1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

[GT1000000]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Yeah, you'll be "golden"...that is the industry standard...Dark colors over dark primers and light colors over light primers...of course there are always exceptions to the rules, like custom paint jobs, where the painter is trying to acheive a certain effect...

 

[Decker83]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Your cap looks really good. Great job on the holes. Can't even see them now.

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Thanks Decker!

So another day here at work with my thoughts racing (we lost a server today, so I have even more free time today!). I've been thinking about my seating arrangements this morning. The previous owner had lifted the seats about 8" by building a storage box underneath. I thoroughly loved this idea, but I wasn't too keen on sitting up so high. I've ultimately decided that since I am expanding my front storage area, I don't need to carry through the raised seating with under-storage. That poses yet another question. How do I attach the seats to the top cap? I have some aluminum channel that was previously used to attach them to the raised box and I'm sure they will work just the same, but is there a marine part that is made specifically for attaching seats?

 

[fishbone77]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

I used the Bondo marine reinforced putty stuff.

Hi FMJ, I've been following your thread - your boat is looking great! Quick question - did you use the long-strand or short-strand filler? Also, how much did you end up using for the cap?

The primer coats look great - nice smooth finish and can't even see where you filled the holes!

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Thanks Fishbone! I believe it was the short-strand. For the top cap, I used about half of a quart. The trick (in my opinion) is to lay it on in thin and precise so that you're not wasting product to the sandpaper. I built it up in layers; meaning I would put some down and let it dry. I would sand/clean it and build up another layer. I repeated this until the top layer was a tiny bit thicker than needed. This gave me some working room to sand it down smooth.

 

[fishbone77]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Thanks! Going to order some today and the tips help! Can't wait to see how that maroon color looks on your cap!

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

The stuff is super easy to use. I would scoop out about a 2 or 3 tablespoon blob at a time. For hardener, I just made a straight line from left to right of the blob. It seemed to give me about a 10-15 minute working window. If I noticed it starting to kick on me, I would stop and scrap the remaining blob (this didn't happen too often). I used a piece of cardboard as my pallet. Plastic spoon for scooping and plastic knife for mixing. For spreaders, I bought one of those cheap "for sale" signs and cut it into squares of varying sizes.

 

[fishbone77]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

That's nice - sounds like its pretty forgiving - do you plan on using the same for your hull?

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

I already did. If you look back quite a few pages, you'll see where I had some nasty damage at the bow of the hull and at the middle of the hull (I can't see pictures at work, so I'm not sure what page it was on). I used quite a bit of filler to fair it out. It was the first time ever using the stuff so it didn't end up perfect, but the difference is night and day!

 

[fishbone77]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

I'll definitely check it out! Don't know how I missed it!

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Sorry for the late reply here fishbone, but pages 3 and 4 really show the damage that was on the hull (the previous owner had already "fixed" it with the glass, so all I had to do was grind it smooth and body fill it). Pages 4 and 5 show the repair after the body filler.

On the progress note, I'm about to go out and start making templates and cutting plywood. I really have the fire lit under me now. I wasn't expecting my US Composites shipment until Monday or Tuesday, but I got the tracking e-mail earlier and it is on target to be here by the time I get off work on Friday. I know I shouldn't complain about a good thing, but DANG IT! I had everything planned out to where I would be ready for it early next week.

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Ok, no templates were made... but I did get the transom pulled!!!

I used a large flathead screwdriver to break the remaining tabbing away and then to pry it away from the sides. I then moved on to a large, thin piece of aluminum to break it away further. Next, I used a long hand saw to cut it even further. Finally, I used a large garden spade to finish breaking it away. It sounds easy, but it took over an hour to get it! I tried my hardest not to break it up because I wanted to use it as a template. I had made a cardboard template, but it wasn't perfect. This will prove to produce a much better template, I'm sure.

The wood was actually a lot more solid than I thought (especially with the stringers being so bad that they essentially crumble at the touch). I'm sure this played a role in why it was so hard to pry out and also why I was able to get it out in one piece.

Anyway, I decided to call it a night. There's nothing on the schedule for tomorrow so I'll be shooting some paint and building a transom tomorrow. When I'm building the transom, I just glue the two pieces together with PL Premium, right? If not, what is the process?

 

[fishbone77]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Wow, you make fast progress! Good idea with keeping the transom in one piece - it is a BIG help. While cardboard's nice and easy to use, I have the same difficulties getting it just the right size/shape...

Transom build: Mixed opinions on this as far as what adhesive to use - from what I've read, people have used Tightbond III waterproof glue or thickened epoxy PB (more like mayonnaise) that is spread with a serrated spatula. I'm personally not sure about PL urethane adhesive - I have read that it is not quite as rigid as epoxy or a glue - but that was in the context of stringer installation.

A big thing is the clamping - you don't want significant air pockets because it will compromise your strength. Ideally, you want to clamp from the center outward to drive the air in that direction. I was fortunate, and my grandfather had some clamps (from like the 1950's) that had a 14" reach and let me get to the middle. You could probably use weights similarly if you set it on a surface.

PS - went back and checked out your hull work - haha - It looks awesome and you're right about it making night and day difference! Can't wait to do the same!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

I'd use TiteBond III wood glue to laminate the two pieces. 100% waterproof, Strong as heck and easy to work with. You'll need a quart.

TIP: drive a 1" small finish nail in each corner of one of the transom pieces. The protruding point will keep the two pieces aligned when the "Slippery glue is appled and clamped. No need to remove them the resin will seal them forever.

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Great! So this giant tube of PL was purchased for nothing?!?! I'll pick up some Titebond III after work and hopefully get busy. This is probably a "Duh" question, but when I'm gluing, should I spread it even? I don't have any large clamps, so I'll have to make due with some weight in the middle and the clamps along the sides

That's an awesome tip, BTW WoG!

 

[fishbone77]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

If you're going with the Titebond III, I would apply it with a paint roller to both surfaces.

 

[Seasonally.boating.jon]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Hello fmjnax. I've Just scanned through your thread. Nice job on the primer, man! Not too long ago, I glued my transome together with the Titebond. I just bought a gallon of the stuff and poured it all over the wood. Almost took the whole gallon, btw. I guess you could roll it and all, but I just POURED it on there then smoothed it over with the flat side of a trowel. I would advise you to use the pin nails that wood suggested because when you slap the other side of the transome on, it'll float right off center. Here is how I clamped mine.

Now I'm going to read through thread. Nice work

 

[craigweaver]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

^^^^^^ what they said! I used the Tightbond on mine. I pre-drilled screw holes. I spread the Tightbond with a bondo spreader, between 1/8 & 1/4 inch thick. Then I clamped the middle WOG clamps (similar to Jitterbug's), then I screwed in the screws and completed the clamping. I chose to remove the screws after it setup and filled the screw holes with some thin PB before I glassed the transom in.

That cap is kickin by the way! very nice job!

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Put a couple of coats of color on the top cap yesterday/today. The first three pictures are after the first light coat yesterday (thus why it's not entirely covered). The last picture is after the second coat tonight, but it was already starting to get dark so the picture didn't turn out too well (the next update will have better pictures). It is officially all maroon now and after another coat or two... or three, it will be done!

 

[fmjnax]

Re: 1984 Skeeter Champ 16' Restore

Happy day! My US Composites order arrived at about 2:00 and the next 3 hours at work seemed to drag on forever!

I cut my transom last night and glued/clamped it up to set overnight and all day today (unfortunately, no pictures of the process. My phone was dead). When I got home from work today, and after I opened up all my goodies, I suited up and started grinding down on the hull. I got the transom skin good but I think I need to work more on the sides/floor. In the center of the floor, I still need to grind it out a little better, but that's no problem. My worry is if you look at the picture, you'll see some dark areas in the bottom corners. These are voids in the fiberglass that the grinder couldn't get to. Any ideas on how I should handle these? Should I fill them with PB before I set the transom? Apparently the factory didn't do anything do them, but it can't possible be good to leave them like that...

Here is a picture with the finished transom dry-fit. It's pretty much a perfect fit, thanks to getting the old transom out in one piece! I didn't notice it when I bought the wood, but there was a crack(?) on the sheet. I tried to work around it, but it was pretty much unavoidable. It's only through the outer ply, so I can probably get by with filling it with PB and call it good.

Tomorrow I will finish grinding and hopefully be ready to set the transom. I've also got to get some more paint on the top cap. It will be a busy day on the boat!