money pit......even more than my Penn reel addiction

[Alto Mare]

Yes Col keep posting pics of your progress, I would love to see them and I'm sure so would anyone else.
You're going to have one sweet ride when done.

Sal

[milne]

Ok, Had a relatively productive day today,  One more free day before reality kicks in, my work vehicle is finished and I have to work for a living,  But it has been good having a few days to spend on the boat fit out.....
I wont bore all with to many, but this was day 1 of the rebuild, the itchy,scratchy days...

[milne]

Anyway's,
             Today was spent fitting the helm side Fibre Glass seat box and seat slider etc.
     I used to have 2 pedestal seats, really uncomfortable, and as noticed when the floor came up, a place where water ingress will happen !  it's not a
      matter of if, it's when.  My original floor was built with 8mm masonite, that in it self was quite frightening to find, as masonite will swell and rot and will
     suck any moisture. This was the done thing for floors in boats in Aussie, my boat is an 88 model, I believe they used masonite right up to the early 2000's. Most new boats seem to be made with composites now, no timber anywhere to be found. I replaced my floor with 15mm marine ply, but treated it properly and would expect it would see me out.
I wanted seat boxes for this rebuild, they offer dry storage, tackle storage etc. The ones I was finding out there, all had a flange on the bottom, that you screwed the seat box down through the floor, I just wasn't keen on the standard fitting ones, but tracked down a guy that offered an alternative fitting method. While you still are screwing into the floor, this system at least gives you the opportunity, to really seal the bejesus out of it and I believe should eliminate water ingress issues of the other type.

[milne]

Sorry, I can never seem to put up a post and a narrative and then add another, anyway,,
The above photo, is a plate system, with timber slats fibreglassed around the edges. You drill thru the timber slats and drive 316 stainless screws through
the floor, I couldn't help myself, I Pre drilled larger holes, filled the holes with a fibre glass mix, once cured, drilled a pilot hole, then drove the stainless
screws in. This system then gives you the opportunity to apply urathane over the heads of the screws, also seal around the edges of the plate where it meets the floor, then the Fibre Glass seat box sits on over the top and screwed into the timber slats of the plate, around the base of the seat box.
I guess after all the work involved in stripping the boat out, you get to see just what sort of damage water ingress actually causes and it's silent, until it's to late and the damage is done.
I think this has changed my attitude towards putting a drill anywhere near a boat now, or more to the point, when drilling, do it properly, if your boat has timber construction.  The new transom will be interesting when it comes time to fit up tranducers and the like, but I have found that there are now systems where you epoxy a special pad onto the transom and then ,screw fix your transducers etc to the pad, hence, not penetrating the transom skin at all.
  Anyways, the seat box's and seat's all fitted off,   another job ticked off.
Tomorrow, a nervous day ahead,  cut outs for the electrical switch gear and radios etc in the new dash and bulk head area !!!!!.

Col

[Alto Mare]

Wow, you really make use of your day, that is quite a bit of work.
The new seats and boxes look great, I don't think they're going anywhere.
I don't specialize on fiberglass or boat customizing at all, but have been a carpenter and mason for 44 years.
I like the idea of the plate, we use that system to attach custom free standing cabinets at times, using wood of course.
Did you feel the 15mm floor wasn't strong enough to support the new seats? I'm not sure why you felt you had to drill large holes and fill them with fiberglass.
Not questioning your work, I can tell you know what your doing, just want to learn on my part... never too old to learn.
Thanks for the pics and process on how its done.

I hear you on the masonite, here most use OSB underlayment in kitchens and bathrooms. No matter how well they try to justify the material to me, it is something it will never be used in my remodeling projects.
I had a piece in my truck bed once, it was 3/4" when started, it turned into 2" after a few months...no thanks.

Keep the pics coming...no rush, I understand you need to work, I do as well.

Best,

Sal

[milne]

Hi Sal,
          The 15 mm floor would support the seats weight wise, no problems at all.
    Now I must say here, I have never done a complete boat restoration or worked with fibre Glass before I started this rebuild,
   So everything I've put into practice,or methods I've used, I've had to research and ask questions, so it's been a HUGE learning curve for me.
  2 years or so ago, I stood there looking at my boat, going "what the @@@@ am I going to do !!!!!.  It actually went to a proffesional after i initially cut everything out, but he made such a mess, I took the boat back and basically started from scratch again myself.

So, the bigger hole method you asked about. What I found out, was that most boat owners when adding stuff, drill a hole and squirt some urathane in the hole and in goes the screw.  What I found out from shipwrights and fibreglass shops, was that this is where most of the rot in boats using timber or ply, starts from. No matter how much glue you use, the water eventually seeps in and down the thread and into the timber, they also said that most don't even use glue suitable for marine enviroments.   So, its the edge of the 15mm ply after a hole is drilled that will be most vunerable should water ever start seeping in, So, by over sizing the hole that you actually need, then  filling it with epoxy, then when thats cured drill a pilot hole, then putting your screw in that's needed, should water ever get down there, there is no exposed timber for it to rot. The timber floor faces and edges have all been epoxy coated and protected, but drilling a hole, exposes the edge in the marine ply ( if you follow) and this was really drummed into me by the shipwright,  if there is no untreated timber, you will prevent future rot.  He attributed, 90 % of transom replacements due to rot, was down to screws put in to hold the transducer or bait pump etc on the back of boats.
So it took about 2 hours for the epoxy to go off, ready to re drill, so it didn't really add that much time to the job.

Again, I can't claim credit for this method, But like you Sal, I recon your never to old to learn something new,,, and I asked a whole lot of questions.......
Considering the boat's floor can sometimes be ankle deep in water at times, when we cop a big one over the bow, or the continual deck wash
hosing it out etc, I wanted it to be as close to 100% water tight as I could get..........

Col

[Alto Mare]

Aahh...it now make a lot of sense to me. Always good to ask questions...thank you!

[Crow]

Looks like you're doing a great job !!

[oc1]

I Pre drilled larger holes, filled the holes with a fibre glass mix, once cured, drilled a pilot hole, then drove the stainless

Really nice work there Col.

It doesn't seem like moisture could possibly travel along the screw threads, but it sure does.  So, you want the screw encased in resin.

There is a sheet product like plywood that is made entirely of resin and fiberglass reinforcement.  Our son bought home some scraps of it from work.  It might be called FiberPlate but I will have to ask him if it is that or another product.  What he showed me is about 3/8 inch but it comes thicker and thinner in 4x4 or 4x8 sheets.  It's really stiff, a bit heavy, very pricy, but rot-proof and practically indestructible.
-steve

[milne]

Thanks Crow.
Hi Steve,
               Yes, there using mainly composite materials in all the new boats now, not a single piece of wood anywhere to be found.
          I looked hard into this before starting mine, but in all honesty, it was going to end up costing way to much. I figured that if I use ply right throughout
     treat it properly and take real good care of any bolts or screw, it should last me out and when i'm finished someone else should get a good few years out of it.  I'm enjoying the journey, but I sure do not want to do this again.


Col

[milne]

Been tinkering a bit more the last few day's,  work vehicle now back ( $5500)  seems a little short in the ignition wire, burn't out the ignition wire, followed by the injector pump and module, followed by the ECU unit and continued to the starter motor........  Geez.....

So it is the depths of winter down under, so it is a tad slow and patchy with work, so managed to cut and drill some 'oles.
Anyone that's fitted up new switch panels and the like in a pristine dash and bulk head will understand my nervousness !!!!!.
Measure twice, cut once is the old saying, I tripled that, measured about 15 times more like.
Wouldn't you also know it, I needed a 75mm hole saw for fitting up the steering wheel hydraulic base, Yep, had every size bar that one and with not much of a tolerance for the bolts,  another trip to the hard ware store for something I'll probably not use again in my lifetime....

So, only have a am/fm radio to find a space for and somewhere to mount some speakers, then all my holes will be done and on with the wiring.
For those that are interested.....

Col

[milne]

With still a mid winter Lull on the work front and my last electrical items a few days away from delivery,
I find myself in the extremely foreign territory of "electrickery"

I'm currently doing as advised, drawing up an electrical diagram/plan, however,  for someone like myself that has as much of an idea of wiring as I do of aeronautics, it's become challenging, to say the least.

I have a supplier of all my electrical needs, that has said he will peruse my diagram and check it over to make sure all is good !,
However, I'm well aware of the potential disasters that could occur if not done correctly and have questioned my abilities on this current rebuild task.
I guess I could have said this about any stage of my rebuild and felt that sometimes challenging oneself on something new or out of the box is the way we actual learn something.  I had to do some on water repairs prior to the boat being pulled off the water for the rebuild and I must admit, I was very lucky in the choices I made on the water at the time, not understanding at all the electrical principals at all and with deteriorating "un-tinned"wire rapidly failing thru the boat. This was a task in the beginning that I specifically wanted to do, more so to be able to understand the wiring and to be able to problem solve on the water should the need arise. I have had 2 friends near loose there boats thru failing wiring or incorrect do it your self additions they did, most people don't realise how dangerous a 12 volt system can be, especially with 150 ltrs of fuel and in all honesty a fairly combustible material our boats are made from.   So it will be an interesting exercise...  And I must say, once mine is completed, I intend to get someone to completely check out my work prior to commissioning her....

Who else does there own wiring on there boats, be it a complete new wiring job or just adding extra bits here and there ??

Col

[Alto Mare]

Col, if it was an easy job it wouldn't be iteresting ...Good idea to check everything out afterwards, just to make sure.

Sal

[Crow]

If you use the same care and attention to detail on the wiring, that you have on the rest of the job.......no worries !!

[milne]

If you use the same care and attention to detail on the wiring, that you have on the rest of the job.......no worries !!

  That's great encouragement for sure, thank you.

I think Sal hit the nail on the head......                                                                                                                                                               

Col, if it was an easy job it wouldn't be interesting ...Good idea to check everything out afterwards, just to make sure.

Sal

If it was an easy job it wouldn't be interesting !.
Sal, There in lies my big problem,   and why I think I put myself thru all this drama !   .
I continually do it, I win some times and come down in a screaming heap other times, but I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.
A bit like some of the work you do on your reel builds and those magnificent handles you produce,  It's kinda like you've got to have that bit of an adventurous nature, or at least have a go at something personality.
I remember my Grandfather, shortly before moving from New-Zealand to Australia many years ago, said to me,,,,,
He said "Col, Do you know I've not ever made one mistake in my whole working career" !!!.
He said, " I've actually made 100's,   and that's the only way to learn things, from the actual mistakes.

I agree with him, but in this instance, I don't want my mistake to happen 60km out to sea   
Definitely get it checked out once done for assurance, for sure...

Col