81 Checkmate Restoration!

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Done some more tinkering on the Mate -

Using Accro plywood. Nice plywood...This is the stuff to use,and not at a bad price either.....

I used PL Glue to do the stringer and bonding of the plywood engine mounts.

Used the Sherwin Williams paint on the underside on the deck and on the stringer and boat. Got the paint free at work, so i thought id put it to good use.

Slowly but surely. Here is some pic's

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Some more pic's


View attachment 171262View attachment 171263View attachment 171264View attachment 171265

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Back on the Mate - Been busy winterizing the other boats and put them in storage.... also the usual fall yard stuff. Got hair up my butt and cleaned out the back garage... moved Camaro to other side and put the Checkmate in so i can work all winter to get this thing done...... Just fit and removed the trailer and put it up on jacks so we can do a full hull paint job.

Now we have been talking and we would like to close in the open bow area........ So i need the experts to tell me how it should be done...Pics included.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

As the last progress pix:

And the only listed treatment of the deck & stringers indicates you coated them w:

I have to ask, did you fiberglass the stringers & bulkhead to the deck after using PL to attach them to the hull?

It looks like you used white PL, which PL did you use?

The pix you posted today of the bow enclosure plan, show an unglassed deck too:

And to try & keep every one on the same page here's a link to your closing in the bow thread:

Idea's - How To close in a bow

BTW: 2 hours during the business day (EST just before lunch) isn't a very long time to wait to try & get some advice from people that likely work during the day...... Might give some guys some time to answer your question in your resto thread before starting a new thread. Keeping it all together, helps keep everyone on track w/ what has been asked, answered & etc...

Looks like you've gotten some info in the other thread, best of luck w/ your project....

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Thanks for some great ideas on the bow area....... Glassed in the floor.....but i goofed........I layed down Cloth first insted of Matt.
The Cloth is easy as pie! Matt can be very time consuming. So i layed another layer Matt over the cloth after i put down my seat bases. Needed a seat to rest in :facepalm: ..... It's all 3/4" Aacro plywood with no flex.

Layed out and set my motor mounts...Had to do some repair to the balsa under the mounts. Just started to glass them in last night, will get some pics when done.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

More Pic's..........Glassed in the mounts and made and set the flotation boxes.......Glassed them in also..

Now to the bow area........

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Beautiful glass work. What kind of glass are you using?

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Thanks Frisco..... Ive learned from following and watchen you do your stuff......And from all the others on iboats.

I went the low budget on this build......Everything is 3M products from the big box store......Poly resin and their recomended fiberglass.

One thing that i learned was to use the chepo wooden handle brushes and cut about 1/2" of the brisles off...Thanks from iboats member.
I'll use a roller on the cloth but the brush wet's it better.......then the roller...then the brush last.
Brush only on the matt.

If i keep going at this rate..... I hope to have it floating by the end of May!

 

[tfitch03]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Looking good!

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

More progress.......Glassed in the bow area.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Now starting on the new dash panels out of wood....... I used 1/4" sanded plywood... I bought a new Attwood glove box to put my crap in.... Have to do the cuts outs and then glass the panel.... then Im going to spay it with gloss black... or i may do a black wrinkle finish.

The old ones are cracked and warped on the edges...I was going to try and refurbish them but they are made out of plastic. I wanted to cut the warped edge off and replace with new plastic... but really don't know what material to use or how to bond the two together. I dont think the poly resin will bond with the plastic.......

So if anyone has any ideas before i tackle the new wood driver side gauge panel. Post them up!

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Pics of the drivers side...

 

[madman960]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Looking good. I cannot wait to be that far.

Bill

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Thanks Madman....... If i wouldnt of put it in the garage this fall it would still be covered outside sitten in the snow.

Yea i cant wait till Spring to get outa the garage. I hope to splash by the end of May

Good Luck with your resto project Madman!

 

[1979checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

always great to see another classic 'mate saved from the scrapyard. Only so many of these boats left! most people i meet at boat ramps have no idea what a "checkmate" is!

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

79 Mate - I fell i love with it when my son brought it home......Then when we got it on the water i was grinning from ear to ear..... i remember hearing about these boats and seeing Checkmates when i was a kid and always wanted one......well now i have one.

Im enjoying restoring it and cant wait till this summer......Hope the boy keeps it going when im 6ft under :sleeping:

Happy Boating!

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Did some more work on the dash panels. Did the cut out for glove box........then glassed it....sanded with 80 grit,then 120 grit.

Primmed and 2 coats of Rustolum ( Hammerd ) Gloss paint. After it dried i realy didn't like the gloss...So i went with Flat Black over the Hammerd gloss.

Now on to the Gauge Panel!

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

More pic's - Both dash panels painted and sitting in place........Haven't drilled holes for mounting yet, will do that down the road.

Removed the rub-rail to ease the painting process........thought about filling and finishing off the area under it and not putting it back on....But i am going to install a new Rub-Rail....better boat protection.

Now onto the outside.....sanding......priming......sanding..........seams to be never ending!

 

[V153]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

Cool project. Nice that you'n yer son are working together. Me'n my Dad used to work on alotta sh*t together. Well til he up'n croaked on me ...

Anyway. I have an '81 Baja that was built right down the road from yer Checkmate in Bucyrus OH way back when. Arguably from the same mold(s).

They don't build boats cool as these anymore. Always nice to see one brought back to life.

Carry on.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 81 Checkmate Restoration!

V153 - Nice Ride you got there...Baja's are very similar to the Checkmates!

Doing some testing on the primmer and paint to the outside... Started on transom first. Filled holes with 3M - chop strand fiberglass filler, sanded, fill, sand till i got it smooth all down up to 220 grit.
Now i am not no painter...just learning everything from reading and trial and error.

Im going with Rust-oleum brand.
Going to try the Roll-Tip method.... Welll that aint gona work. Tried rolling the primmer on with the foam 1" roller and sponge brush...way too thin and it's hard to get the contours to cover good.
Went and bought some rattle can rust-oleum primmer.....it covers very well.

Now im thinking i need to spray this thing.

Went back to big box store and bought a HPLV spray gun. Tried the gun.....Worked out nice, easy to spray and covers well with little overspray.
The paint mix is where it's at...tried 5% acetone/paint mix first, 200 Mill primmer/5% acetone... still to thick...comes out in clobs. Mixing it at 15% i think will be better. Gona try some different mixes this weekend.

Primmed and sanded with 400 grit...then used rattle can ( Sun Burst Yellow ) to see what the final color is going to look like. I like!

I think i can do it......
Thanks to all the iboaters out there for helping.