Mirrorcraft 14 Deep Fisherman

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bigwave

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I will be starting my mod this weekend......has anyone heard of the Mirrorcraft Deep Fisherman? I own a 14'2" x 56". The man I bought this boat from did a bit of mods on the bow area. I will be taking pics this weekend of what Im starting with. I originally had a yamaha 25 longshaft on this boat, Im thinking a 30 or 40 when I am done. I tried a search for this hull with no luck. I would appreciate any ideas. This is going to be a full restore......trailer and all....all Ideas would be helpful. Thanks alot......Kevin.
 
Does it look like this?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.grandrapidssuperads.com%2Fboats_and_watercraft_For_Sale%2FC505A72521P1%2F14__Aluminum_Mirrocraft_Deep_Fisherman.aspx&ei=0dYZT4HmHYmItwfE3ZmRCw&usg=AFQjCNEaxvKUd6CK22WO3pVMLgG6J_O2BA
 
I'm currently working on a 16' deep fisherman. You can find the link in my sig.

also check this out:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10513017/1974%20Mirrocraft%20Catalog.pdf

Mirrocraft is still in business https://www.mirrocraft.com/. They sent me that brochure when I asked for more information on my boat. They still make a very similar boat today. The hull ID should be on the outside of the transom in the upper right hand corner.

Good luck with your build
 
I just got off the phone with mirrorcraft. They will be sending me a template so that I can cut the transom down for a short shaft motor. This is great news since I have a new 25 Johnson that has a short shaft. As the boat sits right now the prop sits right above the waterline.....bad for for cavitation. Now I can cut the new transom down and they even said I could use the old cap and told me how to re-bend it. I will now begin the build starting tonite. I cant wait......any advise would be appreciated ont the overall design of the new decks.....Pics to follow tomorrow. Thanks for the help... this site is awesome.

Bigwave on H20 :LOL2:
 
Here is the boat
Mirrorcraftrestore005-2.jpg
 
That looks like it should be a pretty easy job. Take lots of pic's I am sure others along with me will find it very interesting and useful.
 
Back plates removed. Houston we have a problem......advise would be appreciated
Mirrorcraftrestore022-1.jpg

Mirrorcraftrestore019-1.jpg

You can see where I'm going to cut out the transom 5 inches for my short shaft motor.....advise here too........how can I repair the cancer without welding?
Mirrorcraftrestore021-1.jpg
 
by by old transome.......I am hinging on using Ipe......for the replacement transom......I already have a piece of pine......if I use the pine its going to get painted.....I think.
Mirrorcraftrestore018-1.jpg
 
Removed this....liked the Idea but I think I can make it better up here.....advise here too.
Mirrorcraftrestore006-1.jpg

Before
Mirrorcraftrestore001-1.jpg

No leaks.....lol
Mirrorcraftrestore009-1.jpg

After shot.......and no I did not shoot it with a shotgun......I will be notching the transom.....5-6 inches will be cut out of the center.....
 
Ok so now I am ready to start getting the surface ready. I want to know if I can go straight over this finish....some is kilz....other is factory primer...I plan on using self etching primer.....then a good coat of bedliner paint. 1. Do I need to take back to bare metal? If so what is the best way to strip it. the entire boat will have a deck that ties up to original piece on the bow.......I plan on putting supports where the benches used to be. I will then frame around them for storage......I will still have a cap for the casting deck which will end at the existing brackets are now......I am up for all Ideas. No wire wheel on the aluminum right?
Mirrorcraftrestore025-1.jpg
 
bigwave said:
Advise on how to fix these holes

bigwave, I used JB Weld to patch all of the holes that previous owners had put through my hull. Put some tape on one side and apply JBW to the other. Sand smooth and paint over, shouldn't be able to tell they were even there. Good luck.
 
5200 will work for the holes...I have heard some guys report JB weld cracking because of the vibrations.

You don't need to remove the old coat down to bare metal, just give it a light sanding and get any loose paint out of the way.

Some people freak about the wire wheel others don't...personally I can't see the short term contact being harmful and you are cleaning any debris and residue with acetone after anyway.

In any case...you shouldn't need it if you are just painting over the old stuff.

Also do not use pine for your transom, it is a soft wood...no good for that job.
 
Also you should be aware if you use Ipe wood that it will resist taking preservation treatments - it is quite a dense wood. Be prepared to treat it on an annual basis if you want to keep its original color.
 
Thanks for the advise on the transom wood.....Ipe or Hickory will be set in......I still dont know what to do about this.....Im thinking about a aluminum plate rivited over this cancer.....Im sure I will have the strength from the new transom.......what do yall think?
Mirrorcraftrestore030-1-1.jpg
 
After much reading and a few replies from the boat house I started in on the transom last night. I did a test area with angle grinder and a 24 paper wheel....big mistake wont do this again. I opted to use a spay stripper followed by 2 inch 3m pad.....I like the results, it is just going to take a while.

In this pic you can see what the grinder did.
BigwaveOnH20
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In this pic you can see that I removed grinder gouges
BigwaveOnH20
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In this pic you can see that I still need to Phoz the cancer and cut the transom but overall I like the results almost ready for primer.
BigwaveOnH20
[/url][/img]
 

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