Beginning my 14 ft lowe jon boat reconversion

[TheBassinBarber]

Hello everyone, I purchased my 14ft jon boat with a casting deck and rear deck already installed. However, the deck was built using WAY to much wood and the storage space left a lot to be desired. There also was no type of livewell system in the boat at all. I am going to do a total rebuild of the casting deck and rear deck, complete with working livewell built in and seperate storage bins. After researching this site, I have decided to use the aluminum for the frame of the decks, for the reduced weight and longevity compared to wood. I will still use pressure treated plywood for the decks, probably 1/2 inch to keep the weight down. I have only had one day that I have been able to work on the boat so far, and I was able to get all of the deck off and get it back to "original" condition. My next move is to pressure wash the inside and outside of the boat and get it ready to be painted. This is my first attempt at this, luckily i will have my father in law's help as he is very handy with the construction side of things. I am open to any and all suggestions and I will try and be as thorough as possible along the way of my build incase it might help someone else doing the same thing. Here are a couple pics of my progress so far

 

[mikejames]

I'm at the same spot on my conversion as you are, I don't think you want to use pressure treated for your casting deck. I've read that it can cause corrosion and pitting.

 

[TheBassinBarber]

Oh wow, I had never heard that, thanks for the heads up. Are you doing diamond plate, marine grade or what? Good luck with your build.

 

[mikejames]

I think I'm going to use regular untreated plywood and seal it, paint it and carpet it. It will be stored in a garage so I don't have to worry about excessive water or anything.

 

[TheBassinBarber]

Ok that's probably what I will do then,thanks again for the heads up

 

[TheBassinBarber]

Tonight I went out and bought the paint, primer and clear for the painting process. i decided to go with a deep blue color. Sunday morning I will power wash the inside and outside before I start the roughing up of the old paint. I am going with just basic rustoleum primer, paint and clear coat. I will post pics throughout the process.

 

[mikejames]

Cool. I just got my paint in yesterday. I am using Rustoleum Topside.

 

[DrNip]

Wow that did have a lot of wood!

 

[TheBassinBarber]

mikejames » 09 Aug 2013, 07:51[/url]"]Cool. I just got my paint in yesterday. I am using Rustoleum Topside.

Awesome, what color are you going with? Is topside a special marine or aluminum paint? I went rustoleum, just with the double coverage stuff, I guess it covers twice the amount as one can normally does, in a deep blue color. I am also using rustoleum primer and clear so they should all mesh well together. I should have a fully painted boat by tuesday night since I have sunday monday and tuesday off. Then its framing time...

 

[TheBassinBarber]

DrNip » 09 Aug 2013, 17:18[/url]"]Wow that did have a lot of wood!

yes sir, and they screwed the mess out of it to the bench seats, what a pain

 

[DrNip]

How much you think that all weighed?

 

[TheBassinBarber]

DrNip » 10 Aug 2013, 08:13[/url]"]How much you think that all weighed?

Im not really sure, 100-150 lbs maybe?

 

[TheBassinBarber]

Well, today is the day. I am going to get up in about 4 hours and start prepping the boat for paint. Depending on how smooth the prep goes, I am hoping to have everything done except maybe the clear coat by night time. I am not sure about drying times and how many coats of each paint I will need, but I plan on doing a little design on the boat as well, just so its not so plain jane. Here is a paint drawing of what I plan to do, the colors are close, but I am using a deep blue gloss and the lightning bolt will be dark metallc silver/grey. I am also going to use 4" stencils for my boat registration numbers instead of using stickers in the metallic color as well. I will get pictures up tomorrow night of my progress, wish me luck please.

 

[mikejames]

TheBassinBarber » 09 Aug 2013, 23:30[/url]"]

mikejames » 09 Aug 2013, 07:51[/url]"]Cool. I just got my paint in yesterday. I am using Rustoleum Topside.

Awesome, what color are you going with? Is topside a special marine or aluminum paint? I went rustoleum, just with the double coverage stuff, I guess it covers twice the amount as one can normally does, in a deep blue color. I am also using rustoleum primer and clear so they should all mesh well together. I should have a fully painted boat by tuesday night since I have sunday monday and tuesday off. Then its framing time...

Yes, it's a marine paint for above the water line. I'm painting the inside of my boat white. Haven't decided on the rest yet.

 

[TheBassinBarber]

Got a late start this morning, so far I got all of the stickers off and got the boat washed and ready to be sanded down. I dont plan on going all the way to bare metal, but I wanna scuff it up pretty good. then I will wipe it all down and prime it. After reading up on this site, I think I will let the primer dry overnight, and apply the regular paint tomorrow. No need to rush it when I wont have it in the water till september anyway. Here is what I have done so far....and here is my little rivet smasher