12ft Sears game fisher to bassin jon.

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Bass_attack

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So I bought a 12ft jon boat (1232) Sears gamefish we unknown year with trailer off of craigslist so I would have something to get me out in the water by myself. I don't want to do much. Just get it afloat and painted and maybe some flat carpeted floors and storage if I could manage. It came with seats mounted on it and Has a bunch of leaking rivets and a few cracks on the bottom v's in the back near the transom. Also it has been covered in some bondo like rubbery paint like stuff to protect and no doubt fix leaky rivets. Nothing has gotten this off but a heat gun and scrapper. But I'm making progress.

I have a few questions which is why I decided to post. And am open to any advice!

First off is just how close to bare metal do I need to get because it's really a pane with this stuff all over it. I will include pictures. It was painted over and the paint looked ok so I think if I get it off as much as I can and sand it it might be ok.

Also what kind of paint have y'all used and recommend? And is there anything like this I can cover the bottom with again. Like steelflex or bed liner material?

I have been searching here and other sights for weeks while trying to plan and getting excited about my new ride.

And also the cracks I was thinking a little aluminum patch with some 5200 and maybe job weld? What do y'all think. Once i figure out adding pictures I'll have them up!
 
Any tips for the cracks?
 

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I would get the cracks welded. The ones on the corner especially because that is an area that is key to the structural integrity of the hull. If your just going to paddle the boat or use a trolling motor I think a patch would be OK but if your even going to put a small outboard on it I would get it welded for peace of mind. Just remember an aluminum hull flexes which might cause a patch to reopen when in use with an outboard. I think a local fab shop could probably weld it for around the same cost as a patch kit.
 
I have some heavy gutter aluminum that I planned on sealing over the crack with 5200. I'll just be using a trolling motor fishing small ponds and local lakes but I want tone sure it will not leak. The guy before me said it didn't leak and those cracks only dropped a bit when I tested them. He had caulk and this rubber coatig on the bottom and I was surprised it didn't leak more. So I was thinking my fix with aluminum and 5200 or jbweld would do for my use. I do not know of anyone who could weld it and it is really light aluminum so idk? Anybody used aluminum welding rods?
 
If you are talking about the aluminum brazing rods I have used them. They work fairly well and seem to be real strong.
Getting the repair area hot enough to accept the material without going too hot can be tricky. It is very easy to warp the aluminum. Also, apparently if a person goes too hot it puts a hole in the boat, or so I've heard. :oops:
 
So does it look like I'll be ok to not get this epoxy material 100% off? If u sand it like some if the pictures or a little better and clean and prime should the paint stick fine?
 
Also what is the best bet to coat the bottom with? Epoxy paint? Aluminum roof coating? Steelflex?
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=348305#p348305 said:
Bass_attack » 11 Apr 2014, 13:22[/url]"]I have some heavy gutter aluminum that I planned on sealing over the crack with 5200. I'll just be using a trolling motor fishing small ponds and local lakes but I want tone sure it will not leak. The guy before me said it didn't leak and those cracks only dropped a bit when I tested them. He had caulk and this rubber coatig on the bottom and I was surprised it didn't leak more. So I was thinking my fix with aluminum and 5200 or jbweld would do for my use. I do not know of anyone who could weld it and it is really light aluminum so idk? Anybody used aluminum welding rods?

If your just using it as a pond/small lake boat with a trolling motor I think your solution will work just fine. You can generally find 3M 5200 cheaper at places like Home depot or Lowes vs a marine/sporting goods store. I got a tube for $11 at my local Home Depot vs $30 + at the local marine dealer.
 
Anybody? I know a lot of people have painted their boats before. Anyone have anything like this coated on it. I almost have the entire thing sanded down to are metal and some smooth spots of whatever this epoxy type coating is. I'm hoping with primer the final coat will adhere well to the boat without getting every inch of this stuff off. If I have to do that I may never get to fish! It had paint on it like I said that didn't appear to be flaking off.


But I'd really like a rhino liner or rubber epoxy coating over the bottom once I fix all the cracks and rivets correctly. The previous owner had sealed them with some regular silicone caulking and put this epoxy coating over it and it has obviously been used this way without leaking. He said it had been sitting awhile so when I tested I wasn't surprised to find leaks. But it didn't leak near as much as it should of. All these rivets and the few cracks in the back it wouldn't hold water for a second without that epoxy coating. It really almost seems like bondo but I'm not sure. But since it had been sealed with that and caulking I'm positive I can fix this up correctly to safely mount my 45lb thrust trolling motor and scoot me and my lady around the private ponds and small resovior a around here.

Appreciate the responses and look forward to any advice I can get!
After I fix the holes and paint I would like to add some small tackle storage an anchor mate and I'm going to need help mounting a fish finder and it's transounder. Just got my first fish finder for this boat and the small local lakes. And am anticipating fixings first boat up and making it a reliable fishing machine for me and reeling in some monsters on it!
 
I removed most of the loose paint on my boat and feathered the edges of the stuff that was actually stuck to the boat. There was some nasty house latex on the upper half that I completely removed with that citrus remover.
After that I put some sealant on all the below water line rivets (they didn't need it, no leaks, but I did it anyway).
I then hit the bare aluminum with self etching primer and painted the entire thing with Rustoleum.
 
Can I use the aluminum rivets you can buy at lowes and a hand rivet tool to replace the rivets. I sit have a air hammer and really don't have the money to buy one for this project. I have seen you need to use closed rivets but not sure what the ones I have are. They are the only ones lowes had when I asked the guy. Or do you need to get them from west marine or a boating store? They are aluminum
 

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