DrNip's Weld-Craft 1248 - Hit 32.1 MPH!!!

[RStewart]

Did you ever get your live well done?

 

[DrNip]

No because it's been too cold on my days off. Haven't purchased garage door insulation panels or gas heater for garage either. I swore last winter I would by this winter. Now I'm swearing by next winter I'll have them!!! Lol

Also been busy with the holidays, bowl games and family getting sick.

 

[RStewart]

LOL. I hear ya. Same reason my boat hasn't been touched in awhile. I need to get on the ball & get my cooler/live well finished & do a little repair work on my rear deck.

 

[DrNip]

I hope it warms up soon so I can get on the grind because spring is going to be here sooner than later and I don't want to rush it together.

 

[DrNip]

Well the day is finally upon me to purchase my motor. I will be going down on my day off this Monday to the boat shop to purchase it. I have narrowed it down to the following two brands:

25 HP Tohatsu or 25 HP Evinrude

Plenty of places around here work on them. I am almost certain I will get the Evinrude. What I am contemplating is if I need electric start as well as power tilt and trim. I am leaning towards yes on this as well. Thoughts?

 

[typed by ben]

DrNip » 30 minutes ago[/url]"]Well the day is finally upon me to purchase my motor. I will be going down on my day off this Monday to the boat shop to purchase it. I have narrowed it down to the following two brands:

25 HP Tohatsu or 25 HP Evinrude

Plenty of places around here work on them. I am almost certain I will get the Evinrude. What I am contemplating is if I need electric start as well as power tilt and trim. I am leaning towards yes on this as well. Thoughts?

i have an electric start evinrude- first motor i ever bought that wasnt part of a boat package. i looked at it like this:

electric start positives:
1. if i get disabled in an accident on the water to where i cant use my arms or legs, i will want a push button start to try to get to safety
2. electric start is a little more luxurious

electric start negatives:
1. battery weight
2. no rope start to fall back on if the battery dies or the starter motor takes a dump

if i could go back i probably would have waited for a pull start version of the same engine to pop up on account of those two negatives. the electric start option on my motor means i have to have yet another battery in the rear in addition to the two that are already up front.

 

[DrNip]

I believe the electric starts have rope pulls too. I figured I would hook the motor up on the same battery as the electronics, pumps and lights battery. Then have the trolling motor on a separate battery.

 

[RStewart]

They usually come with a rope to use of its needed. I've seen them where the route isn't on the motor. If you need to use it, you pull the cowling & wrap it around the flywheel & pull.

 

[typed by ben]

RStewart » Yesterday, 22:20[/url]"]They usually come with a rope to use of its needed. I've seen them where the route isn't on the motor. If you need to use it, you pull the cowling & wrap it around the flywheel & pull.

my 150 rude had that but not my 25. doesnt even have a provision for it on the flywheel. there again it was an old state surplus motor so they might have ordered 25 custom motors for their specific need.

 

[DrNip]

Alright, alright, alright, time to get this thing finally going. I'm a month behind schedule due to work, family and too cold of weather. I had plans of ordering my motor on 2/1/2014 but that has come and gone. I'll be going down and ordering it 3/1/2014.

1st order of business was building a casting deck. Ain't no wood here! Big thanks to New River Rat as he helped solve my problem of how to construct it by his design. Mine was 25" long so I had to add an additional set of support legs in the middle as well as some angled aluminum along the sides.

Here is the mock up of it with cardboard. Glad I did this as my original measurements were off about an inch. I really wanted the front side of the deck to be bent under like the back but that was a challenge seeing where it would have connected would have varied 95 - 105 degrees. So I opted to just run the deck over the existing piece of factory aluminum.


Here was the design I sent to discountsteel.com. The piece came out perfect. I went with the 1/8" sheet.


Got the piece back and a perfect fit!



Here it is welded all up. Lovin it!



Also had the welder weld up around the livewell drain hole where it was leaking.


I've contact Weld-Craft about getting some paint mailed out to me so I can get the deck painted. I thought about just trying to find something locally to match but decided against that as in the end it probably wouldn't match and I would be dissapointed.

Purchased my trolling motor battery box, livewell handles, seat and a few other odds and ends.



Yeah I went with a cheap seat but I only weigh 155 and found this style of seat more comfy than the big cushioning ones. It also soothed my wanting to paint my boat camo itch I had. Found this at Academy for $19.99.


I decided to hold off on installing all my livewell parts until I get the boat on the water with the livewll full and motor on so I can get my overflow holes just where I want them. Right now it would just be a guessing game. Once pumps and hoses are ran I can start putting in the flooring. Won't require much aluminum but it will need to be done.

Stick around, more to come!

 

[RStewart]

Looks great. Who around here did your aluminum work?

 

[DrNip]

After asking around, calling and visiting many of places I finally found a guy locally that would cut and bend the metal. But in the end I opted to have Discount Steel out of Fort Worth supply, cut and bend it. My wife was wanting to go to Ikea so I just picked it up while down there. I found a guy 5 miles down the street from me in Choctaw who welded it up. He has a custom motorcycle shop.

 

[DrNip]

Well just got back from the boat shop. New 25 hp ETEC tilt/trim inbound!!! Still waiting on paint for my casting deck to come in.

 

[bassin]

love this boat! cant wait to see more.

 

[DrNip]

Thank you.

Just hope the weather gets better around here so I can do some painting. So sick of it being cold and snowy.

I ordered a new trolling motor mount. Wasn't too pleased with the factory one I purchased at the time of the boat purchase. I ordered Alumacraft's mount.

 

[smackdaddy53]

Awesome build bro. Good fit on the bow deck.

 

[BR1]

That looks like a really sturdy built boat, congratulations on your purchase!

 

[jonboatboy]

Dude thats awsome. My next boat is going to be a 1248. Ive used a 1232 for years and just bought a 2001 alumacraft mv tex special cs a couple monthes ago but itll go before my ole johnny. Im wanting a 1248 weldbuilt with the split rear seat and the live well box off to the side and the biggest deck I can get but I really like the size of your livewell but I hate center seats. That trolling motor mount looks like it came off a tank. Lol you still got a awsome boat!

 

[RStewart]

Get that thing finished. Tourney is only 3 weeks away.

 

[alanbird_87]

Cant wait to see that evinrude on her. Its gonna be great!