Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

zopperman

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
1,551
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Great job! Love to see some innovation
 

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

I see you spotted our '37 Ford. Yes, it is just about complete with a mechanical restoration. Myself and a few other members removed the flathead engine and sent it out for a rebuild. While it was out we rebuilt and refinished all the brake assemblies and wheels, and replaced the tires. We rebuilt the steering box then stripped and refinished the firewall and frame forward if that. Everything electrical was disassembled and refurbished, the wiring replaced with reproduction harnesses.

Under the hood everyting looks brand new. Once you shut it, all you can see is the original paint. It will stay that way for a while, we're not ready to fall off of the pait/bodywork cliff yet. :)
 

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

I went at it again this weekend. I was able to layout and secure the trolling motor, livewell light, bow light, and deck light wiring the will be under the forward deck. My two forward foam "cells" are now filled and ready to go. The center deck is now permanently installed and I have the blank cut for the forward deck. I have the hatches and pedestal seat base on their way. Once they get here (hopefully this week) I'll layout the openings and get the underside glassed up ready to install. I'm considering a recessed trolling motor pedal, but will have to see how everything fits with the hatches I picked out.

I found that using paint markers was the best to add tracer stripes to the wiring. I'm using standard the ABYC colors on everything.

2243653320053235105NfxjWc_fs_zps71d2621a.jpg


2583460980053235105AuuVVI_fs_zps9c74bcaa.jpg


2113700800053235105wtUCGT_fs_zpsdf7b4b91.jpg


2859031670053235105wcZFLe_fs_zpsc135d7ab.jpg


2528321140053235105uuSrgw_fs_zpsd06f272e.jpg
 
Last edited:

zopperman

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
1,551
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Keep em comin! HAve you been using gorilla glue? Looks liek it foamed up in the last pic. Its awesome stuff. (Iboats is gonna kill me, but I have a buddy that lamed his transom together with gorilla glue) Gotta love doing the electrical.. It took me almost 8 hours to do all of mine..
 

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

No gorilla glue, but I had a gap there bigger than I liked so I used some generic spray foam there to fill it so when I make my glass fillets i wouldn't loose it through the crack into the bilge. I will trim off all of the stuff that expanded out before continuing.
 

MarkySparky

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
37
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Sleeper-6, that's a great-looking project! Gives me motivation for my own project boat. Keep the progress pictures coming!
 

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Sorry, but i don't have any new updates for everyone. I've been really busy and haven't had time to get any work done on the boat. hopefully in another week or two I'll be back to work on it. I did get a PM asking for some more info on how I reinforced the cap, so here is some more info for everyone.

I reinforced the cap when I had the boat flipped upside down for the hull paint. First I used a sawzall to remove the inner edge of the cap and the skin that formed the bow closed bow section. Mine was only made of fiberglass with some cardboard tubes inside to give it some 3d shape for structural strength. All that I was left with was a flat section of the cap about 6" wide around the perimeter of the hull. Next I made pieces of 1/2 inch ply that would fit around the perimeter of the cap and form the new nose shape. I wrapped these pieces in CSM to waterproof them just like you would a stringer. These were bonded to the underside of the cap with thickened resin, filleted, and tabbed to the sides of the hull. just as you would do to the deck, only upside down. Once everything was flipped right side up again I set up a width guide on my jig saw and trimmed the gunnels to a consistent width all the way around leaving a small flat section in the bow to mount my trolling motor on. Hope this helps.
 

bartborchardt

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 15, 2003
Messages
134
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Very cool rebuild. Looking forward to more pics.
 

Walcott

Seaman
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
64
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Sleeper6,
Thank you very much for the details on the bow removal. i never would have thought to go at it upside down like that. My bow is ply wood With a thin gellcoat/fiberglass covering (the cap), supported by about five lengths of 2X1 running port to starboard, so i was only going to remove about 2 3rds of it and leave the rest for support, but now that i see this, i think i will just remove the entire deal. thanks again, your thread is a huge help.

Love your live well BTW.
 

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

That should work, just keep overall strength in mind. I figured that any support I lost by removing the bow cap would be more than made up by the addition of the casting deck tabbed into the hull sides.
 

ShawnQ

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Messages
529
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Sleeper-6,

Great looking project!

I'm going to modify my center console to add a livewell and a few storage compartments. I may end up adding in a front deck eventually, as well (currently there is an aluminum one sitting on it that isn't all that great.)

Anyhow, I've got a ton of questions that I'll probably ask you along the way, if you don't mind - mainly about how you made your fillets, tabs, and layup. Also what materials you used. I'm new to the lingo, as far as CSM, 1708, etc...still learning. I've got plenty of carpentry and paint/body skills, so I should be fine once I get it going.

Keep it up!
Thanks,
Shawn

PS: Feel free to see my plans here:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=521744
 

ShawnQ

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Messages
529
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

I forgot to mention - I used durabak on my first boat, and loved it. Just make sure you get the UV resistant version or you'll be re-coating it in a matter of months due to fade.
 

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Alright, I finally got back into it yesterday. Since I have not had time to actually work on it, I did do some midnight Ebay hunting and came up with 2 power pedestals and casting seats for a great price. I also grabbed a recessed trolling pedal tray, just because everyone seems to say how great they are.
with all that stuff here now I'm going out now to get busy on it. I'll get some new pics up later.
 

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

So here's what I got done today. The holes for the pedestal base, storage, battery, and livewell hatches are all cut out and their respective parts test fitted. I pulled the deck back off so I could glass the underside. Hopefully I'll get it glued down tomorrow and start tabbing all the decks to the hull this week.


2897903170053235105mqoNJF_fs_zps2ca67cdd.jpg


2032923790053235105ScupdD_fs_zpsc8318be4.jpg


2052618820053235105Prtjww_fs_zps70651255.jpg


2107382540053235105QhKrWU_fs_zpse0c370b7.jpg


2202414980053235105zIZhbZ_fs_zps228dc783.jpg
 
Last edited:

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

I made some more progress this weekend. The front casting deck is now in and all the decks are tabbed into the hull. I cut out the side panels and test fitted them. With everything fitting as I liked they came back out so I could glass the backsides of them. This week I'll get the wires in place for the deck courtesy lights before I PL the panels in place. Naturally once they are in and cured I will glass over them along with the topside of the decks. Hopefully next weekend, once I come out of my turkey coma, I'll get the drivers console made and glassed.

2020444630053235105kTIBsh_fs_zpsd18a44b8.jpg


2154351350053235105idHxuR_fs_zps5ec11462.jpg


2997328970053235105zEALWo_fs_zps0a2e6ee7.jpg


2594359880053235105NRHUVW_fs_zpse6a62164.jpg
 
Last edited:

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Well, Here's this weekends update. With the long weekend I was able to make some serious progress. During the week I was able to get the interior upper side panels glued in place with PL Premium.
On Friday, I cutout and glassed the backside of the lower panels and forward deck front panel. While they were curing I started playing with shapes for the side panel of the drivers console.
Saturday the front and lower side panels went in. I finalized the console shape, cut the parts and glued them all together. It will get glassed as an assembly before it goes into the boat. That way I can be sure that the console is fully sealed and so are all the parts that it will be attached to.
Today the entire cap was ground down into the original red gelcoat, and broken areas dished out, edges feathered and high spots removed. I applied 3 layers of 1708n and a layer of CSM to the nose section to build it up to match the thickness of the original cap. The top of the nose is now nice and flat all the way across. I also applied some hairy peanut butter to any of the low spots and gaps and a layer of CSM applied wet on wet around the whole cap to flatten everything out.

2975748700053235105xhBxjg_fs_zps9fb1e504.jpg


2245197660053235105FfyZjL_fs_zpsc22ed63c.jpg


2577719640053235105BAmsEG_fs_zps2aa03120.jpg


2991180140053235105wDzLBf_fs_zpsabc62b72.jpg


2280579840053235105olzmFo_fs_zps22e0407b.jpg


2349159670053235105micaSO_fs_zps265137df.jpg
 
Last edited:

yaltasydney

Cadet
Joined
Nov 14, 2011
Messages
28
Wow!! Just been reading your blog and am seriously impressed with what your doing. Have started a rebuild with a friend last weekend and will be following this very closely - not to mention I now know what this project is going to entail. You have become my new idol dude - well done :)

yaltasydney
 

jbcurt00

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Messages
24,829
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Really nice work, especially layout & changes! Looks like you'll have no problem getting it water ready for the spring! Good luck & keep up the great work!
Thanks for posting pix & details as you work through it.
 

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

It's been a month since I last posted, but I haven't been slacking. As of now the topside is 100% glassed and 80% faired out. I'm starting to think that I would rather grind on glass all day than sand fairing filler. It's not hard, just BORING. I don't have too many pictures of the fairing process, because basically, they all look the same. Anyway, it's getting a little closer each day.

I din find out that the easiest way to cut the glass away from the openings in the deck was a hammer and sharp chisel
. The wood underneath worked as a nice edge guide. the remaining its cleaned up real nice with some 40 grit paper on the long board. I plan on sealing all the edges with a few coats of epoxy before my final coat of primer to be sure they are watertight.

2397595160053235105yYpdHu_fs_zps2d92e3cc.jpg


2049991840053235105WIXrqq_fs_zps09f163b0.jpg


2734764990053235105sDgvoj_fs_zps36f3ed8e.jpg


2270137160053235105JjEYSX_fs_zpsea588126.jpg


2968150860053235105LIkHaK_fs_zps6012d672.jpg
 
Last edited:

Sleeper-6

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Project log : Runabout to Fishing machine

Here's a few of the fairing process. I've done most of there without the console in just because it's much easier to work in there and get everything flat without it in the way. I plan on doing some selective grinding get it tabbed in place this weekend, then I will fair and blend the seams nicely.
I can't wait to get all the heavy sanding done so I can get the area I'm working in cleaned up. I looks like a blizzard of white dust blew through there.

2092524790053235105lDHYqn_fs_zpseb902d43.jpg


2119896050053235105KmfVzY_fs_zps463658a1.jpg


2771373180053235105sWjVvg_fs_zps7e836c03.jpg


2457243150053235105AuGIwT_fs_zpsa3de3ec1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Top