# V Hull Project



## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 18, 2012)

Well I finally found the boat I wanted. It's a 1970 Texas Maid 14ft long and 52 inches wide and has an 02 15hp Mercury. This is my first tin boat project and I have a bunch of questions. This boat is a little different than most of the v hulls I've seen. The wood on the seats need replacing so I drilled through a rivet to see what was inside and I found it packed with foam. Right now there is virtually no storage. I want to take the foam out of the seats use it for storage but I also know i need to place the foam somewhere else. The exterior paint seems to be freshly coated but the inside needs a good coat. Gonna use Rustoleum Topside. The original color was a dark gray so i may go with that. So first my plan is to spray it out then clean with water and a cleaner ammonia or vinegar then lightly scuff with 60 grit sandpaper then paint. Not planning to use primer but if that's a bad idea please let me know. Also debating weather or not to Flexsteel or Gluvit the hull its in good shape but now would be the prime time to do it. I also plan to add a deck to the front and have an idea for a hatch in the rear I've never framed anything but I can cut straight I plan on using aluminum angle but I'm still researching the correct size to use. Never used a rivet gun but eager to learn and do it. Plans are to use 1/2 inch exterior grade non treated plywood for the floors but not sure for the front deck. So I got lots to do. I'm also a little scared to drill holes in a perfectly good boat. I plan on taking it out maybe tomorrow or Friday depending on the weather to see how it handles. 

I'm so glad this forum is here I've learned so much already but still have a ways to go

Here are some pics


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## sixgun86 (Jul 20, 2012)

:WELCOME: to Tinboats!

That boat is Awesome! Two stoke Merc? V-bows are very good in chop/wake. To determine if you really need a gluvit/sealcoat etc. fill the boat with an inch of two of water and take a look under side to see if any water leaks out. 

I used same paint on one of my boats and it turned out great, very durable! Sandblasted to bare metal w/ no primer. They say paint job is all in the prep though. Looking forward to more pics!


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## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 21, 2012)

Thanks Sixgun86 for your kind words and input and yes its a two stoke 15hp Merc . With just me in it ( I'm a good size guy @ 6'3 220) estimating about 20mph the boat is very light . I didn't get to do as much as i would have liked this week due to a family emergency and wet weather but, I did manage to install a new winch for the trailer the old one's locking mechanism no longer worked. I'm planning to put it in the water for the first time today and see if I have any leaks I also want to get a feel for the boat and how it handles. I've also decided that after I scrub and clean the interior sanding will be next. I don't have access to a power sander so I'll be hand sanding it the ole fashioned way  I may use paint stripper then go back and sand. Another note all three bench seats are loaded with foam. I read the great post on here about removing replacing it. I plan on putting back what I take out under the floor.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 21, 2012)

Went down to the local boat ramp and finally put the boat in the water. Motor cranked let it sit while I parked the Jeep Opened the throttle went a little ways and the motor died. the bulb lost pressure as long as I kept pumping the bulb engine would stay running. At full throttle I have to admit its a little scary all i can say its over 20 by far. The fuel line has some kinks in it I don't like at both ends I'm either just gonna trim the bad section or by a new hose the bulb doesn't feel great either i had a little less than 3/4 of a tank left that also my have attributed to the issue. The carb my need a good cleaning as well. On to the hull. It leaks just a hare in the center and a hare in the rear but barely. Not bad for a 42 year old boat lol. The boat is very stable I can walk around in it no problem decking shouldn't be an issue. So the plan now is to repaint/coat seal the boat and see if I can get these fuel issues sorted out.


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## Buddychrist (Jul 21, 2012)

If you have small leaks use Alcoa aluminum gutter seal, you've gotta search google for it but it's great stuff.

Is it possible your fuel tank isn't venting and that's why when you throttle down it sucks the bulb down.

Did you try opening the fuel cap? That will tell you if it's the vent or the fuel lines, also if you are going ahead and putting in new fuel lines you should think about relocating your tank to the front, it will help offset the weight in the rear


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## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 21, 2012)

Buddychrist thanks for the tip and you may have hit the nail right on the head. I was testing this afternoon and do believe its a vent issue. My theory is when I throttle down the fuel line is sucking so hard that the line is closing at the kinks causing fuel flow to cease. The fuel line looks worn at the kink places they are located at the bulb towards the motor and the at the tank. (I was able to remove the bad spot at the tank) I opened the vent up on the tank which helped with the fuel line but I'll be replacing it this week. One other thing regarding the tank I had to flip it to where the connector end was at bottom to let the gas flow today but I've seen that happen with tanks before when they start hitting the 3/4 or lower. I don't think its the carb because it let me open it all the way to full throttle with no hesitation it just ran out of gas. (Motor usually starts with one pull when gas is present) I will also consider relocating the tank to the front that's not a bad idea


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## Buddychrist (Jul 22, 2012)

Thanks man! Any forward weight will definitely offset you and the motor at the transom, you can get aluminum pipe hat will fit your fuel line to protect it from any stray hooks or a dropped pocket knife along with UV rays. Make sure to keep the bulb at the rear of the boat. 

If you want any more weight up front for stability after you try the gas can you can check out my homemade anchor which has helped a lot with weight on my boat. 

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26787

I personally am looking to go up from the 3 gallon tank to the 7 gallon to add more weight up front.

Also with fueling to be sure you could remove the line at the bulb and drop
It into the tank to see how it does with a straight flow of fuel and no kinks.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 22, 2012)

I've been doing a good deal of research on how I'm gonna tackle my small leak issue and think I've found my solution. After reading the entire post on Steelflex I realized it wasn't the right solution for me since I will be doing some beach landings some of them are rocky as well. So I decided I'm going to use Gluvit to seal my seams and rivets on both the inside and out then paint the entire hull with Rustoleum Topside. I know some have said use Gluvit only on the inside seems but I've also read people having good luck on the outside as well. All my rivets appear to me sound none of them are loose etc so Gluvit should do the job. The PO of my boat is just resells them on the side and did a sloppy paint job on this boat. He just literally painted over the old chipping paint it looks bad up close but all of that will be sanded. I hope to start sanding this week but I need to build a stand for my motor first.


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## GYPSY400 (Jul 23, 2012)

Nice hull you got there!
To save yourself some sanding.. You may want to look into getting it sandblasted.. If you can find someone who has decent labour rates it should go pretty quick to blast the paint off.. Probably 1.5 hrs. To do it inside and out.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 23, 2012)

Thanks Gypsy400 I'm trying to do this project the most cost effective as I can. Basically I'm not willing to pay labor on something I can do myself  Thanks for the advice though its always welcome here. I don't mind the labor anyway it just means I wont have to go to the gym for a week . I discovered something today that has caused me to rethink my painting strategy. I read on the label of Rustoleum Topside that you're not suppose to use it below the waterline which makes sense its called Topside for a reason he he. So for the bottom of the boat I'll be using an epoxy like Steelflex after all. Which is fine still planning to use Gluvit on the inside to seal my minor leak and anything I haven't found yet and coat it with Rustoleum Topside. I also want to remove the paint from the transom what would be the best way to to this? I'll include some pictures.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 24, 2012)

Alrighty I've made progress got my motor stand completed so now can spend my attention to the boat here are some pics. Tomorrow's plan is to drill out the rivets holding the rotted wood down and drill out the rivets holding the bench seats. Little by little progress each day at least that's what I'm telling myself.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 26, 2012)

Rivets are coming out now I'm drilling straight through the tail end to the head took out about 35 or so today got at least 60 more to do. I'm having to take more of the boat apart than previously thought. The top lining that gives the boat a flat surface on the edge is having to come off its hinged somewhat with the side panels so its got to come off. I notice this when tall of the front seat rivets had been drilled out and loose after chipping some paint I noticed the top frame was keeping it from coming out. Glad on the decision to do this found some really cruddy places that need a little TLC. Pictures will be coming as soon as the seats are out.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Jul 30, 2012)

Well haven't worked on the boat as much this past weekend ended up doing some jugging with friends Saturday . I'm continuing to make headway and this site has been invaluable to me. Thanks for all the great advice. Today I got the two rear corner brackets off and got a good look at the top of the transom. Its got some spots i don't like not rotting bad but beginning to show some wear. While its tore down this would be a good time to replace it and on this boat its not too bad of a process. Pics should be on the way soon


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## shawnfish (Jul 30, 2012)

you might wanna throw a 45 on each side of your motor stand to be sure it dont collapse, that makes me nervous just looking at it. you got a nice hull to start with. some 1X1X 1/8 alum angle will work fine for your front deck supports. and if you use 1/2 ply for your floor make sure you get enough support underneath it, some guys cut and shave their foam boards to fit the curve in the hull between the supports so your floor has a flat surface to lay on and it adds support also. theres a couple neat threads on here if you search you can see...


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## shawnfish (Jul 30, 2012)

one more thing. its hard to tell from the pics but it kinda looks like your cav plate is below your hull....


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## CatfishJay1119 (Aug 1, 2012)

Thanks for the insight Shawnfish I'm planning to reinforce it here in a few days its not quite as bad as the pictures look I've also got it inside the house with some extra support. I finally feel like I've made some progress. The top frame is off the transom is out and the front seat is almost out i found a few more rivets that have to come out. (sometimes they blend in with the paint and are hard to see.) Here are some photos. Sorry for the photos being a little fuzzy the humid Alabama evenings are fogging up the camera. Shawnfish forgive my ignorance buy what is a cav plate?


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## CatfishJay1119 (Aug 2, 2012)

First I want to give a great big thanks to shawnfish =D> for pointing something out to me about my cav plate being too low. It is two I plan on using a mini jack plate for smaller outboards to resolve that issue. Today it felt like a milestone was past I'm out of the demo phase and on to the cleaning phase. The front seat was removed as well as the tops of the middle and rear. The foam was also removed it was incredibly filthy\moldy and needs to be replaced. While drilling out one of the final rivets some of the aluminum shattered and I'm left with a hole a little smaller than a dime. This will not be re-riveted since the front seat will not be going back in. The choices are either using marine epoxy or an aluminum patch. The inside will be coated in Gluvit and painted over. Here are some pictures of the progress. Again sorry for the fuzzy pictures dang this evening humidity


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## CatfishJay1119 (Aug 4, 2012)

Got up this morning took the boat to the pressure wash to clean it out the muck, a good chunk paint (meaning flakes) came out with it. I've stated sanding the inside using acetone 80-100 grit sandpaper and a stainless steel wire wheel on my grinder. It's a lot of work but most rewarding things are. I'll have some pictures up as soon as the battery in my camera recharges . 

On a side note I picked up my paint today. After researching I decided to go with Rustoleum Professional (Hunter green for the outside Smoke Grey for the inside) Picked up some aluminum primer in a spray can, brushes and rollers as well. 

Here's a couple of questions 

When sanding it just needs to be nice an smooth correct? Or does all the old paint need to be gone completely?

Does anyone know it they make a hand riveter that can handle do 5/16 rivets?


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## CatfishJay1119 (Aug 4, 2012)

Did more sanding this afternoon/evening. It feels like I'm almost pushing around crayon lol. Here are some pictures


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## fishingmich (Aug 4, 2012)

I have that same motor on my boat. Other than the fact hat there is no way to rev the motor, I love it. The shift and throttle are both in the handle so it's impossible to rev it up a little when it's cold. Good luck with your build.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Aug 5, 2012)

Thanks fishingmich the motor itself was well worth what I paid for the boat. I agree with you on the revving part its really the only downside for me.

I was doing some brainstorming tonight about the bow bracket and the two rear ones they have a handle design that I absolutely cant stand. Instead of using the brackets Im thinking of fabricating new brackets with aluminum angle and some aluminum sheet to give a flat surface for anything needed such as navigation lights. For the bow I'm thinking of doing the bracket the same way I also want a solid surface for the top for an eventual trolling motor and to make the board more rigid. Right now its far to light and floppy for my taste. (Yes floppy is a technical term  ) 

The other thing I'm thinking about is replacing the top aluminum lining with either aluminum angle or aluminum channel. The main reason for doing this is to make the boat more uniform if I decide to fabricate the brackets. If this is a good or bad idea let me know. I'm open for suggestions I want my boat to be as safe and structurally sound as possible, so anywhere I can beef it up I'll do it.


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## Buddychrist (Aug 6, 2012)

There should be a throttle lever on the choke system that you twist and it will pull your throttle linkage and it will warm up the engine. Atleast that's how the 25hp works, possibly adding a shift cable to the throttle linkage would be a nice and simple fix if you do not have the warm up idler kit.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Aug 6, 2012)

Buddy excuse my ignorance I feel like a total dummy I'm familiar with the idler knob. I'm use to throttle controls not tiller. On my motor its called a primer and you can adjust the idle speed so it just didn't register in my mind.

Learned a good bit today went by AutoZone and picked up Rustoleum Airplane stripper. I thought I had done enough research but guess not. I poured some stripper in a container and brushed it on the front half of the hull I should never had done that much at once oh well that's a lesson learned. The paint started peeling as it dried i added another coat. The majority of the paint is off I dried the hull once I was done. I still have a wee bit more to do the instructions said to prime as soon as possible due to rust I didn't think aluminium rusted. I'm not planning to prime until I've sealed the rivets and seams with Gluvit. I hope to have all the paint out of the front by tomorrow. Praying for a hot dry day tomorrow.


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## CatfishJay1119 (Aug 6, 2012)

Also note in the pictures above more paint is gone than it appears. The evening haze caused some more haze ](*,)


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## fishingmich (Aug 6, 2012)

Hey BC, I think your right about the choke idle switch knob thingamajigger! I thought about that later and I believe your right, that is what that's for Kinda hard to check it right now but once the weather gets a little colder here in beautiful Michigan, I'll be able to test that theory out. Thanks for the input.


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## Buddychrist (Aug 6, 2012)

Make sure if you take it apart to write down and draw diagrams! Mine was rigged and I've had to order the parts and put it together on my own, even the mercury service manual doesn't show a good picture of it 

Once I get the linkage I'm missing I'll do a writeup on my 14' mirrocraft V-Hull thread of how that contraption works. So if you ever have to take it apart you'll have photos to help you along with re assembly


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## CatfishJay1119 (Aug 12, 2012)

The inside of the boat has about 90% of the paint removed the weather has been pretty crummy the past few days so I haven't been able to work on it like I wanted to. Since all of the rain we've had I decided to take the boat off the trailer and flip it over for several reasons. The first is to check the hull for any repairs needed, to repair or adjust any bunks or rollers on the trailer, and finally to begin removing paint on the hull bottom. I've also found that if I sand before the stripper is applied the paint is removed much better. Some places on this boat the paint was applied unevenly meaning the stripper will take it off no problem in some areas say with one layer of paint and primer but areas with more than one layer two applications of stripper are needed. I'm letting the stripper soak in for 15 minutes which seems to be optimal. Hopefully more will be done this week.


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