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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 1:38 pm
by 61SkiBee
Big D and Prowlerfish:

The caulk I originally used on the deck planking was some silicone type from a squeeze tube! I figured I could get away with silicone because, although no other caulk will stick to it, I didn't need any other. Around the edge, I used silicone in a brown color so i'd have a nice clean cutoff where the white butted up to the edge. It also could be re-varnished without yellowing, because the varnish just peeled off the silicone when it dried.

It took a long time to squeeze out those tubes, but they gave better control than a caulking gun. I picked a nice hot day and did it in the sun for better flow.

I plan to use Boat Life "Life Seal" caulk this time around, on the advice of West Marine. I don't know about cotton, but I believe there are types of pre-formed caulk beads that you simply work down into the seams. Sounds pretty easy, but I didn't find any. Marlin15 suggested Interlux Seam Compound, but they didn't have any when I was on my buying spree. I've found that the newer Boat Life stuff is generally good, but the tubes are hard to tell apart. The "Life Seal" caulk is different from the "Life Caulk" which is apparently more for open areas without a distinct groove, just a general all-aound caulk, like the old BoatLife that was around for years. I used Life Caulk on the chines, for instance. It takes paint real well.

I bough a tube each of "Life Seal" in white and mahogany for the deck. I used some of the mahogany to seal some of my repairs, and you can see the results in later pics.

Have to go now and face Christmas Eve. Hope you all have a happy Holiday and good boating in the New Year!

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:40 am
by 61SkiBee
Since the topic of various goos, goops and glops has come up, here are some shots of filled drill holes made originally for squirting in Git Rot 2-part epoxy, that basically reforms the rotted wood into a piece of plastic. If the Git Rot does not fully fill the cavity and allow you to top it up in the hole (it rarely does on deep repairs--there are always spaces for it to run off into), then once the surrounding wood is good and hard (usually overnight) the next job is to fill the drill holes with suitable goop such as the Life Seal caulk I mentioned earlier. It comes in handy mahogany color, and if you're a real artist with a caulking gun, you can make tasteful little chocolate chip tops that add a festive look to your boat. This caulk, and any goop you use, needs to be "sandable and paintable."
Mmmmm!
[img][img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6579 ... 1323_z.jpg[/img]
P1040534 by shutterflubber1, on Flickr[/img]


Note on the second pic below, you can see the Epoxy repair that was covered in blue tape in an earlier pic. This repair required little sanding after the epoxy set under the tape, and as you can see there are just a couple of little air holes to fill. This result was after two applications of epoxy to a HOLE as wide as you see here and almost as deep as the mahogany piece above and below it. The white epoxy has been dabbed with stain at this stage. After a few more coats of stain and some varnishing, plus the stainless piece that goes around the outer edge of the boat, this repair will be less noticeable than you might think. Even though the stain does not really penetrate the epoxy, given enough time it will set up as a VERY hard coating that can be varnished. (Later pics of this.)

[img][img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6579 ... 0822_z.jpg[/img]
P1040533 by shutterflubber1, on Flickr[/img]

The rectangular pieces on the deck that show only a dark mahogany color with no wood grain are coated with stain/filler that is filling smaller drill holes made for Git Rot injection* at the ends of the pieces. They will be sanded just down to the grain, leaving the holes and any low spots filled, and the grain a close color match. The lighter square piece is a replacement I whittled that will need more stain to blend in well with the rest of the deck.

*"Injection" is the correct term here for Git Rot. Go to your local pharmacy and ask for plastic syringes--no needles. They hand them out for free, at least at the Target Pharmacy I use. Easy to measure the mixture, shake it up, and squirt it in. Re-useable once or twice after cleaning with acetone.

Note also the swell caulking job where I smeared mahogany colored caulk on the aluminum piece around the dash pad (is "dash" the correct nautical term?). Sure glad that stuff trims and peals off of metal easily!

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:15 am
by alexander38
any more work been done to her ?

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:57 pm
by 61SkiBee
Das Boot is under wraps until Spring, which is why it's mostly just sealed up against moisture, with the finishing work left (light sanding, varnish, hull and bottom paint. I hope it doesn't turn into a big production and I can get it out fairly early in the season. If it stays as dry as it's been, I'll be able to paint outside, which I prefer with the very strong odor of the epoxy hull paint and the semi-toxic bottom paint. I almost passed out putting one coat of hull paint on in a large pole building with two big doors open last summer. I literally had to get out quick before I fell down. Masks are great but when it's over 90 degrees I'd much rather use good ventilation than have to wear one. Even if I had a heated indoor space to work on it this winter, I wouldn't want to tackle the finishing work I have left without super ventilation.

As for the finishing scheme, I'm going with white hull and dark red bottom paint, blue waterline and just a touch of yellow and black for an arrow effect on the bumper strip on each side. (It probably has a more technically correct name than that, but I don't know what it would be.)

With all my sanding and messing around, I still haven't seen any marks that look like they might show where the TROJAN badge would have been located. Never seen a picture or drawing that shows it either, so I'm open to suggestions. It wasn't on the boat when I got it, but I have it. It's chromed, all capital letters, italic, on a lengthwise strip of chromed metal-- all one piece. Not a common Trojan design that I've seen. Probably just used one year.

Never found the hull number either, though I've stripped, caulked and painted the entire inside of the hull. Stringers are original and intact, but no number anywhere to be seen.

These are a couple of wintertime research projects. I've looked in all the likely places for answers, but so far no luck.

BTW, I haven't heard of 454 Merc's before. Are the Mercury marine conversions of Chevy engines?

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:29 am
by alexander38
yep 454's are 7.4's 340 hp each ....lookin forward to seeing your wood work done...

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:48 pm
by 61SkiBee
Will Do!

I'm open to any thoughts on the TROJAN Badge location on the SkiBee and possible places they are hiding the hull number (see blue text in previous post).

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:27 pm
by 61SkiBee
OK, so no one bit on my description of the TROJAN badge, here is a rough enlargement of one like mine from a 1959 ad. The SkiBee in the ad is NOT like mine and does NOT show the badge, but a Bimini 23' fishing boat does show it on the port side just afore the transom.

Image

Anyone see one of these attached to a runabout? Or just have a good idea of where they are "usually" place?[/img]

Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 7:12 pm
by Moderator
Any up dates ?

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:05 pm
by 61SkiBee
Starting next Monday with finish coats on mahogany, caulking the "devil" all the way to the bow (ick, two bulkheads to remove and crawl up under there) caulking deck (PITA--looking for press-in caulk. not available at West Marine last time I was there) finish topside paint, probably not too bad but the new poly paint is sticky as hell-–lots of sanding to do on first coat, and then bottom paint-–the real stuff with anti-fouling, look out milfoil and zebra mollusks. Then, into the water unless I find something else that needs tending (probable)

Any painting tips would be appreciated. And where to find that pre-formed deck caulking for less than a million dollars. It's the only thing left to buy (I hope).

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:34 pm
by prowlersfish
Thanks for the update glad your almost there . I have not heard of" pre-formed deck caulking " what exactly is it ?

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 2:32 pm
by 61SkiBee
My bad, I was referring to this post from Marlin over on my "Varnishing Anyone?" thread:
The Interlux Seam Compound comes in a can & goes on with a putty knife. I would tape off the wood adjacent to the gap being filled to make cleanup a bit easier. The cleaning solvent will also smooth out the finish of the compound.
I must have been dreaming about some kind of product I'd like to have. I do believe they have such a thing for glazing compound. It's kind of a rope of white sealant. The "Interlux Seam Compound " sounds a lot like plain old DAP glazing compound with a fancy "marine price. I think I'm going to go to the hardware store and check out what's in the cheap stuff. If it's the same chemically why not use it?

The trick with glazing compound is to brush the seam with linseed oil and put the compound on while the oil is still wet. As it dries it draws the glazing into the seam and holds it tight. Then, the seam is coated with paint before it hardens. I wonder if some clear varnish over it would do the trick?

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Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 11:37 am
by hmc
KOOL