1960 Aero-Craft Adventurer Restore

[iCam]

Kinda funny not knowing what I bought, but I would of bought it anyway, no matter what the make is. It has the foundation of what I was looking for.

The PO has mentioned that whan he registered it it came up as a 1960 Starcraft, but as I look at others of that area I don't believe it is. If it is a Starcraft maybe it is older than 1960. No one has been able to find any HIN numbers or nameplates on it in obvious places (don't they stamp in multiple locations?).

Here are some pics of it;
Side view
http://s1161.photobucket.com/albums/q512/markgyver1/1960 Boat/?action=view&current=IMAG0159.jpg
Bow does not have that signature starcraft shape
http://s1161.photobucket.com/albums/q512/markgyver1/1960 Boat/?action=view&current=IMAG0160.jpg
http://s1161.photobucket.com/albums/q512/markgyver1/1960 Boat/?action=view&current=IMAG0178.jpg
Dash
http://s1161.photobucket.com/albums/q512/markgyver1/1960 Boat/?action=view&current=IMAG0171.jpg
Part of the Splashwell
http://s1161.photobucket.com/albums/q512/markgyver1/1960 Boat/?action=view&current=IMAG0167.jpg
The Engine
http://s1161.photobucket.com/albums/q512/markgyver1/1960 Boat/?action=view&current=IMAG0166.jpg

I can get better pics posted, just let me know what you want to see.

I am going to fully restore this to a fishing machine, just not sure if I want to do a center console, or stick with the tried and true basic layout.

 

[1973Chieftain]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Sweet looking boat man! What are your boat's dimensions? Also, there are quite a few old Starcraft brochures over at the top of the Starcraft forum that might give you a clue.

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

It is registered as a 17', and I checked those brochures out, but none seemed to look just like it. I will get some better pics posted tomorrow, when the sun is up.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Hi iCam. You might want to check fiberglassics.com or info too. It's a great site with lots of brochures and catalogs on vintage boats. However, there were lots of small, regional boat builders back then, so don't be surprised if it's hard to find info. The transom brace is very similar to a Starcraft, so it may well be one after all. Congratulations on the sweet find!

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Thanks for the link KFA. I went through their library and the closest I found was the 1961 Texas Maid. I am now about 80% sure on this because of the stringers on the hull, configuration and some of the original fittings match. Either way its registered right now as a Starcraft, I may see if I can correct that with the state later if I can positively identify it.

Anyway I started on the gutting of the boat. Luckily the PO had done almost all of it so all I had to do is remove the plywood he screwed down.


The PO also mentioned when He got it the rivets were leaking and he sealed them so now it only leaks about a gallon or so a day, but when I saw this (coming up in spots) I thought I better investigate;


The PO had used a Roofing tar or something to cover the Bilge and seal it. Right along the spine of the boat the stuff was coming up by hand, and where water rarely got to the stuff is a bugger to peal up. I started working at the transom and that crap was over 1/2" thick. They built it up so the drain hole was level with the bottom.


I want to get this stuff up so I can inspect all the rivets. Has anyone had experience with bringing the boat to someone to media blast the whole thing? or is that a bad idea? should I use chemicals or would something else work better on roofing tar? I am planning on doing the bulk by hand, but I don't want to risk damaging the hull trying to clean the difficult stuff.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Hello again iCam. Looks like you're making progress. You definitely want to get all the old gloop out and get everything down to bare metal, i f at all possible. There are a couple different routes you can take. As far as the roof tar, you can try using an organic solvent like Acetone to help clean it up, but you may just have to use good 'ol fashioned elbow grease. Once all the tar is gone, you can work on the boat as a whole. You can strip it in several ways. Some folks use chemical strippers to remove paint. Lots of folks have had luck with a product called Citri Strip that apparently has little if any fumes and works quite well. You can also just sand off any and all loose paint with say 220 grit paper, then wide down with a 50/50 mix of Acetone and water or White vinegar and water. You don't need to go all the way to bare metal. However, if you really do want to go completely raw and get the whole thing down to bare metal, Soda Blasting may be your best bet. It's just like sand blasting, but the use baking soda (duh), which is much gentler on the aluminum and will not pit it, or cause it to overheat and warp like other, harsher media can. Once you get it to bare metal, you'll need to prime it with a light boat of Zinc Chromate, self etching primer. As for the interior seams of the boat. It sounds like they definitely need some attention too. A gallon a day is a lot if you ask me, but I'm OCD about water in the boat, if there's more than a coffee cups worth I freak. LOL. The best way to seal the boat is to get the interior seams down to bare metal, then paint on a product called Gluv-it. It's an epoxy that has the consistency of honey and will fill every nook and cranny in the seams and eventually dry, while still remaining flexible. One quart should be more than enough. Any med-large hole will need to be either patched by an aluminum welder. Most sheet metal shops have guy who can weld aluminum and they'll often do a few patches for you while you wait for $20, or so.Any smaller holes can be filled with an epoxy like JB weld (putty and/or 2 part epoxy with). Here's avid of a guy replacing some rivets too.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0MA1-5NXjs

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Well just an update. It has snowed 18" so work on the boat has been paused. I have been scraping the tar off, and experimenting with different methods.
The first is CitriStrip.
I did 3 spots. Very top was paint only. Middle was about 1/16" of rubber. Bottom (hull) is 1/4"-1/2" of rubber.
Overall Grade: "D"
This stripper did not even penetrate the rubber and did very little on the paint.


The second was Jasco Premium paint and Epoxy remover.
I did 3 spots. Very top was paint only. Middle was about 1/16" of rubber. Bottom (hull) is 1/4"-1/2" of rubber.
This stripper totally killed the paint and the 1/16" rubber in 15 minutes. I could almost wipe it off with a rag. The 1/4" -1/2" rubber was more difficult. It seems the limit on rubber is 1/16", or you would have to do 4-5 coats, with scraping between coats to get rid of it.
Overall grade: "B+"


Method 3; Torch, scraper and muscle
I only tried this method on the 1/4"-1/2" rubber. I heated it up until I see the rubber bubbling (or catches fire), then I start to scrape it off. Its tedious but this seems to work on the thick stuff. The only drawback to this that I can think of is Fumes and not heating the aluminum to the point of warping (has not happened yet)
Overall Grade (on the thick stuff only) "A"


I have not tried the freeze and chip method yet, but I may later today.

 

[andgott]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

The Citri-Strip is going to need to sit on there for a lot longer than the others, it is not as 'powerful'... It may be several hours before it is fully effective, up to 24 I believe it says on the package. I use it a lot, but since I'm impatient I don't like it for time reasons! It is MUCH gentler, though! You also mentioned that it just snowed- Are you working on the boat in a heated space?? Some strippers, that one in particular, don't seem to like cold.

That Jasco stuff is some GOOD remover. If that doesn't take it off- It wasn't supposed to come off!! It is VERY aggressive stuff, If you get a little bit on bare skin you'll know in a hurry just how aggressive. I used it a lot on wooden boats, but have not used it much recently on the fiberglass boats I've been working on because I'm afraid of what it will do to them! I wouldn't worry about it on Aluminum, though.

Heat might be a very good way to get some of the thick stuff off, Though the one thing that I'd be worried about is weakening the aluminum. I use a torch to anneal aluminum before I bend it- Heating it then cooling it results in softer metal... Of course, you have to get it fairly hot to do this (pretty close to the melting point), which may not be a worry, but I'd be very careful and keep that torch moving!! YOu might also want to try a heat gun- Many of them (including the one that I use) have a setting that would probably be hot enough to remove the rubber without being even close to hot enough to damage the metal.

You might want to consider a dual method approach- Remove the bulk of the rubber with heat, then 'fine tune' it with a chemical....

However you choose to do it, I certainly don't envy you- It looks like a LOT of work!

-Andrew

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Yah, I didn't mention that the tests were earlier in the week, when it was 50-60 deg. When I am using the torch (I tried the heat gun, but that was real slow going, and didn't get it hot enough) I am doing a 6"x6" space at a time, and the aluminum gets to the temp that the tar melts at. When I get the bulk of it up I am planning on soda blasting the whole thing, so I can do some repairs, add some braces, and Gluvit.

It is alot of work, and the wife gets a 'tude, when I tell her that when she is done with the dishes, to go out and work on the boat. Its starting to shape up that I am gonna be the only swabby working on this thing, with that said I still don't think she will let me paint that pin-up on the bow.

Has anyone written these "un-written" rules down?

 

[64osby]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Happy Wife, Happy Life, is about the only rule you need.

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Thanks for the link KFA. I went through their library and the closest I found was the 1961 Texas Maid. I am now about 80% sure on this because of the stringers on the hull, configuration and some of the original fittings match.

Boy do I hate it when I publicly say I am 80% right, and I am not. I have identified my boat to 90% this time.

This is how I did it for those interested (may help someone else). I took my measurements of my boat Length, Gunwale (some mfg measured their boat this way), Beam and Transom. I went through every link on FiberGlassics website (http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/Main_Page). The Aerocraft adventurer was the only boat that matched mine. The Adventurer was made only (from what I can tell) 3 years (1960-1962). I remember the PO stating that it was a PITA to remove the old styrofoam. Well they only put styro foam in the adventurer in 1960 and 61.
Somewhere along the line (I am going to have to guess here) someone forgot the full mfg of the boat when they registered it, and said it was a 1960 "something"-craft, and since Star-craft was so big at that point they called it that. So I think I am going to stay with the 1960 year.

I would say that I am 100% but I cannot find any restoration threads, or pictures (outside of the brochures on fiberglassics) to compare to.

Do I have the only one left? I don't know the production run, or any Aerocraft experts to verify my claim. I would love to see some others in any condition out there.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Yeah, at a certain point I think they just called every tin boat a Starcraft. My Arkansas Traveler says "Starcraft" on the title even though the badge is still on the boat. LOL. All of the numbers match, but I guess because the AT logo has a star in it it must be a "star craft". Go figure. All part of the fun of tracking down the history on these old boats.

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

I think you are right! I am going to register my 96 Subaru as a 1960 starcraft... Just to keep it consistant.

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

OK, so there is snow on the ground and work has stopped for now. This has given me some time to think and plan ahead a bit and I have some questions.

On floatation; Is there a calculation of amount of floatation needed? I plan on using the pink stuff on the gunwales, but I am not sure if that will be enough.

The second question is: This tinny has its stringers on the exterior, and has (I don't know what these are called) braces going the width of the boat. I am thinking of adding some more braces length-wise to help the boat from flexing to much. I know once I put the floor on that will help alot, and I don't want to rethink the original engineers, but it has been 52 years since this design has been thought up.
So in a nutshell, Should I put in more braces?

And lastly, It appears on the Keel and the Port/Stbd side rails they used a piece of 1/8" rubber between the angle bracket and sheet aluminum (All below waterline). I guess to help seal the seam. Is GluVit going to work on that? Or does the sealing surface have to be rigid/minimally flexible?

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Helo again icam. Let's see, #1) The rule of thumb is that you need 1 cu. ft. of foam for every 60 lbs of boat, motor gear and people. You'll need to add up whatever you think the max. wt. will be when fully loaded and take it from there. The pink/blue closed cell, insulation foam from Lowes/HD works great or you can use pool noodle. The Dollar store may sell them to you in bulk, if you're lucky. Remember your good 'ol volume formulas from physics (V= L x W x H). I think if you fill beneath both bench seats and the area under the subfloor in the bow, you should be ok. #2) The braces running the width of the boats are usually called "ribs", whereas the stringers run lengthwise. You can add as much bracing as you like, I suppose, but bear in mind that you'll also be adding some weight. You can use aluminum stock/angle from Lowes/HD along with some pop rivets and/or SS sheet metal screws dipped in a bit of 3M 5200. Once brae across each rib to level the floor out should be plenty. #3) Leave the factory rubber seal where it is. Gluv-it is an epoxy that has the consistency of honey out of the can, but dries flexible which makes it perfect for the seams on these old boats. You should be ok there too. Hope that helps. Keep us posted. Good luck.

This pic may help you with the bracing.

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

A little update. Still working on the tar when I can break free, but I switched speeds and pulled the transom yesterday. I think some one had to of replaced it before, because it was in amazing condition if it was 50 years old. There were a few soft spots, and it was not sealed. So I am going to go ahead and do it right (and seal up all the holes).

It looks like there has been at least 3 engines on it through its life, so there are a bunch of holes to patch.

 

[64osby]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

A little update. .......There were a few soft spots, and it was not sealed. So I am going to go ahead and do it right (and seal up all the holes). It looks like there has been at least 3 engines on it through its life, so there are a bunch of holes to patch.

iCam, you make it sound like your going to repair the transom wood you pulled out. I hope your just referring to fixing the holes in the aluminum.

You would be much better off to just get a new sheet of ply and install a new transom. Gives you many worry free years to enjoy boating instead of tearing the boat apart again.

 

[iCam]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Didn't mean to make it sound like that. Its going to be all new- double thickness 3/4" ext grade plywood, covered and sealed in fiberglass (I am actually going to do my 12' alumna-craft boats' transom the same time, while I have all the materials).

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Sounds like a plan. Be sure you use Stainless Steel hardware dipped in a bit of 3M 5200 when you mount the transom(s) back into place. Any holes in the aluminum skin of the transom can be filled in with JB weld (regular or putty), or you could have them welded if you have the time, money, or inclination. Keep us posted.

 

[Fisherball]

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

Re: 1960 Starcraft? Help me identify what I just bought.

OK, I'm stupid but nothing melts tar like gasoline or kerosene.