# 1950 Model R Alumacraft 12" v hull resto + deck



## Busbey (Jun 13, 2011)

Hey everyone, Brian here from South Florida. Just this past weekend i picked up a 12" v hull boat that i grew up on with my dad. very excited to get a deck in there and add my own touch from all the nice projects i see on here. the only problem is, i am unsure where to start. i see people using aluminum angle bars to fab a deck, then ply wood on top. others, i see 2x4 as a base and then plywood on that. what is the right way for me? is cost the only thing deciding that? 

the seats, (pics below) are not in the optimal spots for me in the idea i have for this boat. the rear bench seat is too far forward and the other 2 are not the height that i want. SO, that leaves only one choice, remove them. here is a huge question i need answered. if i was to build the deck out of aluminum angle bars (1/16th or 1/8th???) would this be enough to add the plywood on top and then a swivel seat? i just don't see how this would be sturdy enough. but you guys are the ones who do this. below the angle bar (or 2x4's if i go that route) would be another piece of plywood, correct? so, boat, aluminum angle to make level, plywood, more aluminum angle for all the support bars and then top plywood followed by carpet. is this the right process for a deck? 

here are some pics of day one. i need to get it pressure washed maybe, a few things adjusted on the trailer and start catching fish. my main concern for this week is getting the seats installed and getting on the water this weekend. no need in rushing like i said, i just want to fish! picked up a 6hp Montgomery Ward outboard for it for $35 bucks too, anxious to see it run. 
































here is the motor


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## Busbey (Jun 13, 2011)

Any suggestions on removing the paint off this thing in 1 afternoon? What about a sand blaster? If I can find one to rent or borrow from a friend, would this be my best bet?


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## Busbey (Jun 14, 2011)

ok. im in shock. i just got off the phone with Alumacraft and it is not a 1960.. its a 1950! 146th Model R built. a serious collectible. the founders grandson or son (forget which) worked in the office behind the guy that i got ahold of. he was interested in buying it from me. i stayed on hold for 15 minutes while he had someone go to their showroom and check to see if one of these was in there, restored of course. unfortunately there wasnt one but the guy looking said they had one in the storage or something. so, long story short, he isnt buying it from me. MAN!!!!! i thought i just hit jackpot!! 

anyways, i am glad i have the information on this boat now and will look forward to passing it along to my kids. wow, 1950.....


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## Ictalurus (Jun 14, 2011)

Too bad that you couldn't work a deal w/ Alumacraft, possibly trade for a larger boat. But, if it is a family boat, you may want to hold onto it. As far as paint, I have always just added, never removed. A wire wheel on a drill would work.


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## Busbey (Jun 14, 2011)

im debating trying some aircraft stripper and then an angle grinder for the tougher spots. but i want to get some fishing in first. once i start stripping everything it wont be going back to the water until its painted.


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## Busbey (Jun 15, 2011)

so im taking the boat out this weekend as is / without seats. i have 2 new seats that were never used with cushions and stuff, but i cant find a swivel anywhere locally and i am not wasting my money on the only other way to attach. anyways, i have some ideas for the boat but before i move forward, i need to clean and strip all the old paint off. also, im curious if i can move the rear seat back about 12". it just sits so far forward that it is ruining the idea of the rear deck that i have. 

by all means, any help is appreciated. i do not know how to use any program to help me draft something up. only in my head. but with the seat positions further towards the rear, i have more room between my 2 seats and no more wasted space in the rear. 

could i just drill out the rivets holding the seat to the side of the boat and leave the brace attached to the actual bench seat? then re rivet that to the new position?

the hard thing for me to do is start cutting the seats and ruining this boat since i just found out how old it is. but at the same time, i want to make it more user friendly since i am keeping it. the only other idea i have is to remove the seats completely via the rivets and keep the seats in the attic or something. but seriously, do i see myself trying to restore this boat and sell it or just keep it and pass it along to my kids and explain that this has been in the family since 1994...

someone help me to make some decisions so i can start on this deck and get her all nice and pretty!


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## JFDBasser (Jun 15, 2011)

I had the same dilema with the seats. I wanted to remove the two rear benches in my 16'er so I could put in a deck.....but like you I had a hard time cutting up something from 1952. I drilled out the rivets and pulled the benches that way. Still not sure what I'm going to do with them. Mine were pretty beat up ( boat was used on KY Lake by a rescue squad). At least drilling out the rivets you can buy time to decide. The old holes fill in nicely with a pop rivet. Really cool boat....


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## Busbey (Jun 15, 2011)

This was my thoughts too. Just drill out the rivets holding them in and store them in the attic or something. If I sell the boat down the road or decide to do something else with it, I still have access to them and the integrity of the boats authenticness isn't ruined. Is authenticness a word? Lol

Think I may get some aircraft stripper soon and get to work in it. Get the deck made and have an enjoyable boat.


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## Busbey (Jun 17, 2011)

Plans for this weekend.. 

get 2 sheets of 5/8 plywood for deck ((((anything in particular?))))
get 25-30ft of 1x1 for framing. ((((should i use 2x2 instead?)))
screws, wood sealer and angle brackets will be purchased as well. im going to try and get something figured out for the front casting deck tomorrow, without carpet because i probably wont have time before Sunday morning's 6am launch time.  

any advise on where i should start is greatly appreciated. here are some measurements.


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## Busbey (Jun 20, 2011)

took the boat out this past weekend and found out i have a hole in the back somewhere. somewhere under the new transom. now i need to figure out where it is, obviously taking the transom off


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## Busbey (Jun 21, 2011)

i'd appreciate someone with some skill to sketch me up a deck idea. due to the smallness of this boat i want to be sure to get the most out of it, ya know? i was out there a few days ago with a new friend from this site and it was kinda tight. all i have done was make the front area flat about 3 inches off the v. i dont want to go too high with the deck and risk it being tippy, but at the same time, i want to make this boat "fishable"

any and ALL help is greatly appreciated!!!


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## Busbey (Jun 30, 2011)

No update from me yet. Made a front deck to rest on the V about 3 inches tall. Just so I have something to stand on. Hope to get going soon. I have so many ideas but I don't know where to start.


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## benjineer (Jul 1, 2011)

I would definitely try to move the rear seat back. That looks strange and impossible to reach the outboard. It's hard to have much of a rear deck on a tiller, but if you move that seat back and put in a flat floor, you'll be higher up and have more room to stand and fish from the back. Deck on top of the front two seats if you're comfortable standing up that high. It would be hard to get much flat floor space in the area of the V, but you'll get a lot decking on top of the seats. If you put framing below the level of the current seats, you can lay the deck right on top (instead of 3" up). Mine had wood bench tops, so I removed and replaced with a plywood deck that goes all the way forward. I'm pretty happy with how mine has turned out. If I were just bass fishing, I would have made my front deck even longer.


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## Busbey (Jul 1, 2011)

I defiantly want to add a deck on top of the seats. From the front of the rear seat to the back of the boat. From the back of the mid seat all the way to the bow. This is a 2 person boat. 2 seats would go nice in this deck area. The problem is, the seats will most likely be NOT where the aluminum bench seats are. I hope I can build braces good enough to hold them. 

This way, I won't have t chop up a 60+ year old boat, ya know? I need to figure out where and how to add some storage area though. That alone is my issue.


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## Busbey (Jul 19, 2011)

ok so i figured i would add a little update here. i decided i would put the stuff in the boat away and get started with an angle grinder, inside and out. probably just going to do it in the driveway. any problem with this? no chance of getting a flat tire from anything that may come off??????

once i have it all down to the bare aluminum, i am looking at using Herculiner on the inside. it only comes in black which i am not too big on but it is what it is. if i do this, can i paint over it later? with what? i kind of like the idea of white. not too sure it will stick to the herculiner though. but this stuff will seal any small holes i may have from the 60 year old rivets. 

on the outside, i plan on priming and painting 2 tone grey and marone or something similar. i really like blue and grey but might not match the marone and grey seats i have already. we shall see. 

so my questions are this (for now), will using the wire wheel in the driveway risk a flat tire? what are the pros and cons on using herculiner on the inside and can i paint over it? 

here are some pics i took lastnight of what i have to work with.


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## Busbey (Jul 20, 2011)

got a grinder today. going to start cleaning it up and taking old paint off this weekend.


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## Jonboat Jerry (Jul 20, 2011)

Busbey, Wire wheel works great for me. It will remove paint down to the bare metal if need be.
Word of caution, wear gloves and safety glasses, mandatory! Also it helps to be patient, a section at a time
and eventually it will get done. Here is a link to my boat, it has taken me a while to get here but I'm in no hurry.
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=20643 
Don't worry about the flat tire unless you are leaving any screws on the ground.


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## Busbey (Jul 20, 2011)

A looking at your boat today. Sweet looking! Thanks for the tips


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## Busbey (Jul 25, 2011)

got a 4 inch angle grider last week, abrasive disk as suggested and realized it was going to take a long time with what i had so i thought i would give some aircraft stripper a shot. well, i think i left it on too long in the sun without taking it off because not it looks like hell and i cant get it off. i may attempt it again and hope for the best. although i could not find the proper stuff i have seen in youtube videos. the stuff they were using was brown. i have found clear (fiberglass and doesnt work) and green (says for aluminum but i may have not taken it off fast enough and hardened again). 

here are some pictures. remember, 60 year old boat, 25 year old paint. 

seats after 5 seconds trying same spot 










side of boat, comes right off






bow piece that you can see looked like crap before. corrosion






here are some pics of the seats back on, ready for this weekend trip. its my b day weekend and the wife has a suprise for me. not sure where, but she said just get the seats back in, doesnt matter what it looks like, you will have fun. so we shall see. 

also, you can see in a few pics how the brush strokes are very visible from when i was using 















the plan so far is to get the boat down to aluminum, Herculiner the inside (White for heat purposes) which will seal up any holes i may have that are not visible. Paint the outside 2-tone. deck front and back, keeping middle lower. move seat position forward 1ft on front seat and back 1ft in rear. this is basically an old row boat so the position of the seats are very close to center. makes hard fishing for 2 people too.


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## Sgt. Stiglitz (Jul 25, 2011)

Report this postEdit postReply with quote 

Here is what I did to mine. My bottom curved also and I couldn't figure out how to do a flat bottom either till I saw others here what they did......I built my gas tank into the middle bench area. If I need to remove it, all I have to do is remove a few screws and pull up the decking........It gets fill through a twist off cover......... #-o 


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

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


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## Busbey (Jul 25, 2011)

very very VERY nice looking boat. to confirm, is it 12 or 14 feet? also, is there any pics of the home made transom plate you made? i would like to make one for a 15hp Johnson, need 5" higher due to the long shaft that is on there. its either that or $75 for the one you posted OR $75 for drive shaft and then cut things inside to make it work which i am not too keen on. id rather just raise the transom up a bit and keep the long shaft for obvious reasons.


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## Busbey (Jul 25, 2011)

and by the way, this is the stuff i used. 







https://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MHY0/3712.oap?ck=Search_N0483_MHY_-1_-1&mn=Mar-Hyde&mc=MHY&pt=N0483&ppt=C0171


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## Busbey (Aug 8, 2011)

sanded on the boat for a couple hours yesterday. got the whole upper half of the outside and both inside and out of stern. as i started on the inside upper half, i ran out of sanding disks for the angle grinder. got to get a few this week. also, i am not too sure how to get in the corners. which attachment do i need? should i take all the paint off the bottom or just sand it with 80 grit and spray it???


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## jigngrub (Aug 8, 2011)

CitruStrip is a great paint stripper, it's made from oranges and is nonflammable and has no noxious fumes so you can use it indoors if you want. You can buy it at Wally World or Home Depot. It'll save you hours of sanding and grinding and will take care of those corners too.

Just brush it on and let it set for a day and come back the next day and scrape the goo off.


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## Busbey (Aug 8, 2011)

better than Boat Stripper? i tried that stuff and did nothing.


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## Busbey (Aug 8, 2011)

i meant aircraft stripper.


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## Sgt. Stiglitz (Aug 14, 2011)

I stuck a 15 HP Evinrude on mine...............redid the transom and used my jack plate I made. 
The boat is listed as a 14 footer but it measures 13'6"



> One thing you may want to do is remove the bolts holding the powerhead to the housing (one at a time) and clean,grease and retorque them .If you ever have to service the watertube under the block you will have no problem later. Pretty common to bust at least one of those bolts if they are just left



I removed the six bolts holding the powerhead on, one at a time and greased them, then reinstalled them. They came out easy. The impeller was just changed out. You guys had me scared about those bolts, I was worried what I was going to do if I snapped one off :-? It's a clean little motor. I think most of the scuffs on the cover are from being tossed in a trunk or the bed of a truck. If the weather is nice, I'll take it to the lake and see how it does.......I connected the lights and I have a switch pannel coming. Might stick a waterproof stereo in the space under the rear seat. Bet this 15HP beats daylights out of the little 8 HP Nissan I had on it before #-o 

Here is a little video of it running at idle.

https://s454.photobucket.com/albums/qq263/Sapo60/?action=view&current=15HPEvinrude89.mp4


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## Busbey (Aug 24, 2011)

question... in the pic below, you can see how i have a LOT of work left to do to get the paint off down to bare metal. what would happen if i said screw it, left that paint on there and painted over everything? i would still need to scuff up the paint with 80grit correct? this would save me SO MUCH time. 

problem is, i have a 1 year old little girl and i have 0 time to work on the boat. i have a garage to start the deck, maybe an hour each night here and there. but when it comes to pulling the boat out in the driveway, using the angle grinder to get all this paint off and making a mess.... while this whole time, trying to watch her... you can see i am limited. i can only work on this project freely on Sunday mornings. and i want to get started on everything. but the sanding is killing me right now cause i have no time. 

so, other than me screwing up the paint job or something, what happens if i paint it like it sits now? would it look horrible? would you see lines where the aluminum meet the 30 year old paint?

please be honest guys. i am thinking a blue and grey two-tone paint job on this with the inside being a textured white of sort from the seats up (only where deck will not cover.


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## 79Stroker (Aug 24, 2011)

as much trouble as you are having getting the old paint off, i think painting over it would be fine, if you do make sure you wash it to clean off all the chemicals you have applied so it doesn't mess with the new paint


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## Busbey (Aug 24, 2011)

thanks for the response.. you dont think i will see any lines from where the bare metal meets the paint? the line being the thinckness. know what i mean? 

i am hoping that the paint will smooth out that fine link since i will have several coats.. primer, paint, clear, whatever whatever. 



with that said.. on this boat, what should i use and how many coats? i want to keep it as cheap as possible but still look good for 5 years or so. 

also, i plan on using a spray gun from Harbor Freight and my air compressor in the back yard.


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## 79Stroker (Aug 24, 2011)

you shouldn't get any lines from painting over, when you prime look to see if you have a high spot at the old paint, if so go back and smooth that area out, and a lot of folks have been using rustoluem and getting good results


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## Busbey (Aug 24, 2011)

rustoluem huh? any specific line? not latex i know but i am sure there are hundreds of different lines under the name. 

again, i plan on using a spray gun to be sure it comes out smooth unless a roller is a better option. i just want that mirrot finish the easiest way since i am no painting pro.


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## Ranchero50 (Aug 24, 2011)

Aircraft stripper, saran wrap, 14x14" squares at a time. Plastic scraper, wire brush scotchbrite pads and two buckets of water, one to clean the scrubber, the other to clean the parts of you that start burning. Safety glasses, rubber gloves and no Keystone Light are mandatory too.

Heavy dose of stripper, cover it with saran wrap and keep it in the shade. You spread over too much too thin too quickly on too hot of a day.

Jamie


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## Busbey (Aug 25, 2011)

hey thanks for the tips.. yeah i went over the whole boat at once. i will use what i have to take care of the rest if it works out in 14x14 squares. 

otherwise i am just going to get a sander to it and be done! im so ready to get this project started.


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## manley09 (Aug 28, 2011)

I wouldn't paint over it. Just get a grinder and buy one of those thick wire wheels that are for grinders . I'm sure it will come right off. I used one on mine and it was SUPER fast. Check out my build in my signature. Our boats are pretty similar. Good luck keep it coming!


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## Jonboat Jerry (Aug 28, 2011)

+2 on the wire wheel, you can even get one for your drill that works well.
Here is the marine Rustoleum that I used on my build available from Lowes. Just use a roller for smooth surfaces/foam






Here is the link to my build
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=20643


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## Busbey (Aug 28, 2011)

You used a roller on your entire boat? No spray or brush? What type of roller? Medium?


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## Ranchero50 (Aug 28, 2011)

I use a 4" foam cabinet roller and a cheap throw away chip brush for cracks and crevises. I also wear disposable latex gloves so if I'm doing quick recoats I'll grab the roller and pull the glove off my hand over the roller. Twist the cuff off anf it'll keep the roller from drying out for a couple days. I painted my '71 F250 with Rustoleum industrial and it turns out very well for the little effort. The cabinet roller with no nap will allow the paint to go one smooth and flow out . The only trick is use thin coats.

Jamie


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## Jonboat Jerry (Aug 29, 2011)

Busbey said:


> You used a roller on your entire boat? No spray or brush? What type of roller? Medium?


As Jamie mentioned, 4" roller for most of it on the outside and a smaller diameter roller for the inside. Here is a pix of the inside.
https://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg261/JerrySweet/Da%20Boat/DSC00140.jpg
and a link to my build.  
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=20643


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## Busbey (Oct 3, 2011)

ok, ended up getting 98% of all old paint off. if i missed a tiny spot on a corner somewhere, oh well. also didnt do the bottom of boat about 2ft from center but roughed it up for paint to stick. 

yesterday got 1 coats of self etching primer on, letting it sit for a few days and will start rolling on some paint as suggested. have to get roller and then i am going to work. hopefully this weekend i can flip it over and start the inside. here is progress.


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## Busbey (Oct 3, 2011)

oh, and i have decided to use Battleship Grey and Navy Blue for colors.


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## Busbey (Oct 10, 2011)

small update. got the 2nd coat on tonight. it has been raining a lot around here and done want to mess with that and painting. 

so here are a couple pics. as you can see, there are some lines where i used the brush and where i used the smooth foam roller. from the gunnels to bottom of boat is grey 2 coats and up is 1 coat using as primer. tomorrow i will go over with blue. 

i am debating on a few things i need some help with. should i wet sand after my 2 coats of blue and 2 of grey are done and then clear coat? should i just clear coat and no wet sand? if i wet sand, what grit?


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## Busbey (Oct 11, 2011)

noticed this morning that the 2nd coat i put on lastnight smoothed out pretty well everywhere but the front and you can see the 4" roller marks near the V. Hoping you guys have some answers for me cause all this effort and roller lines would make me a little upset. 

guys, i really appreciate your help, obviously this is all new to me.


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## Jonboat Jerry (Oct 12, 2011)

Busbey said:


> noticed this morning that the 2nd coat i put on lastnight smoothed out pretty well everywhere but the front and you can see the 4" roller marks near the V. Hoping you guys have some answers for me cause all this effort and roller lines would make me a little upset. guys, i really appreciate your help, obviously this is all new to me.


Sounds like you got a little to much paint on the roller. Wait until the paint is hard and wet sand with 400/800/1000 (3M paper)
to get rid of those lines. You can do this on those brush marks too. When the marks are gone, try some rubbing compound
on the areas and you should see a nice shine. If you go through to the primer, just repaint. When that is dry and smooth to your
satisfaction, you can clear coat if you want. Your project is looking pretty good, and you are getting some great experience. Hope this helps....Jerry


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## Busbey (Oct 12, 2011)

confession time.. i didnt use primer.. just self etch primer, then grey and blue over the grey in parts i want. 

is this terrible?


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## Jonboat Jerry (Oct 12, 2011)

Nope, you haven't hurt anything. Just follow the steps I listed earlier and when you are satisfied call it "DONE"


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## Busbey (Oct 17, 2011)

ended up adding another coat of battleship grey, no clear. turning out pretty nice. not too concerned with the lines i saw before after this coat. i think 3 is the magic number and hides a lot. good enough for me. . 

got it flipped over yesterday, this is outside in the cloudy sun. looks kinda nice. hopefully i can get etching primer on inside and starting paint tomorrow.


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## Jonboat Jerry (Oct 18, 2011)

It's coming along pretty good Busbey. That hull has a lot of character.


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## Busbey (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks. We are having a tropical depression down here right now and i fear painting with the weather. even though it is in the garage, and a fan to use if needed, should i wait it out? might be a few days like this but i am so anxious to get this painting done so i can start the deck. 

so, could i paint in the garage while raining? will it effect anything?


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## Jonboat Jerry (Oct 18, 2011)

Busbey said:


> Thanks. We are having a tropical depression down here right now and i fear painting with the weather. even though it is in the garage, and a fan to use if needed, should i wait it out? might be a few days like this but i am so anxious to get this painting done so i can start the deck.
> so, could i paint in the garage while raining? will it effect anything?


I hope that T.D. is not going to make it this far north. (20 miles north of Tarpon Springs)
Painting in rainy conditions is not recommended, the more humid it is, the longer it takes for the paint to dry.
Since we are in Florida, which is always humid, we have to put up with some humidity, but I would never paint on a rainy day.
Have another beer and use the down time to plan what to do next.


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## Busbey (Oct 24, 2011)

paint done.... starting deck tomorrow. pretty happy with the work so far. 

ended up spray painting black where the deck is going. there were about 9 different colors and wanted something solid. black was buy 1 get one free at the local store so why not..


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## fool4fish1226 (Oct 24, 2011)

Lookin real good


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## Busbey (Oct 25, 2011)

starting deck tonight. hope to post some pics tomorrow.


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## Jonboat Jerry (Oct 26, 2011)

Looking Great Busbey! Be sure to add fenders to that trailer to keep the road grime from getting on that 
nice paint job.


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## Busbey (Oct 26, 2011)

sure thing. thanks! i need to make some guides as well for some side support. i am trying to get this finished within the next few weeks because i am moving to Lakeland (near tampa). so my friends and i lastnight pretty much planned the whole thing out and will be attacking it tonight after i get some things from the home depot.


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## Busbey (May 15, 2012)

Update guys. Been a little while. 

I need some help with a bow mount for my transom type trolling motor. would like a scissor mount but that isnt in the cards at this time. i need to find something that is sturdy enough, wont break off traveling and will handle a 52lb thrust motor.. 

Here is the framing
















Just about done. need to secure center frame down once i figure out my dry storage. Using a couple 32qt plastic storage bins, possibly getting a 52qt to try on one side. not too sure yet. Ordered a trolling motor i need to figure the mount out. 

































coming up will be something like this for my 15 Johnson long shaft. (credit to a member on another forum)


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## fool4fish1226 (May 16, 2012)

Jack plate looks great - Should be nice and strong - the rest boat looks good too - great job


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## Busbey (May 16, 2012)

thanks!

any suggestions for a mount on the front for a trolling motor?


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## Gators5220 (May 19, 2012)

I had a little boat like this for my first boat, mine was a 60's sears boat thou...but same basic layout, and it flew with a 15hp on it, you should have a similar experience...love that jackplate you made up too, super clean...nice job... =D>


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## Busbey (Sep 5, 2013)

well boat has been done for a while. maybe close to a year and a half at this point and forgot to post photos. see below. 

my question is, how would you guys change what is here. meaning, adding something, not redoing anything. i feel it isnt fully done. especially the rear where my 2 batteries go.


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