# Dirty Dave's 1860 Tracker



## dirty dave (Apr 16, 2017)

When I was 17, I got my first boat. A 16 foot 1986 Alumacraft with 35hp mercury. I sold that boat 2 weeks ago in search for something bigger. I came across this boat and was the size I wanted. I bought a 2002 Tracker Grizzly 1860 with a 1986-1989 110hp Johnson. I'm not sure the exact year yet but will try to pinpoint the year with the serial number. This boat is halfway thrown together but I think I got a fair deal.












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## dirty dave (Apr 16, 2017)

I mainly fish for panfish and catfish, but might get back in to bass fishing. The boat was set up for bow fishing. I got 3 bows, a few arrows, 5 life jackets, 2 anchors, 2 paddles an extra aluminum console and a few other things. They bow fishing deck is built to be removable. 
As far as plans go I want to take everything off and out of the boat and build it up from there. I want to paint it most likely camo, or a good dark tan or green, move the console forward, deck the rear and add storage and livewell. The motor is oil injected and I probably will bypass this feature, to not have to worry about too much or too little oil. Re-do the bunks on trailer and freshen it up.


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## dirty dave (Apr 17, 2017)

Disabled the VRO system today. I will be running premix so I don't have to worry about oil problems. I found the plug connected to the VRO pump and unplugged then. Then I traced the wires from the oil tank and unhooked the ground and positive. I had to cut the positive so I folded the wire over on it self and put some heat shrink and electrical tape on it so it had no way of shorting out. 
I also removed the bow fishing deck today. It was built to be removable with 4 bolts.


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## dirty dave (Apr 17, 2017)

Got new spark plugs. I drained the gas and am gonna get fresh non-ethanol tomorrow. I also picked up a new fire extinguisher.





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## dirty dave (Apr 20, 2017)

Got the new spark plugs in. 
New winch, the old one was starting to dry rot and rust. 
Got new motor toter set to correct length. 
Changed foot oil... had some water in there. Not good!


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## dirty dave (Apr 22, 2017)

Hooked it up on the hose Thursday night and it fired right up! 
I tested both of the trolling motors and they work. 
Removed the front transom trolling motor adapter, it was brazed on and I used a grinder and chisel to get it off. Then smoothed it down with a flap disk. I plan to relocate it to the port side. 
Then I removed foam that was in the front storage section. This was pretty easy to remove because it was layered in sheets instead of one big piece. 
Last thing I have done today is solder on new battery terminals. The old positive terminal had been broken so I went ahead and replaced both. Just have to slide the heat shrink down to finish that up.


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## dirty dave (Apr 22, 2017)

Thinking about painting my boat with Parker duck boat paint in the green color as the base coat for a bottomland camo. Anybody have any recommendations or suggestions on parkers or other similar products? 

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## dirty dave (Apr 24, 2017)

Got the heat shrink shrunk today.
Then started to remove the oil tank. It was sitting on the piece of plywood in the first picture. It was soaked and pretty soft. I pulled it out and started cleaning under it with a hand shovel thing. It rained this past weekenf so there was a little water that hasnt drained our. But i am gonna take a wire wheel to the dirty aluminum and make sure there is no corrosion.


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## dirty dave (Apr 24, 2017)

Trying to decide on lighting for the front of the boat. I originally was thinking a 24inch light bar pointing straight forward with 2 cubes on each side angled outward. 
Now I'm thinking about a 12" light bar with cubes so thay I can keep the trolling motor bracket closet to being centered.


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## dirty dave (Apr 25, 2017)

Serviced my power trim tilt fluid. I didn't know the condition of the fluid but what came out seemed to be fairly clean. ALWAYS take out the fill plug, before you try to remove the drain. Filled the system up, ran trim/tilt down and then up and refilled. I repeated this process 4 times to bleed the air out of the system. 

The previous owner was not an electrician. All the wires are a jumbled mess. I'm gonna strip out all the old stuff and do it nice and cleanly. Gonna order 100feet each of red and black marine grade 16gauge wire for lights, and pumps.














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## dirty dave (Apr 25, 2017)

Ended up getting this light bar off of eBay for $44 had it listed at $51 but made an offer on it. Who knows what the wiring harness will be but it should get the job done.


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## jethro (Apr 26, 2017)

Oh, welcome to electrical hell! I am in it with 2 of my boats myself. Looks like a nice vessel! Are you fishing it, hunting, pleasure or all there?


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## dirty dave (Apr 26, 2017)

The main thing will be fishin. Majority of catfish and bream. I fished Bass tournaments in high school and might get bavk in to that. But I want to be able to hunt out of it too 

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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Apr 26, 2017)

I used 1.5" RAM mounts for my lights. 360 adjustable, removable, no sharp edges. Appreciate all the pics! Really makes it easier to follow along and get ideas.


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## dirty dave (Apr 26, 2017)

Caught my first fish out of the boat! Was a small Bass but hey for mainly testing the motor and how it rides I'll take it. 

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## dirty dave (Apr 27, 2017)

Replaced the trim and tilt switch. The PO gave this to me since you had to wiggle the wires to get it to trim up. 

While I was at it I sanded the red part of the handle to get the faded/dried out plastic off and get it looking better. Before and after pic. Still doesn't look new but it's better. 

Back on the boat

Last night I ordered an 8 gang switch with dual 12v plugs, marine grade wire, and a bilge pump off amazon.














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## dirty dave (Apr 27, 2017)

Haven't decided on what I want to do for fuse block or bus bar. Thinking about something like this in the picture but I mainly just have to figure out what circuits on which battery. I'm thinking bilge pump and nav lights on the starter battery. And light bars and livewell pumps everything else on the trolling motor battery. Or get a battery switch? How do yall have yours setup?





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## Cody87 (Apr 27, 2017)

This is how I did my fuse block. 


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## dirty dave (Apr 28, 2017)

Went to Lowe's today and spent $100 on stainless hardware, pressure treated lumber, and outdoor carpet. I am gonna replace the trailer bunks, since half have carpet and the other half doesn't. I should have pics tomorrow 

I'm thinking the bilge pump and wire should be here today. Gotta tear out the rest of the old wiring and get started with the new. 

Next thing on the list after I get bunk boards is paint. Think I am gonna go something like this with a green base and bottomland over the top.


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## dirty dave (Apr 29, 2017)

Well didn't get to work on the boat much. Got a side board cut, drilled and bolts ready. Countersunk the bolt heads and put construction adhesive on the bolts so they won't spin when I bolt or unbolt. I have removed it and it just needs carpet now.











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## dirty dave (May 1, 2017)

Got the other side board cut and drilled. I'm gonna cut the carpet when I get back to work in 30 minutes or so. 

Got my light bar mounted. Started off making a template out of a cardboard box. Then used a punch to make a dimple, small drill bit, then a large one. It was kind of hard to get the nut on the bottom of the bolts, had to put silicone on it to stick the washer to nut, and nut to my finger.















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## dirty dave (May 2, 2017)

Got my side bunks carpeted and bolted on. They turned out pretty well for never having done any carpet work before. 

Amazon order came in the other day with wire, switches, and bilge pump. Thinking about getting a cheap cutting board to mount bus bar and fuse block too. I found a 6 fuse, fuse block today under my helm, so gonna use that and the 4 that came with my switches instead of one team blue sea fuse block. I also have just about all of the old wiring out. Time to start fresh!











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## Jake26 (May 2, 2017)

You have any plans for the spare console you got? I could take it off your hands...think shipping to Florida would be cost prohibitive?


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## dirty dave (May 2, 2017)

Shipping would probably be pretty expensive. I am thinking about swapping to the aluminum console. It has a few cracks but i might get them welded up. The fiberglass has a bunch of holes in it and am probably gonna remove it and swap for a cleaner look. It just depends on a few things but If I ever am gonna get rid of it I'll let you know. 

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## Jake26 (May 3, 2017)

Cool, I am slowly acquiring parts for a remote steering conversion, last thing is steering cable/setup. Still trying to talk myself into stick steering, but i just love console storage capabilities. Not too much room to stick stuff on a jonboat....


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## dirty dave (May 5, 2017)

Got the bow fishing deck brackets cut off the boat. I don't really plan on bow fishing so I cut these brackets off. My transom trolling motor adapter will be welded on where the right side bracket was. Used a cutting wheel and a grinding disc, along with a chisel and hammer to get these off. I have got the welds smoothed out and blended with the boat now.














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## DavidPrestonFishing (May 9, 2017)

Great build man! I'll be following along for sure,Can't wait to see the paint job I'm thinking about painting mine as well so I'm gunna follow your process lol

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## dirty dave (May 9, 2017)

The plan for paint is rough up the already painted surfaces with 40 or 80. Self etch prime the bare aluminum, then go over with color. Haven't decided on what product yet but I will keep yall updated. I'm on vacation this week so not much progress. 

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## dirty dave (May 13, 2017)

Started on the bottom trailer bunk boards today. I put my boat on my parents ski boat trailer, their boat is in dry dock, so that trailer normally just sits empty in the yard. I had to hammer a crowbar between the boards and trailer to hold pressure on the bolts so they wouldn't spin. Got both of the old boards off. 

I got the new board's holes marked and drilled, and and countersunk. Them got 1 board completely carpeted. I forgot to take finished pictures. 

I am gonna hit parts of the trailer with the wire wheel, clean it up and paint some spots that are easy to get to with the boat off. 

I start back working at my summer job on Monday. Less time to work on the boat but more money to put in to the project.
Next on the list is paint. Probably gonna order some parkers duck boat. I also really need a new steering cable, I found one in the classified section that might work. If that falls through I will just order one online.














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## dirty dave (May 15, 2017)

Cleaned up where the boards will be with a wire wheel and sprayed with black spray paint. I ran out of paint but I am gonna get some more tomorrow and touch up the trailer while I have the boat off and it's easy. Got a picture of the bunk boards that I finished. I ran out of staples so I'm gonna pick them up tomorrow when I get paint.











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## dirty dave (May 17, 2017)

While I was cleaning up and painting the trailer I decided to take out the old wiring. I'm at the point while I might as well start fresh and know it will work than have to deal with shotty wiring. Here are some pictures of before I pulled the wiring, a bunch of wire nuts and electrical tape. 

One of my trailer tires was flat yesterday. It seemed to have a small blow out, bulging and wires were showing. I have a spare but am probably just gonna replace that tire, and paint the rims while I'm at it. 

Went to the beach last week and fished off the gulf state park pier, and off the beach. Caught a few croaker, 1 lady fish, a catfish, and 2 sharks. Turned out to be a pretty good trip!


























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## dirty dave (May 23, 2017)

Cut the uprights off the trailer. They were pretty flimsy and were welded poorly. I forgot to take a picture but I got the welds ground down then cleaned off the rust with a wire wheel. My new led tail lights will go back in the original location under the rusty piece in the picture. I started my summer job last week so I will have some income for more parts. Plan on taking boat to welder, and picking up 3 of these camp seats for $140 for all, once I get paid.











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## dirty dave (May 24, 2017)

Got 3 camo boat seats today, and got trailer boards put back on. The weather has really been slowing me down this week.








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## cajunrebel (May 27, 2017)

dirty dave said:


> Went to Lowe's today and spent $100 on stainless hardware, pressure treated lumber, and outdoor carpet. I am gonna replace the trailer bunks, since half have carpet and the other half doesn't. I should have pics tomorrow
> 
> I'm thinking the bilge pump and wire should be here today. Gotta tear out the rest of the old wiring and get started with the new.
> 
> Next thing on the list after I get bunk boards is paint. Think I am gonna go something like this with a green base and bottomland over the top.


I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But, treated lumber and aluminum don't mix. They react when in contact and cause aluminum to corrode. You should change them out for regular lumber. Hopefully you can remove the carpet you installed and put it on some new wood.

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## Johnny (May 28, 2017)

Dave - you have done an awesome job on your rig so far !!! a great transformation.

and yes, the popular vote is not to use P/T lumber on or with a boat.
"treated lumber and aluminum don't mix" is the rule - but not the law.
the rule should read: "treated lumber and _BARE_ aluminum don't mix" 
if there is a layer of insulation between the two, such as carpet and primer and paint,
I.M.H.O, it is ok to use it as trailer bunks covered in carpet. IF the boat is properly primed and painted.
I have had P/T bunks with outdoor carpet for over 15 years with zero ill effects.
I didn't even glue the carpet down - just the generic "Arrow T50" staples. (not even stainless).

I feel that in dry states such as AZ, TX, NM and FL, I think that once the P/T wood
fully air dries down to 10% or less, the preservative is locked within the wood cells
and does not leach out like fresh, wet pressure treated wood will do.
- - - - your boat = your call - - - -

the only concern I have is with your trailer.
some of the welds look really suspicious. When you trailer your boat, please ensure
you use the correct tie-down straps (not bungee cords) and the anchor points are secure.
[such as 1/2" eye bolts or shackles bolted to the frame - not welded].







,


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## dirty dave (May 28, 2017)

Cajun, Yes I know about PT wood and bare aluminum, for this there will be a layer of carpet and at least one layer of paint between them. In addition this boat will never be in saltwater so I'm not worried about corrosion. 

And Johnny, the previous owner did a hack job of welding additions to the trailer, I'm taking it to the welder this week to have some welds re-done. I took 2 years of welding in high school so I have a basic amount of knowledge about welding and know that these welds are not up to par. There is a lack of penetration with most of them and a problem with porosity. As for tiedowns I have some off brand ratcheting boat buckles bolted with stainless bolts and nylocks through the rear of the trailer. 

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## Johnny (May 28, 2017)

Good Job young man, good job indeed !!
looking forward to the grand finale' !!


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## dirty dave (May 28, 2017)

Johnny said:


> Good Job young man, good job indeed !!
> looking forward to the grand finale' !!


I feel like im really far from where i want to end up with the build, but I dont have a deadline to meet nor want to rush anything. So it will be a slow and steady build. I plan on keeping this boat for a while, as the size is good for what I use it for. I figured I could put 2k or so into a rebuild and have pretty close to a new boat, setup the way I like for 1/3 of the price of a new setup. I just started back at my summer job so I have more funds, but less time. Before I started working this summer, I was in school at UA and had more time but little money. 

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## cajunrebel (May 28, 2017)

I am happy to hear that you are aware of the potential for corrosion issues. I know that I for one am a fan of a major inspection of a boat hull annually. It helps to catch issues like broken welds, leaking rivets, pin holes, corrosion, and wiring trouble. Your build is looking good. I will be keeping an eye on it for when I start to modify my boat in the next year or so.

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## dirty dave (May 30, 2017)

Going to the welder when I get off work this afternoon

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## dirty dave (May 31, 2017)

Holes filled in from welder. I ground them down and smoothed them up with the grinder. 

I read on here somewhere to paint in front of lights flat black to minimize glare. I taped off a triangle that will be in front of my light bar. Painted it with rustoleum bed liner, pretty sure it is flat black, if not I'll get a can and go over it. I sanded the existing paint down with some 80 grit sand paper and cleaned it with acetone. It still has some glare in the photos because it isn't cured yet. 

12" light bar is mounted. I think I'm gonna have to adjust the angle some but I will see how it does when it is on the water. 

Marking holes for the 3 light center marker on the trailer. The previous one was old and mounted low on the trailer, and when I backed in my driveway it nearly scraped it off. 
I moved the new one up and out of the way. 

I ordered some wire loom and clips to protect the new wires on the trailer. It should be here tomorrow, so mounting remaining lights and solder connections is next on the list. 

Slowly but surely.























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## dirty dave (Jun 2, 2017)

Got tail lights bolted on the trailer. And wire loom came in the mail. Won't be long until all the work is on the boat itself 

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## dirty dave (Jun 14, 2017)

Its beem a while since i have made an update. 

I have stuck my navlights on my boat with the 3m doubleside, drilled the holes for wires and screws. Just have to put screws in. 

I also mounted my new boat seats to pedestal bases for the time being until i get a bench built. 

Got my trolling motor mounted on my boat. I took the head off and rotated it 180° so that forward will actually be forward since it isnt on thr tramsom. 

Tail lights are bolted on. I have run the wires and have them attached to trailer. Just have to solder connections and they should be ready. 

Got a negative bus bar, and a circuit breaker for my trolling motor. 

Getting ready for more wiring and paint.





























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## dirty dave (Jun 14, 2017)

Bilge pump and hose getting fitted in. I plan on cleaning and siliconing the base to the floor.








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## Johnny (Jun 14, 2017)

*S I L I C O N E ???*

what are you going to silicone to the floor and what kind of silicone are you using ?


.


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## dirty dave (Jun 14, 2017)

The basket on the bottom of the bilge pump. Just to keep it in place so it wont move around. 

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## Johnny (Jun 14, 2017)

Dave - there is a lot of controversy over 100% pure silicone not playing well together.
there have been some really bad situations where the silicone actually promotes
corrosion with aluminum. if you prefer 100% pure silicone or 3-M 5200, you should
prep - prime - and paint the area first.
personally, I would recommend a polyurethane product that clearly states aluminum friendly.

jus my Dos Centavos



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## dirty dave (Jun 14, 2017)

Johnny said:


> Dave - there is a lot of controversy over 100% pure silicone not playing well together.
> there have been some really bad situations where the silicone actually promotes
> corrosion with aluminum. if you prefer 100% pure silicone or 3-M 5200, you should
> prep - prime - and paint the area first.
> ...


Thanks for the input. I didnt know about this. 

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## dirty dave (Jun 17, 2017)

We have trailer lights! Soldered, heat shrank, and covered with loom and tucked away.















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## dirty dave (Jun 18, 2017)

In the mear future i would like to paint the boat. I have added a picture of the camo on my boat seats. I would like to have something similar to this pattern. 
Tan base, then brown spots and black lines and finish out with the tan grass. 

Spray vs Roll on for the base coat? 
Any brand that yall really like? 
Any particular type of paint that works better than others? 
What has worked well for yall? 

I mainly want something tough that will last and i won't have to worry about wearing out super fast.





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## Johnny (Jun 18, 2017)

as for the basic painting of roller, brush or spray.....
it really depends on your skill set and tools available.

I remember seeing some plastic stencils online for camo.
with a stencil, it would be best to use any of the aerosol paints
on the market. but, of course, you can create your own custom stencils
with an X-Acto knife and some mylar plastic.

how are your brush skills ?? you could easily get some sign lettering brushes
and paint the grass, reeds and cat tails by hand after you do the basic painting.
also, some creative carving of large sponges will work well with dabbing paint by hand.
(the Bob Ross technique).

.


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## dirty dave (Jun 18, 2017)

My buddy has some stencils that i will borrow. Mainly just wondering on paint products. 

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## derekdiruz (Jun 18, 2017)

I've heard good things about Parker duck boat paint. That's what I'll be using. On YouTube I saw a video of a guy using brushes and it turned out great in the vid... sort of convinced me to do that over spray because I have putting plastic on everything and clean up from spraying 

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## dirty dave (Jun 26, 2017)

Well i decided that the original paint on the boat is close enough for the base coat. I will keep it and touch up a few places. 

I ordered a stencil kit from styxriver.com and it was here in 2 days. Mossy oak marsh grass and got 4 cans of spray paint. The stencils were bigger than i expected, which is a good thing.

Gonna sand the original paint with 150 grit or something around there so it will have good adhesion. I will have to pick up some more spray paint, i doubt the 4 cans will do. 

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## dirty dave (Jun 28, 2017)

Last night i started sanding with 120 grit. Got a majority of it done with a palm sander, and plan on touching it up tonight. 

This past weekend i got some heavy duty trolling motor plugs and soldered them in. Worked great when i went to the river.

Soldered ring terminals for the tolling motor and added heat shrink. 

My brother-in-law gave me this 150 qt cooler. Im using it for storage right now before i have my bench seat built.














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## dirty dave (Jul 1, 2017)

Fabrication of gun box/rod locker has started. I cut the handrail of the bowfishing deck off and i am using it as a frame. Im slowly cutting the legs down to get a good fit.

















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## dirty dave (Jul 7, 2017)

Bilge pump is mounted with sheet metal screws. And i took out the console and i am going to replace the rotten wood. 

I ordered a new xtreme nfb steering kit it and it should be here next week. 
The new wood should give it a sturdy structure.














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## dirty dave (Jul 30, 2017)

It has been a while since i have updated. Got new wood milled to thickness and cut to shape. I then drilled and cut out all my holes. I then sealed the wood with spar urethane, thinning about 50%, 25% then 2 full coats. Let it cure for a few days and got it back in the console. 

Got my switch panel mounted along with steering and bolted console back in with new stainless hardware. 

Set some jugs this past weekend and caught 2 catfish, got rained on, ran out of gas in 6 gallon tank, i had a back up 2 gallons. Then had a trailer tire blow out on the way home. 

Bout to start the wiring part. I got my fuse block mounted on some cutting board and got it mounted under the console. 

The new steering worked very well, while it takes a second to get used to the no feedback clutches, it takes minimal effort to turn the wheel, and im not worried about my cable failing anymore.














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## dirty dave (Aug 5, 2017)

Got the console mounted in the boat. I have started wiring my switch panel. I pulled 16ga marine grade wire with loom for all accesories. Got bilge pump, nav lights, and stern lights soldered and hooked up to switch and fuse panel. 

I had a blow out last weekend and knocked my bearing cap off in the process. Ordered and installed new stainless bearing buddies. 

Caught this on a jug last night. Prolly 10lbs or around there




















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## dirty dave (Aug 16, 2017)

I just about have rod/gun box frame ready to go to the welder. I started to build a bench seat to replace the big pedastal seats at the console. I am recycling the bowfishing deck for the seat. Today i was able to get hand rail cut off and the first part of the pieces i need cut out. 












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## dirty dave (Aug 17, 2017)

Got some more work done today, got the front panel of bench seat cut to rough shape and set it in the boat. Now i will trim it down to fit snug little by little. On the back side there is a framework of square tube and angle so there will be plenty of strength. 

Got volt meter/usb and cig lighter wired up today. Along with my light bar, it came with a wiring harned but i cut out and adapted the relay harness to work with my switch instead of theirs. 

My switches go bilge pump, stern light, navigation lights, and then light bar. With 4 remaining i plan to use for interior leds, rear facing lights, fishfinder and one for radio or whatever i need in the future.

I installed a "tiny tach" off brand from amazon, i had it on wrong settings last weekend but plan to adjust it and see what wot rpms are looking like. I forgot to take a pic of it today.





















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## Dirtmonkey (Aug 22, 2017)

How do you like the bare diamond aluminum on the floor?


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## dirty dave (Aug 22, 2017)

It gets hot! Once i get the gun box and bench welded in i plan on putting down some tuff coat to help with the heat and make it look and feel better. 

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## dirty dave (Sep 21, 2017)

Started the camo process on one side. Still need to paint the marsh grass as the top layer. I'm slowly getting the hang of matching the real pattern








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## dirty dave (Nov 6, 2017)

It has been a while since I posted but I have done a few things. Going to paint the engine cowl so started peeling stickers. I also upgraded to a 12 gallon tank, so I won't have to worry about running out as quickly. Took boat to the welder and got bench welded in along with beginnings of rod box. It can fit an 8 foot rod. I will be adding a pedestal base to the middle of the bench seat.

















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## dirty dave (Nov 8, 2017)

Ordered top coat in olive green for painting the bare aluminum. Added 2 small spit beam light bars pointing to the side to help see the banks or locate jugs. Got the top layer of camo painted on a small portion of the front. I will be installing a pedestal base in the middle bench seat but have to open up the hole a little more for it to sit flush. This was one of the bigger cats we have caught ok jugs this year.














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## SeaFaring (Nov 8, 2017)

She’s really coming along! I’m enjoying the updates. 


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## dirty dave (Nov 8, 2017)

SeaFaring said:


> She’s really coming along! I’m enjoying the updates.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for the feedback! Last little effort to get things ready before duck season starts. 

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## dirty dave (Nov 9, 2017)

Got stickers removed, sanded the cowl, cleaned and got it taped. I painted it olive green for the base coat to camo it. I also bedlined my stern light since it is permanent. Black should blend in, and looks better than chrome.











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## dirty dave (Nov 18, 2017)

Got most of the motor painted. Still have to camo the top cowl. Got interior prepped for tuff coat, primed and 2 coats of paint. 2nd to last picture is after the first coat dried. Last picture is right after the second coat. I still have some touch ups to do but got the majority of rolling done. I was a little worried about the color at first but as it dries it is getting closer to olive green.



































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## gatorglenn (Nov 18, 2017)

Looking great. Where did you get the console?


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## dirty dave (Nov 19, 2017)

gatorglenn said:


> Looking great. Where did you get the console?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Thanks gator! It came with the boat, I'm not sure what boat it came out of. 

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## gatorglenn (Nov 20, 2017)

[emoji106]


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## dirty dave (Nov 28, 2017)

Got the cowl paint finished and put back on. Went hunting this past weekend as it was opening weekend for ducks and killed a hen woody Friday. Saturday took my boat out to hunt for the first time. Though we didn't kill any thing we saw a lot more birds in that area.. because of that I am gonna build a removable folding blind similar to this. I'm gonna go with even on both sides rather than a high low blind. I ordered black nylon bimini top pieces for hinges. And will be using 3/4" conduit for the frame. The whole blind should run about 1/3 the price of an Avery blind.




















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## eshaw (Nov 29, 2017)

Got a question. The tubes that stretch between the gunnels are held in place on the ends by what kind of fitting? Are the fittings nylon or a type of plastic? I like the looks of the blind. Thanks


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## dirty dave (Nov 29, 2017)

eshaw said:


> Got a question. The tubes that stretch between the gunnels are held in place on the ends by what kind of fitting? Are the fittings nylon or a type of plastic? I like the looks of the blind. Thanks


In the picture the guy I'm basing it off of used the 4 180° connectors to attach it to the gunnel. I believe they are nylon. That's his part list not including emt





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## dirty dave (Dec 11, 2017)

Today I added 2 cleats to my boat. One in the front and one in the rear. I didn't know exactly where to mount the front one. My reasoning for where it is, it will be out of the way from getting stepped on, below flush of the bow so won't snag, and not sticking out past the front of the boat.























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## dirty dave (Dec 21, 2017)

New decals = +10hp











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## gatorglenn (Dec 21, 2017)

Sweet, the motor turned out awesome 


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## dirty dave (Dec 26, 2017)

gatorglenn said:


> Sweet, the motor turned out awesome
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks gator!

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## dirty dave (Dec 30, 2017)

Hopefully this won't slow my progress down to much. But I got a new to me dune buggy.















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## gatorglenn (Dec 30, 2017)

Well it would slow me down lol. I had one like that 30 years ago. Really fun. I put a air cooled VW motor in it.


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## 10sne1 (Jan 2, 2018)

Nice build, love my 1870...
Where did you order you clean basic motor decals?
Thanks


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## dirty dave (Jan 7, 2018)

10sne1 said:


> Nice build, love my 1870...
> Where did you order you clean basic motor decals?
> Thanks


Irockdecals.com I believe. It took about a month for them to ship but they seem to be good quality. 

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## dirty dave (Feb 21, 2018)

I will be ordering a Humminbird Helix 7 SI G2 while bass pro has it on sale. This will be my first sonar unit and I think it will be able to get the job done. I plan on attaching it with a ram mount. 

The weather has been cold and rainy for the past few weeks, but the past 2 days have been sunny and 70's. Decided to head to the river to fish some. Caught 4 catfish on jugs, 23lb was the biggest but the other were smaller around 2-5lbs. 











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## dirty dave (Mar 1, 2018)

Finally went on sale and just arrived. Gonna use a piece of cutting board to mount the transducer and thinking about a separate battery to power the unit.








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## dirty dave (Mar 2, 2018)

New pb catfish at 31lbs





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