1982 Starcraft Center Console 18' Rebuild

[SHSU]

Rustoleum makes a self etching primer for Aluminum and can be found at most of your big box hardware stores.

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/auto/primers/self-etching-primer

SHSU

 

[Mikesta]

Rustoleum makes a self etching primer for Aluminum and can be found at most of your big box hardware stores.

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/auto/primers/self-etching-primer

SHSU

I’ve seen that at Home Depot. Just wasn’t sure if I should use that or try to find zc since the majority of use will be in salt water

 

[Mikesta]

I ended up using the rustoleum marine paint line. I used their roll on metal primer. I haven't had the paint on long, but it feels very strong and its difficult to scratch off. I made sure to do a lot of prep. Sanded the whole surface with 320 grit, washed with water, scrubbed with cleaning vinegar and a scotch brite pad, rinsed, washed down with dewax-degreaser, and immediately applied the primer once the metal was dry.

The rustoleum marine primer may also be a self etch, I am not sure.

I didn’t know rustoleum had a marine line. I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for the info

 

[HypnoCraft]

I didn’t know rustoleum had a marine line. I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for the info

No problem, it's also less than half the cost of any other marine coating I could find locally. I only used a roller and I am very happy with how the product laid down.

 

[Watermann]

Yes I used an untreated 4x4 and 2x6 glued and screwed to the top. I used Spar uerathane to seal the deal and the VanSickle industrial enamel primer and paint on the 4x4 that's exposed without carpet. Only having the 2 - 2x6 bunks for such a heavy boat would down the road surely sag and loose support, not so much now. :joyous: The bunk supports were the type made for this setup and are through bolted to the 4x4, nothing is held on by screw threads alone.

I used the VanSickle self etching primer with the paint and regular primer but have also used the rattle can Rusto SE primer on smalls and it's a good product but I don't like using cans of spray on such large surfaces, tends to be very uneven unlike using my HVLP gun. The Rusto Top Side paint is the same formula as the Rusto pro and the VanSickle, poly alkyd oil base enamel. Just don't use the big can of Rusto AL primer, it's latex based, no way I'd mix oil and water on my boats paint job.

 

[SHSU]

I’ve seen that at Home Depot. Just wasn’t sure if I should use that or try to find zc since the majority of use will be in salt water

We use ours in Galveston (Gulf of Mexico) mostly. I used the Rustoleum SE to prep my splashwell. No major issues, just your normal wear and tear of fishing weights getting banged around. I have done one or two touch ups with no issue. Prep is always key.

SHSU

 

[Mikesta]

Yes I used an untreated 4x4 and 2x6 glued and screwed to the top. I used Spar uerathane to seal the deal and the VanSickle industrial enamel primer and paint on the 4x4 that's exposed without carpet. Only having the 2 - 2x6 bunks for such a heavy boat would down the road surely sag and loose support, not so much now. :joyous: The bunk supports were the type made for this setup and are through bolted to the 4x4, nothing is held on by screw threads alone.

I used the VanSickle self etching primer with the paint and regular primer but have also used the rattle can Rusto SE primer on smalls and it's a good product but I don't like using cans of spray on such large surfaces, tends to be very uneven unlike using my HVLP gun. The Rusto Top Side paint is the same formula as the Rusto pro and the VanSickle, poly alkyd oil base enamel. Just don't use the big can of Rusto AL primer, it's latex based, no way I'd mix oil and water on my boats paint job.

I decided to follow your lead and go with the 4x4 and 2x6. Started coating them with spar and should be done with that tomorrow then will hit the 4x4 with a coat of tractor paint i have laying around from a previous project. I'm a little nervous about trying to drill a hole all the way through both pieces of wood and getting everything to line up properly. I got 6" galvanized carriage bolts to attach them to the brackets. Was galvanized what I wanted? The stainless steel bolts only went up to 4".

I'm also wanting to extend the tongue of the trailer out a little so I can then move the winch tower back a little. The way it sits now the bow of the boat is a little to close to my tailgate for comfort. Its one big bolt that holds it in place that i will have to cut off and replace, what grade bolt should I use for this?

Hopefully will have some pics of the finished trailer by the end of the holiday weekend with the bunks installed, keel rollers installed, new lights installed, the tongue extended and the boat sitting back on it so I can start fixing hundreds upon hundreds of rivets

 

[Watermann]

Yeah galvanized is just fine, my whole trailer is right down to the nuts and bolts which I believe are grade 5 with the 3 raised marks on the heads. Plenty strong at 105,000 Lb PSI tensile strength.

6" will be fine especially with the heads countersunk, I'm assuming you'll do the mounting to the bunk supports similar to how I did my 2x6 bunks on the other trailers.

I added a steel weld on swing tongue hinge with 2 feet of extra tongue to mine, it was the same, too close for my comfort and I needed the room for the boat to come forward more. (I know the pic makes it look longer but it is 2')

 

[Mikesta]

Got the bunks mounted up. just waiting for a little bit of touch up spar to dry so I can hit it with a quick coat of paint before carpeting. Also got new trailer lights installed...The previous owner ran all the wiring on the outside of the tubes so there was nothing to attach to to pull the new wiring through so I also attached it all to the outsides. I thought it would look pretty sloppy but it really doesn't look to bad and i guess it will be easy to work on when the lights inevitably fail.

Couple of questions I have...should I screw the 4x4 and 2x6 together or will the 4 thru bolts on each one be sufficient you think? If i should screw them together will deck screws be fine?

Should i glue the bunk carpet to the wood as well as staple it? If i should glue it do you think liquid nails would work? I have that on hand and it would be nice to not have to spend money on a different adhesive.

Can the spar be used to seal the transom instead of epoxy?

Any recommendations on a drain to buy to relocate the drain to the center of the transom, the boat will be used pretty much in salt water so I want to make sure i can get as much out of the bilge as possible. I also have extremely hard water where I live so the more i can get out of the bilge the less sediment and minerals will sit in there after washing.

I know I've probably read the answers to these question about 100 times in other threads but I have been reading through so many that all the info just kind of goes in one ear and out the other.

 

[Watermann]

On the inside the tube trailer wiring all you need is some kite string, a cotton ball tied to it and either a leaf blower or shop vac, to push or suck the cotton ball through to the other end. Then tie the wiring onto the string and pull through.

Yeah glue and stainless steel staple the bunk carpet to the bunks, any adhesive should work fine.

I've not used epoxy for anything on my boats wood transoms or decks. Anything sealing the wood is better than what the factory did but with spar and or primer and good coats of oil based paint will last for many decades especially if you take care of the boat by covering it.

 

[Watermann]

You just have to get an aluminum boat drain tube kit to add another bilge drain in the center.

The kit looks like this.

 

[SHSU]

Here is what I bought and used. I also picked up an extra one just to have a spare plug. Liked the fact the plug is integrated but can still be removed.

SHSU

 

[Mikesta]

Here is what I bought and used. I also picked up an extra one just to have a spare plug. Liked the fact the plug is integrated but can still be removed.

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"275","width":"250","src":"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/81AMJrTVsvL._AC_SL1500_.jpg"**[/IMG2]

SHSU

Could you tell me who makes that one? I like that style a lot more and seems like a lot less room for user error. Did you just use 2 self tappers to mount it?

 

[Mikesta]

Sorry for no pics of the trailer yet. I still haven't gotten the carpet put on yet because I haven't been feeling the greatest lately. Hopefully I don't have the Rona!!

 

[SHSU]

Title: Amarine Made Oval Garboard Drain Plug Stainless Steel

I had removed my knee brace when cleaning/redoing my boat. So I used bolts and nyloc nuts. All SS hardware and a lot of 5200. Only mod I did was change the "gasket" they provided with a rubber one from Ace. The one they provides is a hard plastic and I found water could still squeeze past. The O ring from Ace is a snug fit and no water sneaking past it.

SHSU

 

[Mikesta]

So I forgot to take pictures of the trailer but the boat is sitting back on it. I put it all together and ended up not liking how high it sat with the 4x4 and 2x6 and I couldnt adjust the rollers high enough to get them in contact with the bottom of the boat so I took the 4x4 out and I am much happier now. The boat sits a lot lower and I could get the keel rollers to make contact with the bottom. I still have one problem I'm trying to work out where the trailer frame up front under the bow has a cross bar that is making contact with the keel.

I'm thinking I will buy another roller and mount it there. Its going to lift the bow up a bit but i think it will be fine.

I also tried a couple of practice rivets today on some that I could reach both sides of....Let's just say it was sloppy at best. Some of them didn't sit flat against the hull and they didn't smush nearly as much as I thought they would. They seems pretty tight I was just surprised that they didnt flatten down on the inside like some pictures and videos I've seen. I am using a harbor freight air hammer so that could be the problem, I started with it set to 40 lbs as thats what some other posts I have seen recommend to start with and ended up bringing it to 80-100lbs. It worked better but I'm still not really satisfied

 

[classiccat]

So I forgot to take pictures of the trailer but the boat is sitting back on it. I put it all together and ended up not liking how high it sat with the 4x4 and 2x6 and I couldnt adjust the rollers high enough to get them in contact with the bottom of the boat so I took the 4x4 out and I am much happier now. The boat sits a lot lower and I could get the keel rollers to make contact with the bottom. I still have one problem I'm trying to work out where the trailer frame up front under the bow has a cross bar that is making contact with the keel.

I'm thinking I will buy another roller and mount it there. Its going to lift the bow up a bit but i think it will be fine.

I also tried a couple of practice rivets today on some that I could reach both sides of....Let's just say it was sloppy at best. Some of them didn't sit flat against the hull and they didn't smush nearly as much as I thought they would. They seems pretty tight I was just surprised that they didnt flatten down on the inside like some pictures and videos I've seen. I am using a harbor freight air hammer so that could be the problem, I started with it set to 40 lbs as thats what some other posts I have seen recommend to start with and ended up bringing it to 80-100lbs. It worked better but I'm still not really satisfied

that cross member seems like a good spot for a roller.

I use an actual riveting hammer which allows me to throttle the rate but I can say that 80-100lbs is way too high and probably explains why they're not sitting flush.

if the head isn't flush, you probably don't have enough pressure applied to the rivet head (or too much pressure on the bucking bar). I kind of float the bucking bar since it needs to essentially bounced and form the bucktail. Keep practicing....you'll get it! :thumb:

 

[Watermann]

Exactly right you have to let the hammer do the work not the bucking bar. Pressure on the rivet head with the set and just light pressure on the bar. Also make sure you use plenty of air tool oil.

 

[SHSU]

For the keel resting on the cross member, are you going to raise the bunk height to get it off there or just plan on using the roller to push it off?

I know you said the the 4x4 made it sit to high, but the extra 3 1/2 inches would make it so you didn't need a roller.

As for the Rivets, I when through 2 (Harbor Freight and Amazon special) before I finally spent the money for a true rivet gun (Used Airplane rivet gun). Lets just say it made a world of difference. I had to turn down the PSI to under 40 so as not to damage the hull/rivets. When we got it dialed in, Admiral and I could do a single rivet with a single 1/2 second to second burst depending on thickness. Bucking bar also makes a difference, started with a small 2 lb and went to a 10 lb. Did we do it right, probably not, but it worked for us.

SHSU

 

[classiccat]

For the keel resting on the cross member, are you going to raise the bunk height to get it off there or just plan on using the roller to push it off?

I know you said the the 4x4 made it sit to high, but the extra 3 1/2 inches would make it so you didn't need a roller.

As for the Rivets, I when through 2 (Harbor Freight and Amazon special) before I finally spent the money for a true rivet gun (Used Airplane rivet gun). Lets just say it made a world of difference. I had to turn down the PSI to under 40 so as not to damage the hull/rivets. When we got it dialed in, Admiral and I could do a single rivet with a single 1/2 second to second burst depending on thickness. Bucking bar also makes a difference, started with a small 2 lb and went to a 10 lb. Did we do it right, probably not, but it worked for us.

SHSU

I think for as many rivets as Mikesta has to buck on this, he should "treat himself" to a rivet gun :lol:

They actually come in really handy for alot of projects; I'm always reaching for that thing from body work, punching out seized roll pins, chiseling, descaling rust, etc. Keep it oiled and it will last forever.