Flatback Fireboat Rebuild

[Callyb]

OH YEAH!!!!!!!!!

[CLM65]

Lol!  Thanks Carl.  I just keep hoping that I didn't forget to do something below the deck before I permanently installed it .

Did you ever sell your flatback?

[Callyb]

No, didn't sell it. It seems that I am just too far away and too set on my price to get her gone. I will most likely finish her and sell her unrigged. My motor just went bye-bye this past weekend, so I'm running low on parts to finish it anyway. LOL!

In all seriousness, you did a great job on the deck!

[dirtwheelsfl]

Must be gantry season.  Built me one last week!      Got another 222 in the driveway for rebuild too 

[RickK]

Both gantries looks very stout 

[CLM65]

No, didn't sell it. It seems that I am just too far away and too set on my price to get her gone. I will most likely finish her and sell her unrigged. My motor just went bye-bye this past weekend, so I'm running low on parts to finish it anyway. LOL!

In all seriousness, you did a great job on the deck!

Thanks Carl!  A little selfish here, but I would love to see you finish her.  Your rebuild so far is looking awesome.  And maybe by the time you are done, you will be ready to expand your fleet of operating craft.

[CLM65]

Must be gantry season.  Built me one last week!      Got another 222 in the driveway for rebuild too 

Nice Chris, wheels and all!  With as many boats you rebuild, I'm sure you will put it to good use!

[CLM65]

Both gantries looks very stout 

Thanks Rick.  It did work like a charm.  I picked up a cheap harbor freight hoist that was worth every penny.

[CLM65]

It's been a while since I posted any updates, so here is what I've been working on lately....

Got the front storage area pretty much ready for the casting deck:



Made the hatch for the casting deck:




And got most of the casting deck done....

Melamine form with gutter:


Gelcoat:


Nidacore weighted down with pavers, and coosa vertical panel:


Additional nidacore for stiffness (still needs final layer of glass):


And tonight I popped it from the mold.  Well, mostly anyway.  I still need to get most of the gutter form out of the gutter.  The wife wasn't happy having to park her car outside with 30 degree mornings, so I had to clear my stuff out of the garage.  I probably won't get back on this until Friday.
.

[RickK]

Good to see you back at it Craig.  Very nice job on the hatch and the deck looks very stout and well made.  Another milestone. 
We've had some severe weather here the last couple weekends with winds above 45mph at times so I didn't get much done.

[CLM65]

Thanks Rick.  We've had some nasty weather up here too.  I was able to do this work in the garage, so the weather wasn't much of a factor.  But the smell of gelcoat and resin filled the house and didn't make the wife very happy  .  Luckily I think this is the last big item that needs to be made in the garage.  Most everything else can be done outside.

[RickK]

  when I brought the seat home and told my wife that I was going to store in in a spare bedroom she said "you are going to do what!!"  But she let me in the house with it and even helped me carry it in. 

Did you have to treat the melamine with anything?  I found some 1/4", looks to be masonite, with white smooth something on one side at HD and was going to try to make a mold for the storage tray under the seat with it.

[CLM65]

I usually wax the melamine with mold release wax, and sometimes I spray PVA on it.  For this project I waxed the gutters only, and then sprayed PVA on everything.  I used the same melamine sheets for the main deck about 1-1/2 years ago and stored them in the garage for this project and hatches, etc.

I'm not familiar with the 1/4" stuff.  I used 3/4".  The sheets are 4'x8' and very stiff, which is extremely important when you are making a large flat surface such as a deck.  If the 1/4" lays perfectly flat, I don't know why it wouldn't work.

[Capt. Bob]

Good to see you back Craig.

[CLM65]

Thanks CB!