Restoring childhood boat. A 1972 Ranger. Help needed (pictures).

[sphelps]

The chunk of wood somewhat glassed in is interesting .. With no stringers or deck up there I guess they put it in to keep the hull from flexing while riding over wakes .. :noidea:
Looks like a great place to add some storage maybe ...

 

[DeepBlue2010]

The chunk of wood somewhat glassed in is interesting .. With no stringers or deck up there I guess they put it in to keep the hull from flexing while riding over wakes .. :noidea:
Looks like a great place to add some storage maybe ...

This was my thought as well. I don't think it is for deck support

 

[gm280]

Just some interesting ideas. If that deck wasn't there for anything, and it actually seems that way, you could raise it to the top of the hull lip and make it useful as a trolling motor support AND under storage space. Because I don't see it as a seat platform that far forward. Just an idea. :noidea:

 

[artfan1]

Now you're beginning to see why we say you'll have a boat that's better than factory new when you are done. You will make improvements on what they "SHOULD HAVE DONE" at the factory back in the day!!!:facepalm: It WILL be better and more structurally sound. Your GrandKids will be able to enjoy this boat when the time comes. Keep on keepin on and you'll be on the water next season enjoying the fruits of your labor!!!

Yep and I can't wait!:whoo:

The chunk of wood somewhat glassed in is interesting .. With no stringers or deck up there I guess they put it in to keep the hull from flexing while riding over wakes .. :noidea: Looks like a great place to add some storage maybe ...

I plan to replace it just in case it does support the hull. It's not very neatly placed so I had another thought about what it was used for.

Maybe that block of wood was just something to grab onto when pulling it out of the mold during the manufacturing process. They might have hooked onto the transom or something temporarily attached to the transom and that end. Then they needed something at the bow to hook to, and this block is ideally placed for that. Rather then cutting it off, they just covered it up with that ledge.
You can see this in this video of a newer Ranger boat factory tour.

Just some interesting ideas. If that deck wasn't there for anything, and it actually seems that way, you could raise it to the top of the hull lip and make it useful as a trolling motor support AND under storage space. Because I don't see it as a seat platform that far forward. Just an idea. :noidea:

Yes, I did think about raising the first (large) deck a little just to allow for a recessed trolling motor foot pedal. The seat would be placed where the old one was for the operator. I would love to hide all those cables and cords to the tolling motor.

That front upper ledge is big enough to place your tackle box or use as a foot rest but that's about it. The shape of the cap does have an area to mount the trolling motor already.

(Flashback photos)

There is a large void under the cap and above that top deck/ledge. It's useless space as far as I am concerned. I don't think the trolling motor's cable can be routed through there very well. There were 3 pieces of plywood vertically holding the inside edge of the cap. They had rotted and broke, so it would be nice to fill that in so that it had cleaner lines.

Here's a before shot of the front deck as a reminder of what it looked like.

Back to grinding...

 

[gm280]

Art, after being refreshed with the before pictures, it seem like they made that little raised platform merely to cover the bow rise area and to make it look better. I do see where the trolling motor was mounted and yes you have plenty of area(s) to mount any type trolling motor on the cap lip. Maybe raise the little platform section up high enough to accommodate tackle box storage or something like that. :noidea:

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

I vote it's a stiffener as the keel board doesn't go up that far.

Maybe I missed layout plans thus far but I'd be temped to do a more modern decked layout with a two chair pit at the console. That make any sense?

No matter how you lay it out with a newer drive by wire TM you should easily be able to do a much better job of hiding the control wires than what was there in you before pics.

 

[artfan1]

I vote it's a stiffener as the keel board doesn't go up that far.

Maybe I missed layout plans thus far but I'd be temped to do a more modern decked layout with a two chair pit at the console. That make any sense?

No matter how you lay it out with a newer drive by wire TM you should easily be able to do a much better job of hiding the control wires than what was there in you before pics.

I like your idea for the layout however, that type of layout isn't going to work in my case. This old style bass boat is much too narrow in my opinion, to allow for the side by side chair pit used in modern bass boats. Modern Rangers have around 8' width to them but this one is under 5' on the inside.

I haven't considered changing much anyway because this boat is very sentimental to me and as odd as it might sound, the layout/location of the seating has a real meaning to me and my two younger brothers. Where we sat was a constant issue as small kids.

Although I do want to clean up lines, tighten up the construction and modernize minor details such as the carpet, the rest needs (for me anyway) to be pretty close to what it always was. I even considered installing the green astroturf as my parents had installed the weekend they brought it home from Ranger. Instead, I will go with a more modern carpet. I was also thinking that the storage compartment doors could be recessed and have latches on them and that would not change too much but allow the function to be a little bit better.

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

I haven't considered changing much anyway because this boat is very sentimental to me and as odd as it might sound, the layout/location of the seating has a real meaning to me and my two younger brothers. Where we sat was a constant issue as small kids.

I totally get that.

Though a little voice in my head just whispered "Someones gonna finally get the good seat all the time" :laugh:

 

[gm280]

I totally get that.

Though a little voice in my head just whispered "Someones gonna finally get the good seat all the time" :laugh:

Truck, I don't actually know what seat would be the best seat. Some think the front is the best because you get to fish the water first. But I would swap with folks that thought that and once they were sitting up front and operating the trolling motor and such, I would easily out fish them from the back seat. It is all on how you look at it. JMHO!

 

[artfan1]

Well, there was "the best seat" while the boat was moving, then there was "the best seat" while fishing.

The way it worked was, when we were really little (from about age 7 to pre teen), my dad would have us set on the floor of the boat when he was driving fast. So from point A to point B. We loved it because this boat was a little bumpy over wakes and we would hop up and down on the floor. :bouncelus, water would splash in sometimes and soak us. We thought it was awesome.

After we found a good spot to fish, the seat assignment was usually assigned by my dad. If we were trolling, he would take the front deck and run the TM. If not, then one of us would take that seat first, then we would rotate every half hour or so. :bump2:

When my dad was going to let us "help" drive the boat, that person would take the spot right next to him on the bench a.k.a. pole and paddle storage, until he would have us stand in front of him taking the helm.

Honestly my favorite seat most all of the time was the back seat. You can see me there in the very first photo of this thread. That seat could spin all the way around and while facing starboard, port or stern, you had a foot rest. Plus you were never in anyone's way so you didn't have to move all the time.

My dad told me that once I have this boat completed and I can take him out fishing in it, he agrees to sit on the floor when I am going fast. Of course, my youngest little boy will be setting right there next to him.

... I know I will insist he drives and I'll sit on the floor for old times sake.

 

[gm280]

art, nice background story. I would do the same. :thumb:

As hard as it is to believe, I actually liked my sons and wife to catch fish better then I. Somehow I got more enjoyment out of it.

 

[artfan1]

I have the major grinding on the hull complete. I still have some detail grinding to do but I needed to prepare the boat for winter. I originally planned on putting the whole thing in storage until spring but I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 10? x 20? portable garage and will make use of that instead.

There is always a chance for a few decent days throughout the winter and it would allow me to do some work or at least go take measurements if needed.

Anyway, so far the total count on weight removed during grinding is 74.6 pounds. That is just dust weight collected in the filter bags.

Here?s a shot of both the bow and stern directions. I had just power washed it before taking the photos so the dark areas are because it?s is still wet in spots.

I do have a few trouble spots, including areas that are very thin and/or went through the gelcoat :frusty:.

There are also several areas that still need to be ground to remove contaminants. Mostly in the corners where the stern meets the sides. As you can see, this is also where things got really thin or went through.

I don?t know why these areas were so nasty but I just kept trying to remove the dark dirty areas and they never end. So I went through.

How much of the corners do I need to clean out based on what you can see here? I need to find a smaller detailing grinder. I have some of these rotary rasp bits from Harbor Freight. I don?t know if they will even work but I plan to try.

Some of the holes that were put there when installing a depth finder, need to go away. Should I drill those out a little larger to clean up the holes? You can see they are black inside and I assume that would contaminate the new resin.

I still have to grind the compartments that were removed. (It seems like the grinding never ends.) By the way, just as a side note. The hardest part about the grinding is the visibility. For me anyway. I fought the fogging of my goggles non stop and it made my progress slow down a lot. If I could go back and change anything, I would have invested in a full face mask with a positive clean air flow hose attached. When I first looked at those, I couldn't justify the $200-$400 cost. Now I consider that a good deal and it would have saved me at least a few weeks of grinding time. That's my only regret.

 

[gm280]

Bravo art Bravo. I applaud your work and now you see that EVERYBODY grinds through here and there. It is all part of the grinding process, and certainly not a big deal. You will fix those issue easily. And seeing that 10 x 20 foot setup, winter shouldn't hold you back too much. Especially if you use some type heater setup to work. As for getting into those tight areas, try something like this;

With these attached;

They come in 4", 2" and 1" sizes for those corner areas. And the are amazing at how well they work. You can buy them on EBay real cheap with the arbors and once you use them, you will wonder how you lived without them. JMHO!

 

[gm280]

Sorry for the huge pictures, when I posted they were mere 2" by 2" is size. Seem the posting program like them bigger. :noidea:

 

[Woodonglass]

WOW, You went Above and Beyond when it comes to grinding. In reality only the areas where new glass will be attached needs to be ground down and really clean. That IS impressive. For SURE that boat will be BETTER THAN FACTORY when she's back together. Again, WOW!!!!!!

I agree with GM, with a Kerosene blow heater you could easily heat that Vinyl Garage and get some work days in there this winter. Lot's of other guys have done it. You can also tent the area in the boat you're working on and use a couple of infrared heat lamps inside the tented area and do glass work too. As long as you can keep the work are above 60 for about 4 hrs and then maintain about 30 for another 12 hrs you're golden.

 

[artfan1]

gm280, is that a die grinder? In this case, a right angled die grinder? I've looked at those at Harbor Freight. I'll pick one up along with some of those small wheels. They have those too I think. If not, I will look online as you recommended.
And yes, I do have a heater ready to go. :target:

WOW, You went Above and Beyond when it comes to grinding. In reality only the areas where new glass will be attached needs to be ground down and really clean. That IS impressive. For SURE that boat will be BETTER THAN FACTORY when she's back together. Again, WOW!!!!!!

I agree with GM, with a Kerosene blow heater you could easily heat that Vinyl Garage and get some work days in there this winter. Lot's of other guys have done it. You can also tent the area in the boat you're working on and use a couple of infrared heat lamps inside the tented area and do glass work too. As long as you can keep the work are above 60? for about 4 hrs and then maintain about 30? for another 12 hrs you're golden.

Yea, I figured I was overdoing it by cleaning the entire hull but my thought was to get all the grinding done and not find out later I needed to grind an area that wasn't. Really, when you figure in the tabbing for the stringers, (4" on both sides, as per your tutorial), then the floor tabbing, then the cap and so on, there really isn't a lot of space left that won't have new glass on it. I know the bow under the new deck will have lots but it was just so nasty looking I wanted to clean her up.

I doubt I will be able to do any glass work in the hull this winter due to the fact that the hull needs to be squared and leveled better before I can do any of that, right? There is a twist in the hull that I need to correct before the transom and stringers are laid in. I put the cap back on for now, just so it's in a safe place. It's easy to remove and replace so I figured it should remain on the hull except when I need it out of my way.

My thoughts were to create a template for the new transom and get that built and glassed over the winter. And maybe make the stringer material by laminating the plywood and glassing that too. If I get those all ready, then in the spring, I can square things up and start putting them in. I know I am getting ahead of myself but it's getting closer to the fun stuff all the time. :rofl:

 

[gm280]

Yes Art that is a standard die grinder that uses air, and it really doesn't take a lot of air for them to do their job either. So most any compressor will work. And those little 2" roloc "R" disks come in all grit sizes. I like the 2" the best, but for really tight areas the 1" can work too. I think you will like that little setup.

As far as the heat in the tent goes, you would be amaze how little it takes to heat such an area and continue work. So many others have done it without issues. Really nice grinding job again! You now can help and explain to others when they have to do with their projects starting on these forums. :thumb:

 

[Woodonglass]

I doubt I will be able to do any glass work in the hull this winter due to the fact that the hull needs to be squared and leveled better before I can do any of that, right? There is a twist in the hull that I need to correct before the transom and stringers are laid in. I put the cap back on for now, just so it's in a safe place. It's easy to remove and replace so I figured it should remain on the hull except when I need it out of my way.

My thoughts were to create a template for the new transom and get that built and glassed over the winter. And maybe make the stringer material by laminating the plywood and glassing that too. If I get those all ready, then in the spring, I can square things up and start putting them in. I know I am getting ahead of myself but it's getting closer to the fun stuff all the time. :rofl:

The hull needs to be back as close to it's original shape as possible in order for the cap to fit back on properly. I'd concentrate on patching all the holes and re-enforcing all the thin spots in the hull on the inside. Tenting each area where you were doing the patch work would allow you to do the glass work with no problems. Then when the patch work on the inside was all done, I think if it were me, I'd build a low cradle and get some friends to help me get her off the trailer and down onto the cradle and flipped upside down. I'd then spend the winter working on the bottom of the hull getting it all smoothed and filled and patched and ready to Paint first thing in the spring. Then you could flip her back over and start putting her back together.

But...like I always say, IAM just an Old Dumb Okie soooo, you should prolly just cover her up and go inside and stay warm!!!!

 

[artfan1]

WOG, I'm not sure I will be able to pull off building a cradle and then swap the trailer, boat and dolly before snow fall, but I will certainly try. Here in Illinois the weather changes so fast. Two days ago we were dealing with 60 mph winds and I'm sure snow will come soon enough. If I am able to work on a cradle for the purpose of flipping the boat, are you talking about a dolly like you built here?

As for the flipping process, I have some questions.
I noticed that with your Flamingo, the cap was on the boat when you flipped it. Since mine is loose from the hull, we are dealing with an uneven edge. Does that matter? The top edge of the hull is not even and is thin in spots due to the fact that I couldn't see what I was doing when I separated the cap from the hull and my blade wandered around. Will I be fixing that top edge before the flip? I assume it needs to be evened up at some point, somehow.

If I am unable to flip the boat before winter, I can still work on filling holes and thin spots. But first I need to finish cleaning up the dirty corners and tight areas.

 

[Woodonglass]

I wouldn't worry about the edge to much right now. Like I said, I'd get the holes fixed on the inside then screw some 1x2's around the top edges and then screw some 1x2's across the beam at 3-4 points and flip her onto a cradle like I built. Then work on the bottom. Believe me I UNDERSTAND the weather. Here In OKIELAND we say if you don't like the weather just wait a MINUTE!!!!! It's been pretty good so far but...It'll change I'm sure. Keep up the good work and like I said, don't worry to much about the areas that won't be recieving new glass. It really won't matter in the end.