1974 23 CC - project

[Bigshrimpin]

Strick - I know you're bustin my balls . . . Wish you we're here to keep the momentum going. I tried a few new things like putting the ears on the bracket (where it was hard to mud) and then using the brad nailer to staple MDF on a flat MDF board for the swim platform. Other than the shape of the stringers . . . I think everything was business as usual. I added some of that super absorbent fiberglass cloth into the swim platform and that seems to have worked well. Couldn't find super-sculpy anywhere! Oh yeah I used Maguires car wax instead of Part-All and that worked well too. I got a joiner a while back and that helped cut some nice angles on the MDF. I used a neat little trick too to put a 13/14 degree angle on the front face of the swim platform.

Those Pallet Racks make Kick Arse 8ft long adjustable height work benches. Craigslist $25 uprights and $25 for a pair of rails. They can hold 5000 or 7000 lbs (can't remember which) which is about the same as that old folding card table

[thehermit]

Strick. . . Wish you we're here to keep the momentum going.

me too me too

Tim is speeding up this resto by providing a key part that I was too chicken to try to build myself.

On the cables I ran 2AWG tinned Anchor marine cable that I had. I would have made it to the transom if my buddy had not made bat cables for his truck last year . A carefully mounted bus bar(s) and my OMC cables should get me the rest of the way. I did look up the welding cable and it too was 2awg in size.

[Bigshrimpin]

John - My cell phone went swimming again . . . I'll email you my work and home phone. The bracket looks great in the pics!! I am so happy that you took over and are hauling arse toward the finish line. Post some more pics when you have a chance. I was out fishing today in 20knt wind. The new lady friend turned green and blew chunks over the side . . . What a day!!

[thehermit]

The new lady friend turned green and blew chunks over the side . . . What a day!!

Now that is funny right there

Well….Bigshrimpin delivered big time on his end of “the deal”. I picked up the bracket last week and have been working away on the finishing.

I will say Bigshrimpin is pimpin with his very nice shop. Bracket at Big’s shop :
[IMG]

Uh hum….the Hermit shop :




After sanding and fairing and sanding and fairing and sanding the bracket has primer on it (did I mention sanding) Big...the sandpaper pile has been reduced by 1/3 and couting:






My plan for the coating is 3 coats epoxy prime coat. 2 or 3 coats of perfection. Bottom paint where it belongs. All paints are 2 part and interlux says “fine” underwater. They recommend 5 coats. Still time to tweak this. Epinions?

[hermco]

That thing looks familiar! Did you glass the seam where the lid meets transom?

[Bigshrimpin]

Thanks Hermco!! - The lid was glassed on all the way around from the inside. We put 3 layers of 4" 1708 tape on the seem from the inside on the front and 2 on each side. I think the 2day resin head allows me to quickly forget how much work goes into these brackets. $792 materials + over 80 hours . . . that coupled with the fiberglass itch, 3 pairs of clothes (ruined), and the figerglass snow in the new shop . . . will stop me from doing another bracket.

John - It's looking great!! Keep me posted. Go blue with the bracket!!

[hermco]

Outside at the top of transom and cap joint has a tendency to get hairline cracks over time. I grind and glass this seam. Not structural in nature but if you used wood for core water can intrude over time and rot core.

[thehermit]

"Go blue with the bracket!!"

Well...that pic got me thinking....I went blue...1st coat went on and it looks great. 2 more to go. I copied Bonefish's tape job basically. Blue bracket white deck on platform.

Hi Don. That artwork you do down in Stuart is truely inspiring. BUT..I think I killed Bigshrimpin with this project You should see him sand in his flip flops No wonder he itches all of the time. Big...I also added some glass on that seam/joint you told me to do (2 layers inside and out). With the platform core molds glassed in place the whole thing is SOLID and nothing short of impressive More pix soon...after that I'm going fishin.