1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Still here, just haven't had much time to work on the boat. Got the gunwales covered in vinyl, now need to get the forward portion and the nose piece installed. Days have really shortened and have no way to work on boat indoors at home. Really need to get these pieces installed and splashwell finished up.

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Finally found some boat time. Been doing a lot of thinking and researching. If you all remember my original consoles were trashed and was planning on making new ones. That has been a lot of the delay. Couple of mock ups didn't work out or feel right, so I kept fiddling around. Got to looking on youtube at fiberglass projects. Watched a few of these guys make up speaker boxes for their cars and I started thinking along those lines. Today I finishedup the port side frame work for the console. We got them placed in the boat where I believe they are gonna end up. Pulled out the windshield and gave that a test fit. Seems like it might work. Fiberglass resin should be here on Tuesday. Hopefully I will have fleece stretched over frames and any tweaking done by then. Then I can see if this is gonna work or not.

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Got the ''skeleton'' for the starboard side console coated with resin yesterday. Stretched fabric and applied resin tonite. I like the way it looks. I'm hoping it keeps going the way I thought it would. Few minor setbacks with staple guns that wouldn't cut the mustard and a frantic run to Menards in the middle of resin coating, but all in all, not bad for first attempt ...so far. Going to get port side started tomorrow. Then if time allows start laying the glass.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Are there any railroads close out your way in Indiana? The guys w/ the funny tin hats may show up w/ torches & attempt to run you & your GLASS consoles outta town on a rail.......

Looking really good so far... Good job thinking outside the box & making this Bluefin YOURS.....

How will they terminate onto/at the gunwale? TBD after fab work is finished?

Just keep the garage door down, and watch for the torch lights on the horizon....

 

[Pmccraney]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Wow; I can't believe you made those.... Super cool.

 

[sphelps]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Holy cow ! Those look great ! Would have liked to have seen a video of the fabrication..

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Are there any railroads close out your way in Indiana? The guys w/ the funny tin hats may show up w/ torches & attempt to run you & your GLASS consoles outta town on a rail.......

Looking really good so far... Good job thinking outside the box & making this Bluefin YOURS.....

How will they terminate onto/at the gunwale? TBD after fab work is finished?

Just keep the garage door down, and watch for the torch lights on the horizon....

I thought it was now an ''approved'' method to use fiberglass since someone with a topless islander used fiberglass to install some stringers or bulkheads. The consoles will sit on the gunwale. I went out approx 5'' on to the gunwale withe the design and also raised windshield from original position by about 4''. The starboard side wing window was broken when we got her and I knew I didn't like the long side windows anyway so plans are to use window channel to make a shorter side winow. Kinda like the new windshield Jas just got.

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Thanks PMC, so far so good.

Sam, that would have been on heck of a long video with all the changes/mistakes I made. Might try to get a video together when I do port side console.

 

[badbarracuda]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Just joined iboats. This is such a great tool! I just picked up a 1978 18' Blue Fin Sea Hawk. This is like a step by step guide for me. I don't have a fuel cell and I am going with a center console. My question is did you add bracing to where the seats or consoles are going to be mounted on the flooring? I am getting 3/4" ply and I will be starting the long epoxy process. I really paid attention to that part of the thread! Also wher did you get the long Rivets for the flooring. I think I am going to go with the vinyl as well.The boat looks great!

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Just joined iboats. This is such a great tool! I just picked up a 1978 18' Blue Fin Sea Hawk. This is like a step by step guide for me. I don't have a fuel cell and I am going with a center console. My question is did you add bracing to where the seats or consoles are going to be mounted on the flooring? I am getting 3/4" ply and I will be starting the long epoxy process. I really paid attention to that part of the thread! Also wher did you get the long Rivets for the flooring. I think I am going to go with the vinyl as well.The boat looks great!

Welcome aboard! The rivets I got online thru a place called Mcmaster Carr. As for bracing, I beefed up the size and amount of aluminum straps that tied stringers to the end of ribs. I thought about adding another 3/4‘‘ thick square of plywood under where the seats were gonna go but wasn't sure of layout at that point(still evolving). I'm working on consoles now so that I can figure out where everything else is gonna go. Main purpose of boat will be for fishing, so I would like to make sure front deck is good size. At the ruff fit the consoles ended up to be aft more than the original ones were. Make sure you start a thread on your project. Not a whole lot of Blue Fins on here but a ton of stuff from other tinnies that you will find applicable.

 

[badbarracuda]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Welcome aboard! The rivets I got online thru a place called Mcmaster Carr. As for bracing, I beefed up the size and amount of aluminum straps that tied stringers to the end of ribs. I thought about adding another 3/4?? thick square of plywood under where the seats were gonna go but wasn't sure of layout at that point(still evolving). I'm working on consoles now so that I can figure out where everything else is gonna go. Main purpose of boat will be for fishing, so I would like to make sure front deck is good size. At the ruff fit the consoles ended up to be aft more than the original ones were. Make sure you start a thread on your project. Not a whole lot of Blue Fins on here but a ton of stuff from other tinnies that you will find applicable.

I went on McMaster Carr. I am looking at 1/4" Aluminum (with out the Steel Mandrel) Blind Rivets. Did you use .875" or 1" rivets? Did you use a Hydraulic rivet gun or a Manual Rivet? I found 3/4" Marine Grade Plywood, I am going to coat it with Epoxy and finish it off with the Vinyl. I really like the looks of yours. I will be fishing in the Bay so I want something easy to wash down. I am going to try and make my own leaning post or I may go with the cooler/ swing rest. I have been taking pics so I will try to sit down and start a thread. Thanks again for the tips!

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

I will get you the part number I used. Can't recall right now. I did end up buying an air riveter from harbor freight. Works well so far. The longer spent mandrels got jambed in the collector cup and broke the cup. But that is the only prob so far.

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Rivets I ordered had grip range of .876'' to 1.0'' part # 97447A656, 1/4??. Hope this helps and sorry for the delay.

 

[badbarracuda]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Rivets I ordered had grip range of .876'' to 1.0'' part # 97447A656, 1/4??. Hope this helps and sorry for the delay.

Perfect! Just placed an order with McMaster. Thanks again!

 

[badbarracuda]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

I went on McMaster Carr. I am looking at 1/4" Aluminum (with out the Steel Mandrel) Blind Rivets. Did you use .875" or 1" rivets? Did you use a Hydraulic rivet gun or a Manual Rivet? I found 3/4" Marine Grade Plywood, I am going to coat it with Epoxy and finish it off with the Vinyl. I really like the looks of yours. I will be fishing in the Bay so I want something easy to wash down. I am going to try and make my own leaning post or I may go with the cooler/ swing rest. I have been taking pics so I will try to sit down and start a thread. Thanks again for the tips!

Just posted my first thread. I should have taken more pics when I started. Thanks again for the help I really appreciate it. Let me know what you think. It's under 1978 Blue Fin Sea Hawk Project.

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Not a whole lot to report on. Been spending a little time on the drivers console. Sanding, filling, sanding, filling. Getting close though. Wanted to get this one in primer before I start the other. Prolly not the smartest thing to try to do with my ancient and limited bodywork experience. Them contours look nice but they sure take a lot of time. Got the garage cleaned out for the admiral's car. She was not too happy when the snow started flying on Monday and her car was still outside. I didn't hear about it until Wednesday but I knew it was coming. She has been a good sport about all the ''mess'' that comes with redoing the boat though. Gotta keep mama happy. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Over the weekend got to spend a little time on boat consoles. Joe and I were able to put together a video on the fabric application. It ended up being a little lengthy but it should give anybody that wants to know a idea of what we are doing.

 

[lokonn]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Once we got the fabric on Joe started applying the resin to the fabric, and we started to add the csm. That was about as far as we got on the port side. We did a little more sanding on the starboard side and I hope to find time to get that in primer this week. Couple of things I forgot to mention in video. Make sure staples are as close together as possible. That will minimize puckering. Second thing is the framework that you design needs to be put together well enough that when you are stretching fleece you don't pull frame apart or warp or bow your structure. What I have done so far is apply resin to fabric, applied fiberglass, grind any noticable problem areas, then apply tiger hair and rough out shapes, then apply body filler. I will be priming, base coating and clearcoating for finish.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Nice work! Thanks for the video..

 

[Pmccraney]

Re: 1987 Bluefin Sportsman 1900 - The Fun Begins

Wow... Really cool process...Thanks for documenting. What type of fabric is that?