Flatback Fireboat Rebuild

[RickK]

 

[Callyb]

Uhhh. I don't know about all that.

Thanks.... I guess....

I wait for Rick too!

[CLM65]

Not too much to report, but I wanted to give Carl some company on his bottom work.  If you recall, my bottom was covered with craze cracking pretty much from front to back.  I ground them all out and filled them with a VE/microfiber/glass bubble mixture and sanded them flush.  I was still afraid they may come back, so I covered the entire bottom with 3/4 oz mat using VE resin.  I sanded that, but the mat still had a rough finish, so I coated 1/2 of the bottom with gelcoat thickened with glass bubbles (I will do the other half in the near future).



Next I sanded it all down to a pretty smooth finish with 40 grit, but it is hard to tell the difference in the picture.



Tonight I sprayed it with some dykem blue, and hopefully I can hit it tomorrow with the longboards to see just how bad it is.



I don't plan to spend too much time trying to make the bottom perfect, I just want to fix any major imperfections.  I have been struggling with the sides lately - they were pretty wavy.  The sides are one area where I think the extra time is warranted.  A big thanks to Rick for lending me his longboards  .  They are proving to be invaluable.  I'm hoping tomorrow I can pretty much finish the starboard side, and then start on the port side.  This fairing board stuff is really wearing me out, especially in 90+ degree heat.  I look forward to getting this phase behind me.....

[RickK]

Yeah you can go crazy on a boat bottom just to end up with a boat bottom   I'm hoping to outgrow that part of my OCD soon - maybe in the next couple weeks I'll succeed.

Glad the boards are working out for you, or is it the other way   Wore me out too but really took down the fairing material quickly.  Let me know if you ever get to the 2nd sheet of 40.  If anyone else needs to borrow these let me know.

Looks good Craig 
I would have to look back through your thread but I think you did lay all new cloth in all of the hull, correct?  And you braced everything before doing so. So the hull is solid/secure. So the waves in the hull sides are from what?

[CLM65]

I'm sure I screwed it up somehow.  I had the chines supported as well as the keel.  Maybe it shifted?  I did glass the insides, including 2 layers of mat and 2 layers of 1708 from the top edge down past the chines.  I also used a DA to sand the paint and primer off the sides, but I would expect random low spots if that caused the problem, instead of waviness.  I never noticed how bad it is until I recently shined a flashlight along the sides at night and could see the shadows in the valleys.  It's getting better, but it is taking a while.  Here is a pic of how I supported the chines.

[larsli68]

Looking good! Great work!
I follow your restoration. Sorry for not posting earlier
// Lars

[RickK]

I'm sure I screwed it up somehow.  I had the chines supported as well as the keel.  Maybe it shifted?  I did glass the insides, including 2 layers of mat and 2 layers of 1708 from the top edge down past the chines.  I also used a DA to sand the paint and primer off the sides, but I would expect random low spots if that caused the problem, instead of waviness.  I never noticed how bad it is until I recently shined a flashlight along the sides at night and could see the shadows in the valleys.  It's getting better, but it is taking a while.  Here is a pic of how I supported the chines.

I don't remember that pic - talk about a diamond in the rough. 

My advice is throw the flashlight away 

[Callyb]

You are doing a super awesome job! Wow! I dont know that I would have had it in me to go the far, I probably would have put bottom paint on it and been over it. Lol!

I wonder if the wariness you have in the sides is from the consoles and other modifications that were done to your hull? Regardless, like you are saying that is what everyone sees and kind of needs to be done right.

Edit: Does Scott still refer to your boat as your and his boat? Sorry, I just had to ask... 

[CLM65]

Thanks guys.  I have to admit that I sometimes look at the hull and the less than ideal condition it is in and wonder "WTF am I doing?".  I appreciate the positive feedback.  I really gives me the motivation to keep going.  I just hope this boat ends up being something I'm not embarrassed to be seen on.

[RickK]

 

I just hope this boat ends up being something I'm not embarrassed to be seen on.

You'll have a FB that was customized by your two hands with the best knowledge all your searches took you to and it'll be a fine example of American Ingenuity. 
Plus it'll float 

[CLM65]

Thanks Rick.  Just got back from watching the Crystal River fireworks show.  Every boat I passed I looked at how fair their sides were.  I'm not giving up - it may take a while, but I'm going to make every effort to get it right.  And if that fails, maybe a wrap will hide any imperfections?

[CLM65]

After many days and nights of apply fairing compound, sanding, sanding, sanding, more fairing compound, more sanding, etc, I have finally called it "good enough" and primed the hull.





I used Duratec VE fairing primer on the bottom (it is actually a light blue), and Duratec surfacing primer on the sides.  I sanded it all down with 80 grit, and tomorrow I will drop it off at Young Boats for new Gelcoat.  I'm going to have Robb look it over with his professional eye and see if anything needs correcting.  After Robb sprays it I will bring it home to do the wet sanding and polishing.

They say that with paint, 90% of the work is in the preparation, and with gelcoat, 90% of the work is in the finishing.  It only took me about 6 months to prepare the hull for Gelcoat.  So I figure I should be done polishing it around 2020 or so .

[Aswaff400]

looks good! have you decided on a color for the hull yet?

[CLM65]

May come down to a coin flip tomorrow, but I'm leaning towards sea foam.

[Aswaff400]

i vote for any kind of gray lol