# 16' Alumacraft Model K build



## JFDBasser (May 20, 2011)

Well, I recently sold my 1981 Sears 1232 and my dad aquired a 1950's Alumacraft Model K for me so I can take his grandkids fishing at our club more safely. The boat was used by a rescue sqaud in TN for many years on KY lake....it has some rough repairs, but overall it is in pretty good shape. The boat has a few leaking rivits, but nothing I can't fix. 

Here are the before shots.











Here's the build plan.

-Strip/Prime/paint the interior and exterior. Boat will be Navy Blue and Gray on the outside....light gray interior. Trailor will still be white. 
- Remove possibly all three benches and install angle aluminum braces for support 
- Install floor from bow to stern
-Install lights, bilge pump, Accessory Outlet, Bow Mount TM and Graph
- Fish...

Obviously it's going to take quite a bit more work than that, but you get the gist.

Any suggestions and idea's are appreciated. I've been searching the build list and have gotten some great idea's. I'll try to give credit when I steal someones idea.



Oh yeah, any idea how to mount a MinnKota Powerdrive to this bow?


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## JFDBasser (May 21, 2011)

Got her off the trailer today and flipped over to fix some rivets. My Dad told me he marked some rivets that were leaking.....some were missing, others were completely worn away....no kidding they were leaking. I got some closed ended rivets and went to town fixing them...I have a few other random holes, etc. that I plan on riveting then I'll flip her over and do another leak test.


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## JFDBasser (May 23, 2011)

:x Well...my first rivit fix didnt work. Looks like they are coming out and going back in with some 5200 when I put them in. Decided to just steelflex the thing while I'm at it. This budget is taking a serious hit lately. Should have some more pics up Wednesay....going to mock up the framing while I wait for the steelflex to arrive.


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## JFDBasser (May 25, 2011)

I heard back from Alumacraft today and found out my boat was built in 1954....kinda neat. 

Had a buddy over for some help today....didnt get much done, but its a start.

I got the rear benches and braces removed. Filled all the holes with rivets...went pretty smoothly. Oddly enough the benches were intended to be sealed for flotation...somewhere along the line the center seat spung a leak and was FULL of water...





Holy cow was the floor a pain. It took me and a buddy almost a 12 pack to figure it out...It seemed that no matter what we did we couldnt get around the ribs or get it to lay flat. We finally decided to get one side how we wanted, then draw a center line and measure the other side from the first. Once we did that it took 20 min. to cut the other side out. I installed 2x4's and 1x2's running lengthwise for support.





You can see in the pic above that the floor has a bow to it.... I cut a 2x6 to with width of the floor and attached it at the end to get rid of the bow in the floor and create a seperator from the floor and the bilge area in the back for the battery/gas tank. I'm thinking about attaching 1x3's around the sides of the floor to cover up the V's around the ribs... I'm not carpeting anything so I'd like somewhat of a clean edge...what do you all think?





Next is framing the bow section, once that's done all of the wood is coming out to be sealed, when that happens I'm going to paint and steelflex this thing.


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## rudycard72 (May 26, 2011)

I just picked up the exact same boat and will be restoring it at some point, maybe sooner than later. Are you planing on adding a steering console or going tiller?


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## JFDBasser (May 26, 2011)

Cool, can't wait to see your restore. I'm going with a tiller. This boat is primarily going to be used at my club which is built on strip mine lakes...so very narrow, not much need to run around. I'll probably also take it to the restricted HP lakes in Illinois. I've got a bassboat I take everywhere else, so this is just going to be a simple, clean fishing boat.....well, hopefully....


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## r. dobbs (May 26, 2011)

Hello, This is my first post on here,just been doing some reading and saw what you are doing. i have the same boat, had it for about a year.Mine has a live well in the middle, don't know if factory or aftermarket,but looks to be made for the year of the boat. Anyway in th process of doing what you are. Move live well to the back and took out middle bench. Doing what you are with floor. Thanks for posting and I will keep reading and getting ideas. Russell D.


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## rudycard72 (May 26, 2011)

I would be interested in seeing some pics of your rig Dobbs


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## toot (May 27, 2011)

I really like how guys on this forum redo their boats! They all spent a lot of time and effort to end up with a great rebuild on their units. HOWEVER, most all of them (you) forget about building in the saftey portion of the rebuild. The floation foam is most often forgotten or ignored. Contact the oringinal manufacturer of your boat for help or suggestions on your project. Most will give you basic floation guidlines for your particuliar craft. You'll be glad that you spent a little extra money for the piece of mind that your boat is safe!


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## JFDBasser (May 27, 2011)

Toot,
Great reminder on Flotation....I forgot to mention that in my first post. This particular boat was built with no flotation foam whatsoever from the factory.....it was built with flotation TANKS in the benches. Essentially each bench seat is a sealed tank providing flotation. The front bench is still sealed and airtight. The back two benches were FULL of water....apparantly 56 years of use put some small holes in there somwhere. My plan is to fill the underside of the rear floor with pool noodles for some flotation. I am also building the front deck with a small storage compartment, my plan is to fill the entire bow section of the boat around that compartment with either foam sheets or noodles....one or the other. 

Thanks for the reminder....it seem's we do all tend to forget about it.


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## JFDBasser (May 31, 2011)

Ok, got my floor done and all the supports in, doesnt look any different, just sturdy now. I'm working on power washing the interior and priming/painting, so I can frame my front deck, pics will follow soon. 

In the mean time I am trying to find a new plug for my drain pictured below, and figure out some sort of bow eye, you can see in my first pic what the bow looks like, came with no bow eye. I'm thinking about a rubber coated chain to replace the rope, any ideas or suggestions?


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## toot (May 31, 2011)

Check out this link JFD for your bow eye and drain plug kit needs.

https://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SiteSearch?Ns=Most Popular|0


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## Hanr3 (May 31, 2011)

Your off to a great start.
I'll be watching, and your more than welcome to "steal" any and all ideas in my build. 

:mrgreen: 

Let me know when your heading to Evergreen, maybe we can meet up sometime.


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## JFDBasser (May 31, 2011)

Will do Hanr....on both Evergreen and "stealing" idea's. 

I found a drain plug today thanks to huntinfools suggestion. Found a 3/8" MIP Brass plug that fit perfectly. 

Here's the weird drain in my old boat.


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## JFDBasser (Jun 2, 2011)

Well, I removed the rotted out transom today. It took around 30 rusted bolts to remove the wood and a trim piece holding it all together. Definately need to replace with stainless. I had some 1/2" marine plywood lying around so I cut the new pieces for the transom and glued them up. They are curing in my garage right now with a bunch of sandbags on them. 






I also got everything primed that is getting painted. The interior will be gray. The upper portion of the outside will be Navy. The rest is getting steelflexed. Thanks to bluegrasser for the inspiration on the paint scheme.


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## Hanr3 (Jun 2, 2011)

I like the paint scheme as well. Reminds me of my Marine Corp days when we caught rides from the Navy.


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## JFDBasser (Jun 24, 2011)

Ok, after a two week hiatus for a trip to my parents in TN and the horrible weather we have been having at home I finally got going again. 

It has rained every day I have not been on duty for over a week now which has kept me from getting the steelflex on. I finally caved and cleaned out my garage enough to get the boat in. I just did the first coat of steelflex........it was nothing like I expected.....I'm not sure how it will look yet. I was surprised to see how much it levels itself out...I do like the texture the roller gave though. I need to do a touch-up coat to the ribs and a few thin spots still...going to wait a few hours and do that. I'll post some pics once that is done.

Also started on the trailer today. I was able to sand and prime it during the past week so I sprayed the paint today. I just used Rustoleum White Gloss Enamel. Pics to follow.


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## JFDBasser (Jun 24, 2011)

Here's the trailer and the first coat of steelflex....


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## JFDBasser (Jun 25, 2011)

Starting to pick up some steam again on this project. I got the steelflex on yesterda. Felt like I was painting with maple syrup, but thanks to the info on this board it went alright. 

Today I was able to get the boards for the transom cut out and stained....they came out nice, now I just need to seal them. It was a pain trying to find wood. I needed 1" thick boards for the transom. I called everywhere around me that sells wood and noone had anything that I was willing to spend the money on. I tried laminating some 1/2" marine plywood, but I wasnt happy with the result. While I was visiting my Dad in TN he set me up with one of his friends from his Fire Dept. that owns a sawmill. The next day I had two perfect pieces of White Oak that was 1 1/8" ran it through the planer of another retired firefighter from my dept. that lives near my Dad and I was in business. It came out pretty good I think....can't wait to get them on the boat.


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## Hanr3 (Jun 27, 2011)

Looking good. Keep it up. =D>


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## skeeter1804 (Jun 27, 2011)

Looking good so far. That is an aweful nice looking piece of wood for a transom.


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## JFDBasser (Jul 7, 2011)

Ok, finally some more updates. The boat has been completely painted and the retro Alumacraft decals installed. The transom has been sealed and bolted back on. Now the floor,front deck and electrical can be done....there is an end in site......hopefully I can get this on the water soon.


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## Hanr3 (Jul 7, 2011)

Looks great. 

Where did you get the retro Alumacraft stickers? Mine are faded pretty bad.


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## toot (Jul 7, 2011)

Hanr3 said:


> Looks great.
> 
> Where did you get the retro Alumacraft stickers? Mine are faded pretty bad.




[email protected] These people will take good care of you. They'll have that "old" decal for you!


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## Hanr3 (Jul 7, 2011)

toot said:


> Hanr3 said:
> 
> 
> > Looks great.
> ...



Thanks!


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## JFDBasser (Jul 7, 2011)

I never thought about asking Alumacraft....good call. I got mine on eBay. there is another place online that has the actual decals for the 50's era boats. I just liked the oval, and the colors matched my paint scheme....these ones are for a 60's era boat.


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## ROBB (Jul 7, 2011)

Looks great.

Great job with the color.


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## NextTopBassFisherman (Mar 19, 2012)

Any more?


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## sixgun86 (Mar 19, 2012)

Looking very good. I like the paint scheme.


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## JFDBasser (Mar 20, 2012)

OK, so a complete bathroom remodel last summer stopped the project dead in its tracks. Got started again today. I put the floor together the other day and sealed it. I decided to go with an epoxy paint on top instead of carpeting. Here's the floor....hoping to pick up steam this week.


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## UtahBassKicker (Mar 21, 2012)

I've thought about using that epoxy paint for a floor as well but was concerned how slippery it would be when wet, have you tried it out yet? I have a similar product on my garage floor and it gets pretty slippery when wet.


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## JFDBasser (Mar 23, 2012)

I got some of that non-skid stuff to mix in the epoxy. Hopefully it works. if not I'll have to figure out something else. We've got a similar texture to the floor in the bay at my station, its not that slick.


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## lowblazah (Mar 23, 2012)

JFDBasser said:


> I got some of that non-skid stuff to mix in the epoxy. Hopefully it works. if not I'll have to figure out something else. We've got a similar texture to the floor in the bay at my station, its not that slick.



I added the non skid stuff to my garage floor coating project. Worked great! Remember garage coating kits in the box are not UV resistant and will fade.


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## thorny (Mar 23, 2012)

Very nice job! Looks great! Nice pics on that drain plug, the previous owner of my model F removed that hardware and patched over it so I have been trying to find out what it was supposed to look like.


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## JFDBasser (Mar 25, 2012)

Got some more done today. I ran the conduit under the floor to run my wiring for the TM and electronics. The main runs from bow to stern are in, but not connected yet. I put the floor in, it just sits there for now, not sure how I like it, so it's not permanent yet. Mounted a few misc. items like the lights and bilge pump, need to figure out where to put my bus and switch. Started framing the front deck and figured out how to mount the TM. Still lots to do, but there is an end in sight.


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## JFDBasser (Apr 4, 2012)

More progress. I got the front deck cut out. I think I'm going to carpet it. I put a hatch in forward part of the front deck, should work out ok. I also picked up a motor for her yesterday. I found a nice '58 Evinrude Sportwin 10HP for a great deal. the motor is in great shape, fires on the first pull and runs smooth. It fits the '54 boat well.


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## JFDBasser (Apr 9, 2012)

Well, I've spent almost every free minute this past week trying to get the boat done. I have about an hours worth of little things left to do. All the decking is done, electric, etc. etc. etc. There are things that didnt turn out how I wanted, or werent practical. I figure I'll fish it for the season and make changes from there. Here she is with a few comments on the photo's.





Splashwell area ended up being MUCH smaller than I intended. The battery box, switch and Fuel tank just barely fit in there. I didnt realize how much room I would loose with the way the splashwell is designed. It's not the ideal place for the switch box, and I already want to move it to the bow, but it's going to stay for now. 





I used a 6x6 electrical box with a seal for my switch. Everything fit nice, I put two holes in the bottom for the wiring, I've also got my bus bar in there. I'm hoping this works out, so far everything functions.





My favorite part. a full 8' by 4' of floorspace. I have three little kids that will be fishing with me, my goal was a wide open floor with no trip hazards......





Here's my front deck. Not sure where or if I want to mount the cup holder....it came in handy on my last boat, just don't know where to put it, any suggestions? The electrical box cover on the front is access to my breaker for the TM. The graph is OLD, but it still works, the TM is a MinnKota powerdrive55, should move the boat good.





Breaker, I think the switch box will get moved up here next season also





Here's my only storage bin. I will pretty much only be using this at my sportsmans club for bluegill so I bring next to no tackle with me. The sole purpose of this box was to store my TM pedal under lock and key. I added the lock to the hatch. 





Here's where she stands right now. Only left is to replace my trailer lights, install the guide-ons, and give it a clean up before it hits the water. I'm thinking about making some support braces like Hanr did on his Alumacraft. Be a nice place to mount a rod holder. Any comments/suggestions?


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## wcbond4 (Apr 10, 2012)

Man! What a transformation! I actually wish my drain plug was like yours. And I love that motor! I wish I could afford to collect old motors like that. There's an evinrude similar to that here..what'd you pay for yours if you don't mind me asking.


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## jimmy fins (Apr 10, 2012)

Ckecked out your tin can rebuild looks awesome. =D>


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## JFDBasser (Apr 12, 2012)

wcbond4 said:


> Man! What a transformation! I actually wish my drain plug was like yours. And I love that motor! I wish I could afford to collect old motors like that. There's an evinrude similar to that here..what'd you pay for yours if you don't mind me asking.



I paid $400 and it included the pressure tank. You can find some cheaper from time to time, but this one needs no work, which I like. I agree with you, I love those old motors. My boat is rated for a 35hp, the sportsmans club I belong to has a HP limit, hence the 10hp on my build. I'm gonna keeps my eyes out for something bigger that I can restore though, might be a fun project now that the boat is done.

The drain plus is really cool. When I got the boat there were soo many leaves, etc. that I didnt think it had a plug at all. I never thought to look under the boat. The fitting under the hull is pretty heavy duty, should hold up.


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## JFDBasser (Apr 12, 2012)

It's FINALLY done. I didnt really have much left to do, so I was able to knock the rest out two nights ago, I was on duty yesterday, so here she is.

I added angle alum. supports to the gunnels (idea stolen from Hanr, thanks man). Planning to install a rod holder like Hanr's also. 






Here's the livewell. I put this together a few years ago. I leave my boat at my sportsmans club and always take my battery, so I made a livewell that I can move to my truck and keep running on the way home. I have a small battery operated pump to fill the cooler for now.





Here she is from the stern. The storage compartment up front was big enough for the TM pedal, some rope, and a throwable cushion. 





Final shot of the boat, she is 100% ready to hit the water. Last step of the build was the standard Tinboats.net ladder stabilizer guide on's. The look like they will work great. 





It's been a TON of fun and came out really nice. Thanks for all of the great ideas from my fellow Tinboats members.


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## flajsh (Apr 12, 2012)

Awesome job.
bet in a couple days you'll be getting the itch to do another one :lol:


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## fool4fish1226 (Apr 17, 2012)

Great project turned out awesome =D>


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## Gramps50 (Apr 17, 2012)

Looking good l like what you have done with it. 

Now go and catch some fish


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## bigwave (Apr 18, 2012)

Awesome job, I am actually leaning towards that floor paint for my boat. That is just the look I am after. =D>


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## JFDBasser (Apr 18, 2012)

Thanks for the comments. I ran the boat this weekend, worked great. The flooring wasnt slick and the boat is surprsingly stable, it leans a bit if you stand at the gunnel on the front deck, but not bad at all. The drain plus leaks a little, probably had a little over a cup of water in the bilge area after 6 hours of fishing, not bad at all, definately something I can live with. 

Working on some rod holder brackets for the oar locks right now, I'll post pictures when I get those done.


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## Drewgill (Apr 18, 2012)

Nicely done =D> 

What brand paint did you use for the decks?


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## JFDBasser (Apr 18, 2012)

The floor is a rustoleum epoxy garage floor kit. I added the non-skid grit to it also. It worked out nice, not slick at all. Not sure how it'll hold up, but if I get a few years out of it, it's worth it to me. My boat spends most of the year at my sportsmans club, so cleaning carpet is a pain for me. 

Here are some rod holders I made. My boat has two sets of oarlocks so I thought it'd be nice to have rod holders that I could move around to each oarlock.

They are made of 1/16th aluminum, painted them to match and lined with EVA foam to protect the pain.


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## bguy (Apr 22, 2012)

=D> i like the blue and i like the room you made with a open floor.


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## JFDBasser (Apr 23, 2012)

Thanks for the comments guys. 

I had some motor problems. Basically, it wouldnt stay in gear. Some rapid (not needed) parts ordering ensued and now I have a forward gear and clutch dog I don't need (yet). Thankfully before I pulled the lower unit I noticed that the bracket that the shift lever mouts to was broken in two. Ordered that part and she was back in business. 

I also found a better plug for my antiquated drain plug. I started with what is pictured below and a 3/8" brass MIP plug, it worked, but water seaped up the threads. Found that a 1/2" snap plug for my cooler in my Ranger fit perfectly, no more leaks.










Took her out yesterday to clear my head after my grandma passed away following a long fight with cancer. My Grandparents must have been smiling on me. The motor ran great and I'm pretty sure my Grandpa guided these nice gill to me. Ended up with over 20 nice frying sized gill and one monster readear in less than two hours.





Looking forward to getting my kids on the water and teaching them to fish. My grandma always had a smile on her face when I drug a fish into her house from the pond in her backyard, still have the lure that had to be removed from my grandpa's arm in the ER when I was learning how to cast.

Thanks to everyone here at Tinboats, I would have been lost without this valuble resource.


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## Brine (Apr 23, 2012)

Congrats on the build and the catch. Sorry to hear about your Grandma, but it's great to hear how she was part of the experience. I still think of all the times I went fishing with my Grandad. Good stuff fo sho.


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## JFDBasser (Apr 26, 2012)

Thanks Brine, love your build by the way. 

Made another change to the boat today. Made a simple anchor pole. Just a section of PVC with straps to attach it to the transom and a 6' section of aluminum flag pole. Looking for a fiberglass pole, but this will do for now. I used it today, it worked out great, simple to use and held the boat well in the soft bottom. Cost me about $1.50 for the straps, had the rest of the stuff in my basement, can't complain about that. The straps are bolted all the way through the transom, it's not going anywhere.


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## Gators5220 (Dec 10, 2012)

Love that anchor pole set up, might have to steal that one for myself!


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