1978 SF restoration, my first one.....

1bayouboy · #1 06-21-2009, 10:09 PM

When it comes to putting something like antiseize on bolts, I've used a product from Mercury called Perfect Seal
with good success.

wtenglish · #2 06-23-2009, 09:58 PM

Some progress over the weekend:

After the "dry" fit I took a 1/2" drill and made some shallow holes between the two pieces that were epoxied together and in the bottom of the piece that would attach to the stringer to give the thickened epoxy some "tooth".

After setting the pieces in place and a letting the epoxy set up, I glassed in the new smaller center drain tube.

Today after work, I wasn't ready to start anything inside the hull (still planning my next move) so I decided to see what I could do with the center console. I priced some new ones a while back but thought modifying the original would be more prudent than dropping a grand on a new one. The area to be removed had been marked with a sharpie a while back so all I had to do was to do was start cutting.

I removed 6" from the original which took the outside dimensions at the top from 37" to 31". I like the forward compartment for storage and have thought about putting the batteries in there or turning it into a cooler. I cut the original lid as well that is resting in the foreground.

nate22 · #3 06-25-2009, 12:12 PM

Will,

How do you like working with the 15oz biax? Why did you choose this over a 17oz cloth? Your project looks good keep up the good work.

Nathan

Caymanboy · #4 06-26-2009, 11:09 PM

kinda late chimming in here, but for the bolts, I wouldn't use "never sieze", it has copper in it, between the aluminum, stainless steel and copper it would just all sieze up together, use a product called "tef gel" you won't be dissapointed, your project looks great, good choice of materials.

gofastsandman · #5 06-27-2009, 11:58 AM

Tuf Gel. Works great!
GFS
Cayman are you doin a crossing this month?

wtenglish · #6 06-28-2009, 10:16 PM

Thanks for the compliment Caymanboy, I'm leaning towards using a material called Garolite for the backing of my console, leaning post, etc. Reading the specs on it, the material is similar to what is used in electrical circuit boards and is very dense, waterproof and composed of epoxy and woven fibers.

billythekid · #7 07-03-2009, 01:43 AM

Looking good, you can cut a console for me anytime. keep up the good work

wtenglish · #8 07-27-2009, 12:22 AM

After a couple of weekends dealing with domestic issues I was able to get after it again last week. I started off by taking some of the coosa board scraps and attaching them to the sides of the hull with Cabosil to serve as a ledge support for my future deck (an idea copied from Strick). It was a real PITA but after they cured I glassed them in with 1.5 oz matt. This was my first time using matt and wasn't real happy with the appearance but it is rock solid and will be hidden to view after the deck is in.

Not very much work accomplished before I had to go fishing again. This time it was the Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament. It's a real treat for those who may have never participated. Around 500 boats this year which is well off the average but was a blast anyway. The fishing wasn't great and a 42 lb'er took the $40k on Thursday and a 40 lb'er took the cash on Friday. The prize for the aggregate of both days was roughly 62 lbs. This pic is leaving Mayport the first morning. Boats as far as you can see.

Due to the number of boats, you have a predetermined check out on north or south. This is the south side.

Taxpayer dollars at work! US Navy Seahawk helicopters were everywhere as we came back into the mouth of the St. Johns River, compliments of the US Naval Base at Mayport.

For a while I've had thoughts about reusing some of the original forward compartments in different areas during the restoration. While dealing with the larger of the two I found some rotten coring on the bottom of the box that I hadn't noticed before. I'm stripping that to be recored and patching the other hole that had been filled in with caulk and painted.

Another area that I addressed was adding additional layers in the corners of the transom. I'm not looking for overkill but do realize this will see additional stress after I add a bracket.

I used three layers which consisted of a layer of Woven Roven, 15 oz. biax and another layer of Roven to finish this up.

Here is where I need some constructive criticism. This is what I'm thinking, this second panel forward of the transom will leave me approximately 12" of space to house my bilge pumps, washdown pumps, fuel fiter, etc. I will add access hatches and additional structural support to tie it together.

This is a dry fit with one of the original compartments. I need a large fish box and felt this could serve the purpose in a convenient area.

wtenglish · #9 06-28-2009, 10:09 PM

Nathan, the reason I went with the 15 oz biax was that I understood it could be used in a variety of applications and I was also able get a roll of it for a good price. It will require more layers to reach the same thickness as using a heavier cloth but has worked well for me so far.