Hello Tx, thanks for the nice compliment. I'm doubling my efforts to get this project completed so that it will be ready for the unexpected return of American Idol!!
Sorry Tx, kind of a inside joke
I could write a thesis on this subject but I'll keep it short and sweet to just give you a few things to consider before you start down this road where only foolish men dwell
1.) Do you have a
PLACE to work on the boat? Power tools are noisy, fiber glass dust is dusty (and bad for you), if its outside some of your work will be temperature dependant, you'll get sick of covering and uncovering the boat (trust me), you will need adequate lighting and electricity
2.) Do you have
TIME? If you have a full time job, young kids (18 and under), you provide care for a loved one, you go to church, have other hobbies and you have a
wife, a
mistress or a
girlfriend (or any combination of those three
) its looking pretty bleek for you.
3.) Do you have
TOOLS? This is not a complete list, but off the top of my head, compressor, shop vac, hammer, mallet, screwdrivers, pry bars, jig saw, saws all, circular saw, impact gun, floor jack, cherry picker, sockets and drivers, grinder, belt sander, rollers, chip brushes, plastic putty knives, betty crocker and or one of her spoons
, angle finder, that angle thingy mabob you put your drill in to drill perfect angle holes for the transom, plastic gloves, tyvex suit, respirator, safety googles, a level, dump gun, etc... etc...
4.)
What nots,
do dads, and
miscellaneous: there are a few items that you will need along the way, some will be easy to find, some will not. These items will be different for everybody. A few of mine... Ski Locker Teak Drop In Hatch, emblems, replacement parts in general, stainless steel piano hinges, stainless steel screws, sand paper, grinding discs, mixing containers, sugar free cool aid, coffee....
5.)
KNOWLEDGE: If you are not doing a complete resto, you should know how to take effective core samples. If you are doing a complete resto you will need to know how to snatch a motor, outdrive and transom plate, how to paint with air or tip roll, how to time products so they don't expire before you use them, how to fiberglass and much more im sure im forgetting...
6.)
GREENBACKS: Yesterday my big bruh and I were out in the bay on a charter talking to a fellow fisherman about his boat, I never heard this before but he said B O A T stands for bust out another thousand!
If you are inexperienced like me in the beginning you are going to waste some resin during the learning process. Like mixing too much or too little, also consider product availability, shipping costs, product shelf life. In general the materials for boat restoration are high as a giraffes ***!
Resin and Wood being at the top. Be prepared to spend waaaayyyyy more than you initially thought. You will constantly be spending cash and all those lil things add up.
7.)
Blood, sweat and tears: You have to be the kind of guy who doesnt mind getting dirty, hot and sweaty and physically tired. You have to have the determination of a juggernaut!! This aint for everybody. I love my brothers dearly but I havent asked them to help me throughout my entire restoration because I know they just aint that type of guys. Even when we were kids, theyd get a toy and just sit there in the shade and play with it, I would get a toy and instead of playing with it I would set it down and build a catapult to shoot it across the yard! LOL I was always making all sorts of moddified toys, building stuff, experimenting with electricity, all ways had a pick up truck, always had tools.
8.)
Tips: Weigh the boat before you start the project, document the deconstruction, take lots of pictures, save your old parts sometimes they are good templates, dont get discouraged, take good notes of measurements, always wear a respirator when kicking up dust, post some pics of your boat and dont be shy about asking questions, explore good resources, woodonglass, friscoboater, georgesalmon, tpinfield, corgen1, the list goes on and on....
By no stretch of the imagination am I trying to discourage you, just want you to think about a few things. You are definitely in the right place here on the forum. You couldnt ask for a better group of guys to share you restoration with. Everyone here is also very helpful and encouraging. The finished product will be very rewarding and you'll have the confidence knowing that everything was done right!!
I dont think the fish finder will do you any good as i dont belive i have the transdeucer or the mph paddle wheel thingy, plus its kinda dated... For 200 bucks you can get a portable sonar called deeper. I was really skeptical when i was doing my research on it. I got it and was blown away, it works and works very well. It wont reel your line or steer the boat but it will show you where the fish are, the bottom, the temperature and the vegitation. I found a nice largie using the deeper and caught it! I'll put a lil clip of it in an upcoming vid.
I wish you all the best and may your four and a half inch flap disc stay gritty!!
