New guy

[sonny1]

Got some wire brushing done yesterday and it kicked my rear. Weather was great upper 70 and wind out of the south. Wind blowing out of the south keeps the dust out of the shed garage. No pics yet but will have this afternoon. Looking good rivets are in good shape and aluminum appears to be in good shape. Took a look at aftermarket boats and prices. Ridiculous prices for what they had to offer. Just gives me more motivation.

 

[sonny1]

Felt pretty good yesterday and got some more brushing done. Had to knock off sooner than I wanted to due to smoke from a grass fire just southwest of us. Progress has been slow due to weather and physical condition. Have $924.00 dollars worth of paint and supplies being delivered next week. In less than two weeks will be getting my left hip replaced so will be down and out for about three months. Should be good with the paint and stuff any chance of a freeze is over so stowing it in the shed should be OK. Planning on getting the boat prepped and ready for paint in August. Weather by than should be perfect for painting. Slow but making progress.

 

[Stand Up]

Felt pretty good yesterday and got some more brushing done. Had to knock off sooner than I wanted to due to smoke from a grass fire just southwest of us. Progress has been slow due to weather and physical condition. Have $924.00 dollars worth of paint and supplies being delivered next week. In less than two weeks will be getting my left hip replaced so will be down and out for about three months. Should be good with the paint and stuff any chance of a freeze is over so stowing it in the shed should be OK. Planning on getting the boat prepped and ready for paint in August. Weather by than should be perfect for painting. Slow but making progress.

Good luck on your hip replacement. May your recovery be speedy and trouble free.

 

[sonny1]

Paint and supplies came in today

 

[sonny1]

Stables out but still have one more week of 50% weight on leg. After that restriction of side movement but I can work around that.

 

[sonny1]

Back at it Still have a lot of paint to remove but that is OK. Wire brushing is slow and a pain but it should give me a good platform to work with. Next will be the inside.

 

[airshot]

Sonny1, I'm no metalurgist, but if I had the coordination n eyesight to tig weld, my 2 little boats would have pretty little stacks of nickels all over um.
I got mad respect for welders, I have seen some pretty amazing looking welds by some skilled welders. From midget/sprint car chassis/ Harley frames and the like, these guys not only weld steel, but also aluminum. There's 2 Busch beer cans at my work stacked together that are perfect no discolored graphics, no distortion's and the weld looks beautiful.
So in my opinion, it's all in the metal prep and heat range.
Would certainly weld, rather than going the flex seal route.
Not saying there's not some really good sealants and epoxy's out there
But...... Weld er up!
As for the make, there are many more knowledgeable people on this site than me. I too am sort of a newbie.
And in no way did I mean to dig on airshots earlier post.

Where there is a clear spot then weld is definetly the way to go !! It is when you are welding close to a rivet, where the expansion and contracting occurs. Or near a seam that has a gasket/ seal where the heat will destroy that seal. A clise friend is a certified welder and has stated many times it isn't necessarily the material or surface being welded, it is what is close by that might be affected by the escessive heat...

 

[sonny1]

I tig welded for over 20 years. Hold a NAVSEA cert in aluminum and stainless. Hold certs for aircraft both civilian and military. My specialty is aluminum. Given the areas that require repair I plan on using West system aluminum repair kit 650k along with some fiber cloth. That is how one crack was repaired original and it never leaked.

 

[Steph Boeker]

Paint and supplies came in todayView attachment 114205

i'm continually surprised at how little $1000. seems to purchase these days. I guess I'm just too old and remember when minimum wage was $2.35 an hour. It seemed to be enough w/gasoline under .50¢ and plenty of food in the pantry?
I hope no one is offended & thinking I'm talking about politics or any particular administration in the seat of power. If so, I apologize now and ask forgiveness for my indecent comment, please.
Sincerely ..................

 

[sonny1]

Back to subject at hand. I thought about welding the stress crack caused from a bad scrape mark down the bottom of boat but figure the patch that I removed had been there for over five years. Concerned if I apply heat it may just crack even more along the scrape mark. The crack is only about two inches. Patch and fill scrape mark with Pettit EZ Marine epoxy repair compound. The other rough spot is just some small cracks caused from straitening out a bad dent. The later is real close to a lot of rivets so heat is out of the question. Confident the West system repair kit 650k along with some fiber tape should do the trick. Plan on patching outside and inside of boat. All of the rivets are getting a coat of Gluvit on the inside and all the seams are getting a shot of West system system 650k. All the small dents and bangs I plan on smoothing out with the epoxy repair. Might be a lot of extra work but am good with that.

 

[LDUBS]

Back to subject at hand. I thought about welding the stress crack caused from a bad scrape mark down the bottom of boat but figure the patch that I removed had been there for over five years. Concerned if I apply heat it may just crack even more along the scrape mark. The crack is only about two inches. Patch and fill scrape mark with Pettit EZ Marine epoxy repair compound. The other rough spot is just some small cracks caused from straitening out a bad dent. The later is real close to a lot of rivets so heat is out of the question. Confident the West system repair kit 650k along with some fiber tape should do the trick. Plan on patching outside and inside of boat. All of the rivets are getting a coat of Gluvit on the inside and all the seams are getting a shot of West system system 650k. All the small dents and bangs I plan on smoothing out with the epoxy repair. Might be a lot of extra work but am good with that.

I'm really curious about the West System 650 alum repair kit. If you are taking requests, please post some pics how that works. Thx!

 

[Steph Boeker]

Got some wire brushing done yesterday and it kicked my rear. Weather was great upper 70 and wind out of the south. Wind blowing out of the south keeps the dust out of the shed garage. No pics yet but will have this afternoon. Looking good rivets are in good shape and aluminum appears to be in good shape. Took a look at aftermarket boats and prices. Ridiculous prices for what they had to offer. Just gives me more motivation.

What do you mean by "aftermarket boats & prices" ?? (forgive my ignorance

 

[Steph Boeker]

Inherited a 14 foot boat a few years back from wife's brother after he past away. Started working on it and got side tracked between job and motorcycle hobbies. Now I am ready to rebuild it. Taking it down to bare metal via wire brush. Found a crack in the hull and another bad spot which should not be an issue. Military Certified tig welder by trade. Title to boat under make and model says [ LONEST/VBTM ] Year is 1982. Is this a good make and model?View attachment 113669View attachment 113670View attachment 113671

Gosh, I feel like an *****. I've seen this thread and read post from it from time to time. (I get notifications by email on new post) But, not until your latest couple of photo's about sanding did it occur to me that I was looking at something familiar. Deja Vu ? I'm restoring my new (used) 1964' Lone * Star 14/54 and it seems an identical match .
I took mine to bear metal via several different ways including wire brush (stainless of course). The brush was best in and around the rivets, but found 80 grit on a palm sander to work the best on the flat surface areas. It was a lot of work. But boy did it shine. I guess there's a particular sense of accomplishment & confidence I had after successfully completing the stripping of paint to bear metal, knowing I was starting the restoration from the best point possible. Short cuts eat at me.
I believe I had only one rivet leaking (drop ... drop .... drop ... etc.) It must have been one of the 100 or so that held the center bottom rib under the boat, b'c when I filled it w/water for my leak test, the drop came out of the 1/16" hole in the back end of that rail (rib). I had a friend get under the boat (when it was upside/down on saw horses) w/an auto body dolly and we hit every one of them w/my rivet impact gun, just to tighten them up. It worked, ... , no more leak. I did have to replace a rivet in the top of the bracket that held the middle bench as it had been pulled out and the hole ripped in the bracket. But I lightly hammered it back into place and installed a solid 1/8" replacement rivet. Fortunately, no cracks or bad scrapes on this hull.
I then used a coat of Tuff Coat Marine bottom paint for the inside. (textured paint) and now I've just added 5 coats of Gator Glide base to the bottom. When it is cured on Sat. I'll paint the bottom w/Gator Glide G2 (white). (maybe Tuesday)
I've already re-made & fitted the transom wood out of 1-3/16 thick x 12-1/4 wide Wenge I got a good deal on years ago when a wood shop vender went out of business. (I was a high-end finish wood working installer for 33yrs) Those transom boards are coated in fiberglass resin and ready to be installed when she's all painted.
I'm also looking to frame the floor out and flatten it. I'd like to add a couple boxes and/or panels made of alum. as well as cover that w/some sort of skin. I bought a small framing kit from TBNation and found a great deal on some 1/8" alum sheets (used & random sized 2' x 5',6',7' & 8') on Facebook near me.
I'm no kind of motor guy but I got an Evinrude 9.5 hp motor w/the purchase of the boat and it's being fully restored a T-Mike's Vintage Outboards as we speak. ( https://tinyurl.com/2y67y6yt ) He's only about an hour & a half from me.
You can see my progress on

Jon and V Boat Conversions & Modifications - Paint Stripper ?​

As for the Make & Model being good .... I will say that since I found this boat and have been reaching out for advice on my restoration, many ppl have been quick to enviously say, "Lone * Star, ... , that's the boat I was looking for" !! I feel a satisfying warmth inside each time I run into someone that knows the manufacture and shares a desire for one. The quality in build and simple design, I believe, is the reason why.
I know I'm a long winded son of a buck, but I don't mean to take over or boast. This is a forum and supposedly a place to do this sort of thing. I apologize if I went to far.
Good luck w/ your project. It really is looking good. I'm very glad to hear about your skills in alum. welding. I just picked up a brand new Lincoln Electric 180i HD DV for learning that skill myself. It's amazing how many ppl tell me it's nearly impossible to succeed in. I'm going to try & try again. I may be too old to become skilled in it but I'm betting I can make successful welds in one form or other w/ practice, focus and perseverance !! "endeavor to persevere" (Outlaw Josey Whales) I love that movie.
Anyway, good luck and I'm enjoying your progress,
Sincerely ......................

 

[sonny1]

I'm really curious about the West System 650 alum repair kit. If you are taking requests, please post some pics how that works. Thx!

You can plan on a step by step process with photos.

 

[sonny1]

What do you mean by "aftermarket boats & prices" ?? (forgive my ignorance

The cost of used boats here in Oklahoma is ridiculous. Any boat that has been modified for fishing Is really off the charts in price. Some of the used boats that have been slightly modified with aftermarket parts are going for more money than the new ones.

 

[Steph Boeker]

The cost of used boats here in Oklahoma is ridiculous. Any boat that has been modified for fishing Is really off the charts in price. Some of the used boats that have been slightly modified with aftermarket parts are going for more money than the new ones.

You got that right. Decades ago I thought bass boats were high priced. Even 5 to 10yrs ago. But look at some of the YouTube fabricators and price the parts they use. Every box is the better part of $400 to $700 bucks and framing kits from $300 to $700. A cheap Li batt is $300 to $1000 bucks and some ppl have 3 of them. Electric motors, lights, switch panels, live wells, multiple pumps and that's not even including the skin on the floor and lining the boxes.
Heck, a 14 to 16 foot alum. boat could cost more than a brand new bass boat today. But , despite that, it seems ppl desire and will pay more for the old used boats for some reason I can't understand.
I got my 14/54 Lone * Star w/outboard and trailer for $600. here in Louisiana. It's registered until March 24' and that's why I'm willing to spend some money on it. But everything seems inflated to me anyway b'c I'm old and use to a simpler life and time.

 

[sonny1]

I inherited mine. Wife's brother died and left his property to my wife and I. He was really into running jug lines and used the boat primarily for that. Wife says boat had no leaks but after removing the paint figure the gluvit and West 650K would be a good idea. For a average 14 foot boat around here would run anywhere from $3,000 dollars up. Always wanted a boat but between work and motorcycles could not justify cost. Now retired I have plenty of free time to fish so fixing up the boat and plan on using it a lot. I live within 20 minutes from Lake Eufaula.

 

[Steph Boeker]

I inherited mine. Wife's brother died and left his property to my wife and I. He was really into running jug lines and used the boat primarily for that. Wife says boat had no leaks but after removing the paint figure the gluvit and West 650K would be a good idea. For a average 14 foot boat around here would run anywhere from $3,000 dollars up. Always wanted a boat but between work and motorcycles could not justify cost. Now retired I have plenty of free time to fish so fixing up the boat and plan on using it a lot. I live within 20 minutes from Lake Eufaula.

That's a plan and a good one at that !! Wow, that looks like a great lake to do many, plenty different fishing expeditions on. I doubt you could run out of new places to explore there. Back in the 90's I had a friend that was from Seminole just east of Oklahoma City and about 30mi from the lake. I happened to be there when McVeigh got his 15 min as my friends Pop had a heart attack while cutting his grass. He actually died and they hit him w/those paddles twice to revive him. We drove cross country & visited him in the hospital that week. Unfortunately he didn't make it a month and passed soon after.

But, I'm happy for the multiple cases of good luck happening for you all together. Definitely something to take advantage of. I fished daily as a kid living on the L.S.U. lake (7mi circumference) but after life w/a 33yr career, I'm only now getting back to it. It took me yrs to find the deal on the boat & motor project I was looking for, but I have it now and able to bring it to fruition.
I love riding my motorcycle and do it every day it doesn't rain. But I live 20 min from 3 major lakes and w/in 40 min of Toledo Bend (Border of LA. / TX. The winter of my life will happily end on my rural country property or in the boat on some lake .... if some ***** doesn't pull out in front of me while on my Harley !!

 

[sonny1]

168 horse at 186 torque. Hips recover I'll be back on it again. Have A 2010 Fatboy but it is under construction.

 

[Steph Boeker]

View attachment 114886 168 horse at 186 torque. Hips recover I'll be back on it again. Have A 2010 Fatboy but it is under construction.

Wow !! That's the most impressive Triumph I've ever seen !! 168 hp must feel like riding a literal lightning bolt ??
My 2006 Road King Classic & my 2004 Sportster 883.