My first boat restore-1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum Sportsman

[targetpanic]

Re: My first boat restore-1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum Sportsman

That looks GREAT!! The countersinking/5200 sounds like a great idea...may have to borrow that tip on my restore.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum update, How do seal plywood seams etc?

Re: 1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum update, How do seal plywood seams etc?

Very cool boat and resto project, and good progress, too. Don't use 3M 5200 cause it will never come back up, the 4200 is just as durable and removeable, too. I'd use that to top off the rivet divots. Don't know about the seams on the plywood, maybe some epoxy resin? I've got open seams on the plywood deck panels in the Texas Maid, but my inside hull skin and cross bracing are different than yours...water can go directly to the bilge. I think on yours, I'd fill the seams to route the water on deck to the bilge in the stern. Your paint job looks good. I got good results repainting the Texas Maid with Petit Ezy-Poxy paint, using a closed-cell foam roller to apply and cheap foam brushes to lightly tip the paint. Hope your Merc checks out okay...used to have a 73 Merc 500 50 hp that was a real sweet workhorse. Those Merc inline 4's are stout motors...it should push your Bluefin along nicely.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: My first boat restore-1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum Sportsman

Sweet job on the paint!
I swear by those closed cell foam rollers! That was my way of painting my old tin can..No tipping, just rollin rollin rollin...

Truthfully..I'd put your paint job, Rickairmed's, AndyinNY and maybe mine against many of the roll and tipped paint jobs and why stop there? I'd put em up against some of the sprayed jobs* as well..

*disclaimer
Above statement does not apply to Northbeaches Liquid Limo...

 

[fishingron]

Re: My first boat restore-1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum Sportsman

Thanks for the replies and the advice. Tomorrow, Im going to do some shopping for the sealants and Im still trying to chose a color for the marine vinyl. I also am trying to decide do I remove the old, original carpet that is riveted in along the interior sides of the boat and then glue vinyl or carpet to the sides as I have to do something with the area up by the bow. Right now it is covered in a pile of factory adhesive that was holding the old vinyl on. I know I did see some posts where people have sprayed bedliner on the sides but I dont know if I would have to remove the glue for that process too. The problem is that factory glue went into the seam where the hull and sides aluminum is riveted together and I have alot of gluvit in that too, so I think painting it would be difficult. Any advice on the bedliner or something else???? I am not planning on using the bedliner on the floor, that will be one continuous sheet of marine vinyl.
Thanks,
Ron

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: My first boat restore-1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum Sportsman

I ended up spraying the bedliner right over the glue.
Glue is bumpy/bedliner is bumpy.....

It's not like the hull or an area where smooth glossy areas are painted.
The bedliner filled the areas nicely, you run your hand on it and cant feel where any glue was, it all feels the same

 

[tintug]

Re: My first boat restore-1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum Sportsman

Hey FishingRon.....Have you looked into using a product called "Durabak" on your deck? I've looked into it and decided thats what I'm going with as my final deck coating. Anyways just my 2 cents worth but check it out if you haven't. Great job with the paint , the progress is rollin right along.

 

[jay the fisherman]

Re: My first boat restore-1980 Bluefin 16ft Aluminum Sportsman

im just wondering the brand of orange citris degreaser you are talking about to clean up the hull