rebuilding motor box
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13064
Printed Date: November-17-2024 at 12:51pm
Topic: rebuilding motor box
Posted By: vondy
Subject: rebuilding motor box
Date Posted: March-17-2009 at 11:49pm
Has anyone rebuilt their wooden motor box? I'm about to take on the task and am getting my measurements down. It looks like the one that's on there now is made from quarter inch ply with the top being half inch. Should I go half inch all the way around to stiffen it up or would it be too heavy? I'm pretty certain my current one is not the original, looks like there's a date stamp on the ply from 1981.
 ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4645&sort=&pagenum=1 - 69 Mustang HM |
Replies:
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: March-18-2009 at 12:59am
David,I redid mine. Whats wrong with yours? The bottom of mine was bad,so I replaced the lower 4" or so. You can kind of see what I did in this picture.If you need better ones or measurements I can get them Thursday. I can't take the credit for this,my Dad is a much better woodworker than I. Pieces of 1/2" pine? were cut to fit inside,then the bad outside 1/4" ply cut off.Then new ply was screwed to the half inch.
 ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: vondy
Date Posted: March-18-2009 at 11:27am
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Gary, mine is rotten all along the bottom and around the vent hole. The vinyl is all ripped up with foam coming out so I figured I might as well rebuild the box before I put the new vinyl on. Speaking of, yours looks pretty good. Did you do the vinyl yourself or have a pro do it?
My box wasn't even painted, looks like someone might have stained the inside. I have a drawing I got off this site with dimensions, it's pretty much the same as my current box so I'm going with that. Just have to decided on thickness. I'm pretty confident in my wood working skills so I think I can handle it. Will take some pics and post afterwards.
Also going to attempt to make a windshield. I can get a sheet of UV protected Lexan for $117. Cut and cold form it myself. Much cheaper than $500 for me to have one made. ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4645&sort=&pagenum=1 - 69 Mustang HM |
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: March-18-2009 at 9:20pm
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Mine was not painted inside either but it was real dirty and oily,so I painted it. I had the old vinyl,much like yours,taken off by myself and had someone make up new using the old for the patern. I then installed it myself. I was going to try that windshield idea myself, but then was able to get the Taylor Made one. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: SUNAPEE CROW
Date Posted: March-19-2009 at 12:41am
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Vondy,
I would be very much interested in your windshield project. I have a '61 Century Corsair (along with an '80 Nautique). The frame and deck attachment is different from a Mustang. I have the 1/4 inch plexi roughed out and need to heat and bend the windshield "ears" back to meet the cover boards.Basically the windshield is a rectangle that faces the foredeck with the ends bent back parallel to the side of the boat. The kitchen oven is not big enough to get the heat where I need it to make the proper bend. (270degreesF). Every plexi fab shop that I have talked to does right angle or square bends.They have linear heaters and are not capable of warming a larger area. At any rate I'd appreciate finding out what you learn. |
Posted By: vondy
Date Posted: March-19-2009 at 11:54am
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I'm using Lexan, which unlike plexi can be bent all day and won't break. They tell me I can cold form it, into the frame that is. The frame will hold it in shape, if I take it out, it will actually flatten out again.
Not sure if you can cold form plexi. I've read you can use a heat gun, just got to be careful not to heat too much or it could bubble or haze up. If this project works, I'll post a how-to. ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4645&sort=&pagenum=1 - 69 Mustang HM |
Posted By: SUNAPEE CROW
Date Posted: March-19-2009 at 11:03pm
| I thought LEXAN was GE's propietary name for plexiglas. My first "lost" sheet was indeed LEXAN and the frame is no where robust enough to hold the cold curved shape in place. The material that I am working with now is a product called TUFFAK made by ALTUGLAS, which is a plexiglas. I have put small pieces in the oven at 270 degrees and it is very compliant. Yes, you are right overheating will cause bubbles and haze. I will keep experimenting. |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: March-19-2009 at 11:24pm
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Rick,
You sure have your plastics mixed up!! Both Lexan and Tuffax are a polycarbonate. These can be cold formed but does need quite a lot of pressure to do it. We bend it in the press break for many jobs. Plexiglas is a acrylic. It needs heat to be bent. Without heat it will simply break! Keep experimenting but get your plastics figured out first!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: SUNAPEE CROW
Date Posted: March-20-2009 at 12:50am
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Pete, You are right! I used the wrong descriptor but I think I am working with the right material... POLYCARBONATE. All the fabricators I have talked to have the capability to make a straight line bend ( like a salad bar cover).
I need about a 4"radius from the foredeck back to the cover board. One of the participants in Danenberg's forum has suggested that I connect with some of the high end yacht yards along the Northeast coast to see if someone might have the capability. According to A&A these were originally formed on a plywood buck and sag formed in an oven. Needless to say, the buck became firewood after Century dissolved. I am begining to think that a 20" X5"set of strip heaters located above the radius buck that I have built might be the answer. Place it, heat it and let gravity make the bend. Any additional insight would be appreciated. ------------- |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: March-20-2009 at 10:52am
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Rick,
Have you contacted A&A? http://www.classicboating.com/Windshield_panels.html - A&A Your biggest problem will be the tooling (the "buck"). It will be expensive for a shop to make for a one off project. First, I would keep looking for a plastic fabricator. The ones you've talkied to evidently are small shops without the proper equipment. Then talk to them about you doing the tool. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |