Project Fuggly - No Longer Fuggly And Splashed!!!!!!

[gm280]

I will most likely stay with the aluminum Gomo, hopefully I can clean up the existing one. The problem with new aluminum is its expensive and the shipping is usually as much as the rub rail. I went thorough that on Miss Morgan. I finally bought it from west Marine, and had it shipped to the store for free. Only problem is the store is in Tulsa, about a 3 hour round trip. I think the shipping on Miss Morgans was going to be about $300. I have found a profile that looks like mine, its about 90$ per 12' stick. I think it would take4 maybe 5 to replace all of it on Fuggly. The bow is the worst of of it....so we'll see.

It is amazing what some little effort and attention to aluminum railing can yield. My rub rail looked gone. But I took a block sander and did a crude flattening of the really questionable areas with fairly aggressive grit paper and then proceeded to sand down the rail with progressively higher grits of sand paper untiI I got to the point to swap over to polish. And that old cruddy aluminum rail looks like chrome with a mirror finish now. So give it a try before abandoning it. You may be surprised. Even dents and twists can be pushed out and and straightened then polished. And that can be done with lots of aluminum parts not just rub railing. JMHO

 

[archbuilder]

Keith I did the drive for sure! But I still had to shell out the bucks for the rub rail!

GM my main concern is some of the dents in the rail are pretty dep. I can pull some of them out, but some my require me to weld in some filler metal and grind down. Ug! Just something I hadn't thought through....I have a full set of 8" buffing wheels and lots of rouge for them. I used to polish aluminum fuel tanks at the body shop in high school along with a lot of other stuff....dirty job for sure, but not as bad as the sand blasting!

For now I'm going to focus on the trailer....baby steps! I'm sure the rub rail will be back on the front burner soon! I am planning on starting the boat / other stuff in the way shuffle tomorrow night. I have a pretty open holiday weekend, so back to welding and paint prep for the trailer.

 

[Vintage Rider]

After seeing what you did with Miss Morgan I bought an old Cee Bee with an almost identical hull. The PO had removed the rubrail and threw it away. After Ilearned how expensive new rubrails were I started looking for another cheap old boat. $100.00 (same price I paid for the Cee Bee) bought a good rubrail, some hardware in excellent condition and a 60 horse Johnson that may or may not be worth having. I'm not sure how I'm going to get the alumium to bend properly around the stern but I've got all winter to figure that out. It will fit fine around the rest of the boat. Just a thought but now is a good time of year to find one.

 

[WOEISMEIGOTTA470]

There's a fatal flaw in all that nice bodywork and paint Arch...she's no longer Fuggly!! Love the color!

 

[Decker83]

Fuggly has turned into a master piece..:first:
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family..

 

[mickyryan]

you know , you may have ruined that whole you cant put lipstick on a pig analagy! lol

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks guys, I'm sure Fuggly is enjoying her new makeup. I'm going to do the shuffle things around and get her back in the other shop today. I want to add a couple more things to the trailer before I pull her off. The welding never seems to end with this thing!

 

[gm280]

I didn't know you could weld fiberglass. ound:

 

[Patfromny]

It's gonna be Fuggly on Frankentrailer when your done welding. how about some cup holders on the trailer while your at it? There is never anywhere to put your beer when loading or unloading right? I mean,never mind, just kidding, boat responsibility.

 

[archbuilder]

You can GM....but its not pretty

Pat, I the more I fuss with this trailer, the more I realize it was really under built for this boat. I still have that flexing issue up by the bow. Its a lot better, but I am still not happy with it. I also want to add guide post at the back. The ram I use the most typically has a slight cross wind. No problem with Miss Morgan, the insides of the fenders are padded. I just leave them slightly above the water and they keep her from spinning round. Given Fuggly has a side cross section like an oil tanker, I think I would regret not having guide post at the back! Hadn't thought of a cup holder.....I do have some oil field pipe that is about 3"......hmmmmm..... :bounce:

 

[archbuilder]

I got the boat and other things shuffle done today. Plus did a lot of cleaning. I wrapped up this evening by installing a 2x3 tube on the bottom of the 3x4 tube for the trailer tongue.



That was a lot of 1" welds......I kept thinking " am I there yet" lol!

That seem to help a bunch. Still bounces more than I would like, but a lot better! Tomorrow I will build some guide post on the back, do some measuring and then take her off the trailer. I still think I will box the cross member the tube attaches to in back. I may box the channels on the side....it would look better and be a lot stiffer! I really don't think I have added much weight at this point. The old bow stop and pipe for the tongue weighed a ton. I will probably go wit 1/8" plate for any boxing, so it really shouldn't add much too it. At this point building a new trailer might have been a simpler option!

 

[jbcurt00]

Looking good Arch.

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks JB.

Has anyone tried this, super alloy 5? I'm thinking maybe you Tinny guys know something about it.

http://muggyweld.com/super-alloy-5

I came across a video on you tube this morning showing them repairing some aluminum car trim. Made me think it might work to fix some of the dings on the rub rail. I was toying with doing that with a tig, but this might be an easier option. Especially since I have very little tig time. supposedly it polishes up well.

 

[archbuilder]

By the way I was thinking about it this morning, and I think I am going to replace the rear crossmeber that the tube attaches too. That is the weakest link and boxing would help...but it is still a 3" channel. I think I have some 2x4 tube that would work a lot better. Anyhow that is after I get her off the trailer. I'm headed out to weld on the guide post and take a few measurements. Hopefully this afternoon I can get her off the trailer.

 

[gm280]

Arch, two things. If that low temp welding sticks flows and matches the other aluminum, I think it would polish out nicely. I've seen it before on TV, but never used any myself. On the trailer tongue, are you going to fill in between the welds? I ask because it seem a great place for water to get in and stay there to rust. IDK. Just wondering.

 

[jbcurt00]

Never seen Super Alloy 5 before.

The torch stcks used by some have had a wide range of reviews, from worst product ever to great, aorked as advertised.

Most iboatets that used a similar product didnt think it was ideal for all applications, didnt think it worked well or that it'd be long lasting/permanent repair on the hull.... Some of those did admit that user error probably didnt help...

Different product, used on trim, in a capable users hands, sure it could work, and work well.

Whats a pack if sticks going to run ya, delivered?

 

[gomopar440]

If he closes those gaps in the welds up, wouldn't that trap any water that got in there. Sounds like darned if you do, darned if you don't. I'm no welder by any means, so...

When I had a lot of sheet metal replaced on the last '70 Challenger (the car, not the boat) I was building, the shop used a weld through primer for all raw metal surfaces that wouldn't be paintable after the panels were installed. Might be a little late to offer that suggestion, now that the front tongue reinforcement is already welded on though.:facepalm:

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks for the thoughts on the aluminum brazing sticks. JB I haven't priced them yet.....that is a ways down the road but I am curious what they want for them.

GM you are correct that is a good place for rust and Gomo the weld through primer would help for sure. My plan is to seal the joint up as good as possible. Wire brush and grind it, then fill it with Duraglass ( sort of like peanut butter in a can used it on the back deck). Grind it then finish it with bondo. I will also cap the ends of the tubes and dress the joint up. I will drill drain holes, I try to do that in all tubes.

Got the guides on today. Scribed the angle using the hull and some blocks. Thought I got a pic but guess not. Then I cut off the old guide pipes.



Here is the bottom cap of one of the guide tubes, note the drain hole. I'm using square tube with 2x4s and carpet bolted to them.



Tacked in place.



Ready for pulling it off the trailer, but I realized I have to do it differently with the guides on .....duh. So I think I am going to study that tomorrow and see what I come up with. Shouldn't be too bad but I don't want to drop her!

 

[sphelps]

I guess there's many ways to make them but aren't guide post taller ? Above the rub rails ?

 

[mickyryan]

id go above the rub rails and put some blocks with carpet on them rails to protect the sides