Side project: Improvement to "The Dumpster"
Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:27 pm
Here's a little project thread if anybody's interested.
So this spring I picked up a little project boat, a 14' aluminum Starcraft. It had a funny rotten roof over the nose, fire hose bolted all the way around, a rotten transom, and a motor that didn't run, all on an ancient trailer built in the 50s? that didn't fit the boat, and everything needed to be replaced. I thought it sounded like a heck of a deal.
Unfortunately, I am terrible about taking pictures, so most of the project documentation is missing. But, here is the boat.
I couldn't believe how much we used this boat this summer. It went to fish creek pond, alburg rv resort, and lake dunmore, all on the roof of the van, with the motor on a front rack I made, with the camper being towed behind us. Caught a ton of fish out of this boat, probably 15 trips on the water.
Here's a short list of work done.
Replaced transom and fuel tank floor
Stripped off everything that wasn't aluminum
Sandblasted most of the old paint off
Welded/made replacement trailer components
Moved axle back, cut trailer down to length
Installed new bearings, lights, wheels, bunks, ball hitch
Fixed winch, made fenders
Took apart motor, fixed, serviced and reassembled
Aquired and glued in Stock size cupholders
More stuff I'm forgetting probably, but all small stuff. But, here's the latest thing I've been fooling around with, I've been learning how to tig weld aluminum, and this was my first project.
The boat was always missing the corner pieces which has always bothered me, but I figured someday I'd make something.
Here's what I came up with Plenty strong,won't rust, and don't look too goofy either. Future things will be flush mount rod holders in those new back corner pieces, and a couple little interior cleats by the driver for the panfishing anchor.
I'm constantly tearing my boats and everything else apart, maybe I'll post little build threads on the projects here if anybody's interested?
Jack
So this spring I picked up a little project boat, a 14' aluminum Starcraft. It had a funny rotten roof over the nose, fire hose bolted all the way around, a rotten transom, and a motor that didn't run, all on an ancient trailer built in the 50s? that didn't fit the boat, and everything needed to be replaced. I thought it sounded like a heck of a deal.
Unfortunately, I am terrible about taking pictures, so most of the project documentation is missing. But, here is the boat.
I couldn't believe how much we used this boat this summer. It went to fish creek pond, alburg rv resort, and lake dunmore, all on the roof of the van, with the motor on a front rack I made, with the camper being towed behind us. Caught a ton of fish out of this boat, probably 15 trips on the water.
Here's a short list of work done.
Replaced transom and fuel tank floor
Stripped off everything that wasn't aluminum
Sandblasted most of the old paint off
Welded/made replacement trailer components
Moved axle back, cut trailer down to length
Installed new bearings, lights, wheels, bunks, ball hitch
Fixed winch, made fenders
Took apart motor, fixed, serviced and reassembled
Aquired and glued in Stock size cupholders
More stuff I'm forgetting probably, but all small stuff. But, here's the latest thing I've been fooling around with, I've been learning how to tig weld aluminum, and this was my first project.
The boat was always missing the corner pieces which has always bothered me, but I figured someday I'd make something.
Here's what I came up with Plenty strong,won't rust, and don't look too goofy either. Future things will be flush mount rod holders in those new back corner pieces, and a couple little interior cleats by the driver for the panfishing anchor.
I'm constantly tearing my boats and everything else apart, maybe I'll post little build threads on the projects here if anybody's interested?
Jack