74 Starcraft Holiday resto

Watermann

Watermann

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Nice plan of action on everything but I would rethink the use of silicone, it's not on the AL friendly list and in my experience with it it's on it way to failing as soon as you lay a bead.

The splashwells always seem to take the brunt and are tough to repair. Yours in the pics doesn't look all that bad.
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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WOW... Thank you Waterman... here is what I found... I was concerned about an earlier thread that stated to NEVER use silicone caulk because it eats aluminum (which I have done
huh.gif
), so I called DAP Products directly to find out why.
Here's their answer:
The silicone based caulk etches aluminum because of the acetic acid content. It's the Acetic Acid that attacks the aluminum, not the silicone.
They recommended the following caulks, that have 30-50 year service life:
Butyl Flex
Dap 3.0 (Silicone hybrid w/o acetic acid)
Latex

I know that Vulkem (Sikoflex) and Parbond are the preferred sealants, but HD and Lowes don't carry them, and sometimes it rains TODAY, not next week.
smile.gif

Hope that helps! __________________
My boat is full of silicone... and altou the silicone is still in fine condition I can see that the aluminum has corroded, especially around the screw heads in the back of the transom... Great insite, another great day when we learn something new that is important... I saw some calking at Lowes that is for aluminum rain gutter... maybe I am just over thinking this but I just find it hard to swallow that the windshield can be held perfectly still by the T bolts... I am thinking that it will need some sort of interior cushion that is compressed befor the frame is drawn down to the bow sheathing... if not, I believe that the frame will eventually marr the paint finish to an extent that will be visible... here is what I found... GE Silicone II* Aluminum & Metal... I will look into this further... Thanks again... All My Best... Bill
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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here is what I found on the GE website... tel me what you think...
What's the difference between GE Silicone I* caulk and GE Silicone II* caulk?
GE Silicone II* caulk is what's called a "neutral cure" silicone, which means no acids are released during the curing process (as there are in GE Silicone I*). This enables GE Silicone II* to adhere to a broader range of substrates such as plastics, concrete, and metals. Also, the odor of a neutral cure silicone such as GE Silicone II* is much less offensive than an acid or acetoxy cure silicone such as GE Silicone I*.

​
 
jbcurt00

jbcurt00

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Look again at Lowes/HD, maybe over in the construction material aisles, or for agressive polyurethane sealants. Both here carry SikaFlex and similar products.

Leave the silicone if you want, but I wouldnt, esp since you dont know if its AL safe no acid or not.

For many things, I'd consider the fact that its all torn apart now, the longer it takes to have to redo something, the better. Using a boat is much better then working on 1. And doing it once is better then having to do it twice....

For a fishing boat, is the splashwell fixable w some flat or angle aluminum stock? If the AL stock is put on the back, the rows of rivets would be all thats seen in the splashwell. And there are rivets all over the boat.....
 
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laurentide

laurentide

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The neutral cure means it's safe for use near circuit boards and other acid sensitive applications. The acid is only present as it outgasses and cures. I only know this because I've used it to seal motor casings on down riggers with circuit boards. Silicone II was fine.
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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Thanks fella's... I spoke to a GE engineer and what he said is that the silicone II did not produce the acid when curing... he also said that the half life was 50% of the acid cure... he said that the II would last 50 or more years without decline in properties... has very good UV protection and is paintable... Glen, your splash well is cherry compared to mine... the local tin knocker got back to me... I am fully booked for the next 3 days but will try contacting him to see what he suggests... maybe a fix or total replacement$$$... I hope to get the transom wood out one evening and start to cut the new wood for the dash and transom... not really sure what I am going to do to cover the dash so I am open to suggestions... I really do appreciate the interaction with you all... I am enjoying this project more and more each day... once the transom wood has been removed I will be building instead of destroying... I am really looking forward to the creative aspect of this project. I will take my time making descissions on what I want to do and will be looking towards you guys for idea's as so to broaden my horizons... thanks again... all my best... Billy the Kid...
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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YEEEHAAA... its V.M. day... Victory in Maine... I have many photo's but am unable to load them onto photobucket... why... I have no idea... After screwing with the transom wood for 4 hours I have finaly removed it... I tried to remove it with my Jeep off road jack by screwing a 16 inch chain to the top of the wooden transom and using the jack to lift it out... no luck... I piled some three hundred pounds or more of crap into the rear of the boat... no luck... so I went back to my high school day's and physics and used the ol folcrum and leaver technique... I set my battery powered skill saw to 1 and 1/4 inches depth and made two cuts into the lower portion of the transom wood inside of the boat... set a block which was higher than the saw cuts and slid an 8 foot leaver(pry bar) into the groove and whallaa... instant success... there is nothing left to remove from the boat other than scaring the paint where the paint is completely covering the aluminum. Its build time... I could not be happier... I must tell you that I have become, as many others have on this site, inspierd... I have many idea's as to the way that I will finish this boat... So many options, and any amount of time... Thank God for the wife... She is behind me all the way... I have spoken previously of the creative aspect of many of the resto's that are depicted on this site... althou the wallet is an issue... it probably is not a good idea to give me free rain in such endevours... but that is where I find myself... for me... so be it... this will take some time... and much of it will be behind the curtian... do not expect a great deal of money to be spent... but do expect that this boat will reflect who I am... as for you fellow's... this is all your falt... without such direction... without such support... without such comrardury... this boat would look much different than it will look in a few month's... God bless you all... Many delightful returns... you will enjoy the photo's that I have taken once I figure out how to download them again... Godspeed... All My Best... Skid Row Bill
 
dozerII

dozerII

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Keep at her Bill progress is good. I was having trouble with photobucket yesterday as well.
 
Watermann

Watermann

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I sure do love your enthusiasm Bill!!

How about a description of the offending transom and the AL skin?
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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Roger that... we will work backwards... and start with the reward.. now to the offending transom inside note the saw groove in the lower left hand corner, this is where I placed the 8 foot pry bar.. outside of transom wood... note the white crap that appears to be wasted aluminum from the acidic silicon... and here is the liberator, poped that transom in less than a second...
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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here are two pics of the transom aluminum A solid 1 1/2 inches, unfortunately pressure treated and screwed together...
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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I believe that the transom aluminum will clean up well... My tin knocker call last nite... He was 800 miles south of Paris France at his nieces wedding... he asked me about the bow in the transom... I did notice a bit of an outward curve in the transom tell me, is the transom supposed to be bowed out??? also I was at Lowes looking for a 27 inch by 12 inch polimer cutting board with no luck, but did speak to a retired Coast Guardsman and he told me that what I wanted was STARBOARD... I have looked at it on line and it is priced rite, but does not look like it is dence enough... any info on this will be greatly appreciated...
 
dozerII

dozerII

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SkidRowBill said:
I believe that the transom aluminum will clean up well... My tin knocker call last nite... He was 800 miles south of Paris France at his nieces wedding... he asked me about the bow in the transom... I did notice a bit of an outward curve in the transom tell me, is the transom supposed to be bowed out??? also I was at Lowes looking for a 27 inch by 12 inch polimer cutting board with no luck, but did speak to a retired Coast Guardsman and he told me that what I wanted was STARBOARD... I have looked at it on line and it is priced rite, but does not look like it is dence enough... any info on this will be greatly appreciated...
Click to expand...

Are you thinking of using it as the motor pad on the outside of your hull? Another good less expensive choice would be 1/4" 6061 aluminum, you may be able to find some salvage at the local steel/scrap yard.
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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Photobucket is really misbehaveing... real pain in the head... here is a 96 year old WWII combat veteran That I take shooting when he is up to it... he is really on the down hill slope. I try to spend as much time with these guys as I can... hence the slow motion resto... I had this rifle built for him specifically... note his company insignia... the fighting 63rd I hope that you guys do not mind that I include this post... we all need to remember such times and the men and women that got us to where we are...
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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This is the inside of the transom skin below the splash well from the other side the green that you see is the lawn through the holes...
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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I am thinking that if the transom wood is too wide it might make the transom bow out... it can not bow in due to the splash well... and I noticed that the bow was only on the top 1/4 of the transom... we need comments here... preferably from experience... pretty please... althou I remember that there was a space on both ends 3/8s of an inch filled with silicon... I will have to look and see if the inner transom frame(where the 3 bolts go completely through) on the ends goes all the way to the outside of the transom.?!
 
SkidRowBill

SkidRowBill

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On another note, I am pleasantly surprised at how light the boat has gotten... what horse power(Honda 4 stroke) will I need for 35 MPH...
 
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