Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Yah it's only been a few months it seems since I was stripping the paint off the SN, now here I go again. It's nice though to stand back and see the progress.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Stripping paint is kindofa drag, but looks great man!

So, what's the paint scheme, any of that staying bare?

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks like you're about finished - That's good.

 

[pckeen]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

What did you use for the stripping on this? Wire wheel? Paint stripper? Sanding?

 

[lokonn]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Just getting caught up on your resto. Looks like things are moving along well. Will be following along.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

I plan on stripping the entire hull, leaving the bottom below the chine bare aluminum. On the paint scheme, I'm thinking about the standard white with the blue Starcraft accent stripes. I may do something different on the inside, not sure what yet.

Paint stripping... The process takes some doing to hit the groove for what works with your old paint conditions. Slather on a layer of orange label kleanstrip, cover with plastic, wait for it to bubble, scrape, repeat. When you end up with that hazed, smeared paint stage I put on a light coat of stripper and then use a 3M scrub pad with the plastic handle that almost magically erases that last bit of paint right down to clean aluminum. Some spots need the wire wheel treatment to get stubborn areas cleaned up, especially where pitted. When I'm done for the day, I rinse the stripped area with water and scrub it again with the 3M pad to remove all of the residue.

 

[jvanhees]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

I think the white will look classy!

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Not all done with the paint stripping but some progress with the unglamorous job at hand. The starboard side is clean now and the look on my resto buddy's face says it all as we neared the end of today's chore.

Then I decided the top had to come off her (108 rivets) to do a proper job of cleaning and painting down the road. Not to mention the old brittle sealer where the top meets the gunwales would have leaked water. The top will be a nice winter time garage project to keep me busy.

The Chief looks like a monster rowboat with the head dress removed.

 

[classiccat]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

clean slate...allowing the creative juices to flow! Lookin' good H2O!

 

[ShowMeGuy]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks like you are breezing thru the tear down and paint stripping chores.... Where you finding all the time to do this! You da man!

Without the cabin that boat looks COMPLETELY different! I'll be keeping a close eye on the progress from the midwest here my Starcraft brethern!

 

[rheagler]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks great so far! I speak with experience that paint stripping is pretty low on the list of fun things to do, but the results are rewarding!

 

[laurentide]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Watermann, I had very good results stripping paint with chemical stripper, patience, and a pressure washer with a turbo tip. In warm weather, covered in plastic or parchment overnight, I was able to get most of the paint off in one slow pass. This is obviously not necessary if you're going to paint again, but for going to bare aluminum it's super effective. I even used "environmentally friendly" stripper, but it's still very caustic (and more expensive):

ETA: Ha...I didn't even realize that you already stripped it. :facepalm:

 

[Pmccraney]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Nice job getting that old paint stripped off.... She looks good!

You may be getting a increased tax bill as a subsidy for all the bees that are now homeless due to your efforts.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Looks like you are breezing thru the tear down and paint stripping chores.... Where you finding all the time to do this! You da man!

Without the cabin that boat looks COMPLETELY different! I'll be keeping a close eye on the progress from the midwest here my Starcraft brethern!

When your addicted you find the time! I had some less than fovorable weather to take the SN out on the water so I stayed home and worked on the Chief.

clean slate...allowing the creative juices to flow! Lookin' good H2O!

I have spent some on the gunwale gazing time with a fixed stare while thoughts, ideas and plans brew.

Looks great so far! I speak with experience that paint stripping is pretty low on the list of fun things to do, but the results are rewarding!

Yeah enough said there, borders on being a miserable chore.

Watermann, I had very good results stripping paint with chemical stripper, patience, and a pressure washer with a turbo tip. In warm weather, covered in plastic or parchment overnight, I was able to get most of the paint off in one slow pass. This is obviously not necessary if you're going to paint again, but for going to bare aluminum it's super effective. I even used "environmentally friendly" stripper, but it's still very caustic (and more expensive):

ETA: Ha...I didn't even realize that you already stripped it. :facepalm:

Still in progress, not even halfway done, still have the port side hull, inner hull, cabin top and then flip her over and start on the bottom.

Nice job getting that old paint stripped off.... She looks good!

You may be getting a increased tax bill as a subsidy for all the bees that are now homeless due to your efforts.

Funny how taking off that old paint makes the boat not only look better but larger. Maybe the larger part is due to my sizing up the scope of the paint removal to come.

Oh my bees are not homeless. They have been relocated into all of my shrubs, utility trailer and some have even started making new nests up under the gunwales again. Only been stung twice so far...:faint2:

 

[pckeen]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Hey Watermann - looking good.

How did you take the 108 rivets out? I'm about to begin that on my restoration, and the only half decent video I've found online on this has been criticised left, right and center.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Hey Watermann - looking good.

How did you take the 108 rivets out? I'm about to begin that on my restoration, and the only half decent video I've found online on this has been criticised left, right and center.

With a 3/16th drill bit, the heads all had a nice little center punch in them already so I drilled on through. The rivets I will replace them with will be a larger 3/16th diameter, I don't like the skinny aluminum rivets the factory used. Also I'm going to drop some coin on a pneumatic rivet gun, no way I'm popping all those by hand.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Also I'm going to drop some coin on a pneumatic rivet gun, no way I'm popping all those by hand.

A real man would eat his spinach and go to town with a squeezer. :lol:

108 is a lot of rivets, the air popper is the way to go. Even too much for a BFH and helper with a bucking bar.

I think some have used the Harbor Freight tool with success.

 

[pckeen]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

So when you've drilled through, what do you do to get the rivet heads off? And do you drill all or part way through?

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

I'm not a solid rivet replacement purist type with a hammer and anvil, I just re-rivet everything with blind rivets.

When drilling out the solids, the heads pop right off when you drill them centered all the way through into the rivet shank. If not a little gyration of the drill makes the bit cut a bit wider and that does the trick with the head. I make sure to use a center punch on the heads that don't already have the dimple in them.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Tin addiction 18' Starcraft Chieftain

Donor glasser found!

Got a great deal on a 1987 Chris Craft. So I can check off the list, usable trailer - check... newer MerCruiser setup - check.

The PO put a ton of money into upholstery in the interior/seats and sold this boat as a turn key go out and have fun with her. On the outside, wow! On the inside Ugg... Soft spots in floor... rot, inside the motorwell visible rot on the sides, silicone around the outdrive uh oh... some weight on drive flexes transom bad, exhaust bellows ripped in half with a wad of silicone smeared around it. Not even close to being a seaworthy boat.

The motor on the other hand nothing bad I could find with her at all, uploading a video to youtube at the moment, check the next post for it.

Good lord some unsuspecting young couple with little babies could have gotten this thing for their first boat.