Curious why you use white oak, is it for strength? I know it weathers well but weighs a ton. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yep white oak for rot resistance. Not a lot of wood in the transom 1-1/4" by 48" piece. The plywood in the floor will weigh more. The boat is going to be 5 hp over rated with a 40 hp on the back a little more weight will be good.
Well weather is breaking looks like Sunday will be warm enough to shoot primer outside. Fast progress now.
I took my other boat out last night wife and I went for a cruise. The old motor started right up no choke needed, runs like a fine watch. Pretty happy about that I was in a good mood.
I work fire with a guy who works at a place that sells lumber, the good stuff. He took down the dimensions of my old ratted transom board and got me a piece of white oak that is clear no knots planed to 1-1/32" for $16 can't beat it.
Pretty sure a little cursing is part of any restoration project! I am restoring my Grandpas 1963 JD 1010 and am a man of few words but they are mostly cuss words when working on it.. Nice work! Can't wait to see this finished!
Corner pieces in place the 8 challenging hole match up was successful still have to mark, drill and mount the plywood backing piece but the hard part is over.
funny enough; I also spent yesterday ripping/cutting my old transom wood out. I'm not sure who's dumber- the bleeping bleep mother bleeping bleep who originally "upgraded" my flatbottom using a) treated lumber and b) landscape (?) adhesive on EVERYTHING; or me for buying it thinking it would be a quick cheap resto. I've probably spent about 30 hours and $200 on tools and equip to strip it bare; and I haven't even started brazing, framing (or purchasing material for) the deck; or painting it.
Actually if done properly and maintained well it is not all that spendy, then again when you run a 60 year old boat motors you have to be able to work on it yourself. The initial investment is a little high but if it is done right it is better. The motor I am putting on the boat is a Mercury Marc 55 40 hp made in 1957. I bought it as a running motor and did a compression test the PSI was even and within 10% of new. I will send the upper half to a guy that will do a full rebuild of the fuel and ignition system. That will be $600 or so. The Lower unit will be rebuilt by another guy that will replace all seals and bearings that is another $500. So the motor I bought with a boat and trailer attached for $300 will cost me another $1100 to be as good as new. You can not buy a new motor for $1400.
I love your boat project. I have a knack for working on old stuff myself, we have a number or 70's, 80's and 90's toys at the cabin. Never have tinkered much with boat motors because our 1980 Johnson Sea Horse 9.9 has never once given us a fit.
I only like Mercury motors from the 50'a and early 60'a. Hard to beat an old 9.9 seahorse, bullet proof. Carl Kiekhaefer was a genius his motors broke speed records as well as endurance runs, he built a manufacturing empire and also owned a championship early nascar team. The early motors were built like a precision aircraft engine yet very durable and trouble free.
Got the bow cover painted today, will hopefully have the back rest/ divider painted and temporally installed. I have an idea of how I want the mahogany cut to fit it will be time consuming but worth it in the end. I may install the new old school Alumacraft queen of the waterways stickers this weekend too.
