Flatback Fireboat Rebuild

[dirtwheelsfl]

Next I need to do some prettying up of the glass in the bilge area and some other spaces to get it ready for paint.  Still need to decide on what bilge paint to use.  I've got a combination of poly and epoxy, so I need something compatible with both.  Suggestions?

Sherwin Williams "TILE CLAD".    The high solids 1:1

[gran398]

Makes perfect sense, that was a neat way to do it!

Tank gets in, you'll be ready to deck....then the outfitting fun starts

[CLM65]

Next I need to do some prettying up of the glass in the bilge area and some other spaces to get it ready for paint.  Still need to decide on what bilge paint to use.  I've got a combination of poly and epoxy, so I need something compatible with both.  Suggestions?

Sherwin Williams "TILE CLAD".    The high solids 1:1

Thanks dirt.  Just researched it on the web.  Sounds like the ticket

[slvrlng]

If you have any epoxy left you can get some of this and add it to it. I did this on the inside of my console and it worked great.

http://uscomposites.com/pigments.html

[CLM65]

Makes perfect sense, that was a neat way to do it!

Tank gets in, you'll be ready to deck....then the outfitting fun starts

Thanks Scotty.  Looking forward to getting the deck behind me (hmmm, that didn't sound good ).  Then I will flip the boat and tackle the bottom.  Removing bottom paint...I'm sure that is going to be fun.  And then I have to deal with the cap.  It's in pretty bad shape.  I think the rubrail was installed upside down.  The rubrail lip that normally covers the bottom edge of the cap was actually on the top.  To compensate, they ground a taper in the cap so that the bottom edge is pretty thin.  I think I'm going to have to build that back up.

Who sold me this lemon anyway?

[CLM65]

If you have any epoxy left you can get some of this and add it to it. I did this on the inside of my console and it worked great.

http://uscomposites.com/pigments.html

Thanks Lewis, that is a great idea and looks awesome!  I don't think I have enough epoxy left to do the areas that need to be coated, so I'll have to compare the cost of more epoxy plus tint versus the stuff dirt suggested.  Good option though

[dirtwheelsfl]

2 gallon kit is like 135$        I wish they sold quart kits!     Havent used it as a primer, but I hear it works great for a high build type. The bottom would be a perfect place to use it up when you flip.      They can tint it any color out of their book too...

[CLM65]

2 gallon kit is like 135$        I wish they sold quart kits!     Havent used it as a primer, but I hear it works great for a high build type. The bottom would be a perfect place to use it up when you flip.      They can tint it any color out of their book too...

I checked with my local Sherwin Williams...about $160 + tax for the smallest Tile-Clad kit, which is the 2 gallon kit you mentioned.  I plan on painting the bilge area (maybe 2' x 3' x 1' deep), the inner transom surface, and possibly two compartments that I may use for below-deck storage (about 4' x 1.25' x 1' deep each).  I don't know if I will paint below the casting deck yet - still figuring that part out.  Is there anywhere else I "need" to paint?  I see than many paint the tank compartment, but I'm not sure why .  Does it provide any benefit there?

I don't think I will have a need for more than a gallon of paint...maybe Lewis's approach of tinting epoxy will be more economical.  Unless someone has a use for 1/2 of the Tile-Clad kit and is relatively local....anybody?

[slvrlng]

Just to give you an idea of material usage. I did the entire inside of my console with about a pint of epoxy mixed and 7/8 of one of the small 2 oz. white tint bottles. Yes it does need another coat for full coverage but at that point in working on it I was ready to get it done! The tint from us composites doesn't have a lot of pigment when you mix it into the epoxy. Kind of ends up translucent but for my purposes it worked awesome.

[CLM65]

Decided to do something a little different this weekend.  Instead of working with fiberglass, I played with starboard.  My console is kinda small and doesn't have much room for storage.  About the only place I can add a glove box is on the rear vertical surface, below the helm.  The only problem is there will not be a lot of space between the console and the livewell.  So I think the best solution will be a tilt-out "bin".  So here is what I made:







The bin is about 5.5" x 16" x 9" deep, and overall dimensions of the frame are 20" wide x 15" tall.  In retrospect, I should have made it a couple of inches taller, but it should do fine for holding phones, wallets, etc.

[RickK]

Nice Craig  
How'd you create the box?  Screw it together?
I still need to figure out wallet, phone, etc storage inside the console on mine.  I'll attach to the inside of the door but haven't got there yet.

[CLM65]

How'd you create the box?  Screw it together?

Yup, everything is screwed together.  I used some 316 SS screws from McFeely's that work pretty good.  Just have to drill pilot holes for everything and be careful not to go too far through.  I attached the box to the door by first screwing some 1/2" x 1/2" starboard strips to the door, and then the box is screwed to those strips.

[gran398]

Nice work, professional grade

[CLM65]

Nice work, professional grade

Thanks Scotty, professional is a stretch...but I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  I really wish I had a CNC machine for things like this.

[gran398]

All good. A CNC is  nothing more than a fancy software-driven cutter/router. Will take that finish work of yours all day