1972 15' Nova rebuild

[crankbait cowboy]

lookin good mn, i do not see any issue with reapplying more gluvit later if needed. was going with same idea myself. good coating on gluvit on inside, ( let it run into all the seems, and turn hull one way or other if neccessary) let it cure good and try the leak test. if not fully leak proof , mark the area and reapply more gluvit

 

[MNhunter1]

Started the stripping process on the bow cap last night...this is going to blow when I get to the hull. I'm using the Klean Strip Aircraft Remover, but considering trying some of the Citristrip instead. I know it's not as good, but I'd rather not have to mess around with the respirator and such. All the hazard warnings add a little anxiety to the whole process. The blue top coat came off nicely, but I had to hit it again to get through the primer coat the PO had laid down over the original paint. Still another coat or two to go before I'm down to the bare metal. Sorry, no pictures...didn't want to fumble around with the phone with the big rubber gloves and all the skeeters under the lights last night. Anyone have experience with the Citristrip? Any harm in leaving it sit for longer than the recommended wait period?

 

[crankbait cowboy]

this kleen strip adhesive remover worked fast and real well for me. good luck

 

[Watermann]

If your working outside there isn't a problem with the fumes from the Klean strip remover. Put the remover on, cover with plastic drop cloth and come back in 15 or 20 to remove it. Citrus stuff may work well on latex paint but I think you'll waste your money trying to remove that marine paint with it.

I've never needed to double up on the gluvit applications on the boats I've done but then again I've not had one with the factory sealer fried out by a welder either. The only problem I can see would be the extra thickness would limit the flexibility of the gluvit and make it more likely to crack when the hull flexes. Then there's the risk of getting it to adhere properly to the first coat.

 

[MNhunter1]

Maybe I'll just test out the Citristrip on the splashwell or gunnels and see how it compares. I've got a couple of jugs of the aircarft stripper on hand, so they'll get used regardless when I get to the hull.

Good point WM on the Gluvit flex. Hopefully one coat will do the trick...or at least keep it at bay enough for the bilge pump to do it's work

 

[MNhunter1]

Out with the old, in with the new!

 

[Watermann]

Nice fresh ply ready to be soaked in sauce. :thumb:

 

[dozerII]

Looks like your none to soon with the new transom. She's coming along real good Mn

 

[GA_Boater]

The new wood looks a lot better without the notch, MN. Well, no rot, too.

 

[MNhunter1]

Spent an extended weekend in the Wisconsin Dells with the family, so didn't get much done on the Nova, but did manage to get the transom stripped in preparation for the repair. Couple questions for the Starmada:

1) I always see the plastic scrapers/putty knives being recommended for stripping the paint, but after little success, I switched over to a metal one and made so much better progress. Any downsides to using the metal scrapers other than the superficial scratches left behind? Assuming they'd sand right out when prepping for primer/paint??
2) What is the best process for collecting all the stripped paint? I've been trying to hold a plastic 5 gallon bucket underneath my working area, but it doesn't seem to be all that efficient. I'm working over 1-1/2" river rock, so sweeping is not exactly an option.
3) How long can I let the stripped aluminum sit in the elements before final primer/paint prep? Any precautions I need to take if not getting around to primer/paint right away?
4) Transom skin repair - I had intended on repairing the transom skin idependant of the actual transom, i.e. repair the skin, then install new transom and cover with aluminum transom plate. Would I be better off installing the transom and then making the repair, assuming I wouldn't have a need to remove the transom again? I had planned to patch the void with aluminum cut to fit, butter the seams with either JB Marine Weld or Marine-Tex, and sandwich/clamp between two pieces of scrap wood using wax paper or packaging tape as a barrier to the wood, then sand smoothing after curing, install transom, and cover/attach the aluminum transom plate with 5200 and thru bolts/nuts. Note that my outboard will also be bolted thru the transom. Would I be better off just using the actual transom as a backer and repairing the skin with it in place? Any experiences with JB Weld or Marine-Tex and adherence to wax paper or tape? I do have a small amount of 3M panel bonding adhesive on hand as well.

Slowly, but surely, it's coming along. Hope to get some more paint stripping in tonight.

 

[Watermann]

All I use is a metal 3" wide paint scraper and a smaller putty knife for tighter areas and then a 3M scrub pad with the plastic handle on it removes the last stubborn paint as well as the minor scraper scratches.

I let the scraped off paint fall where it may outside and use a bucket to scrape the sludge off the blade. The gooey paint stuff dries up and blows away or you can lay out a cheap plastic drop cloth to catch it and dispose of it after your done.

My Chief sat for 5 months without being primed or painted and I had no problems.

Repair the inside skin first off with the MT, sand, prime and paint it. Put the new wood transom in and repair the outside using the wood as a backer for your material. For holes I wanted to plug, I use the stick JB weld and form up a little ball to squeeze into the hole then sand smooth when dry.

You have some tough work ahead of you in this stage of the resto, the progress always seems so dang slow. Keep plugging away at it.

 

[MNhunter1]

Blue be gone... bow cap and splashwell stripped. Gunnels are next and then onto the rest of the hull.

 

[MNhunter1]

Got the patch all ready to go for the transom skin and fabricating the aluminum transome plate now. I've been using some "legally obtained" street/parking signs for the aluminum and stripped the old adhesive sticker covering on the the patch piece with an 80grit flapper disc on an angle grinder. Wondering if this is too agressive for the aluminum and if I should go a different route to remove the sticker from the transom plate piece? I suppose after buttering that side with 5200 and slapping it up against the transom skin it wouldn't really matter much...probably actually help the adhesion a little.

100 degree heat index here, so once it passes, I'll mix up the Marine-Tex and get the patch in place. Plan to skim any pitting on the inside transom skin with the leftover MT. I took a Nylok cup brush to the area to knock down any corrosion, do I need to do anything to nuetralize before slapping on the MT?

 

[Watermann]

The corrosion is alkaline so an acid works good, I used the Heinz vinegar cleaning solution on mine in a spray bottle and the wheel to get it in the pitting. After letting it soak in I pressure washed the surface. Basically you need to get the loose white corrosion off that will keep the MT and primer from adhering to the surface. The Al won't continue to corrode unless it has oxygen so putting on MT, SE primer and then top coat will seal in the AL keeping it from further corroding.

 

[MNhunter1]

Obligatory pics. Nothing too exciting, but still pushing forward. I'm waiting to flip the hull until I get the transom completed.

 

[MNhunter1]

Well, the good news is that I have the Nova stripped above the chines. Unfortunately, she doesn't look as good without her clothes on and appears to have had a little work done. Granted, she is in her early 40's.





Not sure if it's bondo or what, but it's actually pretty well done. I can shave it down with a little effort after the aircraft stripper, but it's by no means just coming right off. From inspecting the inside of the hull, it looks like there was a small crease down the side from hitting a dock or something, not very noticable and doesn't appear to have cracked or broken through the hull anywhere. The last couple rivets attaching one of the braces were ground down and covered, nothing loose or even noticeable from the inside, but probably should be replaced.

Any suggestions on how to proceed? Completely remove and roll with the scars? Remove and re-do with an appropriate filler? Leave as is, clean it up, and cover with primer/paint?

 

[GA_Boater]

If the bondo is well stuck, prep and paint over it. The rivets look like they need replaced, but my concern is re-riveting through the bondo.

 

[jbcurt00]

If you think you need to re-rivet around the bondo, I'd go a head and fab some 1-1.5" washers/plates for the outside of the hull.

How far apart are the 2 ground rivets in that pix?

 

[MNhunter1]

If you think you need to re-rivet around the bondo, I'd go a head and fab some 1-1.5" washers/plates for the outside of the hull. How far apart are the 2 ground rivets in that pix?

Couple of inches, the width of the ribs that run laterally up to the bow. There the factory solid thru hull rivets attaching the inside rib. Outside head has just been ground down smooth. Anyone ever try that USC All Metal body filler?

 

[Watermann]

I would drill the rivets out and see what's under them, I would doubt anything is and then just hammer in new ones. If some of the filler chips and you want to fix it, just use some JB or MT and hand sand it back smooth.