1992 Polar Kraft MVT-1751 with a 1992 Evinrude 60 HP…my first tin boat project

[Axhammer]

Yes. The trailer is light duty. The 1751 was < 400 lbs empty when new.

I removed the short bunks. I’m going to install some 8’ bunks.

I don’t know what happened to the trailer before I bought it, but the original cross bar is missing (it should be where red line is), and a rusty steel bar is welded slightly forward of where it should be, and it’s crooked (higher on the left). See blue circles, it’s lower on the right side. Basically, I need to cut the rusty crossmember out, and weld in a new one, where my red line is in my picture. This will move the main bar aft, shortening the trailer. By shortening the main bar, it provide less leverage, lessening the tendency to sag.

 

[Axhammer]

I spent a few hours in the 90+ degree weather this afternoon, sanding the hull.

My wire wheel started loosing wires, so I stopped using it, and picked up the sander.

I’m about half way done with removing corrosion and feathering paint.

 

[thill]

Those wires are annoying when they stick in you. Time to grab another one. That usually happens when you have to push harder, as it dulls. Barely touch the wire tips, and it will clean well and last longer, but they don’t last forever.

A 6” fiber disc on a big angle grinder works well, with less impalement!

 

[thill]

Longer bunks a good idea.

 

[Axhammer]

Yeah, when the wires liberate and bounce off my skin, only to become imbedded in my shirt, its time for a new wheel.

Being career aircraft SMM, if this were an airplane I would perform the following steps below.

1. After corrosion removal, clean metal & perform a water break-free surface test. The bottom line is the aluminum must be a clean white metal surface prior to paint.
2. Apply alodine MIL-DTL-5541, this inhibits corrosion & promotes adhesion.
3. Prime with MIL-PRF-23337 epoxy polyamide primer, this primer has corrosion inhibitors.
4. Topcoat with MIL-PRF-85285 polyurethane enamel. This paint is similar to DuPont Imron

All of the above products are very expensive.

Are Parker products any good? I see they sell a duck boat primer & paint.

Or…should I go to WM and buy rustoleum paint?

What are folks using when they paint their Jon boats?

 

[AZGDOGG]

Yeah, when the wires liberate and bounce off my skin, only to become imbedded in my shirt, its time for a new wheel.

Being career aircraft SMM, if this were an airplane I would perform the following steps below.

1. After corrosion removal, clean metal & perform a water break-free surface test. The bottom line is the aluminum must be a clean white metal surface prior to paint.
2. Apply alodine MIL-DTL-5541, this inhibits corrosion & promotes adhesion.
3. Prime with MIL-PRF-23337 epoxy polyamide primer, this primer has corrosion inhibitors.
4. Topcoat with MIL-PRF-85285 polyurethane enamel. This paint is similar to DuPont Imron

All of the above products are very expensive.

Are Parker products any good? I see they sell a duck boat primer & paint.

Or…should I go to WM and buy rustoleum paint?

What are folks using when they paint their Jon boats?

Rust-Oleum Marine

 

[Axhammer]

I spent another couple hours wire wheeling & sanding the hull.

I removed a couple rollers from the trailer.

It was a little cooler today, compared to yesterday. I’ll be glad when this boat is done and I can enjoy a little wind in my face when I take it out for the next test run.

Rust-Oleum Marine

Does Rust-Oleum Marine require a primer?

It’s hard to beat Rust-Oleum for low cost tough single stage paint.

 

[AZGDOGG]

I spent another couple hours wire wheeling & sanding the hull.

I removed a couple rollers from the trailer.

It was a little cooler today, compared to yesterday. I’ll be glad when this boat is done and I can enjoy a little wind in my face when I take it out for the next test run.

Does Rust-Oleum Marine require a primer?

It’s hard to beat Rust-Oleum for low cost tough single stage paint.

Go to the Rust-Oleum website for accurate information...

 

[Axhammer]

Go to the Rust-Oleum website for accurate information...

Have you applied Rust-Oleum on your boat?

 

[Axhammer]

I cut the rusty, crooked cross-member out of the trailer.

 

[AZGDOGG]

Have you applied Rust-Oleum on your boat?

Yes, I've only used the rattle can products with good results with proper prep. Great propeller paint too.

 

[Axhammer]

Great, thanks for the info!

 

[thill]

Definitely clean the metal up. Rustoleum makes a decent aluminum primer:


After cleaning, I lay a couple of light coats of this until full coverage, then topcoat with whatever paint you like. I've had good success with Rustoleum paints, once they dry fully. A few drops of hardener or Japan Dryer in the mix, if using a spray gun. Or just use the rattle cans, IF you are decent at painting.

The trick is to wipe down carefully with Acetone, turning your cloth often, then do a "dust coat" first, and look for fish eyes. Then do another dust coat. If it lays down good, do your "wet coat" working from the top down and let it flash off for 15-20 mins and look.

If needed, do another coat, just make it a thin gloss coat and move fast so you don't partially dissolve the first coat with the solvents and make everything sag. Speed is your friend, when spraying.

You can also roll the top coat with a sponge roller and get good results. Again, move quickly and keep a wet edge, and it will self-level well. If you tip with a brush, move the brush VERTICALLY to prevent the sag lines that can be caused by doing it horizontally. I saw someone recommend brushing horizontally recently, but restrained myself from saying anything.

After painting, make sure to let it dry FULLY. I like to leave it a couple of days in full summer sunlight. You want to really cook it good, and then it becomes a very hard, durable surface. Rustoleum is common and inexpensive, but it does a pretty nice job if your prep is good.

I hope it works out great for you, whatever you use.

 

[thill]

Are Parker products any good? I see they sell a duck boat primer & paint.

Or…should I go to WM and buy rustoleum paint?

What are folks using when they paint their Jon boats?

Yes, Parker stuff is pretty good. Used it once on a duck boat, customer supplied, and had no issues.

I use a lot of Rustoleum. Put it on right, and it's tough stuff. I did a test spray on a boat a month ago, then decided not to paint. Unfortunately, Acetone won't budge it anymore. Now I have to paint that boat. At least the existing coat is decent, so it will just be a scuff and spray. UGH.

 

[Axhammer]

The more I work on the trailer the more damage I find. I believe this trailer was in some sort of accIdent at one point in the past. My plans are to make this trailer work, and use it to verify I can get by with it. It was originally a tilt trailer, hinged where the tongue attaches to the crossmember. The end of the tongue has a T where the hinge is welded to the tongue. The T part is bent, it’s a crooked T now, so that part will be cut off. I am going to eliminate the hinge feature. I don’t see a need for a tilt trailer with a boat this small. Maybe I’m missing something here?

After cutting the rusty crossmember off, that was welded to the bent T, I have separated the tongue. I now have two major parts that I will weld back together.

The main frame of the trailer consists of a loop with three crossmembers. I cut the one rusty crossmember off, the one that was part of a previous repair.

I welded plates where the new crossmember is going to be welded in place. When the previous repair was completed, they welded the crossmember on a different location. I am placing the new crossmember where the original one was. That’s where I welded the two plates on. I am going to use a piece of angle for the new crossmember.

The front of the main frame, in the center of the bend in the loop, has been damaged and welded back together. The top part of the weld looks OK, but the bottom needs to be repaired. I think I’ll weld it back together, and weld a doubler on.

 

[Axhammer]

When I bought this setup, I immediately noticed the tounge seemed too long, and it sagged.

After I cut the rusty crossmember off, and had the tongue separated from the trailer, I could see it had a steel tube inside the tongue.

I removed the rusty steel tube, it is 2.5” diameter x 6’ in length.

I don’t know if this tube was originally a part of the tongue or not, but I’m planning on reusing it, to help prevent sag. I might even replace it with a longer tube…it depends on what I can scrounge up.

My plan is to cut the T off the end of the tongue, and then weld that end of the tongue to the new crossmember angle, that I have not installed yet. My tongue will also be welded in the center of the loop on the main frame. I will weld a plate to the loop, and then weld the tongue to the plate (at the center of the loop).

If all goes well, I should have it back in one piece this weekend.

 

[LDUBS]

Axhammer, looking at image 4832, is the trailer racked to one side? Probably just the pic and my bad eyesight, but if in an accident was it pushed out of alignment I wonder.

 

[Axhammer]

It is definitely bent, twisted, and knocked out of whack. It is not your eyes…lol

As far as being out of alignment, I doubt it was much better when it was new based on the modular design of this trailer.

The axle & fender assembly is held in place on the main frame using four clamps. It wouldn’t take much to assemble this style trailer crooked from the get go, or knock it out of whack while driving.

My plan is to make it look as good as I can to the eye. In other words, I just want a trailer that works and doesn’t look crooked, bent and or sagging.

So far I have a set of wheel bearings and my labor invested in this trailer. I think I can make it work.

Thanks for the feedback, that tells me you can see what I am trying to describe.

I am probably not the best at describing what I see, so the pictures help.

 

[LDUBS]

As long as it is safe and gets the job done, who cares if it lacks a little symmetry.

 

[AZGDOGG]

As long as it is safe and gets the job done, who cares if it lacks a little symmetry.

Just be sure to square up the axle and spring mounts to wear tires properly.