new driftboat project . PICS Advice needed.

sliverslinger · 02-28-2008, 03:11 PM

Well since I cannot work until my bond gets back to the CCB I figured I would start on my driftboat project. I got it in the front yard, and let the sun heat it up a bit and then started stripping off the old cracking paint someone had painted it with. Now I have it stripped down and need to go and borrow a belt sander and start on the bottom and get all the old fiberglass off there so I can start over and do it correctly.

BEFORE PICS:

AFTER PICS.

Here the bottom looks like whoever did it didnt use a fiberglass cloth of any type.

And here is the hole that they put into the boat. It going to be an easy fix.

lostbackpacker · 02-29-2008, 07:11 AM

make sure you wear a good respirator when taking off the old fiberglass.

sliverslinger · 02-29-2008, 07:26 AM

so what grit should I start with, 40? then take it down to the bare wood and finish with 80 grit by hand?

Thanks for the advice about the respirator.

Now that I have the paint stripper on the side of the boat, how do I kill its effects to new paint? Is there something I need to use to do so?

KbarreraJ · 02-29-2008, 09:07 AM

careful you don't take it down to much , i had one and used to refinish it every three years inside and out , find a good marine paint the coat will last longer ...

sliverslinger · 02-29-2008, 02:14 PM

well I got started sanding it today beofre the rain started.

No, those lines you see are not sanding lines. They are cracks in the old fiberglass.
Do they make a item to loosen the old fiberglass? There are actuallt 2 layers on this boat. The top layer is coming off ok but the bottom layer doesnt want to budge much. Would it be okay to leave the bottom layer as long as it was smooth? or do I have to take all the way down to bare wood?

stevo · 03-01-2008, 09:13 AM

[Would it be okay to leave the bottom layer as long as it was smooth? or do I have to take all the way down to bare wood?[/quote]

Do you know what the old FG is on there with as far as epoxy? ie is it marine epoxy or polyester resin? if the former leave it, the latter remove it. Frankly, if it is very difficult to remove, I'd just leave it.
As for re glassing, rough it up good, 80 grit at the finest, and wash dust off with NH3 & water, may even want to give it an acetone wipe before re-glassing. Also, do the reglass with marine epoxy only, stay away from auto part store resin etc, they won't hold up. System3 or West Sytems cannot be beat.

sliverslinger · 03-01-2008, 09:38 AM

Thanks for the info. I think I am just going to take all the GREEN off of it and leave the clear layer. I have been using 80 grit belts on the sander and this stuff is still hard to get off. Must be epoxy or something like that.

sliverslinger · 03-01-2008, 04:55 PM

well I got almost all of it stripped off now. I did find out that there were 2 layers of mat or cloth about in the middle of the boat.
What would you guys suggest to fill in the low spots?

sliverslinger · 03-02-2008, 11:43 AM

any suggestions on fillers? I am thinking about using what we call webcrete. I just need to level off the middle portion of the boat. I was thinking about mixing it up a little runny and pour it in the middle where the biggest indentation is and then screeding it off. This stuff set up hard as nails and will grip any surface.
What do you think?

ondarvr · 03-02-2008, 08:51 PM

I'm not sure what webcrete is, but you should use the same epoxy you plan on glassing the hull with. You can get stuff to thicken it (micro balloons, cabosil and other stuff) at West Marine and other places. You also need to coat the wood with epoxy before doing any other work, this will allow it to soak in and bond better.

sliverslinger · 03-06-2008, 07:51 AM

do they make a good filler to do what I am needing? I took a good straight 1x4 and set it on edge across the bottom of the boat up by the bow and the board touches all the way across. I set the smae board in the middle portion of the boat and there is about 1/2" gap between the board and the bottom of the boat. So I need to fill in approx 1/2" thick x4' wide and about 3' long area. .

sliverslinger · 03-06-2008, 08:38 AM

would this work for glassing this boat?
if so , is it a good deal?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/epoxy...spagenameZWDVW

ondarvr · 03-06-2008, 09:02 AM

Don't bother filling it, it will just add weight, just fill the rough areas of the wood.
Unless you can force the hull back into shape from the inside forget about it, it won't make big difference when you're using it. In fact just call it a tunnel hull like a Clackacraft.
That epoxy should work, but only if you get it for cheap, at $49.00 for 47oz's it's not a good buy.

sliverslinger · 03-06-2008, 09:54 AM

well he has 8 available and they are selling for 5.00 per kit right now. How many of those kits would I need to cover this boat? I was thinking 2 of them but what do I know.
I do want to do a couple of coats though before I put the coat-it on the bottom.

sliverslinger · 03-06-2008, 12:13 PM

well I got tired of playing around with 80 grit so I went to the store and got a 36 grit belt. That made short work of it. I now have the bottom free from all fiberglas and ready to go except for the filler. I have to get the done first.

ondarvr · 03-06-2008, 01:22 PM

36 grit is the way to go, At 5 bucks they're a great deal and 2 might not be enough, for that price I would get 4. I'm assuming you will be using cloth to cover the entire boat?

sliverslinger · 03-06-2008, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondarvr

36 grit is the way to go, At 5 bucks they're a great deal and 2 might not be enough, for that price I would get 4. I'm assuming you will be using cloth to cover the entire boat?

I am thinking about using either biaxel matt or triaxel mat. I think that cloth would be very heavy. After I get that done I would like to put 2 coats of coat-it on it or just one thick coat. 2 cans will do and that way I can go up the sides just a bit. I am also going to glass in the transon and the bow point.

hey, for paint primer, would you recommend KILZ? Or is there something better?

ondarvr · 03-06-2008, 07:02 PM

Most use cloth for this application, biax and triax are much stronger, but much heavier. The wood normally supplies most of the needed strength, the epoxy and cloth add some strength, but a great deal of wear resistance and waterproofing. Gluvit and Coat it are just epoxies, not really much different than what you will be getting on Ebay for 5 bucks, so don't bother with either of them. Depending on how smooth you want the surface (hiding the fiberglass pattern) you just apply another coat of epoxy until you achieve the desired results.

I don't have any cloth, but if you want to use biax I have some I will give
you.

I meant to say cover the entire bottom of the boat in the post above.

sliverslinger · 03-06-2008, 07:41 PM

Thank you , I will take you up on the biax, I have bid on 3 containers of the epoxy on ebay, if I can get it for 5.00 each it should be a good deal. I was going to use the coat-it because it is tough as nail and I have used it before with great results. Also it will keep my color scheme.

How do I go about getting the mat from you? Do you think it is a good idea to cover the transon and the bow point with the glass? I was going to do it for extra strength on those points.

sliverslinger · 03-06-2008, 07:51 PM

Here are some pics of what the bottom looks like now.
Bow

middle

stern

another pic of the middle and uneveness

and this is what it looked like before.

It was that way all the way.

ondarvr · 03-06-2008, 08:31 PM

I travel to Oregon frequently, so I can drop it off.

The bottom looks much better, good job.

If you still plan on using Coat it, you don't really need the stuff from Ebay, like I said, both are epoxy and do the same thing.

The ebay stuff will do the whole job for far less money if it stay's at that low price, normally it will go much higher though.

sliverslinger · 03-07-2008, 06:23 AM

The fiberglass I used the last time I believe was chopped strand mat. Is this good? what is the difference between strand mat vs biaxel cloth?

ondarvr · 03-07-2008, 06:52 AM

Mat is the fuzzy stuff, it conforms well to odd shapes and is easy to use, but has less strength than cloth, roving or Biax. The continuous strands of the these three are much stronger than the cut and short strands of the mat. Mat is used when using polyester resin, it's not as common when using epoxy, so it's not something you need for this project. Cloth will conform to the shape of the corners easier, but will have less strength than Biax.

sliverslinger · 03-07-2008, 08:58 AM

and you said that you have biax? How wide is it? Do you still lay down a first coat then lay the biax and another coat on top of it, until it is all wetted out? How many coats do you think I would need? I do not plan on going up the sides with the glass just the resin. I am only going to glass the bottom part of the boat. That is where it is going to take the most abuse.

Ken Drifter · 03-07-2008, 09:47 AM

hey, for paint primer, would you recommend KILZ? Or is there something better?[/QUOTE]

I re did a wooden boat a few years back. Alot of the same as what your doing. I used concrete paint. It held up real well.

sliverslinger · 03-07-2008, 10:04 AM

If I remember right, that last time I just used rustoleum enamel paint and did about 3-4 coats. It held up ok. We were anchored next to shore and with the waves pushing us up against the back all day. some of the paint was worn off. Just wondering if I were to use a good primer first if it would hold up better.

sliverslinger · 03-11-2008, 06:07 AM

well I used filler to fill the hole in the bottom and now the boat bottom is all smooth and ready to glass. I havent done any painting yet, but soon. I have to get the glass and resin first.

sliverslinger · 03-11-2008, 07:42 PM

well I got the first 2 coats of an enamel primer on the sides of the boat. It is all taped off and I should be able to get the black paint on there as soon as we have decent weather again for a couple of days. I am thinking about putting on about 4 coats of gloss black enamel paint.

sliverslinger · 03-12-2008, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondarvr

Most use cloth for this application, biax and triax are much stronger, but much heavier. The wood normally supplies most of the needed strength, the epoxy and cloth add some strength, but a great deal of wear resistance and waterproofing. Gluvit and Coat it are just epoxies, not really much different than what you will be getting on Ebay for 5 bucks, so don't bother with either of them. Depending on how smooth you want the surface (hiding the fiberglass pattern) you just apply another coat of epoxy until you achieve the desired results.

I don't have any cloth, but if you want to use biax I have some I will give
you.

I meant to say cover the entire bottom of the boat in the post above.

Well I didnt win the epoxies from ebay. I am going to go and talk to the fiberglass shop down here by me. I believe I can get poly resin and hardener for 20.00 or so a gallon, and I dont have to pay for shipping. After that I am going to use the coat-it.

ondarvr where did you go? I havent heard from you in a bit . PM me .

stevo · 03-12-2008, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sliverslinger2001

Well I didnt win the epoxies from ebay. I am going to go and talk to the fiberglass shop down here by me. I believe I can get poly resin and hardener for 20.00 or so a gallon, and I dont have to pay for shipping.

Spend the extra dough on marine epoxy, voice of experience talking. You have put in way too much work to use a product that isn't right for the application.

sliverslinger · 03-13-2008, 08:42 AM

so will this epoxy work for this application?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tab%3DWatching

Baxter · 03-13-2008, 06:08 PM

Silverslinger, that epoxy might work fine but it is not especially cheap at that price. You can get advice from TAP Plastics, there are stores in Portland on Sandy and in Tualitin just off I-5. Tell them how much glass you want to saturate and they will tell you what you need.

I would suggest another alternative, if you really want to get this done inexpensively: you might just cut a few strips of hardwood of some kind, maybe 1/2" thick by 2" wide, lay them lengthwise along the bottom, screw them in place, and paint. Maybe one full length in the center and shorter ones to each side. They will function just like the rubbing strakes that are on the sides of your hull; they'll give you abrasion protection for the bottom, and they can be easily replaced down the road if they are broken or worn through. Very old school.

There's no rule that says you have to glass the bottom. I've built a couple boats that use rub strips to protect the bottom, works fabulous. A smooth bottom on a drift boat is nice for several reasons, but hardly a neccessity.

--Lee

sliverslinger · 03-14-2008, 01:07 PM

what do you guys think about this stuff?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Epoxy-Resin-Glue...QQcmdZViewItem

Will it work for what i am using it for?

ondarvr · 03-14-2008, 02:12 PM

The product you linked to most likely won't be the one you want to use, there are other products made by them that look to be what you want though. Click on some of the other products they have and you should find what you need.

sliverslinger · 03-15-2008, 07:15 AM

well I bought m epoxy after talking to the supplier from ebay for about an hour to make sure it was the right stuff. I bought 3 of the kits.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=017

sliverslinger · 03-16-2008, 07:34 AM

would this fiberglass cloth work for my application?
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-yard-Fiberglas...QQcmdZViewItem

ondarvr · 03-16-2008, 07:59 PM

It will be too light in weight, it say it's .72 oz material, you need something closer to 10oz. I just got back in town, so I may be able send you some biax soon. I leave town again Tuesday morning, but will try to get it out tomorrow. When do you plan on starting the project?

sliverslinger · 03-16-2008, 09:28 PM

I should have the epoxy here by this coming weekend and i would like t get started on it as soon as we get some decent weather.

sliverslinger · 03-17-2008, 08:16 AM

Well I got it painted yesterday, let it dry for about an hour then went out and pulled the painters tape off, this it the end result. Everything that isnt navy blue will be fiberglassed except for the gunnels.

sliverslinger · 03-21-2008, 04:00 PM

well I got my gallon of epoxy in the mail today. All Ineed now is the glass and nice weather and I can get her all done. ondarvr Can you get hold of me soon. Thanks.

sliverslinger · 04-11-2008, 03:13 PM

well I finally got my good weather. I srated this morning glassing the boat. I laid down a layer of epoxy and let it sit for about 15 minutes and then laid the glass on. Then laid another coat of epoxy on top. I worked it all into the cloth and got all the air bubbles out that I could find. I had the boat all taped off and wait about 3 hrs and went to remove the tape. most of it came off easily but I found an area where the glass found its way thru or under the tape and coated part of the painted section of the boat.

Tomorrow I am going to take a vibrator sander to it and smooth it all out and then repaint where the tape pulled the paint off the side of the boat. I will be applying my lettering to the boat as well then go over everything with clear coat again. may 2-3 coats.

Geeze, this epoxy is not as forgiving as the poly resin. I do need to get about 2 more units of the resin to recoat the bottom and side areas. then I am done with that.

Sunday. I get the trailer all welded together and mount the rollers and bunks.

sliverslinger · 04-15-2008, 06:14 PM

I had a buddy of mine add the piece of steel to the trailer axle to make it wide enough for the boat. Now I have put on the rollers. I had 14 body blocks let over from a body lift kit for a truck. I put them on a 1/2 stel bar and mounted it in 5 places on the rear of the trailer. all of the block spin freely and seems to work well. Now I have to come up with some kind of bunks for the boat to rest on. Has anyone ever used the fake wood decking as bunks? I was thinking about 2 2x6 pieces. The material is slick already and I think it will work well.

I will get some pics tomorrow.

WiskeyJaR · 04-16-2008, 08:22 AM

never used that "plastic" wood for boat bunks, but did help me father make a deck out of it a few years ago. I remeber him complaining about the deck being super slipery after a light rain, he ended up laying down some of that black traction tape to help.

I would think it would work Great for a bunk, would last a heck of a lot longer too.

OB1 · 04-16-2008, 01:32 PM

My first drift boat was an old Ostrom.
I stripped it down and glassed the bottow.
Was a good boat to learn how to row and such.
I would stay out of the more technical waters as this type of boat is heavy and very slow to respond.
Have fun, a drift boat is fun to row and fish out of.

sliverslinger · 04-16-2008, 05:57 PM

Ok here is where I am at as of now. I cut approx 4 1/2 ft off the tongue and my boys and I set the boat on it to see how it looked. Seems to look pretty good and I can still lift the tongue without any problem.

I set a couple of 2x4's under the boat to find a happy medium as to where to place the bunks. Where the boards are right now, the boat does not touch the trailer frame at all.

Here is a pic of the rear roller assembly I came up with, hows it look?

and a little closer view. The rollers all run freely and it is a breeze to unload the boat. Just give it a push and it goes.

And here is a closer pic of the other side of the boat.

Any advice from here would be greatly appreciate. Are the boards spaced properly?

HntnFsh · 04-17-2008, 07:05 AM

My advice would be to keep on plugging away.Looks like your doing a great job

RascallyRabbit · 04-19-2008, 08:25 AM

Keep doing what you're doing

I'm having a great time watching your project come together

Steve/RR

sliverslinger · 04-19-2008, 01:05 PM

I ordered some more epoxy from the place I got it before and they gave me a 10% dicount and told me that the stuff I purchased recently was the wrong stuff. I only ordered 2 quarts to finish off the boat but they are sending me 1 1/2 gallons of black epoxy. If I have enough the whole boat may be epoxied. I dont know yet. I just needed enough to make the bottom as smooth as a baby's butt, now I am going to have extra.
I plan on epoxying my single bunk on the trailer and maybe the side boards.

I have to come up with a solution for the bow of the boat. I need to find a rubber yoke for the bow to sit in that will work and some kind of brace to attach it to with some kind of a roller on top for the boat strap.

RascallyRabbit · 04-19-2008, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sliverslinger

I have to come up with a solution for the bow of the boat. I need to find a rubber yoke for the bow to sit in that will work and some kind of brace to attach it to with some kind of a roller on top for the boat strap.

Take the piece that you cut off from the tounge and use it. Cut it down to the appropriate size, and angle it so that it match's the angle of your bow and weld it on. That should take care of the brace, and it should match up well with the tounge

I'm not sure about the seat/yoke for the bow, will think about it and if I have an idea will post when I get to work in the AM.

Steve/RR

smalldog · 04-21-2008, 09:39 AM

The boat sure sticks out a long ways from the back of the trailer....
I'm wondering if that is legal or if you need to mount a red flag on it, as it sticks out over two feet from the back of the trailer.

sliverslinger · 04-21-2008, 11:48 AM

That is not where it is mounted. I just sat it on there to get a feel for where it needs to be and to set up side guards, that is all. I dont even have the bow stop mounted yet.
Thanks for the input though.

GSD · 04-21-2008, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smalldog

The boat sure sticks out a long ways from the back of the trailer....
I'm wondering if that is legal or if you need to mount a red flag on it, as it sticks out over two feet from the back of the trailer.

I sure hope it's legal to be over two feet from the back of the trailer! If not there's a bunch of folks pulling driftboats around that are in trouble.
My little 16' Alumaweld sticks out 4 1/2 feet beyond the end of the trailer...

Bird Dog · 04-22-2008, 12:16 PM

Looking good! This is really fun to see your progress. How about a grand total for your investment when you are done? It would be interesting to see how it pencils out using a bunch of elbow grease and stuff laying around the garage.

Thanks

Bird Dog

sliverslinger · 04-26-2008, 04:35 PM

UPDATE!! I know have it almost all done. Check out the pics.

I even got the first of many stickers on it. I am just waiting to see if it will stay on the epoxy before i stick my name on it.

I had a gallon and a half of the black epoxy so I decided to just to epoxy the whole outside of the boat. Now if the wood rots away I still have a driftboat shell. LOL.

Pink Salmon · 04-26-2008, 05:04 PM

Its looking sweet, can't wait to help you test it out.
So when we going?

sliverslinger · 04-27-2008, 06:09 AM

I am thinking about taking it out next weekend, maybe get the first springer on the nestucca.

For the inside of the boat, Is it okay to use something like minwax? I was thinking about just staining the inside so the wood can still breathe. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

infinity22 · 04-27-2008, 09:04 AM

if you can find it, use unboiled linseed oil and turpentine. have used it in the dory for years and no rot.

sliverslinger · 04-28-2008, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinity22

if you can find it, use unboiled linseed oil and turpentine. have used it in the dory for years and no rot.

Thank you, I can find linseed oil But I dont know if it is unboiled or not.

I just got done with all the epoxy work I am going to do to the boat and I included my oars. They too are now a shiny black. They dont have many years left in them and I will be looking for another pair in a year or so any way.

infinity22 · 04-28-2008, 07:50 PM

sounds good! a cheaper route you might consider is using olympic wood preservative. there is a guy in pacific city that has been in the dory repair buisness for years and has used that same stuff on his dory and the new dories that come into his shop to get fiberglassed. i'll find out what kind of olympic he uses and let you know. just don't paint the inside of your boat!

sliverslinger · 04-28-2008, 08:01 PM

I was thinking about using thompsons water seal for the inside because it only lasts for about a year , then do another application. What do you think?