# Got off my butt finally......



## river_wolf (Nov 9, 2009)

Well since I have a few days before I start my new job, and I have got to a point that I am going stir crazy, AND the fact that I finally got the garage cleaned out to a point that I could bring the boat in for the proper care after doing patch work just to make it out on the water. I finally got the boat in and started stripping it down to get her right. 

The Transom was rotted beyond belief which I already new and I have a hell of a crack right below the drain hole that needs a LOT of attention. Not a problem, I have a LOT of time. Hoping that I can have her done and ready to go by spring…. 

I have only been running a 30 pound electric motor up to this point, but want to have it where I can hook up the gas motor that I got with the boat next year as well not to mention have a storage area in the bow for the vests and all the good stuff. 

Here are a few pics of the start and will keep you all posted as I go along

Wolf


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## hamar507 (Nov 9, 2009)

Are you going to put any kind of deck on it? or seats


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## river_wolf (Nov 10, 2009)

Its only a 12 foot boat, Not really good for decking, so I am going to keep it low. I do have seats for her, just took them out so that I could start working on her and getting her ready for this year. 

This is my first boat, so it is a learning project for me. I just have to see what happens when I get her done.


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## river_wolf (Nov 16, 2009)

*** UPDATE***

Well since moving the boat in and getting time to work on her, I have been working the “crack” issue. Keep in mind that this is a 1970 DELHI Boat that has been left out by a private pond/lake What ever it is. And then my inner child wanting to get on the water as soon as I got it instead of working the issues first didn’t help the problem, I had a few cracks aft in the bilge area not to mention a small crack in the bow thanks to a storm that went through and I didn’t have it lashed down right. 

Needless to say, since I don’t work at good ole KW any more, I don’t have access to my TIG welder any more and being un-employed, I don’t have the money for a weld shop any more either, so I am down to surfing the net for aluminum repairs and thanks to the find people on this site and doing some archiving of the old repairs as well as doing body work on my bikes for a while now, I did some back yard ingenuity to work here. 

I first stop drilled the cracks to keep them from spreading, then took a wire wheel and my drill and cleaned them down, The wire wheel also gave a profile for my bonding agent. I then took some scrap aluminum I had laying around, annealed it then shaped it to the areas of the cracks, drilled holes around it to secure it too the bottom of the boat.

I took kitty hair “Bo do mixed with fiberglass for re-enforcement applied it too the inside of the patch and attached it too the bottom of the boat with rivets. After the patch had cured, I prepped an area around the patch, cleaned it very well then took regular bondo and filled and feathered the edges of the patches. I looked under the boat and saw that as I riveted the patches in to place, it pressed the kitty hair in to the crack filling them and sealing them rather nicely. 

One of my bigger problems was around the drain hole, where the boat had been dragged over the years, the aluminum had wore down quite a bit so I had to have the patch as far aft as I could then use filler around the edge of the drain hole. I took a bolt, and wrapped it with Duct tape so that it would snuggly fit in the hole then as soon as the bondo was cured, I could pull the bolt out and the drain hole kept it’s shape. 

I am sanding and shaping the bondo so that I can prep it for etching and painting. Then I will be done with the Hull and get on with the inside of the boat.


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## gunny146 (Nov 16, 2009)

I've got some of those HTS 2000 brazing rods if you need them. I no good with kinda stuff, and I am going to use Marine-tex for my little repairs. They are yours if you want them.


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## river_wolf (Nov 17, 2009)

gunny146 said:


> I've got some of those HTS 2000 brazing rods if you need them. I no good with kinda stuff, and I am going to use Marine-tex for my little repairs. They are yours if you want them.




Thanks for the offer Gunny, but already have the patches in place. Just doing the shaping part now. Seems to be pretty good, I can see its going to take a bit to gnaw away at this one..


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## river_wolf (Nov 27, 2009)

Well got the transom done and in place. I was a little beside myself with this. Have talked to a lot of people on how they have had trouble in their past with their transoms leaking and rotting so I took all the information I had from others and did what I felt was best. I took exterior pliwood and over sized the holes then re filled the holes with Bondo to try and seal them from water getting in after I drilled the holes for mounting, then glassed the wood, sanded and painted with a black primer. I then re drilled the holes and shot primer down through the holes for a little extra protection.

I sanded the fantail in the area where the transom goes and cleaned it very well prior to mounting. For mounting, I used new stainless steel hardware with marine sealant, I coated the washers, and the bolts with sealent after I had applied an AMPLE of sealant too the transom. After I had it bolted in place, I laid a seam of sealent around the mating edge between the boat and transom. 

I tightened the bolts down with an air gun to ensure that I had even distribution of pressure on the transom too the fantail. Any ideas on what I did right or wrong will be welcome, however it will have to wait until this transom fails. This one is already sealed on. Not going anywhere for a while. 




















Even got the wife involved....


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## Captain Ahab (Nov 27, 2009)

Nice job - if I wrote "Do not Toss" on something that woudl be the only thing my wife would toss! :LOL2:


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## river_wolf (Nov 27, 2009)

Thanks, Believe it or not, the "DO NOT TOSS" note was for me if I got pissed some time and started cleaning in a fit of rage looking for something.....


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## river_wolf (Feb 27, 2010)

So there I was today, talking to the wife and got a chance to go out and work on finishing the painting of the boat. I cleaned the dust that had accumulated on the boat and started putting the water line and bottom on. As of this point I had only primed the boat after scuffing and then scrubbing the aluminum down with vinegar. 
A while back I decided to go with a different paint scheme than I had originally started out with. Now, I am going to have the gray top with a black water line. And going to name the beast “Tin Can” I know that some of you old salts with probably curse me for that, and some of you will get the joke behind the name. 
Keep in mind, this is a 1970 boat being build strictly on a budget that I am being held too. 
I will add some pictures later.

Wolf.


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## Waterwings (Feb 28, 2010)

Looking forward to the pics, and fully understand the paint scheme and Tin Can name. 

What was that old fleet saying....."I'm a lover, I'm a fighter, I'm a Tin Can rider!" 8) 


Not so much a fighter, but did ride a tin can (Frigate) in the early 70's.


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## river_wolf (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks, Well, I never rode the tin cans, I was a Bird farm sailor. But I spent many a day watching them all around me and I had a great deal of respect for all who rode them.


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## Waterwings (Feb 28, 2010)

Saw a lot of "bird farms", but never did want to ride one. Granted the living conditions were a lot roomier, and rode _much_ better than the cans, there were just too many people for me. My nephew is a brand new PO3 (air traffic controller) on the Carl Vinson at the moment and loving it.


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## river_wolf (Mar 8, 2010)

Well going to try this again, just getting ready to hit submit and the internet when crazy on me. Go figure....

Here it is. I still don’t have my carpet in or the storage compartment yet, but the wife is getting excited. We did go out on the bank yesterday but no luck. Now she wants to get the boat ready to go again. 

Keep in mind, this is an OLD BOAT that I am doing on a budget. Its no ball of fire, and its merely for my wife’s and my enjoyment. 

THE TIN CAN:






























I was going to go with the standard black block lettering to keep with that USN look, but the wife wanted this so……


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## river_wolf (Mar 10, 2010)

Well the wife is getting excited about the boat now that it isn’t all goofy looking and wants to get out on the water. She “and I” are hoping that the weather this weekend is good and we can take it out. 

Needless to say, no flooring yet but wanted to get it together in the event that we do have good weather this weekend.

Tell me what you think for a budget buggy…


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 10, 2010)

I didnt notice you were from Snellville. I live in Grayson, where are you gonna go fishing?


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## river_wolf (Mar 10, 2010)

We usually head down to Black Shoals. Since the boat is on electric power, we are kind of limited on where we go. But its close and a good place to kill a day.

Where do you fish at?


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## russ010 (Mar 10, 2010)

one thing on the brackets that you are using over your benches for the seats... you might want to put some type of clamp over the bottom of the brackets to make sure they don't "ride" up the bench and send you flying. 

Another Georgian here last year flipped him and his son over at Lake Acworth because those same type brackets failed. He lost everything - I'd hate to see the same happen to you.

I think you could use plumbers tape (you know, the metal tape they use to hang pipes under floor joists) or some type of plastic pipe clamp - similar to what I used to mount the front light on my boat with. This is basically what I'm talking about - https://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/5P133?Pid=search


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## Froggy (Mar 10, 2010)

Nice smal can, great looking seats, where did you get them?


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## river_wolf (Mar 10, 2010)

Russ, The brackets came with these heavy gauge mounts that you secure to the bench. I didnt just rest them in there. We used the mounts and brackets as they are there last year and had no problems with them. Thanks for the input. 

Froggy, We got those seats at Bass Pro last year they were on sale at I think about 39 bucks each. Not bad but if you lean back in them the seat back starts to flex a bit. Other than that they are good seats.


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## russ010 (Mar 10, 2010)

good deal man - just didn't want you to get wet in these cold waters!

Good luck this weekend if you make it out - we'll be at Lake Acworth Saturday


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## river_wolf (Mar 11, 2010)

Thanks for the heads up on that though. This is my first boat and it could have been something that I would overlook. 

To be honest, the brackets that were on the boat when I got it looked a little more on the weak side so maybe they have beefed them up through the years. 

Heard that the rain may last through the first part of Saturday so it may be Sunday that I get to take her out. Just have to wait and see. Besides I am working 3rd on Friday night in to Saturday morning then have training right after that. After all that Iwill want to be getting some sleep before I do anything on the water! 

Hope all is well with everyone and talk to you all later.


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## RBuffordTJ (Mar 23, 2010)

Nice work man, I like to see others doing the mods on smaller boats. I think it is looking pretty dang sharp.

Bufford in Orlando


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## river_wolf (Mar 24, 2010)

RBuffordTJ said:


> Nice work man, I like to see others doing the mods on smaller boats. I think it is looking pretty dang sharp.
> 
> Bufford in Orlando



Thanks! Just a little boat to get out and chase the Bass on. But I am one that cant leave things alone. have to make it my own you know...


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## river_wolf (Apr 2, 2010)

Well finally got the boat out of the garage and on the trailer, Working third shift tonight then come home and head out to see how it works with the repairs to the hull. Can't wait to get out there and wet some lines!!


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## river_wolf (Jun 27, 2010)

Rebuilt 12' Delhi Jon boat. Has seats, 30 pound Bass Bro trolling motor 1 year old Bass Pro battery, Cuda 300 fish finder, 5 lb anchor2 pole holders and drink holders. Also included is a mid 80's Merc 4.5 two stroke motor. The motor has not been ran in about 5 years but ran well then. A good cleaning and it should be good to go. No trailer, just boat and motors. Registered until next year. I have been using it on no gas reservoirs so I have not got the gas motor running, however with work picking up like it has, I have no time to go fishing any more. Also moving and don’t have room for it where I am going. When I rebuilt it, I painted it in a Naval theme so if you are prior Navy, you will enjoy it. Named “The Tin Can” . 
call (678)739-8537 or email for more information.


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## tccanoe (Jun 27, 2010)

I rode tin cans for 28 months in the mid to late 70's and got to see a big part of the world. I love your over-engineering repair work on the Tin Can. There is good enough and too good enough. I vote for too good enough ever time. Nice job. Fish for a living and work to pay for it.


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