18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Gibbles

Lieutenant Commander
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Nov 14, 2009
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1,975
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Transom out!
DSCF0522.jpg

DSCF0523.jpg

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Gibbles

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Test fit of windshield
DSCF0526.jpg
 

Gibbles

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Getting ready to make the new transom
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Bwana Don

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
1,951
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

I love that Starchief. If I ever get rid of the Offshore, it will be for a cabin cruiser with an outboard. A good welder is worth his weight in gold. Looks like he did a great job on those welds. Pretty looking too!

Paint stripping is horrible business. I bought a 3m fiber wheel to use in addition to the Citristrip. When I do the 18' boat I'll soda blast it! The only good thing about stripping is, you get to pick a nice new color to go back on. I can't wait to see the paint on this.

Keep up the good work.

Don

PS
3M wheel; 03171. Works good and doesn't score up the aluminum.
I also used a brass wire wheel on my drill. So much fun.:p
 

North Beach

Commander
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

I agree the welds look great. Now on to the fun stuff!!!
 

dozerII

Admiral
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Oct 25, 2009
Messages
6,527
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Looking real good Gib, should be no more problems with that hull.
 

Gibbles

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

I love that Starchief. If I ever get rid of the Offshore, it will be for a cabin cruiser with an outboard. A good welder is worth his weight in gold. Looks like he did a great job on those welds. Pretty looking too!

Paint stripping is horrible business. I bought a 3m fiber wheel to use in addition to the Citristrip. When I do the 18' boat I'll soda blast it! The only good thing about stripping is, you get to pick a nice new color to go back on. I can't wait to see the paint on this.

Keep up the good work.

Don

PS
3M wheel; 03171. Works good and doesn't score up the aluminum.
I also used a brass wire wheel on my drill. So much fun.:p

Thanks, the only thing I wish this boat had was the V hull, but it will do fine.
But I figure slow when the water gets rough, and full speed in the mornings when the water is like glass :)

That welder did a great job, I saved his number in my phone.
I was a little worried as he said he mostly only welded boats only for a few friends, but he was just to close to where I live and cheaper than others I priced out.

And my brother in-law is in need of a welder as his guy stopped welding recently. :)


And I'll give that a try with the fiber wheel, thanks for the tip!

and powder blasting won't damage aluminium?
that could be useful for some of the harder to get areas... :)

I agree the welds look great. Now on to the fun stuff!!!

Once I finish getting the paint off the top and inside, it's gulvit time!

Looking real good Gib, should be no more problems with that hull.

Thanks, I really like that welder :)
 

Brenn

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
251
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

thats a cool looking boat you have.i just caught up with your thread.
 

Bwana Don

Lieutenant Commander
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Oct 20, 2009
Messages
1,951
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Soda blasting will not hurt aluminum. Sandblasting WILL. Hf has a sodablaster, I got one on sale but my compressor is too small. I did a 6" x 6" area, oh man what a dream, then I ran out of air:facepalm:. Stripping and wheeling are for the birds, it's hard work.
 

InMotion

Commander
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
2,080
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Looking good gibb's.... now that things are moving along and you have removed more "bits" from the boat.... I bet the Admiral is loving the pile of "bits"!!! I still have stuff strewn around my yard!

Enjoy man... glad you were able to the holes welded!
 

Gibbles

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
1,975
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Transom halves are cut out, glued together with epoxy, and one side done!
DSCF0528.jpg


I have been using wax paper for the final top coat, gives it a super smooth satin finish and prevents lumps and little creatures from being entoomed for ever in my transom. ;)

And with my nova I started by using off brand wax paper... never again!
Brand name stuff has more wax and comes off much eaiser :p
 

North Beach

Commander
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Sep 29, 2008
Messages
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Gibbles I sand blasted all the rivits on the Liquid Limo with no ill effects. Personally, I like the orbital sander/stripper approach better than blasting. But I will say the blaster was great around all the rivets.
 

Gibbles

Lieutenant Commander
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Messages
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

thats a cool looking boat you have.i just caught up with your thread.

Thanks!

Soda blasting will not hurt aluminum. Sandblasting WILL. Hf has a sodablaster, I got one on sale but my compressor is too small. I did a 6" x 6" area, oh man what a dream, then I ran out of air:facepalm:. Stripping and wheeling are for the birds, it's hard work.

lol, yeah...
I have a HF sandblaster, I tried blasting with a wee 8gal compressor, worked great in very small bursts :p

My FIL got his Dads compressor when he passed, 28gal dual piston vintage thing
We traded straight across, he wanted something smaller just for filling pool toys and tires.

It's really the minimum for what I use it for :p

I have to learn about soda blasting...
Any idea if I need a soda blasting setup, or if I can run it out of my blaster?

I also have another blaster I bought from Sears while waiting 3 weeks for HF to ship me new tips..
It's tips were much finer and I was unable to run the play sand through it like I could with the HF one.

I might just pick up a bag this weekend and see how it runs through what I have. :)

Looking good gibb's.... now that things are moving along and you have removed more "bits" from the boat.... I bet the Admiral is loving the pile of "bits"!!! I still have stuff strewn around my yard!

Enjoy man... glad you were able to the holes welded!

Thanks!
and my yard is a mess

And I have a teal splashwell pushed against my garage door, and merc control and cables on my drive way...
I'm one classy neighbor :cool:

Gibbles I sand blasted all the rivits on the Liquid Limo with no ill effects. Personally, I like the orbital sander/stripper approach better than blasting. But I will say the blaster was great around all the rivets.

I like blasting... alot!
everything comes out so clean!

I'll stick to the paint stripper, and run cleanup with the blaster :)
 

rheagler

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 14, 2007
Messages
662
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Looking good Gibbles! Nice work on the transom!
 

Gibbles

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Thanks!

And I got a lil bored at work today; a very rough color idea... lol
BlueStripe.jpg
 

barato2

Commander
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Dec 7, 2010
Messages
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

i like the stripe along the cabin side---helps "update" profile of boat to go with newer upper windshield
 

jbcurt00

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Staff member
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Oct 25, 2011
Messages
24,884
Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

White & light blue? Light gray & light blue? Or the newly 'cool' bright bare aluminum w/ the light blue? That'd be my preference:D Dare to go bare:eek::facepalm:

Any of the above will look good.....
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Messages
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Gib - You gotta teach Jason how to "paint" a boat on a computer. LOL I like the scheme, nice touch on the cabin sides. Maybe a just little darker blue.
 

jasoutside

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 20, 2009
Messages
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

Oh food, no way! My Photoshop skilllz are sweeeet!:cool:
 

Gibbles

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 18' Starcraft Starchief OB Rebuild

i like the stripe along the cabin side---helps "update" profile of boat to go with newer upper windshield

Yeah I stole the idea from a new model cabin boat (sylvan) it looks better on that boat tho

And I might do away with the side windows and stand the windshield with less of an angle...
It looks a lil funny to me with the lower windshield the way it is.
comes down to me being a bottom feeder tho :D

White & light blue? Light gray & light blue? Or the newly 'cool' bright bare aluminum w/ the light blue? That'd be my preference:D Dare to go bare:eek::facepalm:

Any of the above will look good.....

I'm thinking naked sides, but I kinda want to paint the bottom of the boat...

or maybe a silverish/grey paint

bare nekid is the new black!

I'm also eyeballing this donor boat for the trailer, chance that windshield could work... slim one.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=21090924&cat=&lpid=&search=

Gib - You gotta teach Jason how to "paint" a boat on a computer. LOL I like the scheme, nice touch on the cabin sides. Maybe a just little darker blue.

I'm thinking a blue like the tow vehicle, or a lighter blue like IM used on his "Juniper" :)

I also like the look of white with black sides/stripe

Oh food, no way! My Photoshop skilllz are sweeeet!:cool:

Get to work!!
 
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