1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Thanks, GT. I've been watching your thread as well- I have to say your thread title is one of the most appropriate ever

Don't worry- It only gets better

-Andrew

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

The joint has now been filleted, and taped-

There was only a small gap, I actually used a grinder on the edge of the floor while it was still out of the boat so there would be a little more area to fill, which makes it stronger. I wanted about a 1/8" or more gap as a minimum. I filled it with epoxy, thickened with aerosil. Then, I taped the top of the joint with 3" glass tape.

The second photo shows one of the handiest 'features' of my workshop- My Solar door. I happen to have a south facing garage door, and I built a swing-down door that covers it up, kind of like a storm door. The inserts are clear polycarbonate panels, and they act as solar collectors during the winter. I open my garage door, and let the free heat come in. It is seldom below 70 down there, even on the colder days. My shop does have heat, but I don't even need it 90% of the time!

The door is hinged on the top, so I swing it up to use the door. If I prop it in the open position, it 'extends' my work area out into the yard a bit, by giving me an awning to work under. The sun isn't a problem in the summer months, as it's higher in the sky, and also blocked by leaves on the trees, which are of course gone now...

-Andrew

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

The glass work on the floor is now DONE-

I HATE glassing areas that big! Getting it all wet out and bubble free is a pain... Being a little cooler helps, since I get a bit more working time with the epoxy, but you still have to go FAST.

First step was wiping the blush off the cured resin. I've noticed that the epoxy I use tends to bush a lot more in cooler temps (as do most epoxies), especially with the 'medium' hardener. All it requires is a good wipe down with hot, clean water. Then, I did some light sanding in a few areas to knock down some high points.

I cut the cloth so it conforms to the molded in rub rail- it makes it a lot easier to 'blend' into the existing hull. Once the edge is sanded a bit, You'll have to look VERY close to tell that any changes have ever been made.

There is one piece of glass running from gunwale to gunwale, but I chose to wet it out in 2 sections- One runs from the bow to about 6 feet back, and then I overlapped that with another piece that runs to the transom. The joint is hidden underneath the forward seats, so you'll never see it. I did this because it is a lot easier to manage two smaller pieces of glass than it is one large one!

When I'm working with larger pieces of glass, I break out the 'glass table', which is just a luan door that I picked up on clearance at lowes since it had a ding in one side... It works great for cutting fiberglass, vinyl, anything large-

I folded the 60" wide cloth in half, to make it easier to deal with, and then drew a line down the center with a marker... I've also got a line down the center of the boat- So when I go to lay the cloth in place, I can just match the two lines up and wet it out from the center outwards.

I am GLAD to get this behind me- It's a lot of work

This also marks something of a milestone in the project- The major repair work is done. There are a few small holes here and there to patch, but the majority of work from here on out is sanding, filling, and fairing in preparation for paint. I'd say that I'm about 1/2 done at this stage.

-Andrew

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Very nice work, as usual. How much epoxy have you used on her so far???

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

How much epoxy have you used on her so far???

I'm not sure, since I've got more than one project going at once... I'd guess about 3 gallons or so. I used a little over 1/2 gallon today alone!

-Andrew

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

andgott,
Nice progress and workmanship.
Looks good.
Bob

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

nice looking work Andrew.....I remember putting the glass over my deck, I did a 60" wide pieces from bow to stern....I just remember telling my Dad to keep going! Nothing like a little pressure huh? lol!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Thanks... It's nice to be at this stage in things- and even nicer to come down to the workshop this morning to find that it has all cured nicely! I've done it enough that I shouldn't worry, but when you're quickly mixing so many batches of epoxy, yOu always feel like you Could make a mistake!!

Arch- this job would have been a lot easier with a helper- when I put the floor in the g3 I had an "observer" there, and I got him to help by mixing the resin when I needed it , so I could keep working. It did help a lot!

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Yeah I was a mixing mad man that day...90 degrees.....glass was firing off like crazy!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Congrats on your milestone! Interesting how diff manufacturers assembled hulls/stringers/decking. I guess these early 'glass builders were still trying to figure the 'best', cheapest, quickest way to get it done. I thought I lucked out w/ glass stringers, but how great was it to be able to get that 'glass deck out & reuse it? Great work, looking forward to seeing you get the cap back on!

 

[Jon Sob]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

andgott .... I've been following your thread and I have to say you do some very impressive work my friend. Nice job!!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Yeah, You find some interesting things in the old ones... They really were trying a lot of different things out back then- Fiberglass was relatively new, and no one knew how to use it best- how it would last long term... They did some things that seem strange now, but probably seemed perfectly fine at the time... I can assure you that this boat is better and stronger than it was when it left the factory, and is ready for it's next 50+ years!

-Andrew

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

As always, A-1, Top Notch workmanship! Looks Grrrrr-8!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Now that all the work is done on the inside of the Lake N Sea hull, It's time to work on the bottom... That means flipping the hull.

I've been thinking about a lot of different ways to do it easily, and alone, in my workshop. I could have hauled the boat all the way up to my upstairs garage, where the overhead lift is, and done it there, but I got to thinking about an easier way. I got the idea from the various boat rotisseries I've seen out there.

It seemed to me that there would be a pivot point somewhere- Near the center of gravity- and If I lifted the boat from there, it would spin easily. After finishing the floor installation, I drilled the hole in the transom for the drain, which is right at the floor level. It seemed to me this would be just about the perfect place to 'spin' the boat from.

I used a section of 1/2" all thread. I used a 1" bushing in the transom, ran the all thread through that, and used a washer and nut on either end to hold it in place. Then, I built a stand that was high enough to allow the boat to pivot all the way around... Here are some photos-

I used my engine hoist to lift the bow-

Once the bow eye was up to the level of the pivot on the transom, the hull was free to spin- VERY easily, too-

Now that it's flipped, i can move the work stand back under it, and start lowering-

And, She's flipped, ready to start working-

You can see the stand I used to pivot the transom in this photo.

It worked pretty well- Once I was set up, it only took a minute to flip it over, and was FAR less stressful than other methods I've seen and/or tried. Plus- I didn't have to bother all the 'able bodied' people in the neighborhood this time!

-Andrew

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Sooo.. what's your guess - ti - mate on the weight of your empty hull?

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Sooo.. what's your guess - ti - mate on the weight of your empty hull?

That's a tough one... Factory hull weight is about 460 lbs. I'd say deck, etc is roughly 150 or so- I can JUST lift it if I need to. Leaving about 300 for a FACTORY hull. But- I've reinforced and strengthened it.

This is a smaller boat (at 14'), but You could really do this with any size/weight boat- The transom is good and solid. The weak point would be the bow eye- I know mine is plenty strong, since I just re-installed it, complete with new wood backing.

You could also spread the load- There are holes for the stern eyes as well, that could be used, though in my case they were higher and wouldn't be as suitable as a pivot point... They were also in the louvered area of the transom, which I'd rather not mess with!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Great work, did you have to weigh down the base of the transom stand? Or was the 18-24" legs long enough to prevent stand from tipping? I spent for ever looking through straps & ratchet tie downs at harbor freight the other day to both lift the cap & to rotate the hull on mine.

Thanks for the pix & info. When I get back, I hope to at least spend so time on mine. Between now & Jan 3rd, I've got LOTS of time off. Of course, now I have the 2 motors to get operational. I need to look back, but what's your outboard for this again?

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

The weight of the boat held the transom stand down just fine- It just needed the short legs and a bit of bracing to keep it from tipping over.

When I take caps off, I use this-

This is the G-3 that I'm working on at the moment... I can pop a cap with ease, all alone. It's also GREAT for lifting motors, and even whole boats. One of the best 'tools' I have. I'll probably use it (and a few extra hands!) when I flip the hull back over- once it's all repainted and shiny- So I don't scratch it!

The power on the Lake N Sea will be a 1959 Evinrude Lark- I've got 2 of them, both in GREAT shape. This is going to be more of a show boat than a 'daily driver'.

 

[Decker83]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

That was a great flip. That's how I did my deck boat.

You are looking good. Keep it up.

Kent

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Now that the hull is flipped, It's time to start on the bottom. What a mess!!

The hull had been painted at some time in the distant past- Which I didn't realize until I started sanding. It was a well done paint job, but all of it needs to come off. The gel coat underneath is pretty bad in spots, a lot of crazing and cracking. Also, Since I have NO idea what kind of paint it is, the only way to ensure compatibility with the paint I use is to remove it all.

It comes off pretty well, though it's a dusty, nasty process-

This poor girl has had a rough life- There are a lot of chips and gouges in the bottom- Most look like trailering incidents. The old trailer the boat was on was in BAD shape.

The plan is to sand it all down, Fill all the gouges, then prime it with an epoxy primer before painting.

-Andrew