1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

I would like to preface this thread with a warning about epoxy resin. After 5 months of working with it I have developed a sensitivity to it. THIS IS EXTREMELY COMMON, MOST WILL DEVELOP IT. Please protect yourself from it while using it so that you are able to use and enjoy such a great product. It is not safer in anyway than poly resin. In fact it is more dangerous. The hardener is a know carcinogen and over time breathing and or having direct physical contact with bare skin WILL cause dermatitis and possible swelling of the throat or worse. Please educate yourself before using any type of resin. Here are a few links to start that process.

http://www.fram.nl/workshop/controlled_vacuum_infusion/allergy.htm
http://www.glen-l.com/supplies/pxman-safety.html
http://www.skinrashespictures.com/skin-rashes/epoxy-skin-rash-irritation-pictures.html
http://www.epoxysafety.com/samdevlin.htm

Dont panic, there are many ways to protect yourself. I just thought it prudent to start with a word of caution.


Well, I finally got around to taking some pictures of my resto project. I was able to get it fully gutted, motor taken off, and the cap removed. The cap was an absolute nightmare to get off, I dont know if it was factory or what, but there was some of the toughest glue I have ever encountered behind the splashwell holding it to the transom. Took about 4 hours to chisel this loose. Its off now though and ready for complete cleanout. THe stringers and transom are completely gone and the deck had been replaced with a few sheets of pressure treated that were held up by a couple of scabbed together 2x4's.

After removing all the decking it is aparent that this boat was built to last! The hull is THICK along with all the layup along the stringers. The weave is huge! The individual strands of the weave are no less than 1/2" wide! I have no idea how they were able to lay that over the 3/4" wide stringers.

Well, better get off here, got a little grinding to do...

Thanks for looking.

Chris

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

anyone else have one of these boats? I have some questions as to what others have done to upgrade creature comforts.

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

guys, I have a question. http://www.iboats.com/mall/image/view/4/8/2436_2.jpgwould like to add a below deck fuel tank like this...

but I have a full length center stringer. Is it possible to make bulkheads fore and aft of the tank and carry the center stringer towards the bow from there? Will this still be strong enough?

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

well, I finally ordered my supplies! God that took too long to finally just say ok this is it order it dummy! Here is my list. ALl uscomposites.

6.5 gal of thin medium set epoxy(maybe should have went with normal set, this is a bit slow to cure...) (Add 3 more gallons...chaching. USE POLY FOR THE LOVE OF YOUR WALLET)
metering pumps (couldnt live without them)
10 yrd of 8.5oz twill fg (dont know how this works yet, its just for the deck)
10 yrd of 1708 biax (im at 38 yards now:redface: the stuff is silly strong but chugs resin like there is no tomorrow and is also difficult to work with due to having to use it on its proper axis)
roll of 8.5oz cloth 6" wide for tabbing (extrenly helpful stuff to have, my only gripe is that it has a thick stitch at the edges which makes the layer of glass that you put over it have air bubbles unless you grind or sand this stitch down first)
2 fg rollers (really only used one so far, if you clean it after use it will last)
2 rollers (dont like them, they leave micro bubbles)
10 roller covers (for sale!)
25 squegees (best thing ever along with making a rounded edge paint stick)
a mixer ( a must have)
50 quart size mixing containers (get more!)
corner roller ( doesnt work worth a damn)
and a partridge and a 600 dollar pear tree! (hah, man am I funny, i was upset about 600, hahhhahahhaaa seriously, double it if budgeting)

I am 40% done grinding and all wood is out of the boat. I am glad that I choose epoxy because if I were to prep this 100% there would be little thickness left on the hull. THere are a LOT of air pockets in the thick roving they used to build it. Now I have some peice of mind knowing that if it aint perfect the epoxy will still have my back! (At that moment I believed this but I did not skimp whatsoever on the prep, even went a little overboard and had to add a layer of 1708 back to the hull! I would not have gone wrong with either choice epoxy or poly, wouldnt have mattered)

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

http://s631.photobucket.com/albums/uu37/chrishayes_photo/?action=view&current=boat022.flv

just thought I would share! sorry for it being sideways. Just remember, grinding sucks, it helps if you find ways to have fun with it!

WARNING!!!!! Sorry, I just realized there is profanity in this video...if this is a problem Please remove this.

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Well, this is where I am. I have went from this:



to this



to this




to this


Supplies should be here this week, glassing this long weekend! Starting with the transom first. Wish me luck!

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Well, had a productive long weekend. Got a full layer of 1708 on the bottom of the hull and all of it tied together with 8.5oz tape. This really stiffened up the hull. I reccommend this product to anyone looking for torsional strength. I also got the transom completed. It is ready to go in the boat next weekend. At the moment I am trying to figure out how to get it put in since there is a slight bow to the center of the hull glass at the transom. I dont want cap fitment issues later so I will take my time at this step and probably end up putting the cap back on to test fit before final layup. Well here are the pictures.




This is the hull cleaned with acetone and ready for glass.


This is the first layer of tabbing around all the curved sections.


This is one side done with 1708, 0 bubbles! cant believe after all the horror stories that I heard about it not making corners well that it went so smooth!


And this is a full layer of 1708 on both sides slightly overlapped and then a layer of 8.5oz tape over all the joints. She is solid now!


The light colored areas are not bubbles they are the original CSM that had been ground before glassing. They did not use csm past the first upper stringers, it was all roving so it is a different color.

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Hey Chris!

This is gonna be a killer boat dude!

I can't see photobucket at work! But I'll check pics out tonight!

Cuda and paste this under your signature (link to this thread)

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=309700

Peace out!

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

bear_69cuda said:

Hey Chris!

This is gonna be a killer boat dude!

I can't see photobucket at work! But I'll check pics out tonight!

Cuda and paste this under your signature (link to this thread)

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=309700

Peace out!

Click to expand...

Buddy, I cant figure out how to add that to my thingymabob! I am 28 years old so I missed the computer boat by about 2 years. It is a shame, that and crappy inner city Columbus schools...if they had computers they would either be used as weapons or be stolen! Thank god for college, or id be a complete idiot!

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Well look at that, I did it. I learned how to tear a boat apart, grind a hull and fiberglass it but it took more effort to add a link than to do all that. Go figure...

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

I just jumped into this resto project!

Looking forward to see more pics and progress mate

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

AHAHAHAAHAHA sounds like your having fun now there chris !!!!!!!! Looks great so far !!! nice job on the transom !!!!!! you did dry the wood out frist didnt yea ????ok looking good !!! John


OHh yea ps from the wife . may take on what she said , hope you dont ever need a life ring throwen to yea !!!!!! lol

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Thanks nico, I look forward to seeing more progress too.

Well, I just got an offer to buy a very well maintained 1979 silverline 140hp I/O for 1900. I have been in the boat several times and everything is emaculate. I am already into my boat 3000 dollars and Im not close to being done. I still have to buy interior items including all new seats and vinyl. I still have to have the engine machine work done, buy a couple new pistons and put it all back together again. Not to mention finish all the fiberglass work. Oh man, whats an idiot to do?

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Wow! Well Done Chris! Keep up the good work! That boat should be a "Holy Terror" when you get done

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Thanks Mike. See what I mean by this thing being a PILE with a smile when I got it. I would love to come face to face with the hack that did this cover up job...Thanks for the kind words.

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

jcsercsa said:

AHAHAHAAHAHA sounds like your having fun now there chris !!!!!!!! Looks great so far !!! nice job on the transom !!!!!! you did dry the wood out frist didnt yea ????ok looking good !!! John


OHh yea ps from the wife . may take on what she said , hope you dont ever need a life ring throwen to yea !!!!!! lol

Click to expand...

John, I meant no evil when I posted that about your decal. I just have a problem sugar coating what I think. My wife always says that I should start a buisness Where people ask for an honest opinion that no one will give them. Again buddy I am sorry, and to your wife too. I really just had a hard time seeing all the work you out into that paint job get drug down because of something so minute. PLease appologize to her for me and tell her that I am from Ohio so it must just be in my blood to **** off Michigan folk! lol

Oh and yes I bought the ply from Menards and they had the wood inside and they dont sell a lot of it so it had been there for at least a month. Then when I got it home it went in the house to sleep for a few weeks. If you look in one of my pics above there is a double headed halogen that I got after reading your thread several dozen times. I didnt use it though because the electricity would have eaten me out of a home. And the wood was certainly dry by the time I epoxied it. I have the 1/2" for the deck for about 2 months now sitting in the house still. My wife LOVES it.

Oh

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Well, I dont have any pics of the work this weekend but I did get a little accomplished. I was able to get the screws drilled out of the transom and I test fit it with the cap. It seems as though it will work...I sure hope I dont get this thing to the point of putting the cap back on and find that it wont fit. I dont care though, I will modify the cap if I have to. I got the holes left by the screws filled and another coat of epoxy on both sides.

Then I moved on to trying to make a template for the center stringer. I am going to use the suspended 2x4 method and scribe. I was able to rough cut the length of stringer from 2 8' sheets of ply. I then cut half way through both pieces to try to laminate the 2 together to get me the 14' length that I need. This was VERY hard to do. I took my router to it to give me smaller areas to chisel but it ended up a nightmare. The chisel that I used kept taking too much material at a time and left a lot of gouges. I now have 2 pieces of really uneven ply that I will probably have to use 2 tubes of PL on to stick them together. Oh well. I just hope it doesnt effect the waterproofing that I am trying to acheive. I guess the fiberglass iwill provide that.

Well thats all I got. Tune in next week for what will hopefully be the stringer and transom install.

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Hey man I just looked at your thread and have to tell you that you are doing a great job. That is going to be one sturdy boat when you get done.

Ps: Thanks for the reply you gave on my thread. you gave me some much needed encouragement.

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

Well, got the transom installed this weekend! I will post pics tonight or tomorrow. I used PB applied with a trough to glue the transom in and an assortment of clamps and 2x4's with 3/8"x5" bolts. I will let this set up for a few days this week then take all the clamps off, do a little ruffing up with the sander then apply the 1708 and cloth tape on the inside. After that, I can start fitting the stringers in.

I have decided to go with a below deck fuel tank for conveinience so this process will be a bit more involved than the original 3 stringer set up. I have notched two sheets of 8' ply and PL'ed them together so that I have the required length. I am really dreading this part of the build. I am no carpenter and there are a LOT of angles and elevation changes to deal with on the hull. I am going to try the scribe method...wish me luck. Pics soon, I promise.

Re: 1973 wellcraft 165 sport airslot project w/ pics

chrishayes said:

John, I meant no evil when I posted that about your decal. I just have a problem sugar coating what I think. My wife always says that I should start a buisness Where people ask for an honest opinion that no one will give them. Again buddy I am sorry, and to your wife too. I really just had a hard time seeing all the work you out into that paint job get drug down because of something so minute. PLease appologize to her for me and tell her that I am from Ohio so it must just be in my blood to **** off Michigan folk! lol

Oh and yes I bought the ply from Menards and they had the wood inside and they dont sell a lot of it so it had been there for at least a month. Then when I got it home it went in the house to sleep for a few weeks. If you look in one of my pics above there is a double headed halogen that I got after reading your thread several dozen times. I didnt use it though because the electricity would have eaten me out of a home. And the wood was certainly dry by the time I epoxied it. I have the 1/2" for the deck for about 2 months now sitting in the house still. My wife LOVES it.

Oh

Click to expand...

hahah it ok there Chris , when you posted thats the way she took it ,you beeeing from Ohio !!!! lol it wasnt her best work , she said i put too much of a rush on her !! yea gave her 2 weeks and still nothing was done !! guess i should have given her a coulpe months !!! lol but its ok now she in the sun now !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hopeing to hit the water this afternoon !!!

Ok now wheres the pics???????? we want to see pics !!!!Sounds like you got it going on , i would give it a few day to dry also on the transom !! on the lights , the wife was saying the same thing , i told her that the holagen didnt use that much elect,!!!!! lol John