Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Well not exactly.... I was wondering if you tied the stringers that you moved out to the stringers that you didnt' need to move out?

Oh yeah, I got ya now. I had to move the stringers out for the motor well to accomodate the new V6. Then I fabricated the firewall of 1.5" ply, attached a cut piece of aluminum to the face of it and then made 2 brackets to attach it to the motor well stringers. After moving the forward stringers out for the gas tank, I made a good sized bracket for each side and riveted the two together.

 

[ShowMeGuy]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Yup.. got it! Thanks for clarification! I've been on the lookout for a belly tank for my chieftain that will fit between and short enough the deck will go over. Been lookin fro 1-2 yrs.. So I"m thinkin I may end up going this route if it works out great on your end.. It's really been the reason it's gotton nowhere.... or thats my excuse.. hhehe

Thanks again.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Well today was a good day with no mishaps or Murphy visits! :joyous:

So today I finished the new trailer and got the new cross member and keel roller installed. Next I dropped the jack off the old trailer, cut the u-bolts off the winch stand and dropped the tongue in the dirt. Backed the new trailer over the old trailer tongue putting the bunks up bow.

You can see the new cross brace added with the keel roller.

Backed her onto the grass riding the new Chief chariot, put the winch stand on and adjusted all the bunks.

 

[classiccat]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Nice handoff Agua! Smoooooth

How's the bottom paint holding-up?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks like a perfect fit. Nice work.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

That's the way you do it. Good switcheroony, WM.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Got some other odds and ends done too, some gunnel brackets riveted on, rub rails riveted back on, fuel/water separator installed, bilge float switch in, SS piano hinge on the hatch, painted black pry out hatch white and some other stuff I forgot about after a few evening wobbly pops.

Next up on the list is the stern drive transom assembly, I've got all the parts now to do the install. Well maybe I will stay on track with the tin and get the cabin shot with some paint first since now it will fit inside riding on the new lower chariot. What's a Chief without a head dress? I think I'm going to do a wet seal on the cabin to the gunnels/bow cover using a spendy tube of 4200 quick cure I have on hand when the time comes.

Still need to figure out a way to latch the bow hatch since I don't have any idea what the original looked like I'm having a problem figuring it out at the moment. If anyone has a pic of one from any of the hatch SC's I'm sure they're all the same, I would appreciate seeing what they look like.

Thanks for buzzing my dry dock. :very_drunk:

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

WM - Make sure you PM Sig with a pic on how to swap trailers. I think he's packing bags for the beach, haven't seen him on today. Well maybe not a good idea to remind him,

I keep forgetting you're redoing a Chieftain. She's been bare-headed for a long time. Close her up - Motivation to get her done, if nothing else. .

Do you know if Jason has any of the hatch/latch parts left from scalping the Islander?

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Yah I think maybe Sig doesn't need a reminder of his silver lining mishap. :lol:

Well I know Jason doesn't have the hatch and slotted supports. He sent them to me and I think that was everything he had.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Yah I think maybe Sig doesn't need a reminder of his silver lining mishap. :lol:

Well I know Jason doesn't have the hatch and slotted supports. He sent them to me and I think that was everything he had.

Then never mind the Jason reference. :doh: Somebody has to have a working hatch. We have a mess of hatched tin.

But he still has to transfer the SL to the new trailer, so maybe later to show an alternative, non-destructive method. :watermelon:

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Say wha?

You don't have a latch on your bow hatch opening bro? Poop! I thought you had all that business and just lost your hatch cover, shoot man.

Yah, mines a gonner. I put the whole bow skin out (latch attached) for the metal scrapper.

Well, if that's the case, you'd prolly be best to just start with a new latch I suppose rather than trying to rig the old one. Maybe.

Hey, hull on the trailer looks great:encouragement:

 

[Weep'n Willy]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Hey Water, maybe this can help ya.



In the red box is the knob that the slotted bars you have go into in which you basically loosen to allow to slide open and tighten to lock. There should be one on each side. Sorry for the poor pic as that was taken after clear coat spraying and there was a heavy fog in the air.



This shot shows the hatch open, at the top you will note I have a hasp lock to not only be able to lock to hatch closed but also to prevent it from sliding open while traveling.

Hope this helps ya. Let me know if ya need any more shots and I can get you some after I get back from the big pond today.

 

[dozerII]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Nice job on the trailer switch Water. It like it went smooth as silk.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Yeah the piggy back method of trailer swapping is by far the easiest and smoothest way to move from one trailer to another without fear of damage. If need be a guy can flatten the old trailer tires to lower it and use the new trailers winch to move the boat forward. We just push/pulled the Chief without needing the winch since it was pretty much empty still and no motor.

Got the easy oil drain fitting and hose put on the V6 and added some oil, nice to see it didn't leak before putting the motor in. I had to remove and fab up a new horse collar for the Alpha One set up too, much larger. The spec sheet calls for 8" on each side of center of the keyhole and my old one was shy of that. Yeah it was a PIA getting the old one off and replacing it.

Shot the inside of the cabin with a coat of white, gun plugged even after filtering the paint, then it unplugged and I got a couple runs/sags while fighting it... uh well it was the inside so no biggie really. :mad-new:

Waiting for the Easter ham to come out of the oven now. :hungry:

 

[cj8mule]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looking great Waterman!

I hate those driveway incidents.... glad everything worked out Ok and you didn't end up in the doghouse.

 

[crankbait cowboy]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

real good swap method, just another reason this forumn rocks.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

A little forward progress to show today. More ply cut for the cabin compartment hatch covers and coated with spar... drying. Just have the end bow piece to finish fitting and cutting a hatch in it. Also have to do a cut out for the deck plate over the tank fittings. Jeez I need to order some vinyl flooring soon.

Been messing around with the gas lines, gas cap and vent. Took me a while to find a solid SS gas cap and vent. It seems everyone want's to sell those plated things that always fail. :happy: I bedded the gas cap in 4200 and used some of my beveled rivets to secure it. I'm liking the rivet it all down approach, no striped out soft SS screw heads and no wrenches on the back sides.

The hole for the vent was a damaged from corrosion of the original plated brass vent so I had to make a little bib for it to cover it up.. bedded in 4200.

Positioning that monster fill line is going to be a huge chore I can see now after messing with it. Finding the path of least resistance for the lines before drilling holes looks to be the key. Wish I had them all set up for a photo but I got some more drilling to do.

Thanks for stopping by gents. :beguiled:

 

[classiccat]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

I'm liking the rivet it all down approach...

Me too :madgrin:

lookin' good man!

 

[cj8mule]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Good suggestions there H20. Looking great.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks like an octopus rasslin' match coming up to plumb the tank, H2O. No fun for sure.