1974 Chieftan 21' 165 Mercruiser I/O

[Grandad]

Hi cj. DozerII has just nominated your Chieftain in the 2014 SOTY Awards race. If you wish your entry to "stand", please let me know by private message. There's a time limit on filling the 10 available spaces. - Grandad
See nominations at: http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owne...tarcraft-splash-of-the-year-award-nominations

 

[cj8mule]

So much to do... so little time

After some pretty hard fishing last year, I'm realizing a trip back to the design board is necessary. The first thing I want to do is build a rocket launcher / t-top. I purchased a nice 175 amp mig welder with a spool gun for aluminum wire and some schedule 40 aluminum pipe. I've never welded aluminum so there will be a learning curve I'm sure.

The next project before spring will be a new dash and helm seats. (I thought the retro look of the blue vinyl would be cool... but it got old quick) I'm also building new gas tank / seat boxes for pedestal seats. I'll be able to gain around 10" of deck space by turning the gas tanks 180 degrees.

I might be getting a little bit ambitious, but I also want to build a new doghouse cover, and finish the inside cabin area.

I've got tomorrow off from work and will be working on the rocket launcher. I'll try and get some pictures up for you guys.

 

[Watermann]

Sounds super cool to me CJ. looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[Weep'n Willy]

Good luck on the arch CJ. The spool guns are nice but yes they certainly have a learning curve to them. Unlike welding steel once the aluminum starts to puddle it is very easy to blow through it and create a crater. I weld aluminum on our golf carts at work with a spool gun ut much prefer the TIG. My fishing buddy is a welder for an arch company in our area and he has access to a TIG so he will be helping me out when we start on mine. Looking forward to the pics.

 

[classiccat]

Lookin' forward to it cj!

It's funny because I ordered a MIG yesterday (intended for Steel)...I have ZERO experience welding; gotta start somewhere right?

 

[cj8mule]

Not a single thing done today was picture worthy. That Aluminum Mig is pretty tough just like WnW said. You're supposed to push the weld with aluminum and it's real easy to just blow right through. Especially, after the first few seconds when the metal is real hot.

I only got to burn through about a half a pound of wire today and am not confident enough to start any structual welding. It'll come though... just not today.

I've got a few days off next week so I'll get back on it then.

 

[astor]

cool! New tools! what machine did ya get? I've been trying to find an excuse to buy a bigger MIG welder with a spool gun. post some pics, even of the test/trial welds.

 

[laurentide]

I'll be watching your arch project, cj. Now that all the big money boats are going to all in one/black box setups to run all the electronics, standalone radar units are really cheap on eBay. Like, $500 for a nice furuno package with everything. I'd love to have rocket launchers, too. Good luck!

 

[cj8mule]

Slow going with this aluminum welding, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. You pretty much have to weld on a flat surface... lol round pipe, right?

Here are some progress pics:

 

[Weep'n Willy]

Hey, there ya go.... looks like your getting the hang of it. Before you know it you will be welding it in all sorts of positions. As far as the round pipe you may find it easier to spot weld it in 4 places around the pipe then go back and fill in between in short sections.

 

[Watermann]

How do you keep the wife's car out of there? :lol:

You have a tubing bender too?

 

[classiccat]

Lookin' Good cj!!!!

Any taller and you'd have to start watching out for low highway overpasses

 

[cj8mule]

cool! New tools! what machine did ya get? I've been trying to find an excuse to buy a bigger MIG welder with a spool gun. post some pics, even of the test/trial welds.

Hey Astor. I got the Eastwood 175 with a spool gun for aluminum. I think I'll sell my old stick and 90 mig welder even though they're not worth that much.

I'll be watching your arch project, cj. Now that all the big money boats are going to all in one/black box setups to run all the electronics, standalone radar units are really cheap on eBay. Like, $500 for a nice furuno package with everything. I'd love to have rocket launchers, too. Good luck!

I've been seeing those radar units on CL Chem, but don't have any plans for one. I really need to be able to set some rods up for trolling and get some cover from the sun. I might not do it until next fall, but I want to make a semi enclousure out of clear plastic and canvas.

Hey, there ya go.... looks like your getting the hang of it. Before you know it you will be welding it in all sorts of positions. As far as the round pipe you may find it easier to spot weld it in 4 places around the pipe then go back and fill in between in short sections.

Thanks WnW. that's kind of how I'm doing it. I have much better control over the puddle than I did, but I'm not sure a fellow could weld anything but flat with this machine.

How do you keep the wife's car out of there? :lol:
You have a tubing bender too?

Lol H20. I've got until the first snow before I get fussed at. I was an electrician in a previous life and still have some electrical benders.... the problem is trying to remember how to use them

Lookin' Good cj!!!!

Any taller and you'd have to start watching out for low highway overpasses

I had to drink a few wobbly pops over that BF. The problem is I'm short .... but my boys are 6' 4". I really didn't want them banging their head into this thing, but I need to be able to grab a rod out of the launcher without busting my ***. There's going to be another hoop in the back for the rod holders that will be a little lower to accommodate my height (or lack there of). It'll be behind the gas tank / seat boxes so I can lower it at least 22" 's or so.


Not much done today but cleaning up some of the welds and bending up the main top hoop.

 

[astor]

Looks great, coming together nicely. Can't wait to see it installed on your boat.
I would like to see some closeups of the welds, I've got a small 90amp welder that I haven't used in awhile cause its so limited, and it certainly won't do aluminum. Haven't mastered the TIG on aluminum yet, would love to take the class at Lincoln sometime.

 

[cj8mule]

Looks great, coming together nicely. Can't wait to see it installed on your boat.
I would like to see some closeups of the welds, I've got a small 90amp welder that I haven't used in awhile cause its so limited, and it certainly won't do aluminum. Haven't mastered the TIG on aluminum yet, would love to take the class at Lincoln sometime.

Here's a close up of a weld Astor. I think you could use that 90 amp if you could get the aluminum wire to spool out. (Certainly if you pre-heated what you wanted to weld and stayed around the 1/8" material)









Tomorrow I should be able to get the rod holder hoop done. There is a tube that will go from the launcher to the side of the cabin to be done also. The stock hand rail the chiefs have by the seat will be replaced . So far, I'm really pleased. This thing is weighing around 30 pounds and is very rigid. When it gets tied into the gunnel and side cabin, it'll never go anywhere.

The plan is to rough it up a little, etch, prime, and paint it white. I'm not sure what color of canvas I'll be using, but it'll probably be white.

 

[Weep'n Willy]

Very nice man. You seemed to got a handle on the alum welding. It's pretty easy to teach someone how to MIG weld steel but aluminum is a different story for most.

 

[Watermann]

Very nice work CJ :thumb:

 

[astor]

Looks good CJ, welding that tubing can be tough. I like the design!

I don't thing I can use that 90amp mig welder for aluminum with the length of the lead on it. I tried a few years ago and it wouldn't feed, even with the lead straight.
I've been trying to come up with a reason for a new welder.

 

[dozerII]

Looks great cj, I have been mig welding for better than 35 years and bought a spool gun for my Lincoln 180 last year. After many burned up tips and a whole lot of foul language it is now a wall ornament. I can't get that sucker to weld period.

 

[cj8mule]

Very nice man. You seemed to got a handle on the alum welding. It's pretty easy to teach someone how to MIG weld steel but aluminum is a different story for most.

Thanks WnW. I agree about the mig welding once you show someone how to set up the amperage and wire speed it's pretty easy.

Very nice work CJ :thumb:

Thanks H20!

Looks good CJ, welding that tubing can be tough. I like the design!

I don't thing I can use that 90amp mig welder for aluminum with the length of the lead on it. I tried a few years ago and it wouldn't feed, even with the lead straight.
I've been trying to come up with a reason for a new welder.

Thanks Astor! This Eastwood 175 was pretty reasonable considering what a Hobart or Miller costs. This is a Chinese welder though, but has pretty good reviews. I've got around $700 in this welder including a 80 cu. ft argon cylinder.

Looks great cj, I have been mig welding for better than 35 years and bought a spool gun for my Lincoln 180 last year. After many burned up tips and a whole lot of foul language it is now a wall ornament. I can't get that sucker to weld period.

Thanks Glen! I'm certainly no expert welding aluminum.... I've struggled with an old habbit of pushing the gun nozzle into the weld as soon as the trigger is pulled. You really have to hold the nozzle an inch or so from the weld, pull the trigger and let the wire get to the metal. Then you can move in. You also have to push the gun away from the weld which is backwards to how I mig.


I did get to spend a little more time with it today and got the back hoops for the rod holder done.







The tubing for the rod isn't welded yet and just clamped. I think I need to make the rod holder more vertical.... what do you think? I also only planned on putting 5 rod holders on there, but I'm thinking 7 would be better.

I also plan on moving my anchor light on this thing as well as some LED deck lighting. I thought painting this thing white would be OK, but now I'm thinking about using that rustoleum aluminum metal color spray paint.