Vintage Inboard Cruisers to Centre Console Conversion

[Crooked]

Here is some photos of my project, hopefully they work last time the photos all went on their side. I have removed the splashwell so I have easy access to the stern, it's all ground back, the transom is laminated and ready to go in.
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[stevej]

I doubt that it will add up

[gazza2006au]

Looking good Crooked u have more work than me so i feel happy about that haha

I'm trying to upload a video of my slide show someone is holding my laptop to ransom with all my pictures on to worried if i keep any of my pictures they could have the virus, cant even do a reinstall from cd to clean the hard drive bugger

Stevo u seem addiment u know my finances so i wont blow any warm air up your blouse cheers

[gazza2006au]

[stevej]

wasn't implying your finances don't know why you think that

just saying this will cost more then your thinking all the little shit adds up, ive done it and a 445 haines set me back more then that

[gazza2006au]

I just dont have $20,000 to spend i wish i did tho i would have bought a boat ready to go anyhow its a diy job untill i win that lotto i never play everyones dream isnt it lol

I donno what the bottom of the hull will cost yet paint and filler wise but i have allocated about $5,000 for the hull, $4000 if i cant get some decent money for my other boat that will be for a motor, trailer i only need a frame and use my existing drive train about $1,000-$1,500

I'm not going to fancy with all the bells and whistles first class i will be happy with a basic sea worthy boat, a good fuel efficient motor, a few hudred bux on a basic gps fish finder and i will be a happy chap

Biggest thing financially with this build will be to not over spend and dont splash out on stuff i can build or fabricate rather than buy

[Crooked]

I have dry fit the laminated transom and this is how I will be clamping it when gluing. Will have a few more clamps across the top also, I used the ski hook holes and old bung holes to mount timber each side and then some timber boards cut to fit and braced off the old stringers and side gussets in other places.
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[gazza2006au]

Looks good Crooked when will u be gluing and glassing?

I just spent an hour and a half cutting and a heck of a lot of grinding, that bilge laminate is an absolute s......er to grind out i barely touched the surface using the 40 grit flap disc i ground down the lip right around the transom i am happy with progress

[Crooked]

I’ll hopefully do it next weekend if the weather improves bit wet and humid at the moment. Fibreglass grinding is certainly not the best job in the world.

[gazza2006au]

Yeah i am putting back my transom untill i am happy with my prep work i have agreed with my self grind it all back to bare hull might be harder than i thought however the bilge laminate is pretty sold so i am sitting on the fence weather to glass over or under it, i want to do the best possible job just i think its going to take weeks on that one section the laminate is around 15mm in places its incredible thicker than the hull

[Crooked]

As long as you are back to solid glass ie. no flaking or loose material and it provides a good surface without sharp edges to adhere to then I don’t think there is any good reason to try and grind it right back from what you have described.

[gazza2006au]

I might grind back the small area for the tabbing but i think i will leave the majority of it there and just go over the surface

[gazza2006au]

Will be back into it shortly guys just had doctor appointments and a house inspection so have been flat out lucky the landlord didn't say anything about the boat lucky i tipped those two trailer loads a couple of weeks ago

after seeing that link Chimo posted in the other thread it gave me an idea on how to go about the underside and the crustations, once i have the stringers and floor in i'll flip her over on the engine hoist like a rotisserie should be easier going on the fairing

just need the better weather here in Sydney pissed down last night so hopping the tarp kept the glass dry

[gazza2006au]

Spent 2 hours this afternoon cuttings the stringers back, grinding away any left over wood, sanding the tabbings down with the 40 grit flap disc, lots and lots of sanding with the flap disc i was buggered 1 hour in just holding the grinder with one hand i had to keep swapping from side of boat to the other side to give my arms a rest finally got her done transom is about 98% done i have 2 small hairy spots left to flap disc as there were a lot of dry chopped mat and they used a unbelievable amount of glue along the under side of the plywood transom IMO a real shitty job i'm not saying mine will be better but for someone mass producing these boats bloody hell the voids down in the glue, the hair mat its unbelievable i would have liked to have seen there plywood cut out on the day of the build it must have been a lose fit

here are the pictures, transom skin will be cut out once i make my template from coreflute from Bunnings

[gazza2006au]

Some more pictures