on my Gheenoe.
Think I better make me a few motor stands .


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## WPS (Oct 6, 2014)

Hi Y_J

Have you done anything else to your boat ?



Y_J said:


> Great. You don't happen to know what make of boat it is would ya? I've been trying to figure this one out ever since I got it.



I looked through your thread, and I believe we have the same boat... (only difference is, mine only has 2 bench seats in it, but one could have been removed ''years'' ago...Its the front bench)

I bought mine 8 years ago and it had a title with it... I bought the boat and turned it upside down and never touched it again, until 2 weeks ago!... On the back corner of mine there used to be a sticker, but I can still read it... (ELGIN)

On my title it says 12' (but its actually 11' 6") and its a 1967... Year I was born! lol

I'll take some pictures when I get time!... Mine also has several splits in the gunnels... I own a welding shop and I'm going to weld mine... I notice the sides on mine move a little... Does yours ?... If so, you could put some braces that go from the top of the sides, and mount the brace to the bench seats!... Could also make new gunnels out of aluminum pipe or square tubing... The square tubing is much easier to make a cut down the length of it!

I Sold my Bass Tracker in 2012 and bought a 2013 Sun Tracker Pontoon because my wife & teenage kids wanted one, and I thought I would fix the small boat up for a couple small lakes in our County.. You can only use trolling motors on both lakes and this boat would be just fine!

But, our boats looks to be the same!... I'll get pictures as soon as I can if you want to see them... (I'm planning to start a thread when I work on it)

Take care!

Bill


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## Y_J (Oct 8, 2014)

Right on, Bill..
Yep I been working on it. Was getting ready to post a little update when I saw your post. I tried brazing the splits but a couple of them don't want to cooperate. I got real close to buying a welder but I just couldn't justify the cost vs the usage. Primarily because I found that a couple patches that were put on the sides before me, were steel and not aluminum and I couldn't get it hot enough to braze them with aluminum low temp rod. On one of the splits I've decided to make a heavy gauge aluminum strip and bolt it on the inside to hold the two sides of the split even, then add brazing rod to that. That part of the inside will be pretty much hidden buy the storage deck up at the bow anyway.
Aside from that, I finished making the Transom wood parts, both inside and outside, yesterday and got a couple coats of Spar Urethane on them today. Gonna add a third heavier coat tomorrow. 
Photos coming tomorrow..


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## Y_J (Oct 9, 2014)

Ok here is a photo update.
The entire outside is sanded down to bare metal.. Got some of the splits and needless holes brazed and ground down. Got the bench seats all sanded down to bare metal and some of the splits on them brazed. Those are just about ready to put back in the boat just as soon as I finish sanding the paint out of the inside and cleaned up. The bench seats will only be in temporarily until I get things framed in for the floor. Then I'll re-rivet those back in for part of the the deck support. Won't be very high on those though. Just high enough to make sitting comfortable with the raised floor.
As usual any thoughts, ideas and critiques are more than welcome.


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## smackdaddy53 (Oct 9, 2014)

That is a small motor.


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## Y_J (Oct 9, 2014)

It sure is..  got a bigger one you want to swap for it?


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## smackdaddy53 (Oct 9, 2014)

Y_J said:


> It sure is..  got a bigger one you want to swap for it?


Sorry, wasn't being sarcastic! You don't need a big motor to have a good time on the water. My little 1242 flat bottom has a 15 and gets the job done just fine. That is a cool little motor and clean too!
I think it's a 1242...now I have to measure it.


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## Y_J (Oct 9, 2014)

smackdaddy53 said:


> Y_J said:
> 
> 
> > It sure is..  got a bigger one you want to swap for it?
> ...


No problem Mac. I didn't really take it that way. It is a small boat. Especially for a couple of guys my size. 260 lb and my buddy across the road says 210 lb. But the way I see it, I've learned a lot already doing this make over. I've had one challenge after another with this beat up old tin can. LOL especially with some of the beat up parts. 
I really think a tree or something fell on it somewhere along the line. The past couple of days I've been working on one of the tears in the port side gunnel right up at the bow. The tear goes all the way through the gunnel and about 2" down the side. The forward side of the tear seems really fine with the right curvature and gunnel shape. It's the aft side of the tear that don't want to stay put where it belongs. It's bent outwards so much it keeps wanting to pop back out to where it's been for God only knows how long. I keep trying to braze it while it's held together with C Clamps but the propane torch seems to have a hard time getting the temperature up high enough to melt the aluminum brazing rod and when I finally get it, let it cool down and take the clamps off, it just breaks loose of the brazing and springs back to where it was. I think next payday I'll pick up a couple bottles of MAP gas and give it a go with that. (BTW, that propane torch is great for starting fires in the fire pit on these chilly morning under the gazebo LOL). 
Anyway, today I decided to use a piece of 1/16" aluminum from an old window base for an AC I had and put a cutting wheel on my angle grinder and whacked out an 8" x 1 1/2" piece, ground it all nice and even, C clamped it to the gunnel with the tear in the center. That helped pull the two sides of the tear even with each other. Then I drilled 4 bolt holes through the bar and the hull. While digging through a jar I have with bolts and stuff in it, I found 4 SS screw bolts just slightly larger than the holes (with the threads). Cranked them puppy's through from the outside of the hull so that the threads could hold through the bar. Kind of a redneck way of doing it but it worked out great. That should hold it all together until I can get it properly welded.
Guess I got a little long winded there  Tomorrow will be grinding paint from the inside of the hull. whoo hooo.


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## WPS (Oct 17, 2014)

Y_J, Your boat is lookin' good!.... I know you done a lot of grinding to get the paint off!.. I hate that job, just got through doing the same thing today... Your boat will look nice when you get it painted!

I told you my 12' Elgin tin was a 1967... After removing some paint today, I found a date stamp.. 3-1-1978.. My title says 1967! :shock: lol



Y_J said:


> Ok picked up the jetski trailer today and need to add 3 (three) feet to the overall length to it. The tubing that the trailer is made out of it 3" and the extra piece of tubing that the PO gave me is 2 1/2" so I think I'm going to have to use some shims on it somehow. (or find a 2 5/8" square tube to slide in it and weld on)


How long is the tubing that the PO gave you ? 

You need to have enough tubing so it can go inside the 3" tubing at least 1FT. maybe 16".

On the tubing that the PO gave you... Weld some ''flat-bar'' to the smaller size tubing... Weld it to the top, both sides & bottom... Then slide it inside the 3", and weld all the way around it... That will take care of it!

If you lived close to me, I would weld it up for ya for free, just to help you out!... BTW, Thank YOU for your service! :USA1:


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## Y_J (Oct 18, 2014)

The extra piece of 2 1/2" tubing he gave me was 3' 6" long but now that you mention it, 6" slid inside the 3" tubing just isn't enough. I could leave the the bunks and boat hanging 1' off the back but I'm not liking that idea to much ether. A lot of the roads around here are choke full of pot holes and you're constantly trying to play dodge ball with them. Makes it kind of rough on a transom and motor hanging off the back. But if I did hang off the back I could slide the tongue piece in another 12". Or maybe I could split the difference and only go 6" past the back and another 6" in on the tongue for a total of 12" slid into the 3". Hmmmm..... Now that just might work.
The only thing I don't like about the extra piece is that the walls are twice as thick as the 3" tubing and that thing has to weigh about 40 lb (rough guess).

I appreciate the welding offer but I'm afraid Kentucky is just a little to far from Georgia 
I did get some better wheels and beefier tires on the trailer yesterday. Still 12" but heavier duty and no dry rot and much better tread. Took them off of my utility trailer and put them on the boat trailer. LOL that's going to get a lot more use than the utility trailer does.

I also got the trailer flipped over to sand the paint off that and got that about half way done yesterday until my angle grinder kicked the bucket. Had to drive the 30 miles to Harbor Freight to replace it. I'm hoping to Have that finished and primed by the end of today. Will have to see what happens with the new grinder.
Will get some new pics later today and put them on here tonight..


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## WPS (Oct 18, 2014)

Y_J said:


> The extra piece of 2 1/2" tubing he gave me was 3' 6" long but now that you mention it, 6" slid inside the 3" tubing just isn't enough.


Something I forgot to tell ya... On the inside of some tubing is a weld (Flash)... That will keep some tubing from going inside the other, I've had to remove the weld flash 1' back just to get tubing to fit inside the other, and its not fun!

I know most trailer tongues are 1/8", and I've seen some 1/16" thick.... I looked at your picture and it looks like the tubing the PO gave you is 1/8".

Did you take the coupler off yet ?... Take the 2-1/2" and see how it fits inside the 3" tubing, and take a pic if you can.... That will help a lot to let me see what you have!  ... It ''MIGHT'' fit just right, you never know!

Since the boat won't weigh all that much, you could probably just slide the tubing 6" inside the other... It would be fine after its welded all the way around.

Is that Jet Ski trailer ''galvanized'' ?... If it is, be careful welding on it.. (read about it)!



Y_J said:


> The only thing I don't like about the extra piece is that the walls are twice as thick as the 3" tubing and that thing has to weigh about 40 lb (rough guess).


The tubing he gave you is probably 1/4", and the tubing on the trailer is probably 1/8" thick.

You might be better off trying to fine the same thickness somewhere if you can!


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## Y_J (Oct 18, 2014)

WPS said:


> Y_J said:
> 
> 
> > The extra piece of 2 1/2" tubing he gave me was 3' 6" long but now that you mention it, 6" slid inside the 3" tubing just isn't enough.
> ...


I'll go out and measure the thickness again tomorrow. I should have wrote it down last time I did. The trailer is galvanized. Is there something that needs to be done about that before welding it? The 2 1/2" tube slides into the 3" tube but has a pretty good gap between the sides.

I did finish sanding, pressure washed, then cleaned it. Then got the primer all on today. Believe me, tonight I'm feeling it. #-o I know I"m going to have to sand off the primer where the tongue will be welded at. There were some places that had rust and I just wanted to nip that in the bud after getting it all ground off.

Here's a photo update on the trailer today..


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## WPS (Oct 19, 2014)

Y_J said:


> The trailer is galvanized. Is there something that needs to be done about that before welding it?


Read this: https://www.weldmyworld.com/blog/2011/12/side-effects-of-welding-galvanized-steel.html

It can make you very sick, and can even cause death... When I first started welding, I didn't know about galvanize poisoning and I got really sick late that night and didn't know what was wrong with me... Took me days to figure it out.. I went back in my shop days later and seen the metal I was welding on... Talked to someone about the color on the metal and then they told me about welding galvanize.

When welding galvanize, the smoke will have white junk floating in the air, and the welds will have green/white on them!

I weld a lot of galvanized metal and I always wear a good respirator!.. I also use a fan to blow the smoke away and I try not to weld in my shop!... *''Another big warning'':*.. ''Never clean'' metal with ''brake cleaner'' before welding! 

https://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?182941-DANGER-using-BrakeCleaner-to-clean-your-Parts

If I have metal with rust on it, I use a grinder and remove all the rust to get a good weld... Some people clean metal with acetone before welding... Just thought I would pass that warning along too!  



Y_J said:


> The 2 1/2" tube slides into the 3" tube but has a pretty good gap between the sides.


If you can't find another piece of tubing that fits tighter, then you may have to weld flat-bar on the sides, top & bottom to give it a tighter fit.... It would be alright if you just slid the 2-1/2" 6-inches inside the other... Then weld all the way around it!

You just had to live so far away! :mrgreen: 


Y_J said:


> I did finish sanding, pressure washed, then cleaned it. Then got the primer all on today. Believe me, tonight I'm feeling it. #-o I know I"m going to have to sand off the primer where the tongue will be welded at.



The trailer is lookin' much better and you're doing a great job!... Rims look better too!


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## Y_J (Oct 20, 2014)

WPS said:


> Y_J said:
> 
> 
> > The trailer is galvanized. Is there something that needs to be done about that before welding it?
> ...



After reading that article I'm thinking that I might use my angle grinder to take off a couple of inches of the galvanized coating. In the afternoons we have a pretty good breeze blowing here. I could set my back to the wind, drink a glass of milk, weld a couple of sides, drink another glass of milk, weld the other two sides then another glass of milk. The wind should blow the smoke and particles away from me and the milk will fight against the zinc finding its way into my body.



Y_J said:


> The 2 1/2" tube slides into the 3" tube but has a pretty good gap between the sides.


If you can't find another piece of tubing that fits tighter, then you may have to weld flat-bar on the sides, top & bottom to give it a tighter fit.... It would be alright if you just slid the 2-1/2" 6-inches inside the other... Then weld all the way around it!

You just had to live so far away! :mrgreen: 


Y_J said:


> I did finish sanding, pressure washed, then cleaned it. Then got the primer all on today. Believe me, tonight I'm feeling it. #-o I know I"m going to have to sand off the primer where the tongue will be welded at.





WPS said:


> The trailer is lookin' much better and you're doing a great job!... Rims look better too!


Thanks so much. I ground off all the rust I could find before I primed the trailer.
After measuring the wall thickness this morning, the 3" square tubing is 1/16". The 2 1/2" tubing has walls of 1/8" thickness.
Before getting on here I spent about an hour and a half on the internet .looking for some 3x3 tubing with 1/16" walls and as far as I can find there is none to be found. If anyone here knows where I might find about 4" of it, please let me know.
Here are a couple of pics showing the ends of the tubing I currently have to work with:


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## WPS (Oct 20, 2014)

Y_J said:


> After reading that article I'm thinking that I might use my angle grinder to take off a couple of inches of the galvanized coating. In the afternoons we have a pretty good breeze blowing here. I could set my back to the wind, drink a glass of milk, weld a couple of sides, drink another glass of milk, weld the other two sides then another glass of milk. The wind should blow the smoke and particles away from me and the milk will fight against the zinc finding its way into my body.


Well, I see that you read that link!... Yeah, I drink a lot of milk when welding galvanize.

You should be OK outside, just make sure to keep your head out of that smoke!... And yes, you can use a grinder to remove the galvanize coating.... Oh, you will know it if you breathed in some of the smoke... The first thing that happened to me was a real bad sore throat.


Y_J said:


> Before getting on here I spent about an hour and a half on the internet .looking for some 3x3 tubing with 1/16" walls and as far as I can find there is none to be found. If anyone here knows where I might find about 4" of it, please let me know.


Try this link... Bookmark it too!... Nice people to do business with!

https://www.metalsdepot.com/contact_us.php?aident=



Y_J said:


> Here are a couple of pics showing the ends of the tubing I currently have to work with:



Looks very close!... Would 1/16" flat-bar take up the slop ?... Or is that too much ?


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## Y_J (Oct 20, 2014)

I was thinking the same thing, Until this morning.. I had noticed that my neighbor had about a 10' section of the exact same 3x3x1/16 rusting away in his yard. I asked him what he would charge me for about 4' of it. He said what ever it's worth to you. Little does he know that would break the bank but I figure about $10 should do it. That's real close to NEW prices from what I was seeing last night. And Metalsdepot.com was one of the places I was looking. 
So we broke out his saw-all and whacked off 4' of it. So now all I got to do is grind off all the rust, butt weld it on and we're a go for the rest. I'm stoked..

Today I also got the bunk brackets finished and primed and later put on the trailer after taking a few measurements on the boat and the trailer to find just where to put them. Got them put on the trailer and will be painted at the same time I paint the trailer. The bunks are just laying in them right now. I need to cut off a couple feet off of each of them because the shape of the boat bottom, they just hang in the air up front.

My Tiny Tack came in today's mail also. Just wish the Ted Williams 4.5 HP motor I bought off of ebay at the end of last month would hurry up and get here. I don't think I'll ever buy anything that is in Alaska again. Took 10 days to actually leave the Anchorage post office, another 10 days to make it to Washington state, and they keep moving the expected delivery date further back. Really starting to tick me off.

BTW, here's a couple of pics from today.


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## WPS (Oct 21, 2014)

Way to go, Y_J! ... A piece of tubing the same size you needed next door to ya! :mrgreen: lol

Your trailer is lookin' great!... You will have a nice trailer when you get it finished! 

Good job!


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## Y_J (Oct 22, 2014)

I think so my self. hehehe Not bad for using a jet ski trailer.
Thanks buddy.


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## WPS (Oct 26, 2014)

Did you get the tongue extended ?


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## Y_J (Oct 26, 2014)

WPS said:


> Did you get the tongue extended ?


Not yet, but I did come up with a 4 ft section of 3" squire Tube to put on. My neighbor is gonna let me borrow his welder whenever I go over and get it. Got to finish getting all the rust off of it then primer to keep the rust from coming back in the mean time. The past couple of days I've been busy putting up my new Portable Garage from HF.
I did take a break from it today and pulled the spark plug from the Ted Williams OB and checked the compression on it. Was NOT happy with what I saw. The best was close to 60 PSI. Right now I'm feeling like I just got took to the cleaners on this one. Got a couple pics of it down below. The gas tank smells like it's never had gas in it but it could have ran on an external tank. Motor has a fitting for it. After I put the plug back in, (which did look like it had be used but did look to be in pretty good condition) I checked it for spark. After a few try's with no luck I actually got brave enough to hold on to the plug wire while my buddy from across the road pulled on the rope. Told him "Just don't make me jump TO HIGH". LOL Never felt a thing. Now that actually sucked big time that I didn't get zapped. But... It sure is a Purdy Motor for (what I'm thinking) what is a piece of junk or an over grown door stop.
Here's those compression photo's. Now if this is about where a 4.5 HP motor should be, will someone please let me know? I was hoping to see something around 100-120.
A second thought came on my mind. If this motor in fact hasn't been run in several years, Once the motor got some lubrication through the cylinders is it possible that the compression would go higher? I'm not a big time motor mechanic so I'm not sure about these things but was just thinking (count that hoping) that might do it. I'm thinking I'll go up to the BP station (the only station for miles that has non ethanal gas), Mix it for about 32 to 1 initially, with sea foam added in. Oh hell, wait. No spark. UUUGGGHH.
Guess I'm gonna have to pull the top end of the housing off and see what I can find under there.

Anyone got any decent good running 9.9 or 9.8s they want to sell cheap?


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## WPS (Oct 27, 2014)

Sorry to hear that, Y_J.

Can you contact the seller ?... If I was you, I would ask for my money back!.. They will have to pay for the shipping too.

I do know you can request your money back on some eBay items.

EDIT:

Also contact eBay and tell them about the problems with the motor!


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## SumDumGuy (Oct 27, 2014)

More than likely the seller will take return on the motor, but return postage is paid by buyer. This is the typical return policy of most sellers if they even take returns - caveat emptor.

When you checked the compression did you pull 'til you peaked in pressure?

If it were me I would not really worry too much about the cylinder compression and would move on to making it bang.

Is this a points motor? If so, it could be a simple as cleaning and adjusting the points to get the fire.

Why no motor pictures?  

gl


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## smackdaddy53 (Oct 27, 2014)

It may have never been run and needs a break in period to seat piston and block


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## OutrageGIS (Oct 27, 2014)

Check your wires for corrosion, maybe just need to re wire, or as stated before, clean / adjust points. I imagine getting it back to AK would cost more than a coil or cap or some wire. Good luck!


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## Y_J (Oct 27, 2014)

WPS said:


> Sorry to hear that, Y_J.
> 
> Can you contact the seller ?... If I was you, I would ask for my money back!.. They will have to pay for the shipping too.
> I do know you can request your money back on some eBay items.
> ...


Thanks WPS. I only paid $202.50 for the motor and shipping back to Anchorage, AK would take up close to $100. I paid $85 for the shipping (that took a few days short of a month to get here). He did state that Returns, the buyer would have to pay the shipping.


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## Y_J (Oct 27, 2014)

SumDumGuy said:


> When you checked the compression did you pull 'til you peaked in pressure?
> 
> If it were me I would not really worry too much about the cylinder compression and would move on to making it bang.


OK now a ??? for ya. I had my buddy only give one pull on the rope per test. Should I continue pulling until it has peaked?



SumDumGuy said:


> Is this a points motor? If so, it could be a simple as cleaning and adjusting the points to get the fire.
> Why no motor pictures?
> gl


To be honest, SDG, I don't know if it's got points or not. I haven't pulled the top cover off of the motor as yet..
The past 2 or 3 days I been trying to get my Portable Garage put up and leveled before the freezing weather hits here. The leveling has been giving me fits.
Tomorrow I'll pull the top cowling off that motor and see what I'm up against.. I know the spark plug looked to be in pretty good shape so there shouldn't be any problem there. But the no fire is the big worry for me and will determine that tomorrow.
Thanks for the tips guys.. I really appreciate it. Oh, and SDG, there were photos farther up the thread but I'll throw a couple in here just for GP.. Thanks buddy..


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## WPS (Oct 28, 2014)

Y_J said:


> WPS said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry to hear that, Y_J.
> ...


I went back to the page when you first bought it and read about the shipping details.. Sorry about that.

Let me contact a guy that works on boat motors and tell him the problems you are having... I'll get back to ya later.


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## SumDumGuy (Oct 28, 2014)

Y_J said:


> OK now a ??? for ya. I had my buddy only give one pull on the rope per test. Should I continue pulling until it has peaked?


Yes, you should peak the pressure reading.
Snagged this from another site:

Procedure for Testing:

- Turn off the fuel valve or make sure fuel is not present in the cylinder.
- Disconnect one spark plug wire from the spark plug at a time. Don't mixup the spark plug wires. Be sure to ground the spark wire when testing the compression. Cranking the motor with the plug wire hanging free can ruin the coil.
- Screw in the tester with the appropriate adapter into the spark plug hole.
- Crank the motor over with the pull start about 4 to 8 times at normal starting speed. Watch for a stabilized peak pressure on the gage. This is the compression value for the cylinder.
- Release the pressure on the gage.
- Repeat to other cylinders.

https://www.pochefamily.org/outboard/Checking Compression.html



Y_J said:


> Oh, and SDG, there were photos farther up the thread but I'll throw a couple in here just for GP.. Thanks buddy..



Last photo is the best. Looks good seeing it on the boat.


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## WPS (Oct 28, 2014)

The guy is out of town for a couple weeks.

Found this on the web about ''no spark''.

This guys says:



> its a solid state ignition (no points)... But when you clean up the magnet inside the flywheel and the coil ends next to the solid state magneto it might suprise you. thats what I did and made sure the coil ( transformer ) had good ground to the side and what do you know i had great spark and the motor runs great.


https://forums.iboats.com/forum/engine-repair-and-maintenance/other-outboard-brands/238708-4-5-ted-williams-magneto-but-no-spark

Also found this from Sears about parts:

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/part-model/Craftsman-Parts/Boat-motor-Parts/Model-21759463/0247/1305320

And this if it helps:

https://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/printthread.php?t=110944


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## Y_J (Nov 9, 2014)

News Flash: LOL I got the tongue extension welded on today. I hate to say it but it looks like an amature did the welding. Oh wait, I am an amature. :roll: [-o< At least I got the tongue straight, side to side  Tomorrow I'll find me something long enough to reach back in the tube and pull the wiring back out. Also got the holes drilled for the hitch contraption on the trailer.
Progress slow but sure. Now if I could make progress on the memory banks in my brain #-o


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## Y_J (Nov 22, 2014)

Here's a few pics to give ya'll an idea of where I stand.


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## Va Larry (Nov 23, 2014)

Trailers looking good, but the winch looks a little low.

A straighter pull on the bow eye would make it easier to crank it that last foot or so to get the bow firmly against the bow stop.


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## OutrageGIS (Nov 23, 2014)

Looks great, nice job with the welding! I also think the winch looks low, might put the winch on top and the v block under? Might not matter if you keep the boat light, but should make loading a bit easier.


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## WPS (Nov 23, 2014)

Y_J,..Nice job extending the trailer tongue!... You turned that jet ski trailer into a nice trailer for your boat!.. Great job! :mrgreen: 

I got my trailer tongue extended, and I had to (like you), so I would have room for my jack and spare tire... Looks like you will have plenty of room when you have the trailer hooked up to your truck!

Keep up the good work!... Trailer will look nice when you get it painted!


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## Y_J (Nov 24, 2014)

Va Larry said:


> Trailers looking good, but the winch looks a little low.
> 
> A straighter pull on the bow eye would make it easier to crank it that last foot or so to get the bow firmly against the bow stop.


Yup. I was looking at that a few days ago. I'm going to raise the wench up 2 more notches and see how that works out.


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## Y_J (Nov 24, 2014)

OutrageGIS said:


> Looks great, nice job with the welding! I also think the winch looks low, might put the winch on top and the v block under? Might not matter if you keep the boat light, but should make loading a bit easier.


Thank you. I'll have to play with it to see if it can work out with the wench on top. I need to work on the bow stop bars anyway. They seem to be off kilter to the side a bit.


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## Y_J (Nov 24, 2014)

WPS said:


> Y_J,..Nice job extending the trailer tongue!... You turned that jet ski trailer into a nice trailer for your boat!.. Great job! :mrgreen:
> 
> I got my trailer tongue extended, and I had to (like you), so I would have room for my jack and spare tire... Looks like you will have plenty of room when you have the trailer hooked up to your truck!
> 
> Keep up the good work!... Trailer will look nice when you get it painted!


Thanks so much. It had been years since I had done any welding so I was a bit worried about how well it would hold up. After I was done I did a drop test on it. :shock: I picked it up almost chest high and dropped it a couple of times then searched for any stress cracks in the weld. None could be found so she should hold up pretty good.

Originaly I was going to paint it red to match my truck but lately I've kind of been leaning to semi-gloss black. Still pondering that though.


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## jsbossert (Nov 24, 2014)

Looks good!


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## Y_J (Dec 6, 2014)

Another update: got the trailer painted yesterday and today. Was going to put one more coat on tomorrow but now the rain isn't cooperating.
Painted it a gloss black. Still need to come up with some fenders though. Here's some pics to share.


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## WPS (Dec 6, 2014)

Nice job, Y_J... Trailer looks great!

A long time ago, I made some fenders out of an old aluminum road sign... I went to the state road garage, and they gave me an old sign.


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## Y_J (Dec 6, 2014)

WPS said:


> Nice job, Y_J... Trailer looks great!
> 
> A long time ago, I made some fenders out of an old aluminum road sign... I went to the state road garage, and they gave me an old sign.


Thanks, and Thanks for the tip, WPS. I sure wanted to put on that second coat today. But the weather just wouldn't cooperate. Maybe tomorrow, I hope.
I also decided yesterday that I was going to get a couple cans of the metalic chrome paint and paint the wheeles with it. Got to put a stop to the rust that's showing up on them.


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## WPS (Dec 7, 2014)

Y_J said:


> WPS said:
> 
> 
> > Nice job, Y_J... Trailer looks great!
> ...


I don't have any pictures of the fenders, that was back in 93 when I made them... I cut 2 square pieces (maybe 2'x2').. Then marked where I wanted to bolt the fender to the frame. (on top).... Then used a saw and made a cut on ''each side''... Then put the aluminum in a vise and bent the aluminum into the shape that I wanted... (Kind of hard to explain)  ...I have some old aluminum in my scrap pile... If you need me to, I can make one to show how I did it... Just let me know.

Did you use ''Rustoleum self etching primer'' on your rims first ?... That should stop the rust!... Also, try and use a brush on a drill to get some of the rust off!... I hate trying to remove rust from rims and hate painting rims.


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## Y_J (Dec 9, 2014)

WPS said:


> Y_J said:
> 
> 
> > WPS said:
> ...


Not as yet. Next payday I'll get the chrome paint. I've got a couple cans of Rust Oleum self etching primer left over from the trailer to use on the wheeles. Then it's also time to start primering the boat itself. Started back to grinding out the paint on the inside of the boat today. Slowly I turn, step by step...


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## Y_J (Dec 17, 2014)

Haven't posted in a few days and wanted to post an update of sorts.
The trailer is ready for its inspection other than the fenders. A sheriff deputy told me that law mandates that trailers must have fenders in Georgia.
As soon as I get me a 55 gal. Metal drum, that problem will be solved. I went to the DMV and they gave me an aluminum tag with the assigned serial number for a homemade trailer and I got that riveted on the trailer tongue a couple days ago.

Last weekend I went to a yard sale and bought an old aluminum ladder for the floor support in the boat and a big spool of 12 ga wire and a brand new set of Bearing Buddies for the trailer wheels. Now if I can just figure out a way to get the old bearing protectors off. Any suggestions here?
I've got the ladder cut down to fit in the boat, relatively level and am now ready to spray the inside of the boat up to the floor line with truck bed liner then head over to Home Depot for some pink insulation foam sheets. 

Only problem there is that I won't be able to do that this next payday. About a month and a half ago my desktop computer gave up the ghost and then found that my 8 yr old laptop won't even power up either. Both have power to them cause a couple of the lights come on but that's as far as they go.
So... I've got a new desktop PC being built for me to pick up on payday. I'm currently using my tablet.  Merry Christmas to me.

Now, also the Ted Williams OBM now has new points and condenser and started putting the motor back together and got to the point of putting the nut on the crank shaft and IT WON'T GO ON. I went to get a new nut at Tractor Supply. Got there and tried it on their nut sizer and it went on with no problem. :? Can only mean one thing. The crank shaft thread itself. I couldn't see any thing wrong with it so I took a photo of it to get a close up view of it. Now I need to find me a die so I can clean up the threads on it. The only place I could find the right size was at Lowes in an $80 tap and die set. Man, that sucks. 
Well, that's all the news so I'll follow up here with a few pics.


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## OutrageGIS (Dec 17, 2014)

Lookin good YJ! Very clean setup on the trailer!


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## WPS (Dec 17, 2014)

Trailer looks good!... You done a great job on it!


Y_J said:


> The trailer is ready for its inspection other than the fenders. A sheriff deputy told me that law mandates that trailers must have fenders in Georgia. As soon as I get me a 55 gal. Metal drum, that problem will be solved.


A 55 gal' plastic drum would work too... I've seen guys make fenders out of them to cover the front tires on tractors.


Y_J said:


> Now if I can just figure out a way to get the old bearing protectors off. Any suggestions here?


Take a hammer and hit near the end of it.


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## Y_J (Dec 17, 2014)

OutrageGIS said:


> Lookin good YJ! Very clean setup on the trailer!


Thank you very much. Also got one problem taken care of today. Got the nut onto the crankshaft. Wooot. Fiddled with it again this morning and got ticked off at it. Threw the motor in the back of my truck and took it to West Georgia Marine. Asked them what they would charge me to run a die down the threads to clean it up. They took care of it and didn't charge me anything. Now I can finish putting the motor back together.
Onward and upward


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## Y_J (Dec 17, 2014)

WPS said:


> Trailer looks good!... You done a great job on it!
> 
> 
> Y_J said:
> ...


I was trying the hammer thing yesterday and they wouldn't budge. Guess maybe I was afraid to hit them to hard. Will give it another go round tomorrow.
And thanks so much on the trailer compliments.


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## Y_J (Dec 19, 2014)

Damn. Had todays update all written out then the window closed on me.
Built a motor stand today that will hold both outboards and the trolling motor.
Then I finally got the Ted Williams put back together. I'll tell ya, who ever designed how that thing goes together had to be on crank or something.
Did a compression test on it and got a solid 90 out of it. Question.. Shouldn't it be between 100-120?? Or is 90 OK for a 4.5 HP motor? Foto to follow. 
Tomorrow I'll see if the new points and condenser gives it some spark then spray some carb cleaner in the carb and see if it will fire up


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## BoatDawg4120 (Dec 19, 2014)

Be careful what types of sprays you are using to test fire any engine. Especially a 2-stroke. Most starting fluids and cleaners are not oil based and therefore can cause cylinder wall and ring scoring due to insufficient lubrication. Even just a quick test fire can cause issues. Best thing to do to test run a 2-stroke is to put some gas/oil premix into a spray bottle and use that.


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## SumDumGuy (Dec 19, 2014)

You didn't happen to notice any burs or similar on the crank shaft threads? Willl the nut go on at all?

You might consider running a small needle file along the threads and following that checking if the nut will work - cheaper than a die.


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## Y_J (Dec 19, 2014)

BoatDawg4120 said:


> Be careful what types of sprays you are using to test fire any engine. Especially a 2-stroke. Most starting fluids and cleaners are not oil based and therefore can cause cylinder wall and ring scoring due to insufficient lubrication. Even just a quick test fire can cause issues. Best thing to do to test run a 2-stroke is to put some gas/oil premix into a spray bottle and use that.


Thanks for the tip. I appreciate it. I did try with carb cleaner today and it actually fired for just a second. Thanks again.


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## Y_J (Dec 19, 2014)

SumDumGuy said:


> You didn't happen to notice any burs or similar on the crank shaft threads? Willl the nut go on at all?
> 
> You might consider running a small needle file along the threads and following that checking if the nut will work - cheaper than a die.


I couldn't see anything wrong until I took a photo that I could zoom in on and a file did the trick. The nut went on easily and the motor is now back together and waiting on some gas.
My only delima with it right now is finding the correct fuel/oil mixture for It. So far the closest manual I've found is one model number down from the actual. It says 24:1 but I want to make sure that would be correct.


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## BoatDawg4120 (Dec 20, 2014)

24:1 is probably about right. I know on my old 1955 Rude I had it was originally 16:1 but with the development of TCWIII they released a publication to switch to 24:1 unless you were still using 30w as your primary 2-stroke oil. I always mixed mine a little heavy on the oil still just for the added piece of mind. I was fine with the idea of replacing plugs a little sooner rather than damage cylinder, pistons, rings, cranks, bearings, etc.


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## Y_J (Dec 20, 2014)

BoatDawg4120 said:


> 24:1 is probably about right. I know on my old 1955 Rude I had it was originally 16:1 but with the development of TCWIII they released a publication to switch to 24:1 unless you were still using 30w as your primary 2-stroke oil. I always mixed mine a little heavy on the oil still just for the added piece of mind. I was fine with the idea of replacing plugs a little sooner rather than damage cylinder, pistons, rings, cranks, bearings, etc.


Right on. Thanks so much. I appreciate your input.


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## Y_J (Dec 30, 2014)

I keep feeling like I'm not making any progress but I know that little by little this old goat is doing something. Especially since I'm out the every day working on it.
The past couple days I've made new transom corner braces and a new bow top brace. Tomorrow I hope to have those all riveted in place. 
Today I also got new SS U-bolts in place on the transom for tie-downs to the trailer. (Pic to follow)
Also as soon as I can come up with a 1 3/8" hole saw I'll be able to get the Aft anchor pole light mount installed.
That wouldn't fit on the old beat up corner brackets, so... in come the new bigger ones I made from an old aluminum street sign. (Along with the new bow brace).
(Sure wish I had A bending brake though).

I hate having to live off of a disability pension, but the up side is I have somthing to do that I love doing. I just have to wait longer for the $$$ to come in and scrounge more  little by little this boat is getting there. Pushing hard to be fishing in her by spring.


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## jsbossert (Dec 31, 2014)

Coming along very nice!


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## derekdiruz1 (Jan 8, 2015)

If you haven't found out what the boat is yet, I have a boat almost identical as far as I can tell and mine is a late 60's or early 70's sea nymph. I can find the exact model tomorrow as it's written on the side, I just can't recall lol.

I love the build.


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## Y_J (Jan 10, 2015)

Right on. I've suspected a sears but not positive,early 60,s or so. One of the things I've been going by is the length of the splash guard on the sides. Not to many of them that short. I would appreciate what you come up with. Thank you.


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## Y_J (Jan 11, 2015)

I guess it's time for a little update.
I made new corner plates on the transom and got the pole light plug-in base installed on one of them. Then I reworked the bow brace plate. I started to make a new one then I got to thinking. Usually a bad idea for me. I straightened the original out as best I could with a piece of 2x4 and a hammer. Then I broke out some Bondo with glass strands in it and coated the top of the plate to fill in any of the dents and dimpples that were left. Let that cure till the next day then sanded it smooth. Cleaned it with mineral spirits then sprayed self etching primer to it. Then temp mounted the Nav light right up front.

Then last payday I picked up a couple of steel 55 gal drums. Got me another piece of 2x4 and near one end I drove a nail thru it. Measured 9 inches from that nail and drove another nail thru. I then flipped one of the drums upside down then took my 9" nail ruler and hung it on the lip of the drum and walked around it letting the other nail scratch a line around the drum. Yep... got me a line to follow with my angle grinder with a cutoff wheel on it. Laid the drum on its side and just rolled it while I cut. Next, I cut that part right up the middle. 
Have any of you priced new fenders for a trailer? Tractor Supply had flimsy plastic ones for $40.00 ea.
I just made two for a grand total of $10.00.  :wink: 
BTW they are a perfect fit for 12" tires. Got them screwed onto the trailer frame today. Took the trailer to a salvage yard and got them to weigh it for me. 240 lbs total for the completed trailer.

Some New pics coming right up. And as always, your comments, thoughts and ideas are always welcome.


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## Y_J (Jan 12, 2015)

Here's a couple of the newer photo's

Also a question about the plywood I'm thinking of using for the floor.
The boat is 12' bow to stern, 36" wide across the bottom and 48" across the widest part at the top. I picked up an old aluminum ladder to run down the center to support the floor plywood. Trying to keep the weight down a bit do you think that 3/8" thick exterior ply would be sufficient? At most there will be two of us but more often than not, I'll be alone with my taco dog and gear. BTW the pink foam will be below the ladder between the ribs. 
I'd appreciate any input ya'll might be able to give. Thanks in advance.


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## WPS (Jan 17, 2015)

YJ, 

Lookin' great!... Keep up the good work!


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## Y_J (Jan 18, 2015)

Thank you very much. Yesterday I went to a furnature store and they gave me all the card board boxes I wanted. Then today I started on making the template for the flat floor. Progress may be slow, but progress none the less. Woot.


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## Y_J (Jan 26, 2015)

Here are some pics of the cardboard mockup with the floor and fore and aft decks.
There will be one hatch up front for battery access, the anchor and rope.
There will be one long hatch across the very back for the bilge pump and spare fuel, and storage of the aft pole light.
Also on the aft deck will be two hatches for the PFD's, tools, tackle, first aid kit and what ever else needs to be stoad away. 
I did another leak test today and found that automotive undercoating does NOT make for Decent hull sealer below the floor line.
Now... A ?? or two... All of the rivets that I've gotten ahold of leave the hole in the middle. What kind of rivets should I get that do not leave that hole? 2nd... What would be the best bet for sealing the hull from the inside and outside? 
I really would appreciate anyone's input and thoughts on my floor and deck layout. I've tried to keep it all relatively low down and yet, functional. This entire build is a learning thing for me since it is my 1st build.
Thanks in advance for everyones help.


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## brittonp83 (Jan 27, 2015)

For sealing the hull I used Gluvit on the inside and Steelflex on the outside. You're getting some good work done.


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## Y_J (Jan 27, 2015)

brittonp83 said:


> For sealing the hull I used Gluvit on the inside and Steelflex on the outside. You're getting some good work done.


Thank you very much for your help. I check into both.


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## Y_J (Feb 9, 2015)

Guess I should add an update to the current status (photo's included) :shock: Didn't realize it had been so long..
Ok. I've picked up the Pink Foam for under floor flotation, and also 1/2" Exterior Ply Wood for the floor and decking. Also picked up a can of Water Resistant Spray Adhesive to glue the foam down to the curvature of the bottom of the boat. My templates are made as mentioned earlier. Got the foam measured and cut, Finished priming the inside of the boat, and now have the boat off the trailer, upside down and working on the bottom and priming as I work my way back. Got a small crack fixed with JB-Weld and a couple of dents filled in with Steel Epoxy Putty. All on the Keel. Tomorrow will finish up on the Keel dents and a couple inches of worn away area, (leaving a hole) at the very back of the Keel, then spray the rubberized sealant on the rivets all the way down, let that cure a while and primer the rest of the bottom.
Woooooot, Making some progress.

Here are some pics to bring you up to date so far:


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## SumDumGuy (Feb 10, 2015)

Looking good YJ.

Won't be long and you'll be new and on the water.


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## Y_J (Feb 10, 2015)

True, so true. I got most all of the stuff on the bottom done today except for the last quarter to be primed. I got so ticked off, 3 brand new cans of Self Etching Primer and none of them will spray. I tried sticking a pin in the holes to no avail. Guess I got to track down my receipt and see if Home Depot will replace them.
And I was so looking forward to starting on the floor this afternoon. GRRRR
Been considering different ways for the plywood to be secure, yet easily removable if the need should arise for some reason. I'll find a way for that, yet. 
Thanks for stopping by and your encouragement.


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## Y_J (Feb 11, 2015)

OK.. Got the bottom done and Primed today then painted 1st coat of the upper exterior where it would be hard to get to with the boat right side up. Then got my buddy to help me pick it up and flip it over and sat down on the trailer where I then finished the rest of the upper exterior 1st coat.
Tomorrow I'll give it a light sanding, clean it with the mineral spirits then put on the 2nd coat. After that's had a chance to sit for a while I'll put my floor template in and double check that before I cut the plywood. Woooot.. Suddenly feels like I'm making some progress..
Question for your thoughts. Currently the red paint follows the rivet line which will be masked for the bottom paint when I get that next pay day. The question is this. Do you think I should bring the red paint down on the front half of the boat in keeping with the same height that it is about mid ship rather than getting narrower at the bow? Just a thought I was considering but wanted to get your thoughts on it. Thanks for all your input so far, folks..


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## SumDumGuy (Feb 14, 2015)

fwiw I like the paint to follow the line (like you currently have it). What color is going on the lower?


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## Y_J (Feb 15, 2015)

Thanks for the input. I really appreciate it.
For some time now I been thinking like a *baby blue* for the bottom paint but just not real sure how that's going to look against the *red*.
Today I finished getting the floor cut in and ready to seal. It will be screwed down to the aluminum ladder running down the middle of the boat for support and the ladder is screwed down to the ribs with SS screws with the 1/2" pink foam under that.


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## SumDumGuy (Feb 16, 2015)

Yes, I can see the deeper thought on the baby blue bottom. If you can get a small amount of the paint you may be well served to do a test patch and see how the contrast looks. Also, if you do go with the blue you may consider a transition line between the two colors.

Personally I would go with white on the bottom. White pretty much goes with anything; but I would choose white mostly because I am cheap and unimaginative.


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## DarynCashmark (Feb 16, 2015)

Really love the way your project is coming along! Paint looks great so far, and I can't wait to see how the bottom turns out! Not that anyone cares, but I think it would look really sharp with a thin line between colors too. Easy for me to say... no extra work on my part.


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## Y_J (Feb 16, 2015)

Thanks guys.. At first I was considering painting the splash guard Black, then later dismissed that idea. But with your mention of White I'm revisiting the idea. Also rethinking on a White Bottom. Wish I had a decent photo editor on this new computer so I could try some different color schemes on one of the photos. On my old puter I used PS CS3 and it would have been a piece of cake to make those changes. BTW, let it be known that I absolutely HATE Windows 8.1. Had Win 7 on my old one.
Thanks for the input guys. Ya got me rethinking a few things..
Also today I managed to get my Bow and Aft Deck Tops cut out. Tomorrow, I'll cut the fascia for both and start working on some angle iron (aluminum) for some more support on the sides and back of the decks. 
Starting to come together nicely.


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## Y_J (Feb 26, 2015)

A bit of an update here..
Been working on the decks and got the hatches cut out. 1 (for the battery) under the bow deck and 3 on the aft deck. 1 Long one at the very back for the bilge area and 2 smaller ones at the front of the deck for storage.
Yesterday I picked up all the paint needed to finish the inside and outside.
Today I picked up the new battery, manufacture date of Feb 2015, a group 27 Exide from Tractor Supply, $40 less that the same battery at the local marine dealer. Also picked up 1/8" Aluminum flat bar for lining the under edges of the hatches and the piano hinges for putting on the hatch doors. 
I'm put Aluminum angle across the back to rest the deck on and will screw it down into the angle to keep the deck in place and will have 'L' brackets on the floor up the inside of the front wall to hold it all stationary there.
Tomorrow I've got my work cut out for me 
I have a couple of pics from a couple days ago but didn't get any today so will get some tomorrow after getting some of the work done..


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## canadian omc (Feb 26, 2015)

Looking good, pretty soon you'll be fishing. That's a pretty cool idea using an old aluminum ladder for your floor support.


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## Y_J (Feb 27, 2015)

Thank you... it seems to be working pretty good. The ladder supports down the middle and the edge of the boat supports the edges of the floor. I've gotten in it and walked around but the real test will be when I put it in the water and try it out. LOL. Been thinking of sneaking it over to a small local lake and put her in just to see how the water displacement is with all the extra wood weight. That kind of worries me a bit. Especially after putting the battery in today. Believe I'm gonna need a bigger motor than a 4.5 HP though. LOL Been trying to find a 9.9 HP that I could afford.


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## thill (Mar 4, 2015)

YJ,
I just found your thread. I really like your restoration! In particular, I like the ladder idea- very intelligent use of a light, yet strong material.

I had a boat with a white bottom. Hated that it always got stained up. Last one I had, I painted it black, and that was easy to deal with.

But if you aren't in the red-clay mud stained waters like we are, white may work out just fine. It will certainly look good!

Keep up the good work. I really like the fact that you take it out, even while working on it. Boats are made to be USED, so I commend you for doing just that!

-TH


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## Y_J (Mar 5, 2015)

thill said:


> YJ,
> I just found your thread. I really like your restoration! In particular, I like the ladder idea- very intelligent use of a light, yet strong material.
> 
> I had a boat with a white bottom. Hated that it always got stained up. Last one I had, I painted it black, and that was easy to deal with.
> ...


Hey thill.. thank you so much for the compliments.
I have to admit that Yes I am in a lot of red clay and mud stained waters and hadn't even thought about that when I decided on the white bottom paint. And to add insult to injury, I've already bought all the paint to finish it all up with. 
Guess I could use it as a first coats. I'm going to be sticking to the smaller lakes and ponds with this boat from now on. It don't work out to good on rivers like the Chattahoochee. hehehe. Last time on that one I swamped the boat.
Today, I managed to get all the hatch doors put on. Next up, running some electrical wiring through the conduit that will be running under the floor and figure out how I'm going to do the passenger fishing chair box (aka Battery cover).


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## onthewater102 (Mar 6, 2015)

12' is awefully small to be filling with all that wood weight.


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## Y_J (Mar 6, 2015)

onthewater102 said:


> 12' is awefully small to be filling with all that wood weight.


Yes I know and considering taking out the front deck. The main thing I wanted in this boat was the flat floor, But, for the most part this thing is primarily a learning tool in preparation for a 16' flat bottom Jon. Soon as the trailer is legal, I'm going to take it over to a small, local lake to check the water displacement on it with the battery (group 27) in the middle of the boat.
I have to admit, this has, thus far, been a lot of fun building for me also. And that is thanks to everyone on this site for the help and ideas I've gone through, LOL and the many changes I've made in the process.
Right now, both decks are relatively small and kept LOW. The front one is right at about 3 ft long and was originally intended to have the battery under but after making a mock up battery out of Styrofoam I found that the deck would have to be way to high so I opted to keep the deck low and just keep the anchor in the hatch. The aft deck is 4 ft with a bilge hatch and to small storage hatches. Both decks are currently supported by the bench seats and a bit of aluminum angle iron. The floor is supported by an aluminum ladder down the center and the curved sides of the hull. There will also be aluminum braces from the sides to the floor where the center bench used to be.

Thanks, onthewater102, for your thoughts and input. And trust me, I have tried to keep the boat size in mind during all of this.


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## onthewater102 (Mar 6, 2015)

You're in basically the same boat - no pun intended - as I am with my 1436 flat bottom, but I started mine build knowing I needed to keep weight to a minimum and it still doesn't have enough freeboard to go out on busy lakes on the weekend. I can't imagine being on a big river with it if there are tugs and major vessels moving by along with the std. contingent of yuppie ass-hats in power boats coming way too close.

Being a v-hull your hull bows out a bit along the sides as well as lower down the sides to displace more than a 12' jon would, so we're probably working with roughly the same displacement/buoyancy - I think my boat is rated for 400lbs, but if I remember my 12' v before it was rated for 390 - not a lot of room for toys and the like, especially if you have 75lbs of lumber in there. 

Future reference 1/2" plywood weighs ~1.5lbs / sq ft, .10" Aluminum ~1.4lbs / sq ft, while .09" FRP ~.5lbs / sq ft, but it requires you back it with foam, which between the ribs needs to be 1" thick so it adds another ~.10lbs per sq/ft. (.6 total vs ~1.5 for wood or alum.) but is the clear winner in weight, which with our tiny tinies seems to be the most limiting factor of all.

God knows my batteries and TM alone put the boat at capacity with me in it, nevermind the rest of my gear. Out of curiosity - you said you swamped - was it a wake that did you in or swells and did the water come over the front or rear? I've seen some guys on here with 6" PVC pipes bolted to the side to add buoyancy in rough water...might be a way to salvage your current rig. Anything smaller than 6" is a waste - by my math adding 5' of PVC on both sides of the boat will only net you ~130lbs of buoyancy less the weight of the PVC and hardware...realistically you probably only have room for 6' or 7'...more than enough to make up for the weight of everything you added to the boat.


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## Y_J (Mar 7, 2015)

I've considered adding 5' of 6" pvc on each side. It swamped when my back started hurting from sitting on the benches and I started stretching side to side and stretched to far to one side and the boat capsized with me and my little taco dog. I was thinking of the pvc tubes for more stability than anything else. Put them on in such a way I could raise them for travel and lower for fishing time and be able to just pull them off for 
I've added pink foam under the ladder.
Going by the CG formula it rated for something like 520 lbs and a max of 10 HP motor but I've only got a 4.5 HP for it right now. Not gonna win any races, that's for sure, but if it will get me to the fishing spots, I'll be happy with that, for now..
This FRP that you were talking about, just what is that? I'm not familiar with it.


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## onthewater102 (Mar 7, 2015)

Fiber Reinforced Paneling - its fiberglass panels used in bathrooms, showers etc. available from home depot or lowes in 4x8 sheets.

It's just a fiberglass sheet - costs about $32/sheet @ the big box stores. It has a textured finished side that has a gell coat applied to it, but the other side is just straight fiberglass. You can scuff it up a bit with some sandpaper and apply bondo or other fiberglass directly to it. So once i fit it as nicely as I could to all the curved edges I just went over it along the edge with some more fiberglass to fill in and clean everything up.

It's not as durable as wood or sheet aluminum - but it certainly holds up to normal uses just fine (walking loading gear etc.) The one time I damaged it I dropped my 80# thrust 24 trolling motor (~75lbs) on it trying to align it on it's quick release mount. There is a section where the pin that locks the quick release mount stuck out and of course the whole thing landed with that pin pointed down & it punched right through the FRP - but it would have dented aluminum pretty badly too with that much weight on such a small steel pin. It was an easy fix though...just glassed over it and by morning it was ready to go.


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## Y_J (Mar 7, 2015)

WOW. Guess I'm going to have to go to HD tomorrow and go check this stuff out, But would have to wait till payday to actually get any. Would take me approx. 2 1/2 sheets to replace all the wood. Use the wood versions as the templates they should just slip right in. Thanks so much for tipping me off on this stuff.


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## Y_J (Mar 7, 2015)

Here's an update to my progress so far. Pics are below.
Got the deck hatch doors installed using piano hinges and 1/8" thick aluminum 1 1/2" bars for the supports.
Then took out all the wood and got the gunwales taped off and ready to paint the inside.
Then today I got two coats of paint in. Now that I've got the paint in, I'm not all that sure I like the color. :roll: Guess I better get used to it though. Maybe it will look better once I have the carpet in. Before I put the floor and decks back in though, I'm going to add another coat then a couple coats of crystal clear Rust-Oleum. Then I'll pull the boat off the trailer and flip it over and paint the bottom.
I'm also going to take a trip to Home Depot tomorrow and check out the FRP in consideration of changing from the wood to that. We shall see what happens.


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## slick (Mar 7, 2015)

Love your build and admire your patience. Waiting for the paycheck to arrive, it gives a man too much time to think. DANGEROUS!!!
Keep in mind if you use the FRP, you will need a support system underneath it. You will probably need to keep your plywood. FRP is thin "plastic" type stuff that is used for wet applications like shower walls. When used for shower walls it is attached to sheetrock using contact cement. IMO you will not lose any weight.


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## onthewater102 (Mar 8, 2015)

FRP really only works with foam right behind it. Backing it with plywood will work, but is pointless as it defeats the purpose (weight savings) in using FRP in the first place.

I would add a considerable amount of foam to your floor if swamping is an issue. Help keep the motors above water if you swamp.


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## slick (Mar 8, 2015)

Yes.
I was referring to his decks.


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## Y_J (Mar 8, 2015)

slick said:


> Love your build and admire your patience. Waiting for the paycheck to arrive, it gives a man too much time to think. DANGEROUS!!!


Isn't that the truth. And especially DANGEROUS for me to be thinking. :lol: I don't just get one or two voices going in my head. I get a community all trying to talk at the same time. Gets me pretty confused at times.



slick said:


> Keep in mind if you use the FRP, you will need a support system underneath it. You will probably need to keep your plywood. FRP is thin "plastic" type stuff that is used for wet applications like shower walls. When used for shower walls it is attached to sheetrock using contact cement. IMO you will not lose any weight.


Yep, the thickest I could find was .090" thick. Not good for me. I'm not a small guy. (240 lbs) I've run out of all the freebie material I've come up with and living on a disability pension, I only get paid once per month. OUCH. And that makes for a very long wait on payday. I think the least expensive way for me to go at this point would be to buy a 10' length of 6" PVC tube, 4 end caps, cut it in half and make 2 5' pontoons. One for each side of the boat. That should not only add flotation but add stability while I'm fishing.


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## Y_J (Mar 8, 2015)

onthewater102 said:


> I would add a considerable amount of foam to your floor if swamping is an issue. Help keep the motors above water if you swamp.


Thankfully it's only been once when I leaned over to far and the boat flipped over dumping me, my dog, my camera gear and phone in the drink.
I've now got an aluminum ladder running down the middle sitting on top of the pink foam sheets cut to fit between the ribs. The plywood floor is supported by that and the curves of the hull and I'll be screwing that down to the ladder with SS screws to hold it in place.

BTW, I finished painting the inside today, and after a couple hours, my buddy helped me pick the boat up, flip it over and sat back down on the trailer. Tomorrow I'll finish taping it off to protect the red and hopefully get a couple coats on the bottom tomorrow.


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## onthewater102 (Mar 9, 2015)

We'll be heading to Myrtle Beach the middle of May - I took some measurements and if I separate the lower unit from the power head I can fit it all in the back of the car, so I can get the motor closer to you than CT...don't know how far a drive that would be from where you are in GA. Please let me know if you want it for sure - its been listed locally on craigslist for a while and now that there is hope of the snow melting I'm starting to get calls.


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## Y_J (Mar 11, 2015)

If you can sell it, go ahead. I don't think I'll have the money for it now. Just had some expensive stuff come up on my truck that has to get taken care of. I'd love to get it but it just don't look possible right now. I'm sorry.


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## Y_J (Mar 11, 2015)

Update: Woot, I am jazzed. Finished all the painting today including a couple coats of Crystal Clear Gloss. For a beat up old tin can, it's looking pretty good if I say so myself. Now time to start running some electrical wiring below the floor. Nav lights, fish finder, trolling motor and bilge pump. Also going to install a couple of 12v accessory plugs
Question here, What gauge of wire should be used going from the battery to the trolling motor? And how big of a fuse should be on it? Or should I use circuit breakers? It's about a 6' run, each way. It's a transom mount and the battery is near the middle of the boat.


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## slick (Mar 11, 2015)

You don't need to run wire.
That looks too good to get dirty.
Hang it on the wall!!!!!!!
Nice job.


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## onthewater102 (Mar 11, 2015)

For your wiring questions - it all depends on how much current and how far you're running it. Keep in mind anything we do in a boat is considered "non critical" for the purposes of this table:


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## Coersum (Mar 11, 2015)

Hi YJ,

I have been reading your thread a lot, it seems we have pretty close to the same boat (if not the same).
You've been doing an awesome job, I really like what you did with it, the paint looks great too!.

I was wondering if you ever figured out what make/model it is.
My thread: https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=37144

Keep up the good work, I'll keep checking on it.


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## Y_J (Mar 11, 2015)

onthewater102 said:


> For your wiring questions - it all depends on how much current and how far you're running it. Keep in mind anything we do in a boat is considered "non critical" for the purposes of this table:


Onthewater, thanks so much for the chart. I have saved it for reference and will most likely print it out and put it up in my shop. Thanks again, Buddy


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## Y_J (Mar 11, 2015)

Coersum said:


> Hi YJ,
> 
> I have been reading your thread a lot, it seems we have pretty close to the same boat (if not the same).
> You've been doing an awesome job, I really like what you did with it, the paint looks great too!.
> ...


Hi Coersum. Thanks for tagging along on my build. I'll be checking on yours as well.
As close as I have been able to find, the boat is most likely an late 50s - early 60s Sears Gamefisher so I registered it as a 1959 Sears Gamefisher.
I spent 2 or 3 weeks going through boat photos on the internet looking for features that matched what I had. Like the splash guard that only goes about half way forward and the bow brace/plate, bench seats that don't go all the way down to the hull floor, etc. I finally found a couple that matched all those and that's what they were. Hope this helps you out.


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## jsbossert (Mar 11, 2015)

Sweet boat!


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## Y_J (Mar 11, 2015)

Thank you so much jsbossert. Much appreciated.


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## canadian omc (Mar 11, 2015)

=D> Looks good!


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## Coersum (Mar 11, 2015)

Y_J said:


> Coersum said:
> 
> 
> > Hi YJ,
> ...



I went through the same process, noticed some version have different height of seats, ours has (mine at least) the same, at 4" I believe. But yes I looked at all that too, bow cover, seat, transom shapes, oars lock and also where the plates of aluminum meet to make seams. Mine is registered as "JON" year "0000" so I guess they didn't know either.

Did you have the round patch on each side by the transom like mine ?


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## Y_J (Mar 12, 2015)

Nope. No Patch. Was that from a decal? or is it molded in the aluminum?


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## Coersum (Mar 12, 2015)

Decal, it's was flush once I removed the left over glue part of it. None of the sears I saw had round decals, maybe just something a previous owner added.


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## Y_J (Mar 12, 2015)

Coersum said:


> Decal, it's was flush once I removed the left over glue part of it. None of the sears I saw had round decals, maybe just something a previous owner added.


Very well could be something that was added by a PO.
I'm fixing to add a "Wired2Fish" decal to the back of mine.
I've also got a TinBoats.net decal but I think I'm going to put that one on the rear window of my truck.


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## Y_J (Mar 15, 2015)

Here's a quickie update from what I got done today and yesterday.
Yesterday, I got the floor completely screwed down (SS screws) to the aluminum ladder. I put a temporary screw in each end of the ladder side and stretched a string between the two ends which let me know exactly where the ladder was then put 5 screws along the string line thru the floor into the ladder. Did that on both sides and BAM.. That floor ain't going anywhere.
Then today I built the box that goes over the battery case. Put a piano hing on the front for the lid. I'll put a 7" seat pedestal on that for the front seat.
Tomorrow, I'll be building the box with a beveled top/lid for the Dash Board. All the switches, fuses and electrical connections will be inside and thinking of making it wide enough for the FF to be mounted on it as well.
Here's a couple pics of where I'm at right now.


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## derekdiruz1 (Mar 15, 2015)

god I can't wait to see this finished!

I truly look forward to the updates lol


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## Y_J (Mar 15, 2015)

derekdiruz1 said:


> god I can't wait to see this finished!
> 
> I truly look forward to the updates lol


TY derek. LOL I'm getting pretty antsy about it myself.
I also made stencils for the registration # last night. [-o< Spray the backs of them with temp adhesive, spray the numbers with a Glossy White, Let the paint set for a while then peel the stencils off and WHALA.


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## Coersum (Mar 16, 2015)

I like the idea of using stencils (IMO sending something is way easier than removing Lettering glue) Did you just print them on reg paper ? What kind of glue did you use for the stencils ? I have to wait to make sure my paint is cured before I put anything on it 

Boat is looking good!


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## Y_J (Mar 16, 2015)

Coersum said:


> I like the idea of using stencils (IMO sending something is way easier than removing Lettering glue) Did you just print them on reg paper ? What kind of glue did you use for the stencils ? I have to wait to make sure my paint is cured before I put anything on it
> 
> Boat is looking good!


I agree on the sanding.. I printed them out on my printer on regular printer paper in 3 parts. Had to to make them the legal size of 3" high. Did the first two letters, GA on first page, then the 4 digit number on the second page and the last to letters on the 3rd page..
A few years ago I used to do a lot of wood work on a scroll saw. I would take my pattered and use a temporary spray adhesive on the back then press the pattered down on the wood. Now all I had to do was follow the lines on the scroll saw.. Here I'll do the same thing sort of. Used a razor blade to cut the printed reg # out of the pages, then spray the backs of each page with the adhesive. Then tape painters paper all the way around it so that no overspray gets on the boat. Then using the paint, just spray on about 4 light coats (so I don't get any runs in it). Once the paint sets for an hour or two just peel off the paper and stencil. You may have to wipe off a little of the adhesive that go left behind but it comes off pretty easy with some paint thinner or something similar on a rag. Let everything cure and you're set.
I'll post pics of mine when I get it done. I'm also planning on doing the same thing with the boat name.


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## Y_J (Mar 17, 2015)

OK, wooot. Ready for the electronics hookups and the deck and floor coverings
A light at the end of the tunnel is showing through. 
The box with the angled lid is the dashboard/electrical connections and is 9 1/2" x 10"
Question: To wrap the carpet under the deck lids, how much space between the lid and the deck edges should I leave to allow the carpet to to wrap and still be able to completely close???


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## derekdiruz1 (Mar 17, 2015)

Hurry up already, I'm getting anxious!


All jokes aside, I love it. Question though, what size plywood is that? is it heavy? My boat that size had a weight cap of around 400 so I'd be nervous to deck that much, but it looks phenomenal!!


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## Y_J (Mar 17, 2015)

derekdiruz1 said:


> Hurry up already, I'm getting anxious!
> 
> 
> All jokes aside, I love it. Question though, what size plywood is that? is it heavy? My boat that size had a weight cap of around 400 so I'd be nervous to deck that much, but it looks phenomenal!!


Thank you. It's 1/2" exterior ply. Supported by an aluminum ladder. The decks are easy enough to take out if the need should arise but no matter what, the floor is staying 
As is the Battery box and the Dashboard.. I also have plans of trying out a pair of pontoons made from 6" PVC for extra flotation and stability. Just got to figure out how I"m going to mount them and keep them easily removable. hehehe no telling what I'll come up with. A lot of this is playing and learning from it all.


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## onthewater102 (Mar 18, 2015)

Easily removable is the trick. I saw someone on here had a...we'll go with less than aesthetically pleasing...I've seen them installed using U bolts, but if you don't seal the holes thru the side you'll end up taking on water, which makes them permanent - which isn't necessarily a bad thing.


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## Y_J (Mar 18, 2015)

LOL.. not here.. 3 or 4 screws and the deck come right out. Well, maybe closer to 10 screws. Aft deck 7 screws,
bow deck 4 screws..
I've also got my plan laid out for the pontoons. Now if I can just find a good artist to paint them for me.
A friend of mine gave me a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet about 4 months ago, shortly before he had a stroke and died. Same friend that let me use his welder when I built my trailer. I got to tinkering around with it today just to see what it might look like. Real shame there isn't enough of it to do the boat with cause I'm kinda liking it.
Here's a shot I took today with it just laid out.


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## onthewater102 (Mar 18, 2015)

The pods appear better suited mounted high for stability when you need it than mounted low for flotation from what I saw watching you-tube last night. If you set them so they're below the water line they spray like hell when you're on your gas motor and get you totally drenched wherever you go - maybe that'll work to your advantage down in GA getting a little cool-down without a Gator taking your hand...up here in CT that's a good way to get hypothermia during half the open water season!


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## Y_J (Mar 18, 2015)

Yep.. Once I'm able to see just where the displacement is with the weight of the Plywood I'll know more of where to just place the tubes at. I would like some of both, stabilization and flotation. But only tinkering with it will tell me where that is after finding the displacement. I'm thinking with the boat sitting still, with the pontoons about 2" into the water might get me there. Guess I'm going to have to wait to find out if I can even get them that far down. Hoping to raise the boat up a bit.


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## Y_J (Mar 20, 2015)

Here's another update: Got the Floor carpet cut in and part of the Aft Deck Carpet. Hopefully tomorrow I'll finish cutting in the Aft deck and start of the Bow deck..

Any comments on the two different colors of carpet being used? I would have like to use what's on the floor for the entire boat but there just wasn't enough to make the stretch. Currently having to use whats been given to me. They are not glued down as yet and the Hatches aren't cut out yet.

Also wondering your thoughts. What do you think? Should I do the Electrical Box/Dash Panel and the Battery box in the darker carpet or also do them in the Tan/Brown Carpet? I'm kind of at a toss up between the two.


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## Y_J (Mar 29, 2015)

I recon it's time for an update.
Pulled it out into the sunshine today and had to stand back and take a good look at what I have so far vs what I started with. WOW
Got the carpet all in and finished today but thinking I may redo the front deck. I had to piece meal the carpet using some smaller scraps. After all was said and done I found another piece that's nearly large enough to do the entire front deck. So I may redo it with that one.
Been really tight on the $$$ so I ended up stapling it all down rather than gluing it. Staple gun and staples I had. Glue I couldn't afford at this time.
I got the fuse block in and made a common ground bus. Got the Battery all hooked up to the wiring that I put in a couple weeks ago. Got all the wiring all connected to the fuse block and the bus bar, nav lights all connected and working, bilge pump connected and working but still need to add the plumbing for it, and the tiny tack wired in and ready.
I still need to add the switches, seat pedestals and seats, Hatch pulls and a section of aluminum channel across the top of the transom. Started fabricating a way of holding the paddle to the side of the hull today also.
I need to do a little paint touch up here and there and a bunch of the little stuff to do but that light at the end of the tunnel has gotten really big and bright :shock: 
Here are a few pics up to today.


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## derekdiruz (Mar 29, 2015)

All dang day I was on tinboats.net checking to see if you updated your build. Thank you, Yj, for now im satiated. 

Anywho, it looks phenomenal. Take her on the water!


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## Y_J (Mar 29, 2015)

derekdiruz said:


> All dang day I was on tinboats.net checking to see if you updated your build. Thank you, Yj, for now im satiated.
> 
> Anywho, it looks phenomenal. Take her on the water!


Thank you..
I still got to register the trailer first but I have thought about sneaking it to a nearby local lake. Still got to get the boat reg numbers on her too and a couple fishin' chairs.. wooot
LOL though I could just sit on the battery box


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## canadian omc (Mar 29, 2015)

Wow.. I've been following your build from the beginning and have to say you've done an amazing job so far. :beer: 
Looks awesome man. Congrats on the workmanship.


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## Y_J (Mar 30, 2015)

canadian omc said:


> Wow.. I've been following your build from the beginning and have to say you've done an amazing job so far. :beer:
> Looks awesome man. Congrats on the workmanship.


Thank you so much, Canadian omc. I got to say it's been, so far, 1 hell of a learning experience that I'm sure will come in handy on my next one....
Gonna try to find me a 14 or 16 ft. flat bottom.


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## Drake (Apr 7, 2015)

Hey after you put the deck in how well did your boat perform? I have one similar its a 1970 Sears and looks exactly like yours. I want to put a deck in but the boat already is very tippy.


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## Y_J (Apr 7, 2015)

Drake said:


> Hey after you put the deck in how well did your boat perform? I have one similar its a 1970 Sears and looks exactly like yours. I want to put a deck in but the boat already is very tippy.


I'm sorry to say, I haven't found out just yet. I still have to put the seats and switches in and register the trailer. The trailer and all paperwork is ready but don't want to pay a full year registration for just one month so I'm waiting another week or two. 
I'll definitely post it hear when I do. I'm so anctious to get her in the water I can't stand it LOL

I got the registration number on her yesterday and picked up one of the seat pedestals and swivels today.
I have a feeling that I"m either going to have to put pontoons on her or take the decks out. Just to much weight. I'll know more about what way I'll go once I can see her sitting in the water.


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## derekdiruz (Apr 7, 2015)

How much weight do you think was added in total with the decks?? My smaller 12 I had like that was pretty load bearing. I feel like especially solo fishing you'll be fine, and with another you just need to be smart and not go on huge lakes lol


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## Y_J (Apr 8, 2015)

Yep. 99% of the time I'll be going solo. Unless you count my taco dog. (he's the one in the lower left corner of the pic in my last post).


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## muzikman (Apr 12, 2015)

YJ,

I'm quite anxious to see the finished product! (probably not as anxious as YOU, though!)

Looking forward to some full photo shots of boat and trailer both and meybe some shots in the water as well so we can see how she sits.

Your hard work will soon pay off. =D> =D> =D>


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## Y_J (Apr 12, 2015)

muzikman said:


> YJ,
> 
> I'm quite anxious to see the finished product! (probably not as anxious as YOU, though!)
> 
> ...


Thank you, muzikman. Yep, I am pretty anxious. I'm, like, right there. Got some of the stuff in yesterday that I had ordered. I now have the switches and circut breakers installed and wired in. Today I got the trolling motor quick connect recepticle and plug installed and wired in, but somewhere in that process the bilge pump quit working. UGGG
The fishing seats were supposed to have been here yesterda also but they never showed up. FedEx tracking said they were out for delivery. I was way disapointed. Now the tracking says for Tue, the 14th. So much for two day shipping. Ordered on last Wed.


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## Y_J (Apr 14, 2015)

Here's an update for the past couple days. I'm so close, I can taste them fish. [-o< 
Installed an 8 gang switch panel and today an accessory panel with a 12v accessory recepticle, dual USB chargers, and a digital volt meter. On the switch panel they aren't all used but at least I have space for possible future additions.
And.... today, 4 days late, my seats and 50 amp circut breaker finally came in. Oh, and I also added a 12v recepticle on the side of the battery box. Now I just need to get some 1/4"-20 Ss bolts to mount the seats with.
I've also got some of the small stuff due in this Thur. A couple dock lines, a hitch reciever lock, a digital fish scale, and a couple other things that escapes my brain at the moment.
Can ya smell them fish frying?


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## Coersum (Apr 18, 2015)

Damn that's some nice work, your are getting close, you will be on the water before I do 

Post some pics sitting in the water to see how she floats.


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## Y_J (Apr 19, 2015)

Coersum said:


> Damn that's some nice work, your are getting close, you will be on the water before I do
> 
> Post some pics sitting in the water to see how she floats.


That isn't to far off. The trailer will be registered this coming Wed. That's pretty much all I been waiting on to see how she sits in the water. Can't wait.
Thanks.
Oh yeah, you can bet there will be pics.


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## Y_J (Apr 29, 2015)

Ok folks. Sorry for the delay in my updates. Lightning nailed my computer and router a couple weeks ago and just got the computer back yesterday.
But.... In the mean time, I been working on the *Li'l Fisher*. That's what I finally named her.
Pretty much have her finished with a few small projects left to do on her. My biggest worry was with the added weight from all the plywood and stability while in the water. Last Fri. or so I took her to a local city lake and slid her in. She went in and came out easy enough by myself and much to my dismay she didn't sit anywhere near as low in the water as I thought she would and with just me in the boat I was actually able to stand up and move around without going swimming. Tooled around for about an hour on the trolling motor but didn't want to get to far off on her maiden voyage, just in case. (I still haven't been able to get the "Ted Williams" OB to run but had it on the boat because it would actually be part of the normal overall weight).
Needless to say, I was really thrilled with the overall outcome of having her in the water for the first time since starting the rebuild. Next up was stopping at the AmVets on the way home for a celebratory Bloody Mary and a couple of beers. :beer: :beer: Then this past Monday, my buddy was off work so.. we just had to go put the boat in the water and see how she did with two of us in it. Last I weighed I was at 240 lbs and my buddy is about 220 he says. Again she did pretty good but wasn't as stable as with just myself. Most of the time, I'll be going solo anyway  ... Had a bit more wind this time around and found that a pair of guide-on's are definitely in order. Also need to add another keel roller on the trailer about 3.5 ft behind the front one.
Then, Tuesday, the vinyl boat names came in and I got those on her.
Almost forgot. Out of both times at the lake not one drop of water could be found inside the hull or bilge.
As usual, please any comments and/or thoughts are most welcome. And Thank you to everyone one here who has helped me along the way so far, both from my reading your build threads and those that added their input on mine.
So now it's time for the pics.


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## canadian omc (Apr 29, 2015)

:beer: Congratulations on your first launch. 
I have to admit it definetley looks better sitting in the water than on the trailer though


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## jasper60103 (Apr 30, 2015)

That's some transformation. Congrats and thanks for sharing. =D> 

-jasper


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## fool4fish1226 (Apr 30, 2015)

Looks great now go catchem up :beer:


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## Coersum (Apr 30, 2015)

Congrats on a successful and dry launch. I am surprised she sits so high with all that extra weight (the floor.. talking about the floor lol). We'll see how mine sits once I finally get her wet  (if everything goes to plan, possibly this Saturday, or next weekend depending on weather).


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## Y_J (Apr 30, 2015)

canadian omc said:


> :beer: Congratulations on your first launch.
> I have to admit it definetley looks better sitting in the water than on the trailer though


 I am 100% in agreement. Thanks, canadian omc


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## Y_J (Apr 30, 2015)

fool4fish1226, Thanks, buddy. Next order of business.


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## Y_J (May 1, 2015)

Coersum said:


> Congrats on a successful and dry launch. I am surprised she sits so high with all that extra weight (the floor.. talking about the floor lol). We'll see how mine sits once I finally get her wet  (if everything goes to plan, possibly this Saturday, or next weekend depending on weather).


Coersum, no one is more surprised than I on how high she sits. I had already accepted the fact that I very well may have to take out the decks because of all the extra weight. But now, since most of the time I'll be going solo I may change the seat pedestals to the pole type, so I can easily loose one seat when not needed.. but doing that, the front one would have to change where it's at since that's the battery box it is currently sitting on. (unless they don't go more than a couple inches inside).
Looking forward to seeing yours in the water..


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## derekdiruz (May 1, 2015)

YESS! I LOVE IT congrats. And also, glad to see it doesn't seem to sit too low in the water from adding weight. I was curious how that'd turn out. Awesome work!


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## BigTerp (May 29, 2015)

Nice work Y_J!!!


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## callelk (May 29, 2015)

Great job on the ol' girl. One nice thing about doing it yourself is the satisfaction that you have a boat that is laid out like "you" want. Plus more pride in ownership of course.


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## SumDumGuy (May 29, 2015)

Boat came out real nice Y_J, good job.

How's that motor coming along?


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## sonny.barile (May 29, 2015)

The red and white looks awesome. You managed to make it look newer yet still classic. I really like the tags too..........Were they stickies or painted?


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## Y_J (May 29, 2015)

BigTerp said:


> Nice work Y_J!!!


Thank you BigTerp.. I really appreciate it..


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## Y_J (May 29, 2015)

callelk said:


> Great job on the ol' girl. One nice thing about doing it yourself is the satisfaction that you have a boat that is laid out like "you" want. Plus more pride in ownership of course.


Man ain't that the truth. I got to say, that I am pretty proud of how she turned out compared to what I started with.


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## Y_J (May 29, 2015)

SumDumGuy said:


> Boat came out real nice Y_J, good job.
> 
> How's that motor coming along?


Thanks so much Sum.. the motor still isn't working. I put new plug, points, and condenser in it but didn't do a darn bit of good, so now I'm thinking of tracking down a new coil for it. Bought a new spark plug tester today so I can better test out the spark on it. Will check that out tomorrow. I tried 2 different marine shops here and neither one wants to even bother with it. Both told me that for what the motors worth, would cost about $90 per hour to just look at it. One quoted me about $2000.00 I don't think so. So, I'm still in the market for a 9.9 HP that I can afford to get to. Plus I've started looking for a new project boat. Flat bottom, 14' or better.


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## onthewater102 (Jun 1, 2015)

Matching the color scheme of the seats to the boat to the truck was a nice touch. Does the motor fire at all?


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## Y_J (Jun 1, 2015)

onthewater102 said:


> Matching the color scheme of the seats to the boat to the truck was a nice touch. Does the motor fire at all?


Thank you onthewater.. Unfortunately the motor still isn't firing up YET. But I did find a replacement coil and spark plug wire on SearsPartsDirect. I bought a tester that says the problem is in the ignition system so since I've already replaced the spark plug, condenser and points, the only place, that I'm aware of, is the coil. I tried a couple different marine shops. One didn't even want to be bothered with it and the other said it would be about $2000.00 to work it out. (translated to me as "I don't want to be bothered with it"). Next stop. Sears Parts Direct for $37.47 . https://www.searspartsdirect.com/cr...60A/0006/217/model-21759464/0247/1305320.html
I also picked up a Humminbird 541 fish finder but haven't installed it just yet


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## onthewater102 (Jun 2, 2015)

What is it you've got for a tester? Haven't heard of much being used on simple old outboards besides a multi-meter and maybe a timing gun. 

There are some great You-tube videos put up by a technician from Humminbird on how to read and interpret the information displayed as well as customizing settings etc. His channel is here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC720StZgdcrn-Ldn7vY4v1g

If this is your first fish finder keep in mind that unless you're doing a lot of vertical drop-shot fishing you're probably not going to be targeting the fish on your display while they're shown on it as you're only ever looking straight down. You can see a circular area with a diameter 1.5x the depth of your boat with their 60 degree sonar (IE in 8' of water you're looking at a circle on the bottom 12' in diameter so you're only able to see fish directly on the bottom about halfway up your boat assuming the sensor is on the transom.) What it really excels at is identifying structure on the bottom you wouldn't otherwise know was there,

Definitely make yourself up ~dozen marker buoys using 1oz surf fishing weights, cut up sections of solid foam swimming pool noodles cut into flat dog bone-like shapes and wind them with enough fluorocarbon fishing line to reach the bottom anywhere you'd be fishing. Just drop markers each time you encounter structure on your imaging. Best $10 I ever spent at Walmart as a kid! You can use them to mark specific pieces of structure or to visually mark a submerged outside weed edge/ledge etc. You end up making one pass scouting everything and marking it, then circle back and then fish all your marked spots. 

Even now that I have the GPS on the fish finder I still use buoys to mark everything when I'm deep water structure fishing because they are a visual target you can cast to as opposed to guessing where something is based on a blip on a screen. The weights really don't disturb much so long as you pass by on the TM and hand place them in the water (rather than toss them & make a splash).


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## Y_J (Jun 3, 2015)

onthewater102 said:


> What is it you've got for a tester? Haven't heard of much being used on simple old outboards besides a multi-meter and maybe a timing gun.


Not sure off the top of my head, I'll have to go out to the shop tomorrow and get that info.



onthewater102 said:


> There are some great You-tube videos put up by a technician from Humminbird on how to read and interpret the information displayed as well as customizing settings etc. His channel is here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC720StZgdcrn-Ldn7vY4v1g


Just checked it out and bookmarked it. Thanks so much.



onthewater102 said:


> If this is your first fish finder keep in mind that unless you're doing a lot of vertical drop-shot fishing you're probably not going to be targeting the fish on your display while they're shown on it as you're only ever looking straight down. You can see a circular area with a diameter 1.5x the depth of your boat with their 60 degree sonar (IE in 8' of water you're looking at a circle on the bottom 12' in diameter so you're only able to see fish directly on the bottom about halfway up your boat assuming the sensor is on the transom.) What it really excels at is identifying structure on the bottom you wouldn't otherwise know was there,
> 
> Definitely make yourself up ~dozen marker buoys using 1oz surf fishing weights, cut up sections of solid foam swimming pool noodles cut into flat dog bone-like shapes and wind them with enough fluorocarbon fishing line to reach the bottom anywhere you'd be fishing. Just drop markers each time you encounter structure on your imaging. Best $10 I ever spent at Walmart as a kid! You can use them to mark specific pieces of structure or to visually mark a submerged outside weed edge/ledge etc. You end up making one pass scouting everything and marking it, then circle back and then fish all your marked spots.
> 
> Even now that I have the GPS on the fish finder I still use buoys to mark everything when I'm deep water structure fishing because they are a visual target you can cast to as opposed to guessing where something is based on a blip on a screen. The weights really don't disturb much so long as you pass by on the TM and hand place them in the water (rather than toss them & make a splash).


Great idea on the marker buoys idea. I just happen to have some closed cell foam that would do the trick. Yes, this is my first fish finder and getting excited to go out and give it a try out. Get familiar with it and start learning some of the in's and out's of it.
Thank you so much.


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## Y_J (Aug 9, 2015)

Ok.. been a bit since I've posted in this thread. I've been concentrating on my patio deck, trying to get it finished before winter. Got all the joists done and as the $$$ is there, adding the deck floor boards to it, so hope to have it done in the next couple of months. In the mean time I've been tinkering with my new project boat. A 1648 Fisher-Marine that I bought, as it turns out, from a member of this site. That also included the trailer. Got them both for $900 and in my humble opinion I got the better end of the deal. I'm afraid I can't remember his name on this site, and I apologize for that, but his first name is Sam. I'll be starting a thread on that build here shortly.

Secondly, I want to thank everyone who offered up advise and help on the *Li'l Fisher* build. She was my 1st Tinnie build and I'm down right proud of how she turned out considering what I had to start with. (I'll leave ya with a before and after photo below.) Anyway, Thank you, one and all. Including those of you that didn't help me out, odds are I got some of my ideas from your builds. Thank you, all, once again.

BTW she is up for sale (or trade) so I can try to come up with a decent 50HP outboard for the new project, but not in a real big hurry so I can get some fishin' in. [-o<


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## SumDumGuy (Aug 10, 2015)

The before and after of that boat are amazing. You did some real nice work there Y_J.

Good luck with the forthcoming build.


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## Y_J (Aug 10, 2015)

SumDumGuy said:


> The before and after of that boat are amazing. You did some real nice work there Y_J.
> 
> Good luck with the forthcoming build.


Thank you very much, SDG.. I appreciate your input on the build also for sure..


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## OutrageGIS (Aug 14, 2015)

Looks great YJ! Now get her in the water and take some pics!
Great Job


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