Tracker 20 Restore

[fdheld34]

Mike
..looks great...I love your spay booth....when you spray do you have any type of water filter between compressor and gun...(or is it unnecessary??.).also do you regulate air pressure at gun or at compressor?
I am doing research on setting up for spraying down the road...!!!
thanks so much.....

Also that Kiwi grip looks great...how much do you think you will end up using of the Kiwi grip???...

...keep the pics coming

-Fred

[DonV]

Mike, I'm with Fred on the Kiwi Grip. Stuff looks pretty spiff!!! Doing a great job, looks great!!!

[mrobertson]

Hi Fred -

I sprayed that paint with an el - cheapo Harbor Freight HVLP gun. First, i drained any water from the compressor tank. I have a water filter in the line right at the compressor. And Harbor freight has some throw away filters that go on the gun for just a couple of bucks, i run one of those as well. I set the pressure at the tank really high, like 120 psi. Then i have a regulator on the gun set much lower, around 40 psi.

As far as the kiwigrip goes............fantastic product plain and simple. I'm curious if it will stand the test of time. I bought a gallon of it for $140 and i used not quite a quart on the hatches. I think overall, i will use about 3/4 of the gallon on the whole project. This stuff is about the thickness of soft serve ice cream. It covers very well, you only need 1 coat of it. You basically dab it around the area with a brush, then roll it out with the roller. It's dries in about 10 - 12 hours and it's soft enough for bare feet, yet aggressive enough that im not worried about slipping.

We used DURABAK on the non-skid of our 23 SC restore, and i like this kiwigrip better.

[fdheld34]

Thanks Mike...I appreciate all the info..!!!!Again keep it coming!!
-Fred

[Mikem8560]

howdo aply the kwikgrip?

[mrobertson]

Originally Posted by Mikem8560

howdo aply the kwikgrip?

The material itself is the consistency of a thick milkshake. It says it's 10 times thicker than normal paint. Tape off the area you are applying it first. Then i used a cheap paint brush and dabbed some of it around the area. Then you come back with your roller and roll it out in all 4 directions to get an even coat. If you buy a gallon they give you the roller cover and the stuff is water soluble so you can wash it out and re-use.

What's nice about this stuff is you can open the can, then close it. I contacted them and they even said that you could dump the material into ziplock bags, rinse out the can, put the bags in the can, and it will be fine for like 2 years.

The durabak we used on my 23, once the air hits it, you either use it or lose it.

BTW - if you do a youtube search for KIWIGRIP there are a couple of vids on there showing the process. It's really easy and very effective.

[fdheld34]

Mike....so you would recommed to stay away from Durabak?
Is the Kiwigrip real rubbery like the Durabak..I used Durabak about 10 years ago on a Speedcraft that I redid....it was real rubbery!!!
Let me know!
Kiwigrip seems easy enough to apply...checked out youtube video!
Also when I rolled on Durabak..I got unevenness even with their special roller...seems like the Kiwigrip went on pretty even..or did you have to keep reworking an area to make it come out as nice as it did fo you??
Also I was thinking the kiwigrip might fill in small imperfections so the filling and fairing finish does not have to be like slick glass...what do you think??
Thanks
-Fred

[mrobertson]

I wouldn't say stay away from durabak. It's really all in what you want/like. The durabak has a thick rubbery feel too it. It's too aggressive for bare feet. However, if you are building a fishing boat, i guarantee you won't slip on durabak, under any conditions. Durabak cleans up well with a power washer. If you are a clean freak, id say NO to durabak. It holds dirt and grime, but again it does clean up well. It seems to be very durable and will cover imperfections, so less sanding/fairing.

This is the durabak on my 23 :




The kiwigrip is a much softer texture, it doesn't feel rubbery at all. It dries to a more hard feel. As far as making it even.........all i did was blob it around on the area and then use the roller and went in all 4 directions. The directions say you can wait for an hour and then re-roll and it will "pull" it up more for a more aggressive texture. I didn't do that, i just rolled it then pulled the tape off, and let it dry overnight.

I think the kiwi will be easier to keep clean than the durabak. The price is about the same. I've had the durabak on for a year and we fish pretty hard. When it's clean it still looks the same as it did when we put it on. Either is a good product, but i give ease of use and looks to the kiwigrip. I think the price is about the same on both.

[mrobertson]

It's been a couple of weeks since i've updated. I've been working, just been lazy uploading pics and updating the thread.


I taped off the gunnels and rolled out my non skid. I'm extremely happy how it came out.





I went ahead and re-installed the hardware on my stern rigging/storage boxes.







I installed flush mount cleats and the gunnel rod holders









I installed flush mount cleat and flush mount pop up bow light, which also got pre-wired





I had to cut a 4 inch access hole to be able to get to my fuel fill and vent.





I put a pvc sleeve in my rear bulkhead to feed my fuel line through. This is for the fuel line that will feed the engine. It has to make its way to the stern, and this was the simplest way. The sleeve helps protect from chafe and also protects the wood from water intrusion. I loaded it up with 5200





I cut up some rubber strips for the tank to rest on. I then 5200 them to my solid fiberglass tank slats





I dropped the tank into place





I epoxied/screwed a piece of 3/4 marine plywood to all 4 of the tank mounting locations. After i dropped the tank in, i shimmed it up with some scrap pieces of startboard and screwed through the tank tab, the starboard, and into the wood





No pictures but all hoses got stainless clamps, 2 at each end. Likwise, the fill gets grounded to the tank, and the tank will be grounded to a common ground. I pre-ran my tank sending wires as well

[mrobertson]

I dropped my tank hatch in place and marked out where my tank fittings location is. I was going to use a square hatch, but ultimately i used a 6" pie plate.





In the picture you can see my new console. It came from a pathfinder bay boat. I dropped it and the post in place to get an idea where everything will fall. The console has no front seat so it gives more room in front. Likewise it's tall so it will be a good fit for me being 6'3".





Here you see the tank hatch is down for good. And a 4" chase tube for pulling my riggin





Terrible quality pics but i did some final sanding, then taped the floor and rolled out some fresh non skid







I pushed the console pretty far forward. With no front seat, it gives some room in the front but also leaves lots of room in the stern to fish. Also, with only a 115 and an already stern heavy boat, having the console forward should help it to plane off. I had been toying with the idea of painting the hull. I think i am going to hold off though. At this point, im going to put the rub rail back on and start rigging it up. Money is starting to get a little tight so i'm thinking it might be a slow go. Also, i have a trailer project to do as i am converting from rollers to bunks.


I'm hoping i will have this boat in the water by mid-june. I am super excited to see how the boat rides and performs.



-Mike