new member and new to me boat.

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Lunatic

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Hi, i found this place a few weeks ago and its great. all the projects are awesome and have already answered questions i had.
well i just bought my first ever aluminum boat.i have no idea the make/model or the year. it came with a 1956 evinrude sportwin 10hp.
the guy i bought the boat from had just replaced the seats and transom. he also painted it. i like the colour and paint,but might paint the top half black anyways. i plan on putting a casting deck up front,and probably one in the back as well,not sure yet but usually when one project is finished we find more to do.i picked up a used 50lb minn kota bow mounted trolling motor,and i have just ordered a garmin echo 150 fish finder that should arrive soon. im on a very small and strict budget.i hope to pick a few brains here along the way. here are a few pics,with the cap'n.....
 

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Welcome to the site, and congrats on the new rig =D>
 
Did the little muchkin come with the boat? :p She's a cuttie. I like the boat to I see fun a coming.
Welcome to the forum, you can find a wealth of info here, plus some really cool people.
 
Thanks guys. I'll post updates as I go along. Just need warm consistent weather to really get going since I don't have a garage. I might start on the trailer this weekend.
Quick question,what type of plywood are you guys using for a casting deck?also not sure if I should use 1/2" or 3/4"? Thanks
 
Most folks here are using exterior grade plywood. Don't spend the extra on marine grade, it doesn't perform better and costs much more. I actually used my leftover oak plywood from the transom rebuild - two layers of 1/4 inch laminated together - for my front deck.

You can use either 1/2 or 3/4. I personally prefer 1/2 - it is plenty thick if your framing is done properly and will save you weight. Anywhere you can save weight on these small boats is a good thing.

I also am a fan of 2x2 framing vs. 2x4 or 2x6. You will find that there are folks on here that will do any combination of those materials. As in all construction some folks prefer overkill to what is adequate. In the situation of a lightweight aluminum boat, I prefer to keep it as lightweight as possible.

Make sure any wood that goes on your boat is coated with a few coats of Spar Urethane (not spar varnish or poly), that you do not use any pressure treated wood (the copper used in the treatment will have a corrosive effect on the aluminum of your boat) and that any hardware that will come in contact with the aluminum is stainless steel (again a dissimilar metal will cause a chemical reaction resulting in corrosion over time).
 
Thanks for the tip on spar urathaine, as I was actually planning on using 2x2 pressure treated for framing.ya I don't want to add any more weight then needed, I'll probably use 1/2" plywood.
 
HI lunatic. Great boat you got there, but rule #1 of aluminum boats is that you NEVER use PRESSURE TREATED lumber as it will have an electrolytic reaction with the aluminum hull that will lead to metal fatigue and pitting. Instead, you should use high quality, exterior grade, non-PT plywood such as Aruaco brand, available at most Lowes/HD. Marine plywood is nice too, if you can find it and want to spend the extra money, but it's not really necessary. Once you have the wood, you'll then need to seal it. There are a variety of methods you can used based on time, budget and experience. Once method is to use high quality, wax-free polyester resin and fiberglass mat to encapsulate the wood, another involves using 2-part, spreadable epoxy followed by a coat of paint (for UV protection). Most folks tend to go the epoxy route because it's easier to work with, has less fumes and any leftover epoxy can be used for all kinds of cool stuff, but it is a bit more expensive than the resin/f'glass method. You can't get the proper f'glass supplies from Lowes/HD, so you may have to order it, but you should be able to get the 2-part epoxy from a West Marine store, if you have one near by. If you can't/don't want to mess with either f'glass or epoxy, you can also use Spar Urethane and/or porch paint to seal the wood. Bear in mind that neither of these methods will "waterproof" it, but you should still be able to get many good seasons of use out of them, and the materials are much more readily available. Once all of the wood is sealed,you'll then want to attach it to the hull and/or stringers using aluminum replacement rivets and/or stainless steel hardware throughout. It also helps to dip the fasteners in a bit of 3M 5200 marine caulk prior to installation for good measure. That's really about it. The rest is only limited by your imagination and budget. Keep us posted. Holler if you get stuck. We love pics ;)
 

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