1966 MirroCraft 3614 Project

TinBoats.net

Help Support TinBoats.net:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

oakchas

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2015
Messages
107
Reaction score
0
My first AMBITIOUS project.

Last summer we acquired a 1966 Mirrocraft 3614 14' Deep Fisherman "fishin' boat" with an Evinrude 8 HP motor, trolling motor, fish finder and trailer for a reasonable price. I had to spend about $200 to get the motor gone over completely, the motor only had about 20 hours on it, but it wasn't pumping water, so I got it tuned up and parts replaced as needed.

All in all it, had certainly seen some use and had been left tied up to a dock during a storm, so suffered a bit of paint scraping and a dent or two during the storm.

But it doesn't leak, it gets from here to there on the lakes, and I wanted to make it better and more comfortable.

This is what I am starting with:
start.jpg

This is the layout I'd like to end up with (the current Mirrocraft 1415 Outfitter) :
boatoverlay2.jpg
1415 4.jpg

I have removed all the seats, the old broken transom; and I have pressure washed the interior hull:
start 2.jpg
start 3.jpg
transom 1.jpg

I've flipped the boat and mounted it on sawhorses and tied it down to strip off the old brushed on paint:
strip 1.jpg

I have acquired a treated lumber which is approved for contact with aluminum (no copper in the treatment) 2X12 which I have cut to the old transom shape and it is awaiting stain and varnish.

The thru bolts will be replaced with stainless steel. The old aluminum bench seats will be salvaged for a rear shelf inside the hull at the transom, and a couple of hatch covers (maybe).

I also purchased a 30X12X11 inch aluminum tool box from Northern tool which I will modify to be a wet well in the blue area of the floor plan above:
wet well.jpg

2 batteries will be placed starboard opposite the wet well to equalize the weight of the full wet well.

So far, calculations for weight will work out to be below the max with two heavy folks aboard, full wet well, 6 gallons of fuel, batteries, etc. Even with a motorized anchor mate she'll still be below the max weight by quite a bit. Flotation will be added under the decks,and I'll be using plywood for decking.

Barring rain tomorrow, I will begin stripping off the old paint.

I also will be rewiring the tilt trailer, and repainting it; in addition to replacing the bunks and probably the rear roller (which is bent but still rolls... Well, it does after I whacked it with a hammer a few dozen times!).

Wish me luck... I'm a woodworker, but this is one ambitious project!

Progress pix as time permits.
 
So, stripping is a chore... :oops: part chemical, part mechanical. This is about 4 hours work. Maybe 1/8 done.

Gone is the dream of a bare aluminum hull under the chine. Too much beach/dock/trailering rash. That's okay, I'll paint the bottom, too. Boy, that 50 year old turquoise paint is as tough as the newer stuff on top of it!

Here's the day's work before the rain set in:
stripping 1.jpg
 
Thinking about this, and it's really good news.... I don't have to be as picky about stripping. The previous layers of paint that stick will make good base, just scratch it with Scotch Brite and paint.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
 
Some progress...

I've stripped all I'm going to from the boat. and sanded the rest. Half of the boat is primed with an aluminum primer.

I repainted the trailer, remade the bunks, rewired the trailer and it's ready to go except for the bunk carpeting.

Rewiring the trailer was a pain. It's a tilt trailer, and the ground was weak to the back. I tried everything short of running a ground to each light.

I came up with a "5 buck solution;" a battery cable from the front of the trailer to the tilting portion (at the hinge), and lots of dielectric grease.

Pix next post, I'm resizing them to minimize bandwidth.
 
You can see the before pic of the trailer with the old rotten bunks removed (and the new bunk wood laying in wait) and the mostly stripped and sanded boat.

strippedsanded post.jpg

Here's the trailer with new bunks from the side.

trlr leftpost.jpg

Here's the priming start.

priming post.jpg

Here's the "5 dollar fix" to the trailer.

5dollarfix post.jpg

Here's trailer from rear with half primed boat in the background. I added non slip stair tread tape to the trailer walk (we'll see if it stays stuck on after some use!).

trlrboat post.jpg
 
For those of you calculating, it takes exactly 3 rattle cans of Rustoleum self etching primer to cover one side of this 14 foot boat. ONE coat.

Wet sanding will make it take at least another coat,

The other half has been primed, first coat.
7a475c70a47559e49a71e67fc50171af.jpg
 
All primed and wet sanded to 600 grit, with a scotchbrite ultra fine scrub down with simple green and a rinse, too.
Ready for paint.

all primed.jpg

The lighter color gray is a filling primer. It didn't take out all the 50 years of "rash," dents, and scratches. But the painted boat will shrink from a hundred foot boat to a pretty nice one at 20 feet.
 
Now, some technical questions....

Comparing the old boat to the new:

-----------the new 1415------the old 3614
Length-------- 14'6"------------ 13'5"
beam-----------70"---------------63"
bow depth------30.5"-------------30"
transom height--20"---------------20" *
empty wt-------445#-------------210#
max load--------915#-------------936#
all figures from factory info except * transom depth measured on the old 3614.


Since the old boat is marginally smaller, it displaces less (obviously). By length, it is 92% as long; and the empty weight could be 411#. By beam, it is 90% as wide; and empty weight could be 400#. By bow depth, 98% as deep; and empty weight could be 437#.

My original calculations show the max load would not be exceeded even with all my changes and my wife and I on board, with the usual gear.

My question is, since the new boat will have more flotation, since I will be adding more flotation than the original (all the bench seats were filled with foam), can the empty weight be more and still allow more payload?

Could I take a third person, or add a third seat instead of just the pedestal socket, reasonably? Empty weight will not increase to even the smallest amount of 400#.

Is it reasonable to expect the empty weight not matter too much, and still have the payload capacity?
 
1st and second coats of black up to the chine, with a few dribbles. 600 grit and ultra fine scotchbrite wet sand between coats then a wipe down with mineral spirits.

1st coat (6-13)
8e4ed75874668b6426896ab4737f0ad9.jpg


2nd coat this morning

6da606b86d9dd4d5f5246b48763d242a.jpg


8d96a9ccc0e8510779b89cfba06a63d8.jpg


It's gonna take 4 to 5 coats to finish the black then smoke gray to the gunwales.
 
Second coat is wet sanded with 600 grit, and scotchbrite all over.

Since some of the rivets get sanded down to primer, I'm going to brush paint them (undiluted) and around all of them, the keel, and chine (where the seams are). And then, just scotchbrite those areas before putting on the 3rd coat. Then, I'll scotchbrite everything and the last coat of paint. Then hand sand to 1200 grit, and buff it out.

I've been diluting my paint about 1/3 with mineral spirits to this point... but will decrease dilution to about 1/10th on the last two coats.

Then I will mask from the chine seam down, and paint to the gunwales with smoke gray.

wet sanded.jpg
 
Thanks guys.

Here's the thicker paint on the rivets and seams.

978fb64177e0b6681aaeae48d055b566.jpg


fc9a9ac970e41f1e2483088311d3e626.jpg


My wife says I'm trying to build a yacht. I just want something nice to be proud of.

It didn't leak before, I don't want it to start leaking once done.

Truth is, I'm getting impatient.

Looking forward to putting it on the trailer, and working on the interior.

I still have the sides and transom to paint grey.
 
A good friend makes vinyl lettering for most of the cop shops and many businesses here in east TN.

I asked him if he could cut the boat's name for me.

This is what he did (well, it'll look like this on the starboard side of the transom once painted and ready).

8a94aed6225eabd09066e730f9236d57.jpg


In reflective white.
 
What is the best type of wood to use for a transom? And is it okay to put two pieces together? And if you do can you glue it? You seem to know a lot so I'd thought I'd ask


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Happyrocker02 said:
What is the best type of wood to use for a transom? And is it okay to put two pieces together? And if you do can you glue it? You seem to know a lot so I'd thought I'd ask


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't know a lot. I'm learning as I go.

That said, I thought about using ipe wood for my transom. But, it's expensive and heavy.

Lowe's, where I work, sells treated lumber that is approved for contact with aluminum.

The original transom was un- treated pine or fir, and lasted 50 years. It was a 2 by 10 or 12 that was cut in the shape of a transom. I used the old one as a template for the replacement I cut out of a treated 2x12.

Do not use treated wood unless it specifically says it is approved for contact with aluminum. Most of it is NOT APPROVED.

Copper is used to treat most lumber for outdoor use. It will react with the aluminum in the boat and cause the aluminum to corrode horribly. If the wood has a green tint, it is probably treated with copper.

I don't know why you would want to glue together a transom? Plywood perhaps? That would give additional strength, I suppose, but the boat I'm doing is rated for a 40 hp motor, and the 2 by material was sufficient.

If I were going to use ply, I would use "glue lam" in nominal 2x whatever width and length you need. And I would use "old timer's" varnish on it. Do a search for the recipe for old timer's wood varnish on this site.

These are only my opinions, as I said, I don't know much, but I'll share what I think and learn as I'm learning and thinking.

Good luck!
 
oakchas said:
Happyrocker02 said:
What is the best type of wood to use for a transom? And is it okay to put two pieces together? And if you do can you glue it? You seem to know a lot so I'd thought I'd ask


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't know a lot. I'm learning as I go.

That said, I thought about using ipe wood for my transom. But, it's expensive and heavy.

Lowe's, where I work, sells treated lumber that is approved for contact with aluminum.

The original transom was un- treated pine or fir, and lasted 50 years. It was a 2 by 10 or 12 that was cut in the shape of a transom. I used the old one as a template for the replacement I cut out of a treated 2x12.

Do not use treated wood unless it specifically says it is approved for contact with aluminum. Most of it is NOT APPROVED.

Copper is used to treat most lumber for outdoor use. It will react with the aluminum in the boat and cause the aluminum to corrode horribly. If the wood has a green tint, it is probably treated with copper.

I don't know why you would want to glue together a transom? Plywood perhaps? That would give additional strength, I suppose, but the boat I'm doing is rated for a 40 hp motor, and the 2 by material was sufficient.

If I were going to use ply, I would use "glue lam" in nominal 2x whatever width and length you need. And I would use "old timer's" varnish on it. Do a search for the recipe for old timer's wood varnish on this site.

These are only my opinions, as I said, I don't know much, but I'll share what I think and learn as I'm learning and thinking.

Good luck!
1 part mineral spirits 1 part boiled linseed oil 2 parts spar urethane then 2 coats straight spar urethane... I think that's the "old timer's" recipe.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
 
The correct formula is,
One part Boiled Linseed oil, one part Spar varnish or Spar urethane, and two parts Mineral spirts.
Plywood is stronger than dimensional lumber. You need a water proof glue like Titebond III.
 

Latest posts

Top