1971 Flatback

[RickK]

Everyone does that the first time because it just doesn't seem to be enough.  :)  Two squirts does the topsides of my flats boat.  

I have been using Collenite Fleet Wax on the hull but everyone I know is raving about RejeX.  One guy I know swears even love bugs just hose off of his truck.  RejeX does NOT contain any cleaners or abrasives so the hull must be prepped with something else the first time to get the oxidation and stains off.  NOT for non-skid.

http://www.corrosionx.com/rejexFAQ.html

They don't tell you how much to use so they sell more.  As long as it doesn't hurt anything I guess it's ok.

So, should we add Rejex to the resource forum?

[John Jones]

Up to you.  I can't vouch for it yet other than word-of-mouth.

[LilRichard]

You guys are hijacking me!   8)

Another weekend, more work accomplished.  I am getting close to putting down the last section of floor but there are quite a few things I wanted to do first... including setting up where my cap and false bulkhead will end so I can get the rigging exact.

I began shaping the cap, one thing lead to another... and I decided to build the whole thing this weekend.





I was REALLY concerned about making sure the curve was even and symetric.

I traced the transom curve onto a piece of cardboard and then transferred it to a sheet of 3/4" ply that makes up the false bulkhead.  The cap was built out of 1/2" ply.

 





I attached the cap to the 3/4 false bulkhead and screwed it down to bring it to shape (making sure it was square obviously).  I then glassed the inside of the joint by adding a fillet and 2 layers of 1808 along the seam.  I then glassed the underside with one layer of 1808, and the top with two layers of 1808.  I will remove it from the boat to finish the floor work, then put it back in and begin tabbing it to the hull and floor.

I will add either two or three hatches to the front cover so I have plenty of access to the rigging.  I considered one big one like on the X-Shark (classicmako) but it might be too cumbersome to move in/out.  We'll see.

[71flatback]

looks good. how wide is the cap you added?

[LilRichard]

18" wide... gives me about 10" of width at the bottom (due to the slant of the transom at the top).

[John Jones]

You guys are hijacking me!

I'm good at that.  
I'll try to do better.  

Lookin' good Rich.  I wish I could come up with the initiative to just start working on my cosmetics.

[LilRichard]

I know you have told me before... but what exactly do you have to complete on your boat?

I'll be done with this mid next year... after that, I am willing to help you out if you need it.

[John Jones]

Just sanding and painting.  I have done all the ding and dent repair.  The deck has several coats of a crappy home-done non-skid.  It looks like house paint and beach sand   It's peeling in some places, stuck good in others.  I tried a 2750 psi pressure washer.  It knocked a lot off but still a lot to go.  

Just a bunch of sweat and elbow grease.  Skill not required  
It's cooling off now so I will probably get back on it soon.

I really appreciate the offer.

[The Bear]

looks awesome. way to go man.

my question is how are you going to "merge" that "lip" from the original cap to the bulkhead?

again, please pardon my ignorance, however, with 1/2 inch, will that be strong enough to walk on, if necessary? if so, do u have supports underneath or will just glassing it itself make it strong enough?

[LilRichard]

I think you may do better seeing pictures of that cap transition than me trying to explain it, but in a nutshell I will be tapering the rolled edge in the cap down into the new cap, then glassing the old cap to the new one on the top and to the bulkhead on the bottom.  It will look very much like this picture:



1/2" will be plenty strong with the support it will have (remember, it is only 18" wide, and is supported on both edges).  But yes, there will also be some bracing on the underside for good measure... because I always tend to "overbuild".  That's the mark of a rookie...

[The Bear]

its a good mark to have too. better to overcompensate than under! especially for all the time ur putting in.

are you gonna do the bench seat like tommy did on that one too?

have u thought about ur non-skid yet? about how you're going to do that? i love the way that yellow boat looks but I dont have the slightest clue on how they did it!

[LilRichard]

I like having a bech seat, but I think Tommy's design takes up too much space.  However I made my cap wider for a reason... I plan to have a removable seat pad made up that I can snap onto the cap in lieu of a folding seat.  I will have the upholsterer make me up a seatback that will fit into the aft rodholders.  

That non-skid is basically the same thing that RickK details, or any of the similar ways demonstrated on Classicmako (Check out Warthog's boat, or Tim Fletcher).  I have not done it, but it seemes fairly reasonable.  Just takes a lot of tape work.

[The Bear]

, if it looks like that afterwards, its definately worth the taping time. It looks awesome.

I'll check out those posts too. i frequent mako toio, not as much as here, but i check it out. I've made up my mind that i want either a AS or Proline.

i guess i could use some "grip-tape" like I used to use on my skateboard! haha!

[LilRichard]

i guess i could use some "grip-tape" like I used to use on my skateboard! haha!

Not if you care to have any knees left should you actually slip!  

[RickK]

i guess i could use some "grip-tape" like I used to use on my skateboard! haha!

Save that for your trailer tongue - works good.  Been using that and "tub tape" for years on my trailer.