Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

[laurentide]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Just a tip on the warped wood...
Sometimes it works better if you cut the pieces you need out of the warped wood, then try to flatten it best as possible before you are ready to install...
The method to this mad concept is that if you are going to use the wood for decking, you might actually want it to have a little bit of a dip, either towards the center or the outer edges for drainage reasons, and you can cut the wood in the best possible direction for that purpose...
The other is that you might be using a much smaller piece for a bulkhead, filler, etc...and that smaller piece may be easier to "flatten" out than a whole sheet...
2? worth, minus Uncle Sam's cut=.0005?

Cool man, thanks for the tips. I'll definitely give it a shot this way, as that all makes sense. They're not terrible, but they ain't straight, neither.

Really just an experiment here, as I found this stuff in my shed from a long ago wood stripping project:

My wife is a baker, so I'm mostly using parchment sheets to keep it wet (we have a lifetime supply):

I'll shoot it with the PW tomorrow evening and see what happens. Maybe nothing, maybe I won't have to paint the bottom. That would be ideal.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Chem - What are you doing? Using the tinny as a baking sheet? LOL An innovating idea for sure. Kinda like bikini waxing.

 

[laurentide]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

We use the resources available to us . Just thinking here, I used a turkey baster to squirt fuel into an engine cylinder the other day. The rolling pin may even get its day in the sun during vinyl application, though I may have to be more discreet when borrowing that gadget.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Just don't stir epoxy or paint with the Admiral's mixer. The blender works better. :lol:

 

[laurentide]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

I haven't ordered any of my vinyl yet despite what I said in an earlier post, but I'm wondering if anyone has used the "naugahyde" marine stuff for non-flooring structural applications, e.g. side panels, splashwell sliders, and bulkheads. I'm going to be squeezing my budget pretty hard to get this thing ready for this summer, and that savings (if I just get enough nautolex for the deck panels) could buy a basic vhf or something. Just curious as to whether or not it's durable. Thanks gents.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Can't see why it wouldn't be. I carpeted mine. Looks good with the vinyl. The splashwell sliders I think would look best not wrapped with something.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w200/ezmobee/New Boat/DSCF2502.jpg

 

[laurentide]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Cool, thanks EZ. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the slider finish. I'd like to do ply frames with perforated metal panels, but what covers them kind of depends on my carpentry skills on that given day. I'm pretty much a hack with the big boy tools, but sometimes it works.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

I was really surprised how well the marine vinyl held up on my side panels. After 45 years the only bad spots were where the panels were rotted in the corners. The rest was almost perfect, faded some but none of my POs knew you can cover a boat when it's not on the water.

One of the SS restos, Bunker's I think had vinyl covered sliders. If I remember, he had problems making it smooth on the inside corners. He used perfed metal for the centers.

EDIT - You mentioned carpentry skills. I measure with a micrometer, mark with a piece of chalk and cut it with an ax. Yeah, my skills are lacking. :facepalm:

 

[laurentide]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Thanks, GB. I'll go with the plain marine vinyl for all the stuff that won't be stepped on. And I'll think about maybe just paint or varnish on the slider frames...I can see how the vinyl wrap may be problematic.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

I haven't ordered any of my vinyl yet despite what I said in an earlier post, but I'm wondering if anyone has used the "naugahyde" marine stuff for non-flooring structural applications, e.g. side panels, splashwell sliders, and bulkheads. I'm going to be squeezing my budget pretty hard to get this thing ready for this summer, and that savings (if I just get enough nautolex for the deck panels) could buy a basic vhf or something. Just curious as to whether or not it's durable. Thanks gents.

Another option you may want to consider for your non-decking plywood/wood is one of the lighter colored roll on truck bed liners. They're durable, washable and easy to apply... and when done properly they don't look too bad either.

 

[laurentide]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

^^Thanks jig, I'll do some research on that stuff. That could be a winner in many of my categories; cheap, easy, and long lasting.

This is just the first product that popped up in a search: http://www.nonslipcoating.com/colorchart.htm

Decent color selection. I'm wondering about coverage, though, at that price. I'll check some other brands and do an iboats search.

And Grizzly Grip looks good, too. Hmmm...

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

This is just the first product that popped up in a search: Do It Yourself Bed Liner Paint Colors & Prices

Durabak has been used on quite a few restos. Glass & tin.

 

[sprintst]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

I'm pretty sure this Durabak is never lifting off this deck The stuff is tough but a little hard to clean. I'd like to see a review of Kiwigrip as that would be the stuff I'd try next.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Durabak has been used on quite a few restos. Glass & tin.

Like a '63 Jet I saw somewhere. I think the final removal solution was a jackhammer.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Like a '63 Jet I saw somewhere. I think the final removal solution was a jackhammer.

That whole ordeal def took the wind outta my Jet sail :blue: :cold:

It was the plasticized rubber bedliner, possibly Hercu-Liner.... Herculean effort to remove for sure.

Those pink styro packing peanuts used for 'flotation' were just great too :facepalm:

 

[laurentide]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

Thanks for the info on Durabak, everyone. One gallon of the smooth stuff should cover all my non-deck plywood. I'll just go ahead and order it, as well as some fairing compound with the epoxy order to smooth out the BC panels. This could also be a good product for the cabin berths, whenever I get to those.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

I'd like to see a review of Kiwigrip as that would be the stuff I'd try next.

A friend of mine used it. He seems to like it but I'm not real impressed. It just doesn't seem to offer anything you couldn't achieve with Rustoleum and some non-slip additive or a textured roller.

 

[laurentide]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

I've gotta say, I LOVE the look of bare aluminum. This was just an experiment with some old stripper eek I had laying around, and it hasn't been above 40 F since I put it on. The transom plus the starboard bottom (I had to right the boat today because of all that white stuff you see in my yard...yeah, it's April 12th here too...) represent probably an hour of time applying the stripper and pressure washing with the turbo tip.

These are cell phone pics, so it's a little hard to differentiate between paint/metal in this light, but it looks sweet. And it was easy, though the bottom needs another application. I think I'm gonna keep going with this.

I'll probably just let it oxidize, and perhaps add a tiny bit of trim color up near the gunwales, a la the Alumaweld look.

It just doesn't seem to offer anything you couldn't achieve with Rustoleum and some non-slip additive or a textured roller.

Dude, I've been thinking about this all day at work. I could just Rusto everything that I need covered on this boat and save a bunch of cash for other purchases (bimini's ain't cheap!). I'm really flaky sometimes: Nautolex, Durabak, Naugahyde....or cheap and easy Rustoleum with grit on the deck. :noidea:

It's supposed to be "rough and ready" and all....

Cheers.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

CW - Jason's preferred deck finish is "cheap and easy Rustoleum with grit on the deck". I think he used a cheap bag of playground sand from the Big Box sprinkled between coats.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Rough and ready '74 Starcraft Chieftan 18' rebuild

bimini's ain't cheap!

They're kinda cheap here: RV Covers : Trailer Covers : Boat Bimini : Golf Cart Covers : SafeGuardCovers.com That's where I got mine. I'm pleased with it for the price.