Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

[Bestmason]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Hey Ed thanks for stopping by, after seeing your brake I won't be showing a pic of mine I made up in a half hour.

Just came in from the garage spending quality time with my swiss cheese gunnels, got all the holes plugged now with JB, over 100 holes, what a mess. Also beating puckered areas flat and sanding down the JB. Not sure I have the confidence in my body and fender work to make them look good after being painted.

The ideas are all do-able but the worry I have using bondo/epoxy type stuff is how hard it gets and that it would crack after a while from flexing and going in and out stepping on the gunnels.

WM I have the same problem on my gunnels except my holes are 2" in diameter where the PO mounted rod holders through gunnel about 10. Will JB fill that those holes? Looks like new sheet aluminum is in my future:bounce:

 

[weareallnuts]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

The engine in a basket. Actually I got a bin with 2 x 2.5 L Chev Iron Dukes (Mercruiser 120). I should have 2 sets of everything but I haven't inventoried the heap yet.

Also in the deal were 3 outdrives.

Seems folks have a strong negative opinion about the 470 4-cylinder mercruiser...My first boat (1986-1999) had the straight 6 model, "out of the same mold" so to speak. It was a GREAT motor and outdrive, tough, economical, plenty of torgue and fast enough. What's the issue with the 470s??

The tin addiction IS strong on i-boats! Just so you know, even though my present project is a Penn Yan, I have a tinny, too -- '86 Grumman Ski-n-Fish. Nice boat!

Thanks!
Peter in SC -- we had a winter storm here this week...1/2" or less of ice-snow, closed schools, govt (of course), bridges for three days! In defense, it was cold -- mid 20's. Today, it will be 70!

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Thanks for motoring by my dry dock guys and welcome to the insanity Peter.

Well besides watching the Hawks tear the orange traffic cones a new one, I got to do some finishing touches on at least one of the swiss cheese gunnels. I'm not much of a body and fender man but I was able to make the first one at least passable for me. This one had around 68 holes in it that had to be pounded out, filled and sanded.

I got a bit carried away with the MT when filling pits and dents so it took some time to get the thing looking right before the SE and top primer.

 

[dozerII]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

What holes, looks in primo shape to me :lol: Nice job

 

[classiccat]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks good Agua! Clean-slate for the next "drill-tard" :lol:

Congrats on the Seahawks win last night...very impressive!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks GREAT cross country.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Yeah they both look great from across the country now! Well the one is still sporting her green coat right now, needs some drying time before the top primer.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

WM I have the same problem on my gunnels except my holes are 2" in diameter where the PO mounted rod holders through gunnel about 10. Will JB fill that those holes? Looks like new sheet aluminum is in my future:bounce:

Oh yeah I almost forgot to pass this along to you from a few pages back by dozer. Good way to patch up those big gaping holes.

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...tarcraft-chieftain-611434-13.html#post4468190

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

All of the parts and pieces of the Chief that were winter busy work are now done and behind me.

So now the big tin is in da house!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Nice photo she look a lot bigger than 18' in that shotarty:

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Yep ^^

Looks like a good fit for working on it, let the bulk of the rebuilding begin

 

[dozerII]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Inside and going back together, that has to feel good.

 

[classiccat]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Oh yeah! You've eclipsed the stage of 1-step-forward-2-steps-back!

you left ample room for the fridge-door to open The question is, can you get refills from inside the boat??

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Nice photo she look a lot bigger than 18' in that shotarty:

Yeah I thought that half way through the tear down!

Yep ^^

Looks like a good fit for working on it, let the bulk of the rebuilding begin

Working on it outside was not an option, was -4 here yesterday but the weathers fine inside!

Inside and going back together, that has to feel good.

Got a bunch of clean up work on the hull left to do, then MT and Gluvit applications to follow.

Oh yeah! You've eclipsed the stage of 1-step-forward-2-steps-back!

you left ample room for the fridge-door to open The question is, can you get refills from inside the boat??

and of course the Aluma-agra to rattle in. :encouragement:

Yeah lots of room for the fridge door but I have to get a longer tap hose to reach into the boat.

 

[Weep'n Willy]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Working indoors is a bonus this winter.....polar vortex or whatever they are calling it has completely froze my brain.

 

[Bestmason]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

WM I was trying to catch you but I have to go back to work Monday. I will have 2-3 weekends I can work on her but after that it is 6 12 hr days a week for 3 months. But keep up the good work WM I will watch and learn. The gunnels look great. ED

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Got a new line of rivets down each side of the hull...

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks like some hull stiffeners are in da house!

 

[classiccat]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Got a new line of rivets down each side of the hull...

come'on man, quit being such a tease

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Man you guys are right on it tonight... :lol: My hull stiffener dilemma goes like this...

I started drilling out the side and bottom seam rivets to install the braces. These were the tightest most stubborn rivets I've ever seen. So I popped the heads and tried to drive them out with a punch. No go, it was actually bending the aluminum out of shape and looked to be breaking the seal between the 2 pieces! Only way to finish getting them out was to drill the whole rivet shaft out.

Having only 130 rivets to go :blue: and the thought of breaking the seal between the side and bottom on the seam I decided to try something else. It will either work forever or only last another 40 years.

I bedded the rivet line with a large amount of 5200, seated the braces in it and then drove in 4 rivets, 2 in the bottom, 2 on the side with a bead of 5200 around the rivets we drove in. Anyway this is what the end result looks like. Without having the rib end with a bend in them too it would **** the ribs up off the bottom. Putting the braces between the ribs and up the side should cure the issue of spray rail cracking and give more strength to the bottom.

I guess it is what it is now but when moving the side, it no longer flexes at the center of the splash rail, it's been transferred up above the braces.