Little SmokerCraft

I just .... well two weeks ago that is picked up a project boat and I am giving it an total makeover from top to bottom inside and out.

So far it has been a blast doing However I have got into an area I do not know a lot about and that is Marine Paint, The boat is aluminum hull and the current paint is for the most good with some bare spots that are from trailer rubbing, I plan to keep the same color for the hull (Ivory white) however I want to bring it back to life ... oh the boat is an 1979 year.

To paint the boat I plan to turn it upside down to make the job a little better to do and I have removed the entire interior since I am redoing it and bringing it up to date.

Oh the question before I forget is should I strip the old paint off? (it is not flaking) or should I just scuff it up and prime it then paint away?

Been there..done that! Scuff up the old paint and on any bare spots you will need to prime the bare aluminum with a rattle can of zinc chromate (made by moeller) usually available at a marina. Just a light dusting over the bare aluminum. Okay, here is your "task" list.

Flip it over and replace any bad rivets and look for ones that appear loose. The loose ones should be re-bucked.
Sand with 220 grit.
Bare aluminum spots need to be sanded, washed down with vinegar (yes the grocery store stuff) and allowed to dry, light spray the zinc chromate primer (only a dusting is needed).
Pick your paint. You can actually use rustoleum marine paint which gives excellent results, cheap to purchase and easy to touch up. Automotive paint works great but should be sprayed.
Pick your paint method. Spray or roll and tip. There are roll and tip video's on youtube and gives great results.

Before you re-install your interior you should apply Gluvit (marineengine sells gluvit and a 2lb can will do your interior rivets and seams) to all the rivets and seams and it will prevent any leaks.

Do not use any pressure treated wood in or on the aluminum boat since the copper used in the treatment will leach out and EAT (yes eat) the aluminum.

Have fun. You will have a great boat when you are done with a nice finish on the hull and it will not leak.

Get jammed up or have questions??? Fire away, since there are many of us that have done aluminum boats.

Excellent! I already flipped the boat and spent an great deal of time cleaning and checking the Rivets and Not a bad one or even one wiggle so it looks like were in great shape there... (the boat was owned by a woman) so that may explain why there are no dents or "popped" rivets .... they are not like us guys "why sure I can go there..." woops just hit something....

And thanks for warning me off about pressure treated wood because that was on my list to go get ... So now before I re-floor I need to order some of that gluvit and get er done.

Doing this boat like I stated before has been a total blast with only one thing worrying me about it all ...... when its done I'm going to want to do another one.... and that is trouble.

Soon as I can I will post pictures of the "project" and Thanks a grand for the information!

Plywood for the decking should be in theory marine grade which cost a bit more then exterior. I have used exterior plywood that is finished on one side without any heartaches. The decking needs to be coated and sealed up with fiberglass and a minimum of a layer of chopped strand mat. You could also just go the cheap route and apply 4 coats of marine varnish to the wood but, the key is to seal ALL the edges and surfaces.

I am glad it is in great shape but, I would still call marineengine.com and order the gluvit. It is the best insurance to install on the hull before you re-deck it. You will understand in the long run how you do not want to go through that twice.

Oh gluvit is on the list now that I got the entire old floor out, It would be insane not to seal it at this point. I also removed the rear wood (transom?)and -----used it for a pattern to make an new one out of some red Philippine mahogany I had on hand.

Also installing all new wiring along with up to date led lights in the old style fixtures.

Only reason I am going all out on the Little Smoker Craft is for the experience so when I find a real project I will be more prepared and know what to look for ( a boat from the mid 30s to early 40s) to match my car.

To do it all the "right" way. Use only marine grade wire for your connections (do not solder).

The mahogany will look great as a transom and that can be sealed with varnish (about 4 coats).

Kudo's on your desire to find an older craft from the 30's to 40's but I think a replica may be easier to handle. You are correct in calling an older boat a "real project"

Hmmmm Do Not Solder Ok why is that? Now I got to go look at just what "Marine grade" wire is all about ....

Marine wire is tinned and will not corrode as easy. When wires corrode in a wet condition the corrosion can go 2 or 3 feet up the wire. When that situation happens yo will greatly increase resistance and have many problems. Marine grade wire solves aver half of those headaches.

No solder..... it hardens connections and they can crack and fail. The USCG standard advises to use twist connectors such as wire nuts and then use strips that use screws for connections.

I was lucky and was able to find marine wire fairly cheap at my local interstate battery store. I also had the same store make my positive and negative leads with nice crimped ends for my main power.

Yup found that out about Marine wire ok this is the second time you changed the direction I was headed and now I am looking for the wire I will need for the boat Plus extra to rewire the trailer with since it had been wired with plain ole house wire (solid coper type) and it has lots of issues.

As for "twist" connectors I am not a fan of those so I will use the cap and lug type instead what they are is a lug with an set screw and a external thread that a cap screws on to and they look just like the twist connectors however they do not cut into the wires to hold them.

and the rest I will simply use good brass terminal strips. on the other note the Top side of the boat got its paint yesterday and tuesday wet sanding will get done followed by the clear coat. then the lower part of the boat project begins.

I am not fond of the twist nuts and I actually crimp with butt connectors.

that's another good possible way to do it and then cover it with heat shrink tubing.

Soldering is fine as long as you realize the potential drawbacks and accomodate them. I've got soldered connections on several boats that have lasted over 25 years w/o an issue.

Crimped ends are fine with two caveats: 1) a good, properly adjusted tool is used & 2) adhesive line shrink tubing follows the crimping operation.

Another item we used to use, especially with the terminal strip setups, was OMC's version of 'liquid neoprene'. Their particular formulation was head-n-shoulders above anything similar on the market, even today.....I was very sad when my last can ran empty. that said, even today's stuff is better than leaving them bare.

Progress report?

ah yes! I been going at it full steam ahead! the new floor is done, the Hull paint job is done and waiting on good long cure time before I clear coat it and working on taking all of the original lights apart and converting them all to LED lights ....

This part is just for the fun of it since I would like to keep it looking as much as original however I want it to be dependable with the low power usage that LED provide.

Thats for the exterior.... inside? it will be nothing like the original boat! doing away with gas cans (except one for back up) looking for an fuel tank to install in the back, then I will work out the weight ratio to keep an nice even balance, and today I am building the midsection storage compartments along with the bow storage compartments.