Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

[Cozeen]

So I bought a boat. now i am hearing a lot of you guys talk about glassing, and transoms and stringers and I am lost. I have bought a 14' aluminum v-hull boat. I have ripped out the rotted wood( floor, benches and front part where the seat goes). I know what I want to do to it, but just want to make sure I am going in the right direction. so far I have to get all the old seat frames out and then I will be ready to put in new foam and then 1/2" plywood down for the floor. what should i treat the plywood with and then whre do I go from there. any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

Cover your plywood in fiberglass and it will last for years to come. Do you have any pics and what shape is the wood on the transom in? Are you making any changes such as different seats or anything like that? I'm sure some tin guys will chime in on what to do with your rivets and such. Good luck.

 

[Cozeen]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

yeah i will try to get some pics up soon. It was a basic 3 bench jonboat. the dude I got it from had put PVC over the 3 benches to mount 2 seats up high. there was no motor, except for a trolling motor. I want(key word) to go in and mount a seat up high in the front,(that triagular part of the front) waht is that part called anyway?, and one towards the back. also a livewell from an old 3'cooler with some rod storage seats along the sides about half way up. As I stated before I know little about boats and don't even know how logical my plans are. I am not in a huge hurry but want to try to get in the water by the summer. anyhelp will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

The front of the boat is called a bow. The back is a stern. Depending on the style of the boat, you have to be careful on mounting high seats. You don't want to be top heavy and get up there and tip over.

 

[Cozeen]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

so here's what i got.[/ATTACH][/ATTACH]

I want to run 2 bench seats down the sides and then put a raised floor on the bow with a "captains seat" on it. I am planning on using a 3' cooler for a livewellright behind the raised floor.also a Captains seat at the stern to sit in while driving. I am totally new to the physics and mechanics of watercraft so in my head this tuff will work but let me know what you think. also i found 2 small rivets that maybe someone had tried to patch, but they must have done a good job because that is the only evidence of it. anyhow can I just use a big rubber washer and a nut and bolt to close up the hole, or should I try some sort of bondo? thanks again.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

Your boat looks to be a nice wide and deep boat. You shouldn't have any issues with your plans. As far as the rivets goes, I hope a tinny user will pipe in here with some help on those. I know the fellas use a product called gluvit. It's and epoxy to seal rivets. I think the spread over all the rivets on the floor at least, to prevent future leaks. I hope this helps and keep up informed of your build. And don't forget lots of pics.

 

[Cozeen]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

ok. first water test was sort of a success. things I learned. the boat floats, trolling motor works, has good power. also learned not to test a boat without a motor near a dam with a strong current. I did find a couple of very very small leaks in the floor of the boat. perhaps someone will be able to tell me how to fix that. now that I know it floats the real work and fun begins.

 

[stylesabu]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

I own a16ft aluminum.Make sure your rivits are tight, if not you'll need two guys each with a hammer to pound rivits tight, if there is still a leak clean and seal with gluvit.before putting down your deck.you could use a nut anf bolt, but make sure you use lock tight,to keep bolt tight

 

[wvmedic]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

Cozeen if you're boat has rivets, you will need to tighten them if they are leaking. The processes is called bucking, google bucking rivets and you will have a better understanding. After that you can seal them and the seams with gluvit.

Also check out the completed boat projects just bellow this one on the main board to get some ideas.

Check out mantis270's Lund project. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=320389 It covers the gluvit and epoxy for the decking. He has done a good job with his 14' Lund.

You're plan is doable, I'm considering doing one of my own after I finish the 18'. The smaller boat would be good for our smaller 10hp limit lakes.

Welcome aboard by the way.

Jeff

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

check out my thread on my 14' aluminum i did last year...may give you some ideas

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=369691

 

[Cozeen]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

Gotta say thanks to all you guys weighing in. Sounds like I may just be able to do this boat thing. Still a little sketchy on the strength of the transom. Don't really know how big an engine to put on it. Only me and my fatehr inlaw seem to be interested in it for fishing. Still be nice to tool around the lake sometime, so don't know how much power or speed I may need for that. I am sure you guys have a pretty good idea what I'll need. thanks again.

 

[wvmedic]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

Cozeen, is there a manufacture plate? If you know the manufacture you could possibly look up the HP rating. Otherwise I would say a 10 HP or maybe a 15 HP max, that is just from looking at the pictures. I would lean toward a 10 HP though, we rented an 18' ceder strip in Canada it had a 15 HP on it. Giesler Boats rates the hull at 350 pounds, the 15 pulled four of us around real well and I weigh in @ 270# the other three weighed maybe 340# combined. So a 10 HP should get you around fine.

Jeff

 

[Cozeen]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

Can't find a manufactures plate. I have decided that an engine will probably pop up at some point in time during the restore. I know you guys have said that 80 grit sandpaper is what is used to sand the inside and outside. Then I notice that some people have used a wire wheel. My boat appears to have been at least 4 different colors and I am not looking forward to get to the shiny aluminum. I realize that i need to get the outside done first before starting to put in my seats and such. I notice that some peoples bench seats don't run parrallel with the rim of the boat. How might i go about figuring up how that works? how much room should I have between the seats and the edge of the boat? thanks.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

Cozeen,

Welcome to the tin can club (aluminum boats are often called "tinnies")

how much room should I have between the seats and the edge of the boat?

Normally the seats butt right up to the sides of the hull to lend structural support. This keeps the boat from folding up like an accordian when stressed.

Make sure you use epoxy/poly resin on the wood to seal it prior to bolting it in. It will last for many years that way.

Don't use pressure-treated plywood as it contains copper which reacts negatively to the aluminum.

Gluvit is the best friend of tin boat restorers. Clean the hull very well before applying so it adheres well. It will creep into any seams, rivets and crevices to keep her watertight. It is a great product since it remains flexible and won't crack when the hull flexes. You can order it right here on iboats and it is worth the $$.

Looks like a nice hull as mentioned These are easy to work on and should make a nice little fishing rig.

I've got a 12' AeroCraft resto going(link below) so feel free to check it out for ideas/methods. I have a 30;b thrust Minn Kota electric and a 1955 5.5hp Johnson and both are VERY reliable and push the boat around nicely.

For your scenario I'd recommend a small Minn Kota. They run about $100 brand new and don't scare the fish

Good luck with your project

 

[jpmurphy]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

Welcome to best site on the net. This is where I learned everything I needed to rebuild my Gregor tinny last winter.

Check out my thread "My retirement project", about 9 chapters I think.

Whatever you do, do it slow and with a great deal of forethought.

Good luck on your project.

 

[Cozeen]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

OK so what happens when you can't get marine grade plywood? How much is enough resin on th eplywood? and should I rebuild the transom. it appears to be solid, but the top has water damage and is rotting off. didn't know if it was like that the whole way through or just on the top. thanks

 

[osborn159]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

looks like a good place to start, definetly make sure the rivets under the water line dont leak had a 12' crestliner in the early 80s used to run it over oyster/sand bars to get to the fish, unfortunatley the rivets and aluminum didnt like that, fortunatley i was an aviation structral mechanic in the navy and had the ways and means to fix it, you will need a bucking bar or a decent peice of hard scrap iron, doesnt have to be real big maybe 1inch by 1 inch by long enough to hold onto firmly and an air hammer with a dimpled driver if you have pan head rivets, or a drift punch modified to fit the head, you will want/need hearing protection, and hammer till rivets are reset, hard to tell if they will leak till you dunk the boat again so it can take more than one go-round to get them all, unless someone here has a trick up their sleeve, wish i would have known about gluvit back then, i wound up absconding with a few tubes of uncle sams aircraft sealant to resolve the ones that i couldnt get reset. good luck, it all just takes time, some $$$$, and a little sweat.

 

[Cozeen]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

What do I need to use when I can't find any marine grade plywood? How much resin is enough?

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

What do I need to use when I can't find any marine grade plywood? How much resin is enough?

A good piece of exterior non pressure-treated plywood will be fine. Marine grade just has less voids. The epoxy will solve that issue.

Just brush on epoxy and let the wood swallow it up. Two or three coats and it'll be waterproofed. Make sure you get the edges extra since they really drink up the stuff.

 

[Cozeen]

Re: Starting out rookie 14' aluminum

What do I need to use when I can't find any marine grade plywood? How much resin is enough? The transom has rotting wood on the top but the rest seems to be sound, should I replace it anyway? thanks