Refurbishing Aluminum Smkercraft

[musky_man]

HI,

 

I was thinking of refurbishing my Smokercraft. The wood is a little weak in spots, but otherwise she is fine. I am going to strip her right down and redo the wood, wiring, carpet etc. Will likely repaint the exterior as well.

 

So -- anyone done this and have any tips?

 

I was thinking of buying a new boat, but I need a project and I have a second boat I can still fish from in the interim.

 

Feedback appreciated.

Edited April 15, 2010 by musky_man

[Uncle Buck]

there are those who like working on boats... i am not one of them..

 

every boat i've ever owned (3) has been a project boat...

 

lots of down time from fishing and doing it properly costs $$$$

 

stainless screws are atleast 5x more expensive...

 

you'll need marine plywood since your boat is aluminum... again, more $$

 

to paint it, you need to properly prepare it, strip it down and have it sprayed, and use proper paint...

 

otherwise it'll look like crap and will flake off...

 

also cost of getting rid of old flooring/carpeting etc

 

plus clean up and prep work involved...

 

my opinion is if you have the $$ buy another boat and never regret it... just get out and fish..

 

summer and fishing opportunities are short enough, no reason to waste time working on a boat when you could be out fishing or relaxing...

[BITEME]

Under 26 feet

 

BOAT

Bring

On

Another

Thousand

 

Over 26 feet

BOATT

Bring

On

Another

Ten

Thousand

 

I agree with buck but to each his own

 

peter

[tb4me]

Ok sorry to hijack a thread here, but why do you need special plywood? I want to do some work on my boat as well.I want to do the wood floor and carpet in a smokercraft too.

[Uncle Buck]

aluminum reacts with the chemical used to pressure treat wood...

[TC1OZ]

If you are planning on buying a new one, I'd be happy to buy the old one off you

[SylvanOwner]

I've been working on my 14footer and bought marine ply and epoxy from Noah's Boat Building here in Toronto - great guys to deal with, very friendly and knowledgeable. Stainless steel hardware from Brafacso, by far the cheapest i found as long as you are buying in quantity 50+ pieces and from there Crappy Tire is next cheapest for hardware (cheaper than Home Depot or Rona).

 

As the previous posters have said, it takes a lot of time, way more than I thought, and double the budget to allow for beer consumption........

 

Good luck.

 

Dan

[The JAY]

I, for one, don't mind projects like this at all. In fact, I am looking for a little project boats to putt around in the Grand and the local conservation areas. A few years ago I was given a 35 year old cedar strip canoe that had fallen off the top of a car going up the 400... It was a mess. Took me the better part of a year, and probably cost me more in tools and material than buying a new one would have, but it kept me away from the TV, and gave me a great sense of accomplishment when it was all said and done.

 

If

[The JAY]

I, for one, don't mind projects like this at all. In fact, I am looking for a little project boat to putt around in the Grand and the local conservation areas. A few years ago I was given a 35 year old cedar strip canoe that had fallen off the top of a car going up the 400... It was a mess. Took me the better part of a year, and probably cost me more in tools and material than buying a new one would have, but it kept me away from the TV, and gave me a great sense of accomplishment when it was all said and done.

 

If you've got the time, a bit of money each week, and a sense of adventure, then give it a shot. If you find you can't be bothered, PM me, I'm always looking for another project.

[vinnimon]

Ok sorry to hijack a thread here, but why do you need special plywood? I want to do some work on my boat as well.I want to do the wood floor and carpet in a smokercraft too.

I went the cheapo route with my first boat and regreted it, cost me more.now with my other one, marine grade all the way.

[SlowPoke]

aluminum reacts with the chemical used to pressure treat wood...

Just to add to Goran's advice...

Weight is another issue. Marine ply is half the weight of pressure treated. If you don't want to spend marine ply money; you can use regular plywood, seal it as well as you can and be prepared to do the job again.

When refurbing my boat, I used 3/16" aluminium for the floors. I'll never have to do it again but it's heavy too. And you think marine ply is expensive... LOL

Spend a little more (double) for the marine plywood, you'll be glad you did.

[irishfield]

Do it right.. and do it ONCE Mark ! Plan for three times as long as you think it will take.. and twice the money. Is it financially viable or are you putting money into a dark hole? All things I'm sure you have considered, but if you want a project in the garage and have another boat to fish from... why not!

 

Two options on the exterior... TAL STRIP II for aluminum and it's gonna take a few gallons ($45 per) or have it SODA blasted clean. You have to do the stripping inside.. no wind/etc or it won't work properly.

 

Once bare...You can scrub it down with Alum Prep to etch/clean it, but not extremely necessary with today's paint and self etching primers. But for what it costs for a jug I'd wash it down with it...while scrubbing with a white scotchbrite pad (and rubber gloves!).

 

Lunds are painted with PPG Concept or what ever the latest version of that is. Many paint shops run a PPG paint rail and can help you out. Use PPG's self etching epoxy primer for aluminum.. spray on a coat and then top coat within 24 hours, I believe it is, (or you'll have to sand before top coating!) Same deal between colours if you are adding accent colours.