22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

[Buckeyedude]

Hey guys, i would first like say thanks for all of the helpfulness and knowledge that everyone is more than willing to administer here! Its a great site, and i find myself searching different questions, only to get loss in for hours reading about someones rebuild
Well, anyways! Here a few pics of what ive gotten myself into so far(im sorry i dont have as much as i would like, they were lost when upgrading to a new phone)

Here she is before i started to de-hillbilly it!

Phase 1 Off with its head! ha!

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

a few pics of the interior

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

checking for leaks!

plastic pieces that covered the decking and cedar boards removed!

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

removal of pretty much everything else and alot of surface cleaning!

thats most of the pics i have, ill get some more up here i awhile. replacing rivots right now and getting ready to seal the hull interior when it warms back up some!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

OMG!!! She was a SINKER! (no floatation foam)

One thing is for sure, it isn't going to be hard to beat what she looked like when you got her.

Please tell me you aren't going to put lumber framing back in there, that would be very disappointing to all of us out here in internet land.

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

a sinker indeed! I was going to use aluminum for the flooring, but just couldnt fit the cost of it into my budget! Well hold on, let me start from the beginning. First off, i wasnt going to do anything except pull the plywood cabin and deck off. Then i said screw that center console and its left handed controls (none of the guages worked on it anyway!) I was gonna leave the cedar planking, but decided to pull it to see what i had to work with. Then one thing led to another, and i ended up taking the framing and stringers out, pulled the fuel cell and the "cradle" that it sat in,found some 5/16 rusted bolt through the hull, about a doz stainless bolts, and a poopton of stainless screws that were used to "replace" rivots! Pulled all of the wiring, which was a mess! The po must have gotten a deal on 4' lengths of different colored wiring and connectors!

Right now, like i stated before, im at the replace rivots and seal interior stages. Next will be stringers, which i had a new one bent up for extra support! Yesterday i mounted a new sierra motor on the t/t that didnt work when i purchased the boat. I cant wait to see that thing lift that 175 up and down!
You cant imagine the amount of dirt and nastyness ive removed from that boat! Ive shopvac'd it probable about 12 times, filled it with water once, and pressure washed it, which made the water look like it was a coal hauling barge!

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

rough pic of the rusty bolts used in it! Man im glad i decided to go through with taking everything out! This was under the fuel cell!

Little man helping sweep out AGAIN!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

When I saw the cap on that thing I figured the innards would be gnarly.

You can't find any aluminum angle or square tube at a scrap yard or recycle center? It's a fraction of the cost of new stuff, may have a few scratches on it and a little dirt... but that'll never be seen under the deck.

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

I can't believe you scrapped that pilothouse. You could've built a nice flybridge on top of that.

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

When I saw the cap on that thing I figured the innards would be gnarly.

You can't find any aluminum angle or square tube at a scrap yard or recycle center? It's a fraction of the cost of new stuff, may have a few scratches on it and a little dirt... but that'll never be seen under the deck.

I have alum stringers, and some square tubing and some angle, and can get certain pieces bent for free, what i was talking about was the actual decking! I was going to go with a stiff .125-.1875 for it all, but just couldnt swing it right now with our current financial situation. It would be nice though, alum never rots!

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

I can't believe you scrapped that pilothouse. You could've built a nice flybridge on top of that.

Ha! its sitting outside of my shop right now as a fort for my youngest!

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

I replaced screws and bolts with blind end rivots, coated in marine epoxy and then covered inside and out with 5200. Hopefully this week is warm enought to continue the interior sealing process!

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

update, i had to move the boat forward becuase i didnt feel comfortable moving it backwards to get to a few of the rivots! I did this by hooking the trailer up to my truck and ratchetstraping it forward after taking off the front stop post.

After all of that, i 5200 the inside of all of the new rivots, then my first coat of elastomeric

I ended up using the rest of the can on the next 5 1/2 coats of the interior

next will be a primer and then paint it! pics to come!

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

well i ended up putting 2 coats of primer on today, didnt see a point in a pic especially since the primer is white also lol! Fishing tomorrow, but hoping to get a layer of paint on sometime throughout the day! Planning to start installing stringers and my fuel cell by tues.

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

I went ahead and put 2 coats of paint on over the primer. Next comes the stringers and whatnot. Question for you guys. How long of a pop rivot would you suggest to go through 3/4 board and the stringer? Stringer is probably .065 ish. And how far apart on the spacing? I was thinking every 4" or so. Thanks.

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

Also, do you prefer to melt the ends of the pool noodles to seal them, or do you paint them with something?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

I went ahead and put 2 coats of paint on over the primer. Next comes the stringers and whatnot. Question for you guys. How long of a pop rivot would you suggest to go through 3/4 board and the stringer? Stringer is probably .065 ish. And how far apart on the spacing? I was thinking every 4" or so. Thanks.

Are you going to rivet your decking down and then install the finish ( carpet, vinyl, paint)? Or are you going to install finished deck panels?

8" centers will be fine for the spacing.

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

decking first, then finish

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

I'd go with the .825 - 1.0 grip range.

 

[Buckeyedude]

Re: 22' bluefin rebuild with some pics

I'd go with the .825 - 1.0 grip range.

Thanks, i wasnt sure on how much longer i should get for a proper grip.