1955 Atom Skier Updates

Nate,
I was just looking at your engine pictures again. I didn't notice it before but now see your Chris A-B has been converted to 12 volt. Probably when the PO converted it over to the alternator. Wow, what a hack job on that hole cutout for the alternator conversion!! It's a fairly common conversion on a Chris/Hercules BUT the fan is removed on the alternator. This allows for the smaller center "pilot" on the alternator to fit into the cast front engine mount but still leaves enough for elongated alternator mounting holes for belt tensioning. Not much there left for you to work with! Removal of the fan isn't a problem because the required output of the alternator is so low. Also, he didn't swap out the pulley on the alternator. You can tell because it's riding so high. The crank pulley and the belt should be a industrial "B" size which is 21/32" (5/8") top width.

While you have the engine apart, I'd set the front engine mount up in the mill and machine some decent flat aternator mounting surfaces back into it. Then you would need to come up with some type of adapter mounting plate to make it a reliable charging system.

It's amazing to see what some of the "hackers" out there will do!!!

John, Yeah we scarfed the joints ourselves. Bought the scarfing tool. Mounted it on an old saw & it worked perfectly.

Nate

Yeah, it's the West Scarfing adapter. Thing works pretty sweet. The way they showed in the little booklet for how to clean up the cuts after cutting 3/8 & using a hand plane to take out the ridge we found we actually had better results leaving the ridge on each panel & then just butting them to eachother. If it was bright finished it would take a little more work, but i think you could make the joint nearly invisible with some time.

Nate

Nate, I may not know my a$$ from my elbow when it comes to wood boats- but that looks like a plywood transom to me. I take it youre staying original with the bright ply rather going with the mahogony planking?

Tim,

You're correct. That is in fact plywood. Though a much better looking ply than the rest of the boat. It's actually Ribbon grain Mahogany plywood. Not cheap, but absolutely gorgeous looking. The decks will get the same, I can't wait to see it varnished.

Pete,

We layed the transom over the sides just to cover up the end grain of the sides. Since the sides get paint, we figured it would be an easy way to keep the transom looking nice & clean w/ the ribbon grain ply, instead of having the ends of the sides showing through when it's varnished. It wasn't anything to do with water tightness... everything joint's 5200'ed & the bottom is glassed. So there's no worries there. No i didn't see the boat on ebay. what's the deal?

Nate

Nate,
Greg (skicat) started the thead on the CC I/O. CC Panther Read through it if you get a chance. Interesting things pop up on ebay!!

Ok, so it's ribbon gain ply. I was going to comment on the tightness of your seams! Of course that would have been a compliment to your woodworking skills but also a warning - I've seen a couple cabinet makers do boats that have turned into disasters after the planking took on some summer humidity!!

Just a question guys, I've read here in the past where Pete has warned of a wood boat thats been glassed over, is that just a warning on a repair/hide job and not a concern on a restoration like this?

81nautique wrote: Just a question guys, I've read here in the past where Pete has warned of a wood boat thats been glassed over, is that just a warning on a repair/hide job and not a concern on a restoration like this?

Alan,
Most but not all of the problems associated with glassed bottoms are from the repair/hide jobs. When the "technique" started, everyone thought it was going to be a miracle cure all. The glass was put over already loose planking that a thin layer of glass isn't going to hold together for very long. Then, these jobs were done with polyester resin! It being hygroscopic it didn't take long for the bond to fail from water going though it as well as from the bilge or even from the bottom still having a high moisture content. If the bond didn't fail right away, then there was the rot issue and it destroyed the bond. I mentioned it once before that I happened to be boating next to a glassed over boat one day. Almost the whole glass bottom came off at once and took some of the wood with it!

With a new plywood bottom, CPES treatment and epoxy bond failure isn't as much of a problem but still can be. The cure to this is not glassing the boat! I don't feel there's a need to. The glass isn't significantly adding anything structural to the ply and with 5200 seams (or epoxy) it's not adding any real leak protection. A good coating of CPES is all that's needed. Epoxy coat is optional.

Now with a double plank bottom the 5200 job has really proven itself. This however must be a complete down to the frame job. If the wood is good and the moisture content is good then it's reused. If not it's typically the inner planking that's bad and replaced with new or ply if the hull bottom shape will take it. There is absolutely no reason to glass it!!!

Pete, this boat is beautiful. The owner put a "West System" bottom on it. Is "West System a technique or just refers to the product used?

Pete, the only "shock loading" that Elco has seen has come from the coolers carried on board. And those days are over as the owner settled down and got married.

The term "West System" implies a job very well done. I had been wondering about it since I learned a little about glass over the past year. Sounds like original is better.

So the bottom line is when someone advertises a boat for sale with a "West System" bottom, WTF knows what you're getting.

Terp wrote: 8122pbrainard wrote: John, I can't remember what year your Atom is. It is a painted hull correct? As long as it is painted then the scarf is relatively simple. '64. Clear finish. Constructing the joint appears to me to be a potential source of great frustration b/c of the clear finish.

John,
Don't let this problem hold you back from doing a original restoration. I may have mentioned the process before but here it is. More care is needed to make the scarf and there as several more steps. When you get to the point of cutting the scarf I do not suggest the West saw adapter. I have a sketch at work that shows the basic router sled (large base).

You will need a large (you can probably do the ply in 2' widths) flat clamping surface. A means of clamping the ply flat and guiding the router sled. A hinge mortising bit in the router will give you a nice clean cut. Now, the ply needs to be prestained (filler stain), sealed and a couple coats of varnish slightly into the scarf bevel. This will allow you to epoxy the scarf and any epoxy that oozes out can be wiped off and not soak into the bare wood. Without the prestain/seal/varnish, the epoxy that soaks into the face veneer will prevent it from "taking" a stain. With todays ply, the face veneer is .020" to .030" at best so you have absolutely no material for sanding.

When I get to work on Monday I'll post the basic scarfing set up so you can get the idea how the router is set up.

Thanks Pete, that's the one part of the resto that worries me a bit. (Maybe b/c I just haven't learned enough yet to be concerned about how other aspects of it may be particularly troublesome!)

Pat,
Here the link:
Don Danenberg

Nate,
You're getting there! Still lots of work before the water. I sure can appreciate the man hours!

When you decided to plank the deck, did you ever consider doing it with covering boards instead of just the straight planking?