Evan's boat projects: floor replacement

[Evan B]

There is things they did right…and things I would do different. (And am doing different…i have the same hull in a refit process)

Your’e doing fine Evan. Solid rivets are stronger & preferred below the water line. Pop rivets are totally fine above the water line, esp for accessories.

I moved to Boise area but if you decide you want to do solid rivets. I have a rivet gun & bucking bars I can ship you to use. If you can reach both sides…then you can do them alone…otherwise you need a buddy to hold the bucking bar.

I’m in the middle of replacing a dead wooden transom with an aluminum welded one. So I feel your pain.

When I did the first refit on this Starcraft I did an under the floor 12 gallon tank vs the stock 6 gallon at the transom. That did wonders to balance the boat better.

Really appreciate that. I shouldn't need to take out any crucial solid rivets. All the rivets, both structural and not, that attach to the hull are solid on this one, but all the ones I popped are just holding accessories on and are above the water line. I have a friend here with a rivet gun he's going to lend me, so I should be good.

Gonna try and finish up cleaning out the old foam and wood splinters today. I have my wood purchased and it's very much in the way in my garage, so am motivated to get it traced and cut ASAP.

 

[Evan B]

now is a great time to put in that 1000wt bluetooth stereo system.

You're absolutely right, it is! It's going on the wakeboard tower I'm fabricating and installing on it

 

[dep]

You're absolutely right, it is! It's going on the wakeboard tower I'm fabricating and installing on it

nice!

 

[Evan B]

nice!

Nothing like throwing a fat wake and blasting tunes from your 16 foot tin boat and 40hp tiller.

 

[Evan B]

Welp she's all cleaned out and ready to start building back up.



I have a sheet of diamond plate I harvested from like... Three or four project boats ago. Got it all traced out but quickly learned this saw I got from my in laws recent move/downsizing is a piece of crap and I should probably get a new one before continuing. I have another one but it's more for light use.

Anyways, this is just for the front of the bow where I drop the anchor and all that, so wanted something a bit sturdier... And to avoid buying an additional sheet of expensive plywood.

 

[SurfnFish]

Sinve you've gone this far, considered a coat of paint on the inner hull?

 

[Evan B]

Sinve you've gone this far, considered a coat of paint on the inner hull?
View attachment 88097

What would be the benefit?

 

[SurfnFish]

What would be the benefit?

seals all rivets and seams

 

[veilside180sx]

I used coat it/gluv it on all of my rivets before putting it back together 12 years ago. Whether it made a difference…who knows lol

A new blade goes a long way to making a crappy saw livable. I replaced my Freud non-ferrous blade with a new plywood blade. New blade (despite being the incorrect usage) still cut like butter on .125 aluminum vs the old beat up one.

 

[Evan B]

I used coat it/gluv it on all of my rivets before putting it back together 12 years ago. Whether it made a difference…who knows lol

A new blade goes a long way to making a crappy saw livable. I replaced my Freud non-ferrous blade with a new plywood blade. New blade (despite being the incorrect usage) still cut like butter on .125 aluminum vs the old beat up one.

Problem with this saw is that the blade literally can't be taken off. The mechanism that locks it in place is busted, and if you manually lock the blade with vise grips or screwdriver, the bolt holding it on just rotates the motor and slips around the blade.

I did buy a new saw instead of spending more time on it

 

[veilside180sx]

Problem with this saw is that the blade literally can't be taken off. The mechanism that locks it in place is busted, and if you manually lock the blade with vise grips or screwdriver, the bold holding it on just rotates the motor and slips around the blade.

I did buy a new saw instead of spending more time on it

That’s fair. Sometimes…that is the prudent route. Lol

 

[CaddisSunset]

Since you have the floor and foam out this is a great time to drop it in a lake and check for leaks!

 

[Evan B]

Since you have the floor and foam out this is a great time to drop it in a lake and check for leaks!

No need. I used this boat a LOT this year. Not once, ever was there any water in it after I brought it in. Only time it ever had water in the hull is when I tried washing salmon blood off of it or after a rain.

 

[Evan B]

Not in any particular hurry so progress is slow. Finally got the floor pieces all cut. Next is priming the to seal em up.

Also cut a piece of diamond plate from a scrap piece I had to use for the bow deck area that attaches to the storage box.

Was actually more challenging than I anticipated because the pieces kind of fit in that indentation that goes around the edge. So it had to be more precise than it seemed. Even a half inch too much and it wouldn't slip past the overhang. Cut off too much and you have an unsightly gap.

 

[Merle]

Looks good! What kind of plywood are you using?

 

[Evan B]

Looks good! What kind of plywood are you using?

Exterior plywood. Since I'm sealing it in with marine primer, I decided it'd be plenty to do what I needed. The plywood I pulled out wasn't even that high of a grade and it lasted twenty years without any sealing on it.

 

[wanderingrichard]

I see your neighbor across the street is a boat collector. There's, what?, 5 sitting there? (latest posted picture caught it)

 

[Evan B]

I see your neighbor across the street is a boat collector. There's, what?, 5 sitting there? (latest posted picture caught it)

There's 3... kind of due to unfortunate circumstances. He's in his 70s and there's an Alumaweld Talon that's his. There's a Lund that his son in his late 30s restored 4-5yrs ago (the red one). His son died unexpectedly in 2021. Then there's a crappy fiberglass I/O boat that was his late son-in-law's that he is trying to figure out how to get rid of. So the extra two are because of unexpected deaths of son and son in law.

 

[wanderingrichard]

Wow, sounds like sales opportunities abound for him..

Trust me, I understand the sentimental factor in holding onto things. Wife wants me to get rid of my 23 yro V6 F150 because we ran out of driveway storage space

 

[Evan B]

Wow, sounds like sales opportunities abound for him..

Trust me, I understand the sentimental factor in holding onto things. Wife wants me to get rid of my 23 yro V6 F150 because we ran out of driveway storage space

Well the glass boat is basically a throwaway he just hasn't had the time or energy to deal with. The Lund now belongs to his 9yr old grandson, so it'll be his once he's old enough to take it.