New to site! Just picked up a new project!

[dcook088]

Hello all, I'm a new member and just wanted to introduce myself and show off my new project. 87 Polar Kraft 1648 MV. It will primarily be used for hunting. Getting ready to get started on the paint.

 

[hawghunters]

Sweet boat, that's probably what I'll upgrade to before too long. Looks like it's got some good potential.

 

[rscottp]

Nice boat! Don't forget we like pictures!

 

[BigTerp]

Thats a nice size. You plan to hunt out of it?? I use my 1648 to get to and from hunting spots, but don't hunt out of it. Can get 3 guys plus gear in it comfortably, and cram a 4th guy in if we REALLY need to.

 

[Fatkid1980]

Nice boat! Can't wait to see how it turns out! That's about the size I'm hoping to upgrade to.

 

[bassfisherjk58]

Welcome! Good Luck with your project.

 

[dcook088]

Thanks guys! Finally got to start on it a little today before work. Did some light sanding inside and out. I plan on using the Parker's Duck Boat paint as my base coat on either gray or brown. My question is should I be worried about getting this thing down to the bare aluminum or should I just sand the high spots, clean , prime and paint?

 

[dcook088]

Here are some more pictures. I plan on leaving the floor plan the same. This boat will primarily be used for hunting. Already has a sheet metal floor but the indoor/outdoor carpet that was on top of it has rotted off.

 

[Ictalurus]

I just smoothed out the rough spots, didn't go down to aluminum on the whole boat.

 

[SpecFisher]

Welcome to the boards! Nice boat and good luck with the paint job.

 

[dcook088]

Thanks again guys! Today I got it off of the trailer. The bottom seems to be in decent condition considering how old it is. I'm gnna do some more sanding and clean up all the rivets real good and apply a coat of self etching primer. I did find one spot (picture below where it seems a river has popped off but the actual shaft of the rivet is still inside. Any suggestions on best way to go about fixing this? Also going to put a fresh coat of paint on the trailer.

 

[warefishin]

IF you can get to both sides of the rivet you could drill out the old and put in either another rivet or a stainless steel bolt probably need to put either in some kind of sealant 5200 etc. Or You might could get by with a little of the jbweld waterweld. It really depends on how far you want to go with it.

 

[Buckethead]

First of all welcome to the site, second I used stainless steel button head bolts, nylon washers to prevent the stainless and aluminum from contacting, 5200 to seal 'er up and a stainless nylock nut with another nylon washer. Seems like I went overboard a little but I only wanted to do it once. Besides the hardware is readily available. Good luck with the build.

 

[dcook088]

Today I cleaned all of the rivets and finished sanding the high spots. Also cleaned up the rivet that has the button busted off of it and I'm still debating on how I'm going to go about fixing it. The rivet isn't leaking.

 

[Ictalurus]

My order to deal with the rivet issue (based on ease of fix for me)

1 - Leave it in place and cover w/ JB Weld, sand and paint

2 - Pop it out and replace w/ SS nut and bolt

3 - Replace w/ solid rivet



Love the hull BTW, nice size =D> =D>

 

[BigTerp]

Being you have a riveted hull, I would suggest you invest in an air hammer, rivet tool and appropriate size solid rivets. It'll come in handy down the road. Being that the rivet in question is not only below the water line, but on the keel of the boat where it's going to get banged up eventually, I personally would feel more comfortable with a properly replaced solid rivet. It's not hard to do at all. I purchased a $12 air chisel from Harbor Freight, a brazier head rivet tool from somewhere online (brazier was the stock style of rivet on my boat, yours may be different) and I already had an air compressor. Total cost for a solid rivet replacement setup was around $25-30, including rivets. You'll need the correct size rivet for the stock rivet holes in your boat, also get the next size up for any rivet holes that are wallowed out during removal. This way you can drill the rivet hole to the next size and use the bigger rivet. Just my opinion, of course, but I feel much better knowing rivets I had to replace in by boat, especially below the water line, were replaced with properly set solid rivets.

Harbor Freight Chisel
https://www.harborfreight.com/medium-barrel-air-hammer-with-chisel-69866.html

 

[thill]

I wouldn't JB that rivet. Either replace the rivet with another rivet, or use a stainless steel bolt and nut with some 5200 under the head (on the outside)

Too easy to fix right now for you to shortcut.

-TH

 

[BR1]

I like your boat, I bought a 14' that looked just like it in '78. I catfished out of it and it was very stable. I thought I needed a longer boat and I traded it in on a 16; Lowe. Wished I'd never gotten rid of it! Good luck on your build!