Re: How to secure floatation to floor?
Hey all, I have a 16 foot starcraft. I am re doing alot of the boat. I recently tore all of the floor out. I am going to put in the pink floatation stuff from HD like I have seen on here, in strips from bottom up the sides in between the...um...rafter type things? Anyway, should I glue these to the aluminum with cauck or anything, or just place them there and build the floor over them? One more quick thing, do you put gluvit on the inside of the boat, or the outside, or both? And one last thing...Sorry....I am taking all of the paint off of the boat and would like to leave it the shiny aluminum. Is this ok, or will it become discolored, or rust or anything? These three questions will get me moving right along, so thanks in advance!
First off...welcome to iboats
There are many of us restoring Starcraft aluminum boats and you've stumbled upon a great source for info regarding your project.
3M 5200 is a great waterproof permanent adhesive, that would work for securing the foam to the ribs(rafter type things). Another method is to stack the foam so it is just a tiny bit above the stringers, so that when the deck is attached it will compress the foam a bit and hold it very tightly.
Make sure you are leaving ample room in the bilge/keel area so water has a path back to the stern to drain or be pumped out.
While you have the deck pulled up you will find this a GREAT opportunity to apply gluvit to the inteior seams and rivets. Normally this will stop any existing leaks and also go a long way to prevent future leaks from loose rivets.
Prior to this you should check all rivets to see if they are tight by tapping on them. If you find loose ones they should be replaced altogether or "rebucked" using a heavy piece of metal on one side and a good whack with a hammer on the other.
Leaving her bare aluminum requires more maintenance, but does looks very nice if polished. Sharkhyde is a good product for protecting bare aluminum from what I've read.
One last thing...post some photos of your rig! We love old tin cans and it will help with any specific questions you might have. You will be surprised how many Starcraft folks will drop in and admire/help with you project.
