Greetings! And... SmokerCraft Re-build

[Fishfreek]

Rich I've got a niece in Crossville. I may have to come up to see her and bring the boat. I would love to get into some Tennessee fishing.

 

[richg99]

Guess I'll start a new thread called Tennessee 2016. That way, if we put together a trip, we can all find the thread.

richg99

 

[JKTreveccaFishin]

Started epoxy coating the bottoms of the deck pieces after work tonight. I pre-drilled all of my rivet holes so expoxy would flow down into the holes and water-proof them too.

Couple pix.

 

[Bigwrench]

That's gonna be a fish catching machine ! Great work.

 

[JKTreveccaFishin]

Coat it? I decided to re seal the seams inside the boat while I have it apart. I used coat it. I ground out the seams inside with a drill and wire brush then applied the stuff. I didn't use naval jelly per the instructions because the bottle of naval jelly specifically says not to use it on aluminum.... hoping using didn't make a mistake. Have any of you used it? Did you use naval jelly? Should I start over? Thx

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[Bigwrench]

I used coat it on the inside and outside seams of mine. It's seems to be bulletproof when dried , mines still in the build stage but I don't think you will have an issue. Only thing I used was acetone after wire brushing.

 

[richg99]

I don't know if it will matter, or even show up...but...back when I had a number of fiberglass boats, we were cautioned to NOT use a steel wire wheel.

The tiny fragments that broke off showed up as rust stains after a while. Bronze or Stainless wire was recommended. So, you might have some tiny rust stains in the future. If they don't show, I wouldn't worry much about it.

richg99

 

[JKTreveccaFishin]

Thx guys

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[JKTreveccaFishin]

Getting there.. SLOWLY. Here are a couple pix. Several more have been uploaded to the album you can access via the link in my original post.

I pre-drilled all of the holes in the wood slightly larger than my rivets, then put two coats of epoxy on all sides of every pieve. Then I sanded the top side of the epoxy because there were a few drips that dried hard. Sanding Epoxy makes me realize how tough this stuff is. I also thought the contact cement would better adhere to the epoxy sanded vs. glossy. Anyway.. I wrapped the first two pieces of floor in vinyl and got them installed. I shot some Lexel caulk/sealant into the rivet holes as extra insurance before installing the rivets. The edges of the floor will be hidden by trim pieces once the build is complete (hopefully by next weekend... my wife's patience is running thin [-X ).

I think I'm going a little over-kill on the weather/water proofing especially since this boat lives in the garage but I figure if I don't have time to do it right the first time, I definitely won't have time to do it again and I'd prefer to not do it again.

I'm in town for work this week so I should be able to get a couple hours of progress in a couple nights after the kids are in bed.

 

[bonz_d]

Very well done. Shouldn't have to touch it again in your lifetime.

 

[richg99]

Great job.

It would outlast me....but...I am 76 years of age.

Ha Ha

richg99

 

[fool4fish1226]

looks great very nice work =D>

 

[Hanr3]

Looking great. Nice job.

 

[lvmark342]

I lived on Pearcy Priest lake when I was a kid. I still have friends in the Nashville area. I thought about going over there. I like the work you have done on your boat so far.

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[lvmark342]

Sounds like we have at least 3 guys close to Dale Hollow. I am there May through Sept.

How about a meet-up? Or would that be a Fish-up?

richg99

Maybe so, It's hard for me to make plans that far in advance. My mother's health is not good.

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[JKTreveccaFishin]

Percy Priest is the lake I fish most often. It is an excellent Hybrid "Cherokee" Bass lake and it's where I was taught how to fish for those suckers. With the exception of Late October - the end of December, Hybrids are pretty predictable on Priest. It's where I go for quantity. The Hybrids are great and you can catch several that are 10+ pounds. The stripers are also plentiful but 20 pounds is a good fish on that lake. The big girls are on the Cumberland river system.

 

[JKTreveccaFishin]

Thank you all for the encouraging words! I didn't get any work done last night. I was exhausted and crashed after putting the kids to bed. I have plans tonight too but Wednesday, I hope to finish installing the base layer of floor and start working on the deck, console, and re-wiring.

 

[screamensemen]

I know how you feel. Work then home with kids im usually whooped when its their bedtime. Your boat is turning out great. I really like the front deck console and the live well all done together. It gives it a super clean flow to it. Keep up the great work.

 

[JKTreveccaFishin]

Couple updated pix. Floor is done and fully installed. Finalizing the deck layout and hatch sizing/holes before episodes dying and covering the deck pieces.

And my buddy sends me this today. Gotta get the boat done quickly!

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[richg99]

Nice looking. I like that grill in the deck. Sure would like to catch a striper of that size.

richg99