Weeding the Pumpkin patch

eric lavine wrote: I think you jinxed me cause my 1/2 dewalt bit the bullet yesterdy

I bet you got a lot more use out of yours?!!?

I have a Craftsman Angle Grinder that I purchased in 92. It is still going strong. If it had an hour meter, it would have turned over long ago.
Some times you get good ones and sometimes you don't.
When it goes, I will shop just like I never had one. Many changes have taken place in tools since 92 so I would shop with an open mind.

Measure down from the deck at certain locations and connect the dots later.

I guess everyone is busy with Kristof's thread...

Greg, I'm here!! What's the problem? You need to know how the factory determined were the floor should go? Just go by where they put it originally or am I missing what you are asking? Trust me that they were never that precise! You're not cutting a dovetail joint (by hand with the box saw!) here!!!

Joe, Pete, and Eric...thanks guys, I appreciate the ribbing and yall have me pegged!

As it turns out, I can lift either end by myself now for adjustment...and I settled for a median based mostly on the deck. If I'm right, the engine has never been level left to right.

I still haven't made a decision on the air box and I already promised Amy I'd see a doctor soon?!!?

eric lavine wrote: just dont slant the wood towards the bow...keep the floors flat or you'll get little puddles.....thats why i like plywood floors

Eric, the floor will be flat but that's what I was trying to say before. The floor slants up compared to the mains.

What's the old joke about the wet spot?!!? (left center in 1st pic)

eric lavine wrote: Now that you've dug into this project how is factory quality?

Ha...you first!

Even though I am a CC fan, I won't keep my mouth shut! It sucks! I should have taken some detailed pictures of my 54. Nothing has changed. They had monkeys with axes putting boats together way back and they must have passed on the technique to the next generation of monkeys with even duller axes!

Greg, Looking good!! I'm glad you went all the way forward. It's amazing how far water will get over the years from some spot that the factory neglected to cover or any screw/bolt hole.

Ok, to continue the "Joe, Pete & Eric" therapy with your obsession, when you put the wood back in you do not have to sand it and make it pretty!! In fact, take that 16 grit disc and run it down the new wood once ACROSS the grain.

Joe made a comment regarding being careful with allowing for extra glass on the wood from what the factory did. I will agree but also don't feel you need to go way over the number of layers that they did. You will be using epoxy resin so 1 extra layer of glass is fine.

8122pbrainard wrote: Greg, Looking good!! I'm glad you went all the way forward. It's amazing how far water will get over the years from some spot that the factory neglected to cover or any screw/bolt hole.

Thanks Pete, I knew I had to do all of it just because of how much it was bothering me. I could see the wet wood, and I found a couple more surprises?!!? As tired and nasty as I was last night though, I felt like I had reached the end of a long climb!

The surprises I found were 2. The first was that the air pipes were clogged up with pine straw and leaves. It didn't look like nests but maybe just crud coming in the vents over the years. I'm going to add taping them shut to my winterizing list! The hoses were also crimped in the bottom turn where the stuff collected. The second thing was a combination of factory and operator. There are 2 thin spots in the glass in the turn of the keel that have been exposed because of beaching the boat. When I looked over that last bulkhead, it was getting dark outside and I could see my worklight shining through?!!? It's not worn all the way through but damn close! It's worn through the gel and into the glass from the outside, and there is only resin in 2 small spots. A third I can add is that the last bulkhead was loose and rotting.

On the lighter side, it's sunshiny on 1 side of my house and snowing on the other! LOL We've had a good bit of rain, and my dock is floating...but mostly I feel like I've turned a corner on this project!!!

Thanks guys for the continued support guys; both moral and technical.   

Greg, you're doing a great job. I wish you were working on my boat.

Riley wrote: Is it me or are the forums having some tech issues the past 24 hours?

Bruce, I think Brad and Keith have been playing around and each doesn't know what the other has done!!!!

I just about bumped my head when I saw this! 6'2" is pretty close under there anyway...



I'll put some more glass down and maybe fit a solid piece of fir to back it up.