Floor is out!!!

[56mulberry]

yeah thanks--re-read one of your and RonT's old posts when I asked that question and realized it had already been answered.....thanks--DOUG

[56mulberry]

OK--at long last the front of floor is in and screwed down and matted and resined!!  ALso stubbed a PVC conduit for the battery leads so can foam fully with an issue.  ANd also re-inforced the outer seat bracket area--the inner screws into the stringer but the outer just hits 1/2" plywood so I laminated a piece of 3/4" on the bottom to give it more bite for the screws and decrease flex from the seatr bracket on the floor--looks like my old one had been rescrewed about 400 times!!!  this should help--see my finger pointing at the re-inforcement.  ALSo put the bilge pump bracket back in--we getting there my friends...we getting there.....YOu can see my aluminum brackets for the rear hatch also..DOUG

[John Doerfler]

I was looking at the work you are doing and I noticed that your gelcoat looks to be in good shape.  Were you able to get away with buffing and polishing it?
John Doerfler

[56mulberry]

YES--gel coat is about 95% good-suprisingly considering the lack of the rest of the boat being cared for for the past 30 yrs--I DID do a lot of work on it--the gel coat that is last winter

WHEn I got it it was totallyoxidized almost white--in fact the boat looked pink at first  so I hand-wetsanded the entire boat with 1200 grit then 1500 then 1800 then I used oxidation removing compound  buffed out by hand 2 times then I waxed it........yeah it sucked and took me about 6 weeks of evenings but the result is pretty good looking finish on it.

ALSO got the left side of floor foamed in up to the battery box--and am ordering more foam to complet the boat--tonight I worked on re-installing the L-seat and hope to have it fitted and ready to go in by tomorrow evening.  Foaming also sucks by the way....but is a necessary evil.

Here are some pics of the foaming process--a couple show the foam coming up betweent the floor/stringers/hull --you can see it filling up.

And I would have liked to get a bout 2 more feet higher on the bow but as you can see........its a little red-neck to do it like this but it worked so far!!! I just pushed the rig up on my little homemade ramps using my tractor (engine out of boat so it pretty light right now) and then we lifted it up and put the infamous "Little Giant" ladder under the tongue.  ANd then we followed Ron's directions to the "T".  ANd foaming really is not that hard to do  and you actually have more time to mix and pour than advertised--the directions said 45 seconds total with 20-25 of it being for mixing-- I actually timed it more at 30-40 seconds to mix and then plenty of time to pour--approx one minute maybe--so not as feverishly intimidating as I thot it would be.  ANyways--enjoy the pics.

The one pic is looking back under the floor as the foam is coming toward the camera like The Blob---you can see the outboard stringer cavity is full already and we are starting again in the back of the inboard cavity...

Dunno about my original Memorial Day deadline but 7/4/11 is looking very doable as long as motor goes OK......Doug

[56mulberry]

BTW--those wooden ramps are a LOT sturdier than they look in the pics--all those blocks and 2 by's are screwed together in layers with 3" galv deck screws----in case you thought I just dry-stacked it and backed it on there!!!!

ANd also--that was the first time I had taken the boat out of the shop in the outdoors in 2 years!!!  It was really weird to see the whole boat at once from a distance beacuse my shop is 24x36 and when working in there I am always right up close to, or in, the boat--looked good with a little distance and perspective for a change!

[Joel]

Doug,  I gotta give ya your props - what a job!!!  The gelcoat looks great!  Are you gonna be able to get some new (old stock) American Skier decals for the sides??  The floor looks like its gonna last another 30 years with no problems   

Keep at it brother... you are kickin' butt and takin' names!!!

Joel

[John Doerfler]

All I have to say is WOW!!!!!   That looks amazing man!  It gives me inspiration to get my floor replaced and my gelcoat finished.  My 83 skier is in really good condition for the age and the motor was restored last summer but my floor and gelcoat have never been touched.  The oxidation is moderate and the floors feel solid but I am sure the foam is soaked and needs attention.  Every summer I restore a part of the old girl and this year the trailer gets the restoration but next summer I plan on doing the floors.  Thank you so much for documenting this on this form.  Guys like you and Ron make me love my boat even more.  If that's even possible.  One day I would love to see that beauty in person.  Later man.
John Doerfler

[56mulberry]

Well--I cant take a lot of credit for anything--the forum and the Ones Who Have Gone Before are the real heroes here--I am just following their directions.......very slowly......  

And in regard to the graphics question----just got off the phone with my designer and he is well on his way to having a file of it that will be darn close to OEM looking for me to use.

They will be white with the black edge printed in solvent-based dye and then laminated over with UV protectant laminate.  Should last at least 5-7 years of hard use and 10+ of light abuse.  looking forward to seeing them on the boat....

Ordered 2 more foam kits to finish up the floor next weekend and will get L-seat in also ho[pefully and fuel tank,.

Got to figure out how to get rid of 20 gals of old gas now....

DOUG

[56mulberry]

Foam is here--and the L-seat is installed.

I decided to cut a hole in bottom of batt box so I could foam all the way to front and the hole from L-seat aft of L-seat to the seat access hole was too far to pour well.  So I will pour thru hole in batt box also and then resinn and mat a patch over the foam there just like the floor.  I wanted foam to fill up against batt box where it extends below the floor nicely to keep water out and seat even more solid. Should work out well I think.  Am going to foam it tomorrow afternoon if all goes well.  I wiil post pics when can after tomorrow.

Next I guess I rewire blower--install fuel tank after i clean it and check out fuel pick-up assembly. And rewire stern pole too. 

I ordered some sample from BoatCentral/BoatCarpet.com --it came in today and I think "khaki" might look really good in it.  Goes well with the cream and the orange and should really look clean in there I think--also not so light it will show much dirt either.

 Then its engine time.....ugh!  Hopefully that will go simply. 


Have a good weekend.....DOUG

[56mulberry]

FLOOR IS DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Now onto bigger better things....like engines and stuff.................

[Joel]

FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!!!!   

[John Doerfler]

Cheers!!!!!
John Doerfler

[56mulberry]

Installed the fuel tank and all of the wiring for stern light and blower
Installed the tank vent and fuel line routed and attached to stringer
Decided to re-use 32" of the fiberglass pipe and used 8" of rubber USCG to couple it to thru-hull and the muffler shop bent me some 3" stainless 45's that I will couple to the f-glass pipe then use 16" pieces of the rubber to attach the SS45 to manifold...I think it will be more solid that way and shoud sound pretty good too....

ALso realized I need to make the rear transom board (?)  or whatever you call the piece of plywood that cover the gas tank area....darn thought i was done with plywood and resin....

If all goes well tomorrow I should reach the point that engine is ready to install.

I pulled the dist cap offf this morn to check condition of points and condensor and SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!! guess what I found under there?  A Mallory electronic ignition!  P.O. had changed it out at some point and I had never looked to see and since I have never even started/ran this boat had no clue it there until now that I am startign to get motor ready to re-install!!!! Yippee  better than Christmas...told my wife not to get me anything for Father's day--that ignition was good enough!!

I got new plugs, wires, thermostat, some hoses for water intake and one new block drain--"T" was broken off one of them.
ALSo had a little issue with the fact that the flange on tranny oil cooler takes 1.25" ID hose from lake supply to the cooler then it comes out as a 1.25" ID hose but reduces to a 1" ID flange on the water pump...? Is this normal?  SOmeone had used a piece of clear hose as a "sleeve" or bushing to enlarge the neck of pump so the 1.25" would fit but it was sloppy--I got an aluminum reducer from plumbing store meant for another purpose that will work I think.

Anyways--will try to take pics tomorrw  Enjoy the Re-union--Maybe lake Martin next year.....DOUG

[56mulberry]

Picked up an engine hoist last night (or "cherry picker" as they say here...) motor going in tonight if all goes well!!!!

[Joel]

VERY COOL!!!