Restoring 1996 Four Sons Center Console

[Flukinicehole]

After moving to NC 6 years ago I have not had much time to take my boat out as it was just to big. I just sold my 24 Ft. Mark Twain walk around and needed to get something smaller. Something I could use on the lakes and inshore fishing. My kids love to fish but my boat was to big for the lakes. I came across this on Craigslist and worked out a deal. It has a nice T-Top and 70hp Tohatsu that runs great. The owner was straight up in telling in the add that it needed a floor and transom. Well I have been down that road before and went to look at my next project. The boat is built right here in NC in Fair Bluff and there is really no information out there on these boats. The hull seems very good but everything else in the floor was destined to fail. I will try to update on a regular basis and will be replacing everything from the floor down. I will also be adding a few things to make it a little better. I would like to build a livewell and add some mounting areas to hold the fishing rods. The original owner just screwed right through the side of the boat lol. Here are a few pics and you can see that it is all coming out. Hope I did the pictures right....we will see.
http://s1290.photobucket.com/user/flukinicehole/media/Boatresoration1_zpsc7c3a7a7.jpg.html
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http://s1290.photobucket.com/user/flukinicehole/media/Boatrestoration2_zps6ea8368b.jpg.html

 

[pckeen]

Nice. With your photobucket account, click on the pics you want, then click on the text box to the right of "IMG" and post it into your post. Here are your pics:

 

[Flukinicehole]

Thank you. I will do that next time when I get some more work done. It will be a slow go until we get some cooler weather and the yard stops growing. Between the kids dance, gymnastics and wife working till 9 I don't have much time these days. It will be done for the spring though. Took measurements on all the stringers today.

 

[Flukinicehole]

I have a question with my gas tank. It was a below deck and the guy had a remote tank hooked up. It measures 6x60x25.5 the senders are shot and rusted out but the rest of the tank seems good. I filled it with water and don't see any leaks so I was wondering if I should get the replacement parts and put it back in. It is a plastic tank and is from 1996 so what do you think? Will it be OK?

 

[Woodonglass]

If it's not leaking and you replace the "Guts" I see no reason not to use it. I would recommend you "Pressure Test" it before you cover it go to all the expense. It should hold 3psi!

 

[Flukinicehole]

Thanks WOG. It will be no problem to pressure test as I have everything I need to do that. I was more worried about the ethanol gas and it eating the tank. I know that was a problem with the glass tanks but figured the plastic should be OK. It has been a few years since I did my last project so I look forward to getting into this one. In fact I still have a bunch of 1.5oz CSM from the last project I aborted. This should be a fairly cheap and fun project.

 

[Woodonglass]

Nah, it'll be fine! I don't use that E-Gas in my Boat!!! Can you find REAL gas where you Live!!

 

[Flukinicehole]

Making some progress. The stringers had no wood left in them and came out in about 20 minutes. I should have it all ground down this weekend if I don't have to work. I hope to have it ready for the spring Flounder run here in NC. It is very sad they way these guys put this boat together. I don't know if they were trying to save a few bucks or had no idea what they were doing. Seeing how the hull is so nice I believe they were skimping on materials under the deck.
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[Flukinicehole]

I ended up having to work this weekend but the easy part is done. I have the stringers and transom out. Now for the fun part ......start grinding. I'm trying to get a few friends over to help with the grinding. The first picture is their inspiration, I have a question concerning the floor. When the builders laid the ribs they were all over the place. No 2 were exactly the same. Im only replacing 12ftX5.5 feet and was wondering how to run the ribs. I would like to keep it as light as possible and was wondering if 1/2in ply would work? I could add more ribs if needed but I would like to have them every 2 feet. Would this be doable with 1/2in?

 

[Flukinicehole]

I should specify the 1/2in plywood would be used on the floors not the stringers and ribs. Those and the transom will be 3/4.

 

[Rickmerrill]

I don't know anything about spans and such but at 66 square feet 5/8" would add about 24 lbs over 1/2".

 

[studioq]

The deck on mine was 5/8 inch. I was thinking about going with 1/2 during the rebuild - yet I'm tempted to leave it the way it was and put the 5/8 back in. I noticed when they did the original build that they didn't foam all the way up to the deck boards - so they might have needed the 5/8 for support. But if the foam comes all the way up under the deck making contact with the wood - wouldn't you think the 1/2 would be good enough?

 

[Woodonglass]

1/2" Deck will be fine if you fill with 2lb foam. She'll be solid as a rock. You should place the bulkheads back in the same locations where they were located originally. The engineers that designed the hull originally placed them in those locations for a reason and I wouldn't question their design. It may not look right to you but you're not a nautical engineer and neither am I!!! I'm just and Old Dumb Okie and I just put it back like I find it. I DO try and do a better job of Glassing it so that water can't ruin it.!! Do that, give her proper care and maintenance and it'll last for decades.:encouragement:

 

[Rickmerrill]

I'm sure "the Dean" of our boat fixin college (Dr. Wood) is right. The area where the gas tank sits worried me a bit since it won't have any foam under the deck there and it's right where people stand and walk a lot (assuming the console and seat don't cover it all up). Just to explain my thinking, my boat has a 2x4, laying flat, notched in the top of the stringers going across the top of the tank in the middle to stiffen the floor (I doubt you have room to do that). And, you frequently read people boast how strong and stiff their new floor is. So, I'm probably being a little overly influenced (anal) by all that. Once it's all back together I bet no one could tell the difference.

 

[Woodonglass]

Well, I sure ain't no DEAN or DR!!!! You give meWAY....to much credit!!!! I'm NOT trying to usurp anybody else's advice...Just giving and Old Dumb Okies ideas and advice like everybody else. 1/2 ply on a 24" span should have minimal flex. Not saying it won't have some but it should be minimal and acceptable. You might want to lay a piece across 2 2x4's set 24" apart and stand on it to see what YOU think before installing it. The resin and glass will had some additional stiffening.

 

[Rickmerrill]

Another way to look at it is you can carry an additional 19.2 beers if you go with 1/2" ply! Let us know if you your "inspiration" works to get your friends to help with the grinding; they're either very good friends or very dumb ones! On a serious note, make sure everyone uses PPE.

 

[Flukinicehole]

Another way to look at it is you can carry an additional 19.2 beers if you go with 1/2" ply! Let us know if you your "inspiration" works to get your friends to help with the grinding; they're either very good friends or very dumb ones! On a serious note, make sure everyone uses PPE.

LOL...I have plenty of PPE to go around. I have 2 friends coming over this weekend to help with the grinding. I hope to have it all done and start ordering everything in the next week or two. My beer always stays on land but I do have plenty of it to go around (6 taps) and will be cooking a nice meal for them. This is also how I got my garage built a few years back . Incredible what a meal and a few brews will do to motivate people.

 

[Flukinicehole]

I have a question about materials and how much I will need. I know how much 1708, CMS, and resin I will need to do the floor, stringers and transom. My question is how must cabosil, cs fibers, and resin will I need to do approximately 130 liner feet with a 1/4in gap? I would like to do every joint with pb and I'm not sure if there is a way to figure out how much of everything I will need.

 

[Woodonglass]

My best guess is 4 gallons of Cabosil or more, 2 qts of 1/4" chopped Milled Fibers 20 gallons of resin. That will be real close. It takes about 1 1/2 qts of cabosil to get 1 qt of Peanut butter and you put 1/4 cup of Miller fibers per qt of resin. You'll use about 3 qts of PB on the transom glue and another 2 on the fillets. Approx 2 qts per stringer and about 4-5 for the deck. That's about 3-4 gallons of PB you'll be mixing before you're finished. Maybe more.

 

[Flukinicehole]

Thank you.....that is a lot of resin.