58sealine
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2012
- Messages
- 40
Well Folks,
I have decided to do the unthinkable - the forbidden, yes, the top must come off. I know what everyone is thinking. This is taboo! I can feel the cringes and shutters all the way over hear in Central Florida. Unfortunatly this boat has been in the elements for way too many years and has some moderate corrosion issues between the gunwall and the top causing a poor fit and potential future deterioration. If I am doing a ground up, I want to do it properly. If this is going to be handed down to my grandson one day - I'd like to think he will say the old man did a good job on this.
It really wasn't that bad. All the factory fasteners were allready gone long ago. Jost had to battle my way through a jungle of BS stuff that shouldn't be there. Once all the rivits and screws were out, I started working my way around the edges with a chisle gently coaxing the top off until It finally saw daylight between the halves. Had to remove a few rivits on each side of the bow top and one in the center under the dash where a support bracket fastened the bow top to the dash. Once this was done, the top came off as easy as a tupperware container top. I used extream caution lifting the top off the boat as to prevent kinking or warping the top.
The top of the gunnwall where the boat top is attached was covered with a thick layer of aluminum oxide along with a bunch of distorted holes where screws had been inserted and removed in the past causing raised areas on the mating surface, The mating surface around the lip of the top also had moderate corrosion. I do not think it is an structural issue but I am developing a re-attachment plan that may include using a 3M product designed for structural bonding aplications in the automotive industry and its rated for use on aluminume in conjunction with HD aluminum rivits.
With the top off, this will make all the inside hull work a breeze. Once the stripping and cleaning work is done, I will have the steering cableing and motor controls and electric installed. I also have some ideas on installing floatation foam in unobtrusive locations just in case she gets swamped one day.
Take a look at the pictures and you will get an idea of what one of these look like as the top comes off.
More to follow
I have decided to do the unthinkable - the forbidden, yes, the top must come off. I know what everyone is thinking. This is taboo! I can feel the cringes and shutters all the way over hear in Central Florida. Unfortunatly this boat has been in the elements for way too many years and has some moderate corrosion issues between the gunwall and the top causing a poor fit and potential future deterioration. If I am doing a ground up, I want to do it properly. If this is going to be handed down to my grandson one day - I'd like to think he will say the old man did a good job on this.
It really wasn't that bad. All the factory fasteners were allready gone long ago. Jost had to battle my way through a jungle of BS stuff that shouldn't be there. Once all the rivits and screws were out, I started working my way around the edges with a chisle gently coaxing the top off until It finally saw daylight between the halves. Had to remove a few rivits on each side of the bow top and one in the center under the dash where a support bracket fastened the bow top to the dash. Once this was done, the top came off as easy as a tupperware container top. I used extream caution lifting the top off the boat as to prevent kinking or warping the top.
The top of the gunnwall where the boat top is attached was covered with a thick layer of aluminum oxide along with a bunch of distorted holes where screws had been inserted and removed in the past causing raised areas on the mating surface, The mating surface around the lip of the top also had moderate corrosion. I do not think it is an structural issue but I am developing a re-attachment plan that may include using a 3M product designed for structural bonding aplications in the automotive industry and its rated for use on aluminume in conjunction with HD aluminum rivits.
With the top off, this will make all the inside hull work a breeze. Once the stripping and cleaning work is done, I will have the steering cableing and motor controls and electric installed. I also have some ideas on installing floatation foam in unobtrusive locations just in case she gets swamped one day.
Take a look at the pictures and you will get an idea of what one of these look like as the top comes off.
More to follow
