The well traveled 1979 Starcraft 18' V5 SS

[Pusher]

WM, could you post a pic of the break you mentioned? I'd like to copy some more of your ingenuity

 

[budski]

Very nice Rob

 

[Patfromny]

Nice work WM. It sure makes a difference with the right tools on hand.

 

[Watermann]

The home made metal brake is just a base 2x6 with HEAVY hinges screwed and bolted on. The bending fence is a piece of scrap 3/4" ply with bolts holding it on. For the bending brace I use a piece of 1/2" angle steel (oh no it touches AL ) I use 2 large hex head wood lag screws to secure the angle steel to the bottom 2x6 sandwiching the AL to be bent. The 2x6 is clamped to the table and I use two more bar clamps on the ply fence for handles. The only pic I have doesn't show the angle steel I use for the bend, I can mock up something in it after work and post a pic but it's a pretty simplistic device that works for small pieces of AL.I also used it to fab up the hull stiffeners I put in the Chief.

 

[jasoutside]

That's cool WM! I've been thinking about building some sort of break for the work we do, thanks for the ideas :thumb:

 

[Pusher]

Thats slick and affordable! I love that you could store it easily too.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[crankbait cowboy]

looking great h20 and real nice progress, and glad I landed on your bow lights ( thinking of stealing your idea ) along with bracket on transom. been far to long for me, getting back into my own project, but after following your progress, the urge is growing

 

[Watermann]

Snapped a few pics of the brake at lunch.

 

[Watermann]

The brake looks like it could be shorter and yeah it could be, the other end has screw holes and markings on it for for larger pieces. Like for the hull stiffeners I got the first one just right and then used a sharpie to outline where it was and the remaining dozens of them were easy to reproduce then. The other end also has holes to accommodates a larger piece of angle iron for the bending brace.

 

[Pusher]

Considering the guage of aluminum that looks to be, you're getting an impressive radius. Very nice!

 

[Brackett221]

Hey WM, If your worried about the Al. to steel contact... You could lay a small piece of plastic between the steel and Al.(like a piece of trash bag). I own a sheet metal break and when I buy powder coated or mirror polished Al., it comes with a plastic coating on the outside of the AL. so you will not mess up the finish (from the steel dies) after you bend it. After bending it you peel of the plastic and it has zero tooling marks! If you have a scrap piece of AL. laying around try it and see it it works. :thumb:

Slick little wood brake buy the way!

 

[Watermann]

Thanks Brackett but I was poking fun at the OCD types, that's not me. :lol:

Just about have all the wiring finished now, just a few wires to run for some LED lighting.

So then I started thinking about what's left and not so much finished now.

I have to find an ignition on hot wire inside the side mount motor controls for the fuel gauge and volt meter.
Then there's the kill switch this boat wasn't equipped with that I'll be installing, also from a wire inside the controls.
Oh and the sender wire for the tach. :facepalm:

Everything so far is cleaned up nice and inside the plastic conduit.

I have both of the front console panels finished now and test fit the helm side so I could wire up the push button to a hidden horn.

 

[GA_Boater]

Ya didn't hide the horn very well. LOL

The punch list is getting short. It won't be long before the splash.

 

[Watermann]

Ya didn't hide the horn very well. LOL

The punch list is getting short. It won't be long before the splash.

Yeah it's tough to hide a SS cover but I don't think you can see the ugly snail horn.

I have a ton of work and some expensive equipment yet, I'm hoping for May.

 

[GA_Boater]

Actually it looks like a courtesy light. So the function is hidden.

What day in May so we can hold your feet to the fire. :smile:

 

[jbcurt00]

I'm hoping for May.

Shoot for Thurs before Memorial weekend, ignore the fact its my birthday...

 

[crankbait cowboy]

consoles looking great h20, I was wondering what you put down under your fuel tank ( black strips in post 294 ) and how you attached them to hull , keep up the great work

 

[Watermann]

consoles looking great h20, I was wondering what you put down under your fuel tank ( black strips in post 294 ) and how you attached them to hull , keep up the great work

Thanks cc, I used 1/4" thick neoprene for the tank padding and 3M spray on adhesive to hold them in place on the AL tank support sheet.

 

[crankbait cowboy]

Thanks water, not trying to hyjack ya but after seeing your work definitely respect your opinion and have used your advice before and am sure I will again. That being said I don't have an aluminum sheet , just ribs in my ss, wondering if that neoprene on ribs under tank would suffice or a piece of marine ply sparred in bottom then neoprene then tank would be better. ( to get tank off bottom of hull a bit) Thoughts?

 

[Watermann]

Well on my Chief I used some 5200 to adhere the neoprene strips to the tops of the ribs of the poly belly tank for support which was more support than the tank had inside the Chris Craft it came from.