Input on Refinishing & Renovating Sled

[NETONE]

I know some of you out there have spend time & money to re-do your older boats with new paint, floors etc. Therefore, after some time weighing the cost ratios on new verse rebuilding I have chose to gut my 22 foot alumaweld flat bottom and do new floors inside & out side paint. I am going to do all the prep work to include filling those outside scratches etc. So....how does one handle taking the boat off the trailer and "dry docking it for prep", what shop will paint my boat off the trailer...who do you folks recommend for paint, welding...Also should one do alum foolrs or standard wood floors...

Any help or input would be very much appreciated..My ball park cost will be $3000 - $3500 for this project. I know I will never have a return on this money but can't see 30k for a new boat as bad as I want one....

[cosmo]

The guys at Ampro in clackamas would be a lead worth talking to. I know they have done some aluminum floors, I've talked to them about it. They just recently did a small weld job for me on a DB accessory I wanted. Drew a picture for them with measurements, had the peice the next day.

[NETONE]

Thanks Cosmo...Infact I was thinking that Motion Marine could do the transom modifications for the tray & hot tank for me...but will give Ampro a call to see also.....

[Sled Dog]

Aluminum floors are the only way to go in my book. I did mine myself and it turned out great. The floor is durable as all get out and not slick at all. Also lighter than the water soaked plywood I replaced. I don't recomend polished aluminum, its hard on the eyes on those bright sunny days. Regular diamond tread aluminum works great.

Had a metal fab place make the inital cuts to size , then trimmed and perfected the fit myself with a grinder and a skil saw with a carberrendum blade. Screw it down with good stainless srews. Always predrill the holes and lube the srews with wd-40 before you tighten them down. Larger thread size keeps them from virbrating loose or so I have found. Then caulk the seams along the edge of the boat where the floor meets the sides, not at the back of course. This keeps stuff from getting lodged in the cracks and the water will run to the back and drain into the bilige just as well.
Cost me about a 1/4 of what Stevens Marine quoted me (500-600 stevens estiment)(I got it done for about 150-175 ish ) for the same job. Took one saturday once I got the materials together. :smile:

[Squirrely]

i would like to expand on this by asking if anyone has ever customised a smaller boat like a smoker craft by adding a split seat or perhapds removing the rear bench seat pls foam and adding corner seats? hopefully this isnt too off topic?

[ 04-03-2003, 01:51 PM: Message edited by: Squirrely ]

[k9jeff]

My sled is getting a black diamond plate floor this summer. I am removing the old wood one and am going to use it for a pattern. I cant wait.

[Sled Dog]

Aluminum floors are the only way to go in my book. I did mine myself and it turned out great. The floor is durable as all get out and not slick at all. Also lighter than the water soaked plywood I replaced. I don't recomend polished aluminum, its hard on the eyes on those bright sunny days. Regular diamond tread aluminum works great.

Had a metal fab place make the inital cuts to size , then trimmed and perfected the fit myself with a grinder and a skil saw with a carberrendum blade. Screw it down with good stainless srews. Always predrill the holes and lube the srews with wd-40 before you tighten them down. Larger thread size keeps them from virbrating loose or so I have found. Then caulk the seams along the edge of the boat where the floor meets the sides, not at the back of course. This keeps stuff from getting lodged in the cracks and the water will run to the back and drain into the bilige just as well.
Cost me about a 1/4 of what Stevens Marine quoted me (500-600 stevens estiment)(I got it done for about 150-175 ish ) for the same job. Took one saturday once I got the materials together. :smile:

[fishchaser]

Try Wright manufacturing on Jhnson creek Blvd, behind Fred Meyers (a liitle ways) They do all sorts of aluminum work.