Making a few modifications to my boat...

[tomriker]

well i've been talking about it since i got my boat, fixing all the leaks and such. got tired of running the bilge pump every few hours to drain it. to start it's an early 1970s alumaweld. gotta love the old riveted boats... to start i had to grind the layers of glue and paste on the bottom that was already on it. i know what you're thinking GRINDER ON AN ALUMINUM BOAT?! don't worry it was a brushwheele made for aluminum. but anyways found a small crack/hole in the back of the boat so i decided i'd better try to weld it shut! not very experienced with welding aluminum but after practicing on scraps for a few hours i figured i'd give it hell and see what i can do! so after that was done, roughed it all up put marine grade primer on it thats made to go on aluminum ( stuffs expensive!) and then put up a little tarp house over it with a few space heaters inside to help it dry a bit faster!

 

[ryan808]

Man, I didn't know it was that bad. Still was good enough to rough the year out. Keep posting the progress.

 

[TTFishon]

Sweet. I was hoping you'd post the progression.

 

[catfishman89]

My old riveted klamath is leaking. Im hoping to put some decks on it and sealing it up. I would like to put a livewell and some compartments in it to make more foot space. I wore my bilge pump out this year.

 

[tomriker]

theres a website i found that all it is, is people who put custom decks on their john boats! mine has a livewell, but i plan on taking it out, haven't decided for sure yet... might make it bigger as it's way too small for bass at this point

 

[tomriker]

well today i flipped the boat back over and was patching some of the holes from where there were screws sticking through the bottom of the boat. i took all the wood out of the boat hopeing to lighten it up a little bit it was a little rotten too as you can see. put aluminum braces in it for where the decks will be. not sure if i am going to use aluminum diamond plate for the front and back yet. or just use wood. the middle section that's carpeted i can't really do much with since the raised floor is rivited in so all i could do is put new carpet in it. ill put a raised seat in the middle too i suppose. haven't decided that part yet. since the boat will never leave my pond i took all the lights and unnecessary wiring out. tomorrow ill start with the hurculiner on the bottom and then painting it!

 

[colbypearson]

theres a website i found that all it is, is people who put custom decks on their john boats! mine has a livewell, but i plan on taking it out, haven't decided for sure yet... might make it bigger as it's way too small for bass at this point

you can put in a big cooler if you wanted to keep fish alive and hook it up to circulate water, if i were you i would make your boat a full deck boat though since its mostly for your pond and install pedestal seats on it so you can sit or lean up against them while you fish!

too bad i dont live up there i would come over and help out! maybe look into making something like this i think you would like getting a foot control trolling motor someday as well much easier to fish while you run the boat

 

[GDBrown]

You have a lot more guts than I do for stuff like that. I had a riveted boat for a while and the best I did was replace the rivets as they popped.

 

[tomriker]

GD, i would replace the rivets but they aren't accesible unless i take the whole floor out which is one piece of aluminum rivited in.. if the hurculiner doesn't work next winter ill chemically strip the boat back down to bare and rerivit it all up. Colby, im gettin a new min kotta this winter with ipilot so who needs a foot controll!

 

[colbypearson]

gd, i would replace the rivets but they aren't accesible unless i take the whole floor out which is one piece of aluminum rivited in.. If the hurculiner doesn't work next winter ill chemically strip the boat back down to bare and rerivit it all up. Colby, im gettin a new min kotta this winter with ipilot so who needs a foot controll!

suweet!

 

[tomriker]

well i got up the nerve to paint the bottom with the bedliner and painted the sides i like it, if you don't... tough it's mah boat! tomorrow ill leave it under the canopy all day with the heaters on it to help cure the pain on the bottom. tomorrow ill be betting my 8x4 sheet of aluminum diamond plate so i can start cutting the decks out. only one picture today




now i just need to figure out what to name the thing when im done. Ryan suggested "pesky four pounder" that's the best i've got so far! any suggestions? reminds me of a ninja boat all blacked

 

[colbypearson]

lookin good!

i always wanted to do this! too bad i live so far or i would be right there with ya pimping some jon boats!

 

[tomriker]

well come over for a few hours and we can work on it

 

[colbypearson]

well come over for a few hours and we can work on it

easier said than done i might flip a jon boat this winter also though!

 

[Finneus Polebender]

Lookin good TR! will be bugging you for help when I get to building one for here.

 

[tomriker]

it's been fun so far, was a little nervous about doing the bottom but i think it turned out all right, with the holes that were in the bottom/back im just going to pop some rivets instead of siliconing or putting more screws in to try and seal em

 

[Finneus Polebender]

it's been fun so far, was a little nervous about doing the bottom but i think it turned out all right, with the holes that were in the bottom/back im just going to pop some rivets instead of siliconing or putting more screws in to try and seal em

As long as she seals should work great .

 

[sherman]

You could paint it camo & use it for duck hunting on your pond when it gets too cold for bass. Name how about BASTOPIA I

 

[tomriker]

well i spent most of the day humhoing about my cuts and measurements before i cut the front deck out, right now it's just setting in there i still have to plumb the wires, not working tomorrow but friday ill finish the front deck and get it set and riveted in. i put a bunch of weatherstripping in the boat that the diamond plate rests on so it's not very noisie. guess i could have done a better job but it's good enough for me

haven't decided wether or not i will paint the top part of the inside of the boat black or not, probably decide friday before i install the deck so i don't have to worry about painting it. only one picture today :think:

 

[tomriker]

well i got the decks in today, fish finder mounted, everything wired in. even installed a plug into the front deck that my trolling motor can be plugged into so i don't have extra wires laying around. and fixed my boat trailer that had a bent wheel! just a few details to finish out, decided not to replace the carpet in the middle, maybe after the first of the year, or next winter. it's still in pretty good shape. planning on putting a seat in the middle between the decks too.