FloGrownFlats
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- Joined
- May 23, 2013
- Messages
- 6
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Hey everyone, I live in Fort Myers, Florida and I'm new here but just recently finished my jon boat to flats boat mod.. I got a boat without title or registration from my uncle who received it as a gift. So, I started with a bare 14 foot flat bottom shell, it had a terribly done front deck that was warped and rotted so bad, I didn't trust it enough set a quarter on it. I didn't take too many pictures of it before because I didn't find this site til I was around a quarter of the way through. I just recently graduated in May, and between full time work and getting my stuff ready for college, I still managed to finish my project boat.
The first step was to rip off the old deck and get the rusted to hell , broken screws out of the rail of my boat. once I did that, I pressure washed the inside and out. and started the old paint stripping. I used some quick strip to take off the first 5 layers of camo the previous owners had put on it. man was that a joy. Me and my cousin then took 2 grinders with light wire wheel brushes to it, he did the rivets with a cup brush while I did the rest of the boat with a bigger brush, Next I went to a body and paint shop and bought some self etching rose primer made by Matrix systems and primed it lightly, just a quart laid down a nice enough layer to paint over. I picked up some BLP marine & industrial paint in the custom color I wanted at a local hardware store. At 106$ a gallon it's hardly cheap , but it was well worth every penny I paid. I have a spray canister gun so I sprayed the primer on (a nice thin layer) and then sprayed my paint around 48 hours later. I let the paint sit and cure for a few days before clear coating it. and man was I impressed at the product I got.
Then the fun work began. I used 3/4 inch plywood, and started the build for my front casting deck. I first spray gunned polyurethane onto my plywood, I did around 6 or 7 thick coats to each side of it. I worked in a marina repairing boats before and have had a little experience with owners underusing their polyurethane and I didn't want my deck rotting like I had seen on some of those boats, so I went really heavy. I cut out a cardboard template and transferred it to the plywood after it had dried a few days. little skill saw action and it fit perfect the first try. did the same for the back, ran some 2x4 runners with strong ties into the side underneath the lip of my bench seat and the factory front deck. After picking up an 18 foot by 8 foot section of marine carpet and the glue to match, at The Home Depot for 118$ (what a steal) I carpeted both and screwed the decks down to the runners. It came out really good if I don't say so myself.
In the mid section of the boat I cut some sheets of close celled foam to fit between my ribs and laid them in, then used one sheet of 1/2 inch plywood and cut it to fit. I used some 1x2's and used them as runners, braced them in and screwed the plywood to that after carpeting. It was tested with 2 men around 280 pounds each and held up fine. I masked all my carpet off and anything visible was sprayed a matte black with some rattle can automotive paint..
Next was the building of the console. I wanted a radio, switch panel and livewell so I found my livewell dimension and built I box to the dimensions of it, yet with the back rest and seat as high as a regular plastic lawn chair. my seat was the hatch for my livewell also. It will be cushioned and hinged so that I can have someone sit on it, and still be able to open and put bait/fish in. saved me some space up front :wink: I sprayed the console to match my carpet and mounted everything in, wired it all up and finished off my boat.
Now the really fun work on modifying my galvanized jet ski trailer to fit the boat begins. I will be able to post step by step pictures for that now that I know of this site
Thanks for reading everyone. Hope this will give some ideas or help of some sort. I ko its been a fun process for me to watch it grow into a kick *** boat!
PS: Pics soon, just cant figure them out yet
The first step was to rip off the old deck and get the rusted to hell , broken screws out of the rail of my boat. once I did that, I pressure washed the inside and out. and started the old paint stripping. I used some quick strip to take off the first 5 layers of camo the previous owners had put on it. man was that a joy. Me and my cousin then took 2 grinders with light wire wheel brushes to it, he did the rivets with a cup brush while I did the rest of the boat with a bigger brush, Next I went to a body and paint shop and bought some self etching rose primer made by Matrix systems and primed it lightly, just a quart laid down a nice enough layer to paint over. I picked up some BLP marine & industrial paint in the custom color I wanted at a local hardware store. At 106$ a gallon it's hardly cheap , but it was well worth every penny I paid. I have a spray canister gun so I sprayed the primer on (a nice thin layer) and then sprayed my paint around 48 hours later. I let the paint sit and cure for a few days before clear coating it. and man was I impressed at the product I got.
Then the fun work began. I used 3/4 inch plywood, and started the build for my front casting deck. I first spray gunned polyurethane onto my plywood, I did around 6 or 7 thick coats to each side of it. I worked in a marina repairing boats before and have had a little experience with owners underusing their polyurethane and I didn't want my deck rotting like I had seen on some of those boats, so I went really heavy. I cut out a cardboard template and transferred it to the plywood after it had dried a few days. little skill saw action and it fit perfect the first try. did the same for the back, ran some 2x4 runners with strong ties into the side underneath the lip of my bench seat and the factory front deck. After picking up an 18 foot by 8 foot section of marine carpet and the glue to match, at The Home Depot for 118$ (what a steal) I carpeted both and screwed the decks down to the runners. It came out really good if I don't say so myself.
In the mid section of the boat I cut some sheets of close celled foam to fit between my ribs and laid them in, then used one sheet of 1/2 inch plywood and cut it to fit. I used some 1x2's and used them as runners, braced them in and screwed the plywood to that after carpeting. It was tested with 2 men around 280 pounds each and held up fine. I masked all my carpet off and anything visible was sprayed a matte black with some rattle can automotive paint..
Next was the building of the console. I wanted a radio, switch panel and livewell so I found my livewell dimension and built I box to the dimensions of it, yet with the back rest and seat as high as a regular plastic lawn chair. my seat was the hatch for my livewell also. It will be cushioned and hinged so that I can have someone sit on it, and still be able to open and put bait/fish in. saved me some space up front :wink: I sprayed the console to match my carpet and mounted everything in, wired it all up and finished off my boat.
Now the really fun work on modifying my galvanized jet ski trailer to fit the boat begins. I will be able to post step by step pictures for that now that I know of this site
Thanks for reading everyone. Hope this will give some ideas or help of some sort. I ko its been a fun process for me to watch it grow into a kick *** boat!
PS: Pics soon, just cant figure them out yet
