New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

[bbenkaz]

Maybe not that exciting for some but I am a poor college student so I am very happy. I had a little plastic boat but it was a little small so I aquired this beast. It is a older 12' Mirro Craft. I took the rotted transom board off so I need to know what the best way to go about replacing it is. The boat is rated for 12hp and the old board was 1 1/4" thick 4' long.
I would really like to put a floor up in the front for fishing purposes. What is the best way to do without compromising the structural/leak integrity of the boat. I can get my hands on some cheap alum. angle and sheet so I will probably make it from that.
Any ideas, comments, suggestion, concerns, or complaints welcome d

 

[Bondo]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

I've got the Exact Same Boat,..... A 196-something, 12fter...

I'll admit though, Mine is in Much Better shape....

Your's is Missing a few pieces,...

Of course the middle Seat, which you Should put back in, as it holds the hull sides in place.....
Your also missing some of the Transom pieces,....
Mine has a P/T 2X4, encased in an aluminu piece for the Transom Motor Bracket......When I got it acouple years ago, the original 2X4 was Rotten,... I had to plane abit f Thickness from the P/T replacement, as the P/T wood is about 1/8th" Thicker than standard 2X4s.....

Oh,.... Your Idea for a Casting Platform in the bow,.......
I think you Won't be Happy with it,...
These hulls are Reasonably Stable, But, When you Raise the CG,......
It's going to get Extremely Tippy..........

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

cool same boat that is neat got any pictures of the transom setup you are talking about? I will fashion a middle seat or at least something temporary to keep the middle from flexing too much. I wasn't planning on putting a tall floor in just something flat so the c/g is still pretty low.

 

[Bondo]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

I don't have a Good picture for you,+ it's Now under a Mountain of Snow,....
But,... this was at the dock last summer,.....

Again,.....
I Think that a Casting Platform is for Bigger Boats.....

Just Standing in this 1 causes it to become Extremely Tippy........

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Thanks, I was going to get a 2x10 to make the transom board out of slap some paint on it and put the top cover and corner pieces back on. Then I will take to the lake and evauate its tippiness. I have a bow mount trolling motor I am going to put on this dude so I need a flat place to set the controls not so much a casting platform.

 

[Bondo]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Sure,.....
I think the 2X10 is Way Overkill,.. But that's up to You....

Something Else to Think about,......
The Weight Capacity is Really Low on these Little boats,....

It won't take too much Overbuilding,+ Extra Toys to be at the point where it won't carry Your Weight........
In other words,....
It'll be Overloaded,... Before you step aboard......

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Ok how about a 2x8 for the transom board that is about the size of the old one plus I have some 2x8's around here somewhere.
Thanks

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Oh yea as for the overloading I only wiegh 130lbs and will usually be by myself so a few toys on the boat won't hurt....:devil:

 

[Bondo]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

I S'pose That'll Work,.......

Mine's factory original was a Plain Ole 2X4,.......
I Up-Graded it to a P/T 2X4.......................................

We're only talking about a 10hp motor,.......
That little hull would be Suicide with a 15hp.............

That little 1954 5,1/2hp on Mine is Not really enough,.....
I think 1 of those 9.9hp Mercs would be Just Right............

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

this one was in about the same shape as yours. i used 2x8 transom board. too the table saw with blade all the way up, and took a1/4 of an inch cut (dado) out of the top and slipped it under the trim, then turn bolted the H out of it. had to put controls to the center seat, because with the 15 i wanted to stand on the transom . by the way it's 14 ft Lonestar. for a flat surface you can cut some ply , put a a 2X shaped to fit the bottom down the keel and a cross piece ( a T under the ply) and just set it in.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/tashasdaddy/MVC-905S-1.jpg

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Well I made the transom board and a small plate out of some alum I had for the plate on the outside of the boat. They had a piece of plywood there for some reason and holes drilled through. I figured the plate with silicone will work better than that plywood that will just seperate and rot eventully. The top piece of alum channel trim was torn up so I will either have to remake one or just leave it off. How about aluminum roof flashing that could work or I might just find some thin alum channel for real cheap. I have a big metal fabrication shop by me that sells me scrap at next to nothing and will order me in stuff for cheaper than I can get anywhere else by far......... Where is spring I need spring....

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

What should I use to seal the transom board? Paint/ poly/ thompson's water seal?
Also the piece of thin alum trim that goes over the top of the transom board and the top of the boat was broken. To me looks like its main purpose is trim and maybe keeping water from getting behind the transom and transom board. I tried to find some thin cheap alum channel but no real success do you think alum roof flashing would work? any other ideas?
Thanks

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Aluminum roof flashing would definately work. I would seal the wood in a fiberglass resin. Then wrap it in the flashing, making sure that tap is left to go over the transom like how it was. Replace that seat! very important...it gives the hull its strength.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Is that wood on the outside of the transom on your pics?

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Is that wood on the outside of the transom on your pics?

No it is where there was a piece of plywood. If you click on the pics they will enlarge.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Good enough, did you get your fiberglass resin yet?

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

I need to look for the fiberglass resin probably tomarrow. I did aquire half of a big alum road sign I think I will throw on a metal brake to make that top piece.d

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Guess what...... Alum road sign don't bend so easyd
Got me some 2" alum channel works great. I got the transom all mocked up just need to take the board off and finish it. I'll take some pictures later.

 

[bbenkaz]

Re: New used craft aquired excitement is abound MIrro Craft

Here are the pics click on the thumbnails to make bigger.

 

[bbenkaz]

I am not crazy

I am not crazy

Well I know you think I am crazy so you don't have to endorse the idea but your opinion about the construction will be valued. I took the boat boat out to a lake and found enough water that did not have ice all over it, anyway I stood on the front and temp middle seat I had installed and It was quite stable even with the 20MPH wind. I tried to tip the boat over and could not. I concluded that sitting down on a platform would be fine especially in the serene lakes I am primarily in. This won't be any different than mounting pedastal seat on top the the current seat.

As you will see in the picture I replaced the seats with aluminum angle. The middle seat is now a 3"X3" 1/4" aluminum and the front seat is 2X2 1/4". Both of these beams are far lighter than the seats so I am good on wieght so far.


Now the question is, I Intend to mount my seat between these beams what I am trying to figure out is should I weld a center beam as shown in the next picture between the two seat beams cover it with 1/8" alum sheet and then run supports on the edge from the gunwale as represented by the black lines.


Or do I do as in the next pic and make a support coming down from the gunwale to down below where a cross beam will mount so that it sits flat on the hull and then attach at the gunwale and hull as shown by the white circles on the clamped support. Then with a support on each side run a beam across. I am leary of this because even with a deck on it most of the weight will be focused on this makeshift beam instead of the original seat mounts.

Or I could do the same as above and then weld in center beams as depicted by the black lines in the next drawing.

Ideas?