I just bought a 60's aluminum 14' runabout with a '64 Merc 35HP and
could use a bit of advice. Everything is in pretty good shape and seems
to be worth a bit of restoration. Certainly there is no damage and the
boat/motor doesn't appear to have been "tinkered" with at all. I've
never owned a boat before although I've owned and serviced every other
form of motorized fun.

1. The aluminum is quite dull. What is the best product or method to
clean it up?

2. The top horizontal surfaces of the aluminum are stained black. What
is this (it doesn't look like old paint and doesn't really have a
texture) and how can I remove it?

3. How do I go about setting the motor up for optimal performance?
Specifically I need to know how deep it should sit in the water, how to
make the boat plane properly and what different mount angles will do.

4. How to cure a leaking hull? As far as I can tell several rivets in
the hull are leaking. There doesn't appear to be any damage (cracks,
dents, etc.). Luckily the boat manufacturer is still around and is going
to replace the rivets. Other than that are there any products I can use
to seal the hull better from the inside?

5. Are there any companies that manufacture electronic ignition
conversion kits for old Merc outboards? Are there any other updates I
should consider for the engine amd drive?

6. What is a good flooring material. I'll be installing a marine plywood
floor and want to cover it with something other than carpet. A nice hard
nonslip plastic type surface would be great. I'd like to be able to hose
the boat out. What would you recommend?

7. I'm considering adding some maple trim to the boat (dash, gunwales,
misc.) I'm using maple because I get very nice stuff for free. How can I
finish the wood so that it resists water and sun?

I'd appreciate any other advice you can offer on old boats. Mine runs
and floats fine but I'm looking forward to tinkering with it.

Thanks a lot,
Andrw

On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:40:20 GMT, Andrew
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

7. I'm considering adding some maple trim to the boat (dash, gunwales,
misc.) I'm using maple because I get very nice stuff for free. How can I
finish the wood so that it resists water and sun?

Find the stain you wish to use, mix with and color enough clear
urethane to cover the piece being finished and either spray or brush
the mixture onto the maple. Let dry and do it again to get the depth
of stain and finish you want to achieve.

I can't take credit for this - it came from watching a fellow try to
figure out how to stain some maple he was using on a 47' Post
restoration. That's what he came up with and I was sceptical about
the process, but when it was done, the finish was amazing.

Take care.

Tom

"The beatings will stop when morale improves."
E. Teach, 1717

In article ,
says...
On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:40:20 GMT, Andrew
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

7. I'm considering adding some maple trim to the boat (dash, gunwales,
misc.) I'm using maple because I get very nice stuff for free. How can I
finish the wood so that it resists water and sun?

Find the stain you wish to use, mix with and color enough clear
urethane to cover the piece being finished and either spray or brush
the mixture onto the maple. Let dry and do it again to get the depth
of stain and finish you want to achieve.

I can't take credit for this - it came from watching a fellow try to
figure out how to stain some maple he was using on a 47' Post
restoration. That's what he came up with and I was sceptical about
the process, but when it was done, the finish was amazing.

Take care.

Tom

"The beatings will stop when morale improves."
E. Teach, 1717

That method is called toning though it is usually done with one or two
color coats sandwiched between the clear coats.

One should keep in mind that, while there are reasons to stain wood, it
is not a required step in applying a finish. Staining is purely a
cosmetic thing and neither adds nor detracts from a finishes ability to
protect the wood.

The varnish, whether poly or not, poly is, by current definition, a
varnish, should be a spar or marine varnish.

Spar varnish is a long oil varnish. The ratio of oil to resin is higher
making it more flexible and better able to accommodate the more extreme
moment of wood exposed an outdoor environment. Spar varnish also
contains UV inhibitors where other varnishes don't.

Notes.

The cured resins in a poly tend to form a more brittle surface film and
I'd be inclined to use a non poly varnish.

No finish stands up too UV exposure forever. The UV inhibitors in a spar
varnish will, depending on exposure, fail in time and the finish will
have too be redone.

--
MikeG
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net

On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 09:37:54 -0400, MikeG
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:40:20 GMT, Andrew
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

7. I'm considering adding some maple trim to the boat (dash, gunwales,
misc.) I'm using maple because I get very nice stuff for free. How can I
finish the wood so that it resists water and sun?

Find the stain you wish to use, mix with and color enough clear
urethane to cover the piece being finished and either spray or brush
the mixture onto the maple. Let dry and do it again to get the depth
of stain and finish you want to achieve.

I can't take credit for this - it came from watching a fellow try to
figure out how to stain some maple he was using on a 47' Post
restoration. That's what he came up with and I was sceptical about
the process, but when it was done, the finish was amazing.

That method is called toning though it is usually done with one or two
color coats sandwiched between the clear coats.

Where were you when we were trying to figure this all out? :)

Actually, I spent a Saturday morning helping him try this and that and
what he finally came up with was this blending technique which worked
great - amazing finish.

I never knew it actually had a name. Thanks for the info.

One should keep in mind that, while there are reasons to stain wood, it
is not a required step in applying a finish. Staining is purely a
cosmetic thing and neither adds nor detracts from a finishes ability to
protect the wood.

In this case, it was to balance off some darker mahogany in the main
salon of the boat. It really came out nice considering - the trim
lightened up the interior a lot.

The varnish, whether poly or not, poly is, by current definition, a
varnish, should be a spar or marine varnish.

Spar varnish is a long oil varnish. The ratio of oil to resin is higher
making it more flexible and better able to accommodate the more extreme
moment of wood exposed an outdoor environment. Spar varnish also
contains UV inhibitors where other varnishes don't.

Notes.

The cured resins in a poly tend to form a more brittle surface film and
I'd be inclined to use a non poly varnish.

No finish stands up too UV exposure forever. The UV inhibitors in a spar
varnish will, depending on exposure, fail in time and the finish will
have too be redone.

There were interior woods, so UV wasn't that much of a problem.

However, thanks for the info - always want to learn something new
everyday.

Like your web site by the way - you do some nice work.

All the best,

Tom
--------------

"What the hell's the deal with this newsgroup...
is there a computer terminal in the day room of
some looney bin somewhere?"

Bilgeman - circa 2004

In article ,
says...
On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 09:37:54 -0400, MikeG
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:40:20 GMT, Andrew
wrote:



I never knew it actually had a name. Thanks for the info.



Glad I could help and thanks for the kind words about my work.

Take care

--
MikeG
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net

Thanks for the advice gents. It looks like I'll be busy this winter.

Andrew

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:40:20 GMT, Andrew
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

7. I'm considering adding some maple trim to the boat (dash, gunwales,
misc.) I'm using maple because I get very nice stuff for free. How can I
finish the wood so that it resists water and sun?

Find the stain you wish to use, mix with and color enough clear
urethane to cover the piece being finished and either spray or brush
the mixture onto the maple. Let dry and do it again to get the depth
of stain and finish you want to achieve.

I can't take credit for this - it came from watching a fellow try to
figure out how to stain some maple he was using on a 47' Post
restoration. That's what he came up with and I was sceptical about
the process, but when it was done, the finish was amazing.

I used MixWax exterior poly on a maple part for my canoe 15 years ago. It's
still in excellent shape, which I find unbelievable. He should make sure
he's buying the poly made for exterior use, for better UV resistance.

"Andrew" wrote in message
news:EqU3d.482283$gE.95845@pd7tw3no...
I just bought a 60's aluminum 14' runabout with a '64 Merc 35HP and
could use a bit of advice. Everything is in pretty good shape and seems
to be worth a bit of restoration. Certainly there is no damage and the
boat/motor doesn't appear to have been "tinkered" with at all. I've
never owned a boat before although I've owned and serviced every other
form of motorized fun.

1. The aluminum is quite dull. What is the best product or method to
clean it up?

Although this may sound like trying to clean your kitchen floor using just 3
Q-tips, it's not that bad: Find a product called Nevr-Dull. It comes in a
metal can about half the height of a coffee can. Most decent hardware stores
carry it, as well as some boat stores. It's cotton wadding impregnated with
some sort of chemical, and it's terrific. The chemical doesn't seem too
awful, in terms of skin contact, but you could wear some cheap latex gloves
if you're concerned about it.



6. What is a good flooring material. I'll be installing a marine plywood
floor and want to cover it with something other than carpet. A nice hard
nonslip plastic type surface would be great. I'd like to be able to hose
the boat out. What would you recommend?

5 years ago, I was going to do that to my boat next week. I've put it off
for awhile. But, I was thinking of something I've seen on kitchen floors in
restaurants. It's a heavy plastic (rubber?) grating that's not slippery, and
water can pass under it, I guess because it seems to have a toothed bottom
touching the floor, rather than totally flat surfaces. Ask at a couple of
restaurants, and then find out where they get it. If it's heavy enough, it
should stay put in your boat without having to be attached, and you'll be
able to lift it out if you want to stand it up against a tree and hose out
the fish guts & worm lips.

For smaller projects in the boat, there's a product called StarBoard, which
looks similar to the material used for white plastic kitchen cutting boards,
but stiffer. You can work it just like wood. It's not cheap, but for things
like storage boxes, custom binocular/drink/fishing rod holders, it's just
the thing. West Marine sells it, but they might only carry it in standard
lumber sizes like 4x8. Not sure if they sell smaller pieces.

Andrew wrote in message news:EqU3d.482283$gE.95845@pd7tw3no...
I just bought a 60's aluminum 14' runabout with a '64 Merc 35HP and
could use a bit of advice. Everything is in pretty good shape and seems
to be worth a bit of restoration. Certainly there is no damage and the
boat/motor doesn't appear to have been "tinkered" with at all. I've
never owned a boat before although I've owned and serviced every other
form of motorized fun.

1. The aluminum is quite dull. What is the best product or method to
clean it up?

On the hull outside below the waterline: Leave it. Everywhere else you
can polish/buff it to a mirror finish. Good product is sharkhide,
sharkoil or something like that starting with "shark"

2. The top horizontal surfaces of the aluminum are stained black. What
is this (it doesn't look like old paint and doesn't really have a
texture) and how can I remove it?
Hard to say, natural oxidation? (See above)


3. How do I go about setting the motor up for optimal performance?
Specifically I need to know how deep it should sit in the water, how to
make the boat plane properly and what different mount angles will do.

cavitation plate flush with lowest point of the transom. From there
you can gradually raise the motor a little to gain performance. Not
too much as if you bring the waterintake out of the water it will not
cool anymore. prop should always stay in the water as well.

Mountangels and trim will affect performance. If you dont have enough
trim range then change your mount angle. Read up on proper trim.



4. How to cure a leaking hull? As far as I can tell several rivets in
the hull are leaking. There doesn't appear to be any damage (cracks,
dents, etc.). Luckily the boat manufacturer is still around and is going
to replace the rivets. Other than that are there any products I can use
to seal the hull better from the inside?

Replace rivets. Some hulls are just beyond hope of repair, esp. old
riveted hulls. Hope yours isnt. IMO sealing from the inside is
useless.




5. Are there any companies that manufacture electronic ignition
conversion kits for old Merc outboards? Are there any other updates I
should consider for the engine amd drive?

Never seen it but trading in the motor may just cost as much and yield
a newer motor ...


6. What is a good flooring material. I'll be installing a marine plywood
floor and want to cover it with something other than carpet. A nice hard
nonslip plastic type surface would be great. I'd like to be able to hose
the boat out. What would you recommend?

Vinyl. You have an aluminum boat, keep wood out, so you can rinse it,
submerge it or bathe in it


7. I'm considering adding some maple trim to the boat (dash, gunwales,
misc.) I'm using maple because I get very nice stuff for free. How can I
finish the wood so that it resists water and sun?

I'd appreciate any other advice you can offer on old boats. Mine runs
and floats fine but I'm looking forward to tinkering with it.

Not sure how much money and elbowgrease I would invest in a 60's
riveted boat ...

Matt