New Aluminum Floor in 1648

[Teammuir1]

I am curious to know the thickness of the aluminum sheet...
and were did you get the aluminum channel stock?
did you screw the sheet aluminum down for
Rivet it....
the braces that are touching the boat bottom ....
are they welded to the bottom of the floor?

 

[tdub]

I'm going to answer all you're questions in order...
The sheet thickness is 1/8".
I ordered all of the materials through a local steel supply shop.
I used rivets to attach the floor sheet and so far so good.
The braces are attached with rivets as well, this step really stiffened up the floor, I thought the "C" channel would carry the load without any bracing but it flexed to much.(Trial and error thats why I posted the pics) All support bracing big rivets are used. The floor has smaller ones due to the number of rivets. I will say after it was all done I am very happy with the results, I lost some inches in the front of the boat making it flat(@4") but walking around the boat is so much easier now. It took some time to do but after using it for a while now it was worth it. I do need to change some things as I am going to put a surface drive engine on the boat, like moving the gas tank and battery up front. I will try to post more pics. Hope this helps.

 

[Teammuir1]

thanks a lot...
yes it has helped I am doing to do a gut job
this winter....and completely go through my boat.
MY grandfather built my boat back in 1981 lol
so you can imagine it needs updating.
here is a pic I plan on using the same technique as
you did... I might be going a step further...
with some of my deck bracing.. I might Tig Weld them

 

[Teammuir1]

I am curious to know...
whats your boat weigh? have you ever weighed
your boat..
I did just the other day... I actually painted the bottom of my boat...
while I had the boat off the trailer I drove it to a local Truck stop and
used their scales...
so I am curious to know what others boat weighs
I know mine is to heavy... and the main reason for the NEW REMODEL.
my boat is a 1648 alumacraft.
my trailer is home made as well.
here are a few pics of the painting process.

 

[tdub]

Alumacraft web site says my 1648 NCS runs about 260lbs.

 

[Teammuir1]

Do you have pics of your boat for comparison.
please post them

 

[tdub]

Page #1 has 16 pics

 

[rellis1962]

Bracing and floor look awesome. Sometimes wish I had sprung for the aluminum floor. Going to put some not skid stuff on the floor?

 

[mfreeman451]

Wow the floor looks frickin amazing! I have the same boat and am going to do the same thing. I like how you raised up the floor ontop of the ribs like that, I was just gonna try and make a bend in the aluminum and rivet it down. The only downside I see to doing it your way though is the water might sit in your boat opposed to running down the middle to the transom.. Anyways, I love the mod and will be following this thread closely.

 

[mfreeman451]

also, I think someone else asked but I'm not sure if I saw your reply, what did you fill in the sides with around the flooring? Would the flooring be strong enough to put in pedestal bases for seating as well?

 

[mfreeman451]

You mentioned putting the gas tank up front below the deck on the bow, I assume you'd just cut out the cubby hole, make it a bit wider, and take out some of the insulation?

I was thinking of doing this myself since I am going to put a longtail mudbuddy on my MV1648NCS but I read another post on here saying that it might not be a good idea. What were your thoughts?

 

[caver101]

Not the original poster, but..... I have about the same boat. I put my tolling motor battery up front under the deck. I just opened up the access hole a tad with a jig saw and slid my battery and battery box in there. Sure helped with balance in the boat a lot to get it out of the rear of the boat. Thinking of putting my gas tank up there too. Just make a small box to the right of the access hole to slide the tank in and hold it in place with a rubber strap. Would be easy to remove to add fuel.

 

[Teammuir1]

My gas tank is in the rear.. but both of my batteries are up front.
my boat set up differently than I think most though.
can everyone post pictures of their boats?

 

[tdub]

As far as water collecting on the floor I left a 1/2" gap between the end of the sheet and the rear seats so the water had somewhere to go. Water runs into the gap and to the back of the boat, I also installed a bilge pump just incase. The filler pieces for the sides of the sheet are made from 1 1/2" wide aluminum, I just cut each one to fit, rivited them in and cauked around them. Moving the tank and battery is next, still thinking about how to do it. I thought about extending the front deck 15" or so and adding a hinge amost as wide as the boat. It would be one big storage compartment.

 

[mfreeman451]

did you weld those pieces of alum. in that hold up the c-channel over the ribs, to the floor?

 

[Teammuir1]

Pictures tell everything...
come on.. guys.. post pictures....
thats how we all learn....
I am going to a total remodel this
winter.... along with another motor....
I think It will feel like a brand new boat
next spring....

 

[mfreeman451]

It kind of looks like they are welded but I wanted to be sure. I am copying this design to the T

 

[Alumacraft]

I have a 1236 lund jon boat.

I was wondering what is the thinnest aluminum I could get away with? the ribs are 15" apart.

I would just need a 40"x41" piece and a 40"x43" piece. could I order pieces like that or would I have to order a 4'x8' sheet?

where should I look for the aluminum? I'm from WI. a steel shop?

 

[mfreeman451]

https://www.onlinemetalstore.com/ - they're in MPLS I believe, you can have them cut it to whatever you'd like.

I think most people here agree that .125 of 5052 alloy is the way to go.

 

[tdub]

No welding was done on the boat. Just rivets, so far so good everything is holding up great.