Project: Shoebox - 1764 Fisher FINISHED!!

[Shoedawg]

Thanks. It all those years of military training that's been beaten into my head. Details, details, details.

 

[Androsyn]

Man,
That is one sweet boat you got there and it's up on a kick-ass trailer too. Keep up the good work. You're inspiring me to go out and buy a bigger boat for my next project. I've never played with fiberglass so all those uploads are very cool and informative. I can't wait to see this thing in the water!

 

[Shoedawg]

Man,
That is one sweet boat you got there and it's up on a kick-ass trailer too. Keep up the good work. You're inspiring me to go out and buy a bigger boat for my next project. I've never played with fiberglass so all those uploads are very cool and informative. I can't wait to see this thing in the water!

Thanks man. I never worked with fiberglass either, until this project. its actually not very difficult to work with and learn on. I cant wait to see this thing in the water :mrgreen: too!!!!

 

[Shoedawg]

SO...I finished painting all my parts!! =D> =D> =D> No more extensive painting. Still have some touch ups to do, but I am 99% done. Never thought I be over with it, but I am.

Here are the last panels.


My seat bench base and tray (on the left).


I also painted the console (3 light coats, no sanding). Here are some pictures of what it looked like before and after I made the repairs.








It took about a week for the paint to dry between coats (due to the cold weather at night) but its all done. I spent most of today cleaning up the shop, getting ready to bring the boat back into it.

The plan now is to start cutting up cardboard to make templates of the casting deck, floor, rod/gun locker and figuring out the design I want. I will be implementing them into the boat to see how its all going to fit and look like.

Still on the fence about painting the cowling. Its off the boat and on its motor stand, so it would make it easier to strip and paint, but still unsure.


And if you have a power washer and want a faster way to clean your driveway, garage floor, etc, get one of these babies!!


They are called "water brooms" and do a wonderful job of pushing dirt and other crap. They don't do super deep cleaning (that's not what it is design to do). I just got it in the mail (from Amazon) the other day, and used it to clean the shop and driveway. Ran me about $30, but worth it.

 

[Shoedawg]

Wow it’s been a month since I posted an update on the boat, but I assure you, I have been working on it. Had to stop working on it for about two weeks. Had family come into town, needed to study for rank and made a plaque for a fire chief that is about to retire. I also bought a pop-up camper. Decided it was time to sale the tent and move on up to comfortable camping. So let’s get started.

Went into Boise to pick up some aluminum sheeting and structure support. Picked up two sheets of 5052 5x10 @.090 for $257, 6063 Aluminum Square Tube 1x1x1/8 wall T52 (total 41ft) for $53 and 6061 Aluminum Angle 1.5x1.5x1/8 wall T6 (total 50ft) for $45.

Now, it may seem a bit excessive on how much I got, but I wanted to have some left over for mistakes I may make, spacers for my floor (more on that later) and didn't want to be short on the material in case of a design change. I also needed a lot of sheet surface for my casting decks, rod locker and a few lids. Anything left over, I’ll make something useful out of.

Square Tubing and Aluminum Angle:



I got both types to use them for specific purpose in my design. I don’t know what kind of issues I may run into, so having an option for square tubing or angular, hopefully, will help correct any challenges, while building the support framing and any other mods that come into play.

So I have been collecting large cardboard sheets/boxes over the last 6 months, and the wife kept calling me a hoarder and getting annoyed with it sitting up in the rafters. Kept telling her I needed it for a reason, and the reason finally came. I needed to make a floor template.

The length and width of the floor I need is about 7.5Lx5.0W feet. The aluminum sheeting will be cut to size, and be one piece. I went through several different cardboard thicknesses and sizes and found that the thinner ones were easier to work with.

Template floor in.



Next up was cutting the sheeting to match my floor template. I used clamps to hold the template down and in place onto the work piece.



I purchased a sawblade for my Skilsaw that is designed to cut aluminum and some cutting wax. The wax is applied to the blade to prolong its life, reduces cutting friction and helps for a cleaner/smoother cut. The wax is also easier to apply than other cutting oils/butters. The blade wasn’t cheap (I bought mine retail at a mom and pop hardware shop) for about $40. But I rather have a saw that is designed to cut aluminum than use my really nice woodcutting saws. Stop every foot or so to reapply the wax to the blade. (Note: Sorry about the pic being upside down, I tried to save it upright, but couldn't get it to stay :roll: )



Here I am about to start my cut. WEAR PROPER PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)!!! As you see in the picture below, I have a face shield, ear pro, gloves and a long sleeve shirt on. Protect your arms from flying debris and hot shards of metal.



Almost there. To help keep my cut straight, I used one of the square tubing bars as a fence.



Here is the floor in, but there were a few issues that popped up that I knew that I had to deal with, but it’s in. Those orange handles towards the back of the floor are suction cups. They made it easy to handle the floor and put it in place and to move around. They can be had for about $3 a piece at Harbor Freight.



So the “issues” I was running into. The red circle in the pic shows that the corner of the floor is sitting on a lip, preventing the floor from being flush with those beams that run parallel with the boat. The arrows show the gap.



To remedy that, all I needed to do was trim the corners, until they were no longer sitting on the lip, and the floor sitting flush with the beams. You can see the corners trimmed with the floor in here.



The floor is done for now. Next up was cutting up some foam board and fitting some aluminum flashing for my drain channels.

 

[Shoedawg]

So here is some foam board I got SUPER cheap at Lowes. I got them for 30% off per sheet due to the damage done by the cargo straps while in shipping. Just ask someone who works in the lumber area and ask them if they have any damaged foam board they need to get rid of. I talked the guy up to 30% and he agreed. They weren’t very damaged anyways, and I really didn’t care. They’re going to be out of sight anyways.



The purpose of the foam boards for my build are to help quite the floor, stiffen it up a bit between the spans between my beams, and to help displace water and keep the boat afloat (if I swamp it). The rest will go into voids throughout the boat, such as between my panels on the side and some up front where the cast deck is.

I measured the spans between my beams and took a board to my table saw. Foam is pretty easy to cut, and doing it on my table saw made short work of it.



After making my cuts, I focused on making some “channeling” that would support the foam that was going between the beams and to facilitate water drainage under my floor. I got me a roll of aluminum flashing of 14”x50ft to be used for the channeling.



Here’s an example of what I am trying to achieve. The foam is supported by the channeling, and the channeling keeps the foam elevated, thus allowing proper drainage. The wings (the folded sides that sit on top of the beams) will be riveted down after the floor goes in.



Here is the flashing with the lines indicating where I need to bend.



So to get my bends fairly straight with such long pieces, I came up with an idea of using two 2x4’s to help bend the flashing in place. I just clamped the flashing down to my workbench and put the 2x4 on top of the flashing, clamping it, then put the other 2x4 underneath the flashing that needed to be bent. From there, I just applied pressure to the board, getting my bend. They came out pretty well, and I was pleased with the results.



All done. Got all the foam boards cut and ready to roll.



I also got a nice little surprise from my father in law. A brand new TM. It’s a Prowler T55/40D. I am not sure how I am going to mount this thing. I planned on buying a MinnaKota for the front, but now I have this stern mounted one. I may just put it in the back and purchase a front mounted one later down the road.



Don’t know what I am going to do next. I may just start on working on the front casting deck and rod locker. I guess you’ll know next time I post.

 

[Slough Runner]

This one of the better builds I've read so far. Detail, proper tools, proper supplies and equipment, and more detail. I've been trying to do right on my build also. It's still in the early stages. Anyway...enjoy your ride!

 

[Shoedawg]

Been a few weeks, but I am making some progress on the build. Had the mother-in-law in town for a week and had to burn up two days to take a trip to Wyoming, so I didn't get a whole lot done. Here's what has been going on though.

Started tackling the bow deck and casting deck. I started off making a template for the bow deck. Used some cardboard and traced the outline of the bow, underneath, using a Sharpie.


Heres the template. Used a straight edge to fix the outline up a bit.


After that I cut the template out and transcribed it to my aluminum sheet.


Here she is all cut out. It's an OK fit. I used my Jig-Saw to cut it out. Have a little bit of a gap up front, but I plan on fixing that with some scrap sheet I have left. Plus it's going to be covered with Hydroturf, so not really concerned about it.




Next up was cutting the casting deck. This was a PIA to get right and fit. I ran some thin cardboard over the area I wanted the casting deck to be and did my best to trace the area. The boat tapers toward the front, so trying to get a close template was challenging. I used some clamps and did the best I could to stretch out the cardboard.


Here's the template on the sheet and ready to be cut. Little did I know, I would be pulling the casting deck in and out of the boat and returning to the cutting station about a BILLION times. :roll: :roll: :roll:


The problem I was running into with the casting deck was that it keep catching on the inside hull, right below the rail. It was rubbing against the hull and not fully flush with the support brackets underneath the deck. I finally got it to fit after using my angle grinder with a Flap Disk on it. Took some time going back and forth, but it finally went in nicely. It did scratch the piss out of my paint, but I knew it would. Got to retouch up with paint anyway. Have some areas around the top of the boat and rails that need it.

 

[Big_ug_chevy]

Been a few weeks, but I am making some progress on the build. Had the mother-in-law in town for a week and had to burn up two days to take a trip to Wyoming, so I didn't get a whole lot done. Here's what has been going on though.

Started tackling the bow deck and casting deck. I started off making a template for the bow deck. Used some cardboard and traced the outline of the bow, underneath, using a Sharpie.
View attachment 8

Heres the template. Used a straight edge to fix the outline up a bit.
View attachment 7

After that I cut the template out and transcribed it to my aluminum sheet.
View attachment 6

Here she is all cut out. It's an OK fit. I used my Jig-Saw to cut it out. Have a little bit of a gap up front, but I plan on fixing that with some scrap sheet I have left. Plus it's going to be covered with Hydroturf, so not really concerned about it.
View attachment 5

View attachment 4

Next up was cutting the casting deck. This was a PIA to get right and fit. I ran some thin cardboard over the area I wanted the casting deck to be and did my best to trace the area. The boat tapers toward the front, so trying to get a close template was challenging. I used some clamps and did the best I could to stretch out the cardboard.
View attachment 3

Here's the template on the sheet and ready to be cut. Little did I know, I would be pulling the casting deck in and out of the boat and returning to the cutting station about a BILLION times. :roll: :roll: :roll:
View attachment 2

The problem I was running into with the casting deck was that it keep catching on the inside hull, right below the rail. It was rubbing against the hull and not fully flush with the support brackets underneath the deck. I finally got it to fit after using my angle grinder with a Flap Disk on it. Took some time going back and forth, but it finally went in nicely. It did scratch the piss out of my paint, but I knew it would. Got to retouch up with paint anyway. Have some areas around the top of the boat and rails that need it.
View attachment 1

Clean build bro, that aluminum plate was a hug pain in the ass for me too, but it was well worth the back and forth to get it right. Are you sticking with the side consol or going center console?

 

[Shoedawg]

From there I moved on to riveting the bow deck to the support beam. I am using close-end blind rivets. I was happy with the results.


After riveting the bow deck, I pulled out the cast deck and started the measurements for the support brackets for the cast deck.


Here are the brackets that are going to help support the deck. I have them spaced out about 24", so I can later cut two hatch holes and install a pedestal base (7x7). The two red rectangles represent where the hatches will go, with the red square for my seat base. Sorry its NOT to scale!!


I used my miter-saw with my Aluminum blade to cut the aluminum angle. Wear ear-pro. It was louder than my wife screaming at me!! The saw keeps the cuts straight and makes some pretty decent cuts.


After cutting I took the brackets over to my drill press and spaced them out evenly. I drilled nine holes for each bracket, then placed them on the deck and used my portable drill to make the holes in the deck, lining them up.


The deck all riveted up. Was pretty easy to do with a pneumatic riveter from Harbor Freight.


I still need to add a lot more support to the deck, but have to wait until I get my hatch lids in and pedestal base. I plan on getting two medium 12.5"x22.5" custom aluminum hatches from R&R Design. They are the guys that make the custom hatches for Cabela's, but for almost HALF the price! Here is they're website if interested: https://www.rnrd.com/mpa.main.html

Here is the Cabela's link for the hatches that R&R make: https://www.cabelas.com/product/Custom-Hatch/699966.uts

Price differences:
Cableas: Small $89.99
Medium $104.99
Large $124.99

R&R: Small $57.00
Medium $67.00
Large $78.00

Pretty big price savings.

Its going to be an EXPEN$IVE month for me. I plan on ordering some sheets of Hydro-Turf from GatorTrax, the hatches, and a new throttle control. Also need to order the seats mounts from Springfield Marine. They have a scratch and dent store and the savings are very attractive. If you don't mind a few dents and scratches, give them a look at their website here: https://www.springfieldmarinescratchanddent.com/

 

[Shoedawg]

Clean build bro, that aluminum plate was a hug pain in the ass for me too, but it was well worth the back and forth to get it right. Are you sticking with the side consol or going center console?

Thanks man. Sticking with the side console. The holes are already there to place the throttle control, and my console base is designed for a side set up. Hopefully I can have it done by the end of May if not sooner.

Yah, the plate was a HUGE pain, but like you said, well worth the effort. I must of done it like 20 times LOL!!

 

[Shoedawg]

Pulled the handled on the seating hardware today. Purchased it all from Springfield Marine's scratch and dent site. Saved $221. Brand new would have ran me $385. Here is what I ordered.

2 Kingpin Power Rise Adjustable Threaded Pedestal (adjust to 16.5-22")

2 7" X 7" Seat Mount Base (for my two seats for the driver/passenger)

1 Kingpin 4" X 8" Threaded Floor Base (for the back deck)

1 Kingpin 7" X 7" Threaded Floor Base (for the front deck)

2 Kingpin Swivel w/Spring (sits on top of the pedestal and mounts the chairs)

3 Rod Holder Stainless Steel (two for the back, one for up front)

Heard some good things about the Kingpin series, so I went with that to keep everything compatible.

 

[Shoedawg]

Got my seating hardware and some samples of Gator Trax Hydroturf in the mail today. I'll start with the Gator Trax samples first.

Wasn't really sure what color or pattern I wanted to put on the boat, so Sue at Gator Trax sent me some samples in the mail. Here are the 4 colors they offer (plus a new, updated tougher version of their Duk Grass Camo).



Now I am not sure why they call the Gator Boat Brown sample, well brown....when it looks like John Boat Green to me. There is a slight tinge of brown in it, but barely noticeable. The color matches my boat pretty good, but the wife thinks the Nat Gear Camo looks better. She think's going with the Gator Brown would be to green.

The lighting isn't the best (sun was on its way down) but here are two pics of the Nat Gear Camo and Gator Brown side by side on one of my painted hatches.

In the shade.


In the sun.


In person, both these colors look great (the pictures don't really do them justice). I am leaning heavily towards the Nat Gear Camo. I have seen pics of other boats with it and the same color boat as mine, on-line, and it looks pretty good. Plus the wife likes it.


Here is their NEW Duk Grass Camo with a tougher tread pattern that is pretty anti-slippage. Its suppose to be more weather resistant and to stand up against abuse. I kind of like it, but right now they don't offer the tougher version in their other colors.


Now on to the seating hardware from Springfield Marines Scratch and Dent store. Below is the 4x7 base plate. I was really surprised how well made and heavy this base plate was (even though it was made in China [-( )


The only damage I could fine was a little bit of chipping on the brass ring (where my finger is pointing). Cost to purchase $20. Brand new it runs $49. The damage is only cosmetic, so not really noticeable.


Here is the 7x7 plate that is going up front on the casting deck. Very minor scratches on it (seen just below the middle hole from the top). Cost to purchase $19. Brand new, $34.


7X7 Seat Mounts Swivel with Spring. These fit into the top of the adjustable pedestal's I bought as well. Bought them for about $6 a piece, brand new run $13 a piece. Some minor scratches on the bottom, who really cares!!


These two are my 7x7 seat mounts, which are going to be installed on the driver/passenger bench. Just a little bit of paint ding on the lower right corner of the left seat mount in the picture. I couldn't find anything wrong with the one on the right. They ran $5 a piece. Brand new $12.

 

[Shoedawg]

Here is the adjustable pedestal. Its a Kingpin Power Rise. I couldn't find any damage on it at all. They adjust from 16.5" to 22". Wanted to have a little variety for seating and to accommodate different passengers. This way, one can either kinda lean or sit, while fishing. These babies run brand new $74 each. I bought two for $42 each.


All the seating hardware is the Kingpin series and threaded. I read about the pros and cons about threaded vs non-threaded, and went with threaded. All the hardware is 3/4" and I think will be more than strong enough to support a passenger. I do plan on adding some anti-seize to the threads to help make them come off easier for removal.

I also purchases three fishing rod holders. I was really surprised to see these had quality built into them. The caps on them fit very snug and are very durable (not built cheap). The holders themselves are a little heavy and will do well holding heavy rods. They ran me $6 a piece!!! BRAND NEW $35 for one!!


Here is a view from the top. The diameter of the hole runs about 2" and I like the fact it has a stopping bar at the bottom to prevent a rod from slipping and adding a way for drainage.


The bottom of the holder showing the stopper rod.


Here is what the rod holders will look like when they are mounted to the decks. I like the flush look. The angle on it runs about 45 degrees and the shaft is about 9" long. I plan on adding one to the front casting deck and the other two to the back deck (one on each side of the boat). If you got the room and if it fits your build, I would highly recommend getting some of these. You cant beat the price for what you get for these babies.


So not a bad score. I did order a new control throttle and some cables (should have those in on Monday) and still waiting for my hatches to be made and shipped from R&R Design. Hope to have those in another week. Just got to order the Nat Gear Camo Hydroturf from Gator Trax (I need four sheets, yikes) and I am all set to really start putting this boat together. Told ya it was gonna be an EXPEN$IVE month for me :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[Shoedawg]

Got some work done today. Focused on cutting up the foam board and getting them sized up for the install. Used my table saw and a body-saw to do all the work. Makes a dusty mess, but its pretty easy stuff to work with.

Started with the side panels. I just put the board along the panels and traced the outside edges, since all my panels taper from the back to front.


The other panel where the throttle control is mounted (the square hole) and where the steering cable runs through (the rounded hole).


The board matching the panel with the holes cut out.


These panels have dead space between them, when installed in their proper place in the boat. I wanted to fill the space up for a few reasons.

1. To displace any water if I swamp the damn thing and keep me afloat.

2. To help stiffen the panels up a little bit.

3. To help keep things a bit quite (like banging around the sides or a fishing weight from a line hitting the sides).

Using a table saw with a fence makes quick, clean and straight work.


Next I concentrated on making cuts of the foam board to be used around my live well. The idea here is to make the live well into a built in cooler, when its not being used as a live well. There was dead space all around the well, and I figured this foam is used to insulated homes, so I am hoping it helps to keep ice from melting to fast.

Here is what I am trying to achieve. I used a piece of cardboard and made a template for this piece of foam, since the well is slope at the bottom, to help with drainage.


Here's a better shot of the dead space I was talking about (the side of the well). I marked the foam because I would of forgotten which one went where and how :roll:


Here I measured and cut for the bottom of the well and made a notch for the drain.


I finished up with the front, using two boards. I couldn't use one piece because the board was too thick. So I used my table saw to rip the boards down to the width I needed to make it flush with the mounting brackets on the sides of the deck well. Keep in mind, the well is upside down with the drain hole up. It was easier to work on the live well this way.


All the boards fit pretty tight, with the exception of the bottom (or in this case in the picture, the top) and I needed a way to secure it. So I grabbed some aluminum flashing I was using for my drain channels and came up with this.


To secure the flashing, I plan on cutting some aluminium angle, the width of the flashing, and install it along the sides (think of an upside down "L") then rivet the sides of the angle to the deck well and into the top of the flashing. I am hoping its going to work. This way the board will sit flush with the bottom of the well and hold the in place.

 

[Shoedawg]

After cutting up foam board I changed out my blade on the table saw and installed my aluminum cutting blade. I have a tray that I was hoping would fit into the back on the boat where my battery's are going, but it was 4" to long. So I needed to shorten it down.

Here is the tray before the cut.


And here it is after. Surprisingly, the tray was very easy and smooth to cut. Its a pretty thick aluminum tray, and I thought it was going to take some time cutting it. Use cutting wax to maximum the use of your saws, it helps out a lot. Not sure what I am going to do with the other left over piece, but I am sure I will use it some where on the boat.


This is where the tray will be located, but inside the back deck housing.


That was pretty much it for the day. Had a HUGE mess to clean up afterwards. But I did get my new Merc controller in and cables.

Here is the remote control. Its a Quicksilver 4000. Ran me $255. It was the cheapest deal I could find online.


And the two cables for shifting and throttle. They are Quicksilver Gen 2 cables and are 11 feet long. Got a decent price for them , paying $38 a piece for each one.


I really needed to order a new controller and cables. The original control (which was a Quicksilver Commander 3000) was in really bad shape and the old cables aren't compatible with the new controller. I did take a look at the old controller and it was FUBAR!!! I decided the time and effort in trying to fix it, and hoping it held, wasn't worth the time, headache or risk.

Still waiting on my hatches to come in (sometime next week) and I put in a order for some Hydroturf from Gator Trax (should have it next week as well). I think I am going to start tackling the floor and back deck, and getting ready to rivet it all down while I wait for the hatches to come in.

 

[Shoedawg]

Been busy the last few days, with building a shed for the wife and fixing the yard, but I got to tackled the back deck today. I finally got it installed along with the live-well, front panel and made some elevated channels to support my foam. I also got my hatches and Hydro-Turf in a few days ago. Still didn't get the floor in. Hoping to have that done on Sunday after I get back from work. So here we go!

I've been wanting to get the beck deck frame installed for some time now, and that was the first major piece to be riveted down.


I used 1/4" - 3/8" Blind Pop Rivets. All my rivets have an aluminum mandrel in them. These rivets have a larger head on them and are flat-headed. I wanted to have a larger head on them to help keep the deck support in place.


Had to drill new holes (and round out some preexisting ones) to accommodate the rivets. Was pretty easy to do with a good drill bit. I AM NOT DRILLING THROUGH THE HULL'S BOTTOM. Even though it looks like it. That is just a enclosed drain channel that the deck sits upon.


After the holes were drilled, it was simply just riveting the deck down in place. I love this pneumatic riveter from Harbor Freight. Was a good price, easy to operate, saves time and saves my arms. Also does a great job getting into tight spaces that need riveted. Should help make the floor a breeze to do.


I used a total of 16 rivets (8 on each side) and then tested to see if the deck would shift. This baby isn't going anywhere.


With the deck in, I slid in my battery tray/plate, along with the fuel tank to see how it looked. Its a really nice fit and will support the batteries very well. I don't plan on mounting it yet until I run the live well plumbing and drain hoses first. It be a PIA to try and fiddle with hose with that tray riveted down.


Next, I moved on to mounting the live-well and getting the foam board installed around it. I also added a small bead of 5200 along the lips to help keep water out before I place the live well down.


Here she is riveted in from the top. I had a little bit of gap on the ends, so I filled it in with some more 5200 and smoothed it out. I'll address the front and back gaps later down the road. I was using a cheap crappy chalk gun that have me one hell of a time to use. My wife saw the pain and suffering I was going through (HA!!) and even said it was a ****** gun. So she is going to buy me a better one this week.


With the live-well done, I threw the front panel in place along with adding the foam board to the front of the well. I do need to support the bottom foam just a bit (to prevent it from slipping a little). I hope the foam does its job and protects the well from heat and keeping the ice cold. I now have me a built-in cooler.

 

[Shoedawg]

Now I needed to rivet down the front panel, and had to use the old school method of "bucking" the rivets to it. I had my wife help me with this. Here are the tools I used. A hammer, a bucking bar (that weird shaped piece of metal) and a flat air-hammer rivet setter (or what ever you call it). The flat-head wouldn't attach to my air hammer (it was just a bit to long) properly, so I had to use a small sledge hammer to do the job.


To "Buck" a rivet, first place your rivet where you want it. Then have a helper hold the bucking bar and press it against the shaft end of the rivet to be bucked. From there, take a hammer and strike the head of the rivet until the shaft of the rivet is "bucked" or smashed. I used the flat rivet setter and placed it on top of the rivet head, then pounded the setter with my hammer. I used this method for a couple of reason:

1. The setter can be used to keep the rivet flush with the hull while putting pressure on it.

2. The setter keeps my fingers out of the way of the hammer and makes it easier to keep the rivet in place (that is, not falling out).

3. I didn't want to risk marring up the paint on the side of the boat with the hammer if I missed the rivet. If I didn't use the setter, I would have screwed the paint job up.

4. You can really hammer harder with a setter and making the rivets buck very well.

Here is what I am talking about.


Here is what a set rivet looks like with the method I described above.


Here are the rivets I used. Aluminum Brazier Head Solid Rivets, 1/4" x 1/2". They run pretty cheap. A bag for 100 rivets ran me about $10.


Before I riveted the front panel in place I put a small dab of 5200 in the holes first, then I inserted the rivet. I use to coat the shaft of the rivet first with 5200, but found it made a mess on my hands, the tools and got smeared all over the area I was working in, leaving me to clean it up. I found by adding the 5200 into the hole first, made for a cleaner job, and coated the shaft just fine.

Here is the port side we did. Also did the starboard side as well. About 15 rivets all together. Doesn't take much time to do, and pretty easy with the right tools.


From there I moved onto making the elevated channel for the back cavities in the boat. The purpose here is to keep the 2-part foam from touching the bottom and allowing water to drain underneath it. This is what I came up with.


All I did was take some aluminium flashing that measured 14" wide and cut it at about 44" long. From there I cut two pieces of aluminum angle (about 9" long) and drilled 6 holes into it. Three on the top, and three on the bottom. The three on the bottom is where I riveted the flashing to, and the three on the top are for when i go to mount the channel to the transom and the front panel.

Here is what I am trying to achieve to make it clearer. The channel will be riveted and the foam will be pour right on top of the flashing. I may had another small piece of angle in the middle to help support the weight of the foam (which really isn't nothing at all). But the flashing should be pretty tight when it get riveted in.


Just a shot of the drain channel with the elevated flashing in place. Looks good enough to support proper water drainage. I'll be riveting the flashing in some time later on in the build.


Here is the sheets of Gator-Trax I got in. I was impressed by the quality of the material and the color scheme. This is their "Nat Gear Camo". It came with the 3M adhesive on it as well (making my job, hopefully easier). I have lot of boat to cover.


Here is a close up shot.

 

[Shoedawg]

Wanted to also share the hatches I received from R&R Design. These are quality hatches and well built. Very sturdy, heavy and thick. I had three come in (two for the front deck and one for the rod locker). They take about 7-10 days to build, then ship.



They come with a rubber seal already installed and have a pretty deep lip.


Each hatch also comes with its own set of locking hardware and latch. No extra charge for the hardware.


Close up of the welded and painted hatch. The paint job was free. You can get them non-painted, powdered coated and one other method, but I can't remember what it was. I got mine powder coated. Why not? Didn't cost me any more.


I liked them so much I ordered 3 more hatches for the back deck. One for the battery/gas well and two for the small drop in storage tubs. The one hatch will be 32.5"L X 15.75" W and ran me about $150 with the free hardware and paint job. The two smaller hatches will be 14.75"L X 6.75"W and ran me $45 per hatch. Good luck finding a better deal than that.

Here is what the hatches look like (try to imagine a bigger hatch covering the hole) when mounted.


This is where the smaller two hatches will be (one on each side of the boat).


The reason why I ordered three new hatches, was because I didn't like the original hatch lids that came with the boat. There were no lips for them to make install easy and give that nice flush look. Plus the original lids were a little banged up, bent, didn't have a drain lip.....well they were just crap. Here is what I am talking about.

The original lids.


The only lid I am keeping on the boat will be the lid for the live-well, but I'll see how that goes when I get these hatches in and the back deck finished.

I also ordered some other stuff as well. A new vented gas cap, a gas tank gauge, and some hoses for the gas tank (THOSE WERE NOT CHEAP!!! :evil: ) and some flush mounted cup holders. Holding off on ordering some electric stuff, like a fuse box, switch bank, lights, horn and radio. Still need to research some of those things. Hope to have the floor mounted on Sunday and then move towards attacking the front deck and installing the new hatches. Thanks for reading and keeping tabs on the build.

 

[Fire1386]

Those hatches look very good, please keep the pics coming after they are installed.....