Blazer VL100 The Forgotten Pocket Bass Boat

[rojoguio]

Well, I'm not using a viscosity cup due to the different viscosity of the gelcoat to begin. If you have sprayed Single Stage or 2K urethane it's close to HVLP Gravity feed gun viscosity with a 2.5mm tip. I'm using Sharpe HVLP air fittings and 3/8in air hose unregulated air pressure to the gun, a regulator on the grip only. Lots of air volume, air pressure too.

To try and answer your question, 15% Reducer or so on these shine coats with a 50/50 mix Gelcoat to High Gloss Additive. Some of the gelcoats sold unless from a vendor like Fibreglast is more of an industrial grade or very thick. I have to pre-reduce these before mixing to spray. There is black Vinylester primer and Black Gel I'm top coating with shine coats to ease the final finishing.

[rojoguio]

One thing to add. The cure times are extended here, I can still mark the gelcoat with my thumbnail. Any paint job, gelcoat job, you do always, always, do the thumbnail test before moving forward. If I was top coating this work and did it now any sanding to level, any imperfections I am correcting will reveal itself again after fully curing. That said using 3M's most durable DA paper I could only do about 1.5sq/ft of sanding with 320 grit before I had to replace the paper over the last application of gelcoat. This is the difference in using gelcoat over paint. Paint will never be as durable as gelcoat. I am an advocate to use 2K Urethanes on boats but this is going to be abused pursuing Crappie and I never want to work on the finish again once done.

[GO55]

rojoguio, Thanks for reply. Very informative & educational.

[rojoguio]

A bit of a breather around here and the gelcoat on the deck is hard enough I can't mark it with my thumbnail. Time to install the SeaDek in the Cockpit. Now this is one color SeaDek. SeaDek put a bunch of their rolled, packaged for retailers product on sale Christmas before last and I bought 10 sheets up for my projects. It is working out that I will have a totally SeaDek boat for less than $100 (including shipping). Earlier in the post I posted pictures of the patterns I made out of sheet acetate. I took the patterns I made to cut the SeaDek for everything. Now if I need to replace any of it duplicating the original will be a walk in the park. By having all patterns made I was able to layout everything in 2 sheets leaving me 2 sheets matching for backup.

Hand Beveled Edge.jpgBeveling tool.jpgCreating Flap.jpg

Well I really didn't feel like making a jig for my router table and routing the bevels so with a steady hand holding the surfacing disc at a 45 degree angle I took my time and put a bevel on all of the Seadek. Being cut from whole sheets at home the back needs to be scored thru the protective backing paper, a flap folded, then unfolded for easy of handling.

Using Masking Tape for a Hinge.jpgMaintaining Alignment using Hinge.jpgFinishing Application Without Streching.jpg

The easiest way to return to the position or location you plan to install the SeaDek is to use a hinge made of masking tape. Here I use the hinge to begin the install making sure the unhinged right hand edge does not touch anything while lowering in alignment the beginning of the application. After I'm sure of the correct position I stick the rest of the first half down. You can see I'm holding the other half up till I pull the balance of the protective paper off. Do Not pull on the paper stretching the SeaDek, take you time rocking the backing off then just lower it working towards yourself till it's all stuck down.

Leaving Paper Where SeaDek Passes Console.jpgUsing Flap to Start Paper.jpgTab Slightly Off Turned Before Applying.jpg

Going around an object like a console is a little tricky. You can see in the picture I left the protective backing on the opposite half, this piece had a curved masking tape hinge so extra care was taken but I still was out of alignment 1/8 inch. Once I crossed the other side of the console I very slightly pulled and slightly stretched the SeaDek to ensure the tab alignment was on the money with the Port Aft piece.

All Done on Deck.jpg Lastly a picture of finished Cockpit Deck.

[rojoguio]

I am having a bit of trouble letting some of the OK work go. High levels of orange peel from building gelcoat up over the glass work, repair work, etc. Later in life, floating around on Ross Barnett I will see the heavy peel in the reflection and be disappointed I didn't fix. Also sinking of gloss due to using a substitute reducer instead of the Duratec reducer. The break line I chose are because it is very, very, difficult to get in and out of a cockpit to spray. Over the years I sprayed entire top caps in one application then learned tricks to make it easier.

Masking Lower Hard Line.jpgMasking Lower Hard Line 2.jpgMasking Lower Hard Line 3.jpg

The lower mask line you see is applied right under the last hard line so after applied I use 320 grit (dry) to scuff off the ledge created by gelcoating the cockpit deck. Returning to the tricks picked up over the years, if your ledge is downward no one notices it, make sure your masking tape leaves the upward ledge exposed so it can be scuffed down. Gelcoat build will hide it on the re-coat.

Sanding Out Orange Peel.jpg

You can see in this picture the amount of Orange Peel I sprayed building up the Gelcoat millage. It sands level, just keep your sandpaper sharp bucause this stuff is tough to sand.

Masking Cockpit Fordeck Aft Deck.jpgMasking Cockpit Fordeck Aft Deck 2.jpg

These final, thinner, gelcoat applications are a lower, wetter, application and need better masking to prevent bleed thru. All the masking tape edges were doubled then scuffed over with a red scotchbrite pad. Heavy roll brown paper from Lowes was used.

Mercedes in the Way.jpg

My Mercedes is in the shop with issues. Also it's in the way. While sanding gelcoat in a enclosed area you should cover anything you don't want the finish permanently damaged. Gelcoat dust is abrasive and doesn't blow off or wash off well. It seems to stick once it gets damp.

Ready to Spray1.jpgReady to Spray2.jpg

Here after quite a bit of sanding I have the orange peel sanded out, the GRP double wiped with acetone, and ready to move out to gelcoat.

Shine Coat 1.jpgShine Coat 2.jpgUnmasked.jpg

So I sprayed 3 more coats of gelcoat but this time progressively increased the Duratec High Gloss Additive to a final 65/35 mix Duratec to Gelcoat with as much as 15% reducer on the final pass. As soon as you mix your coating's viscosity increases so don't think you can leave material in the gun for another pass. Clean your gun between every coat. This shine will last me till I'm too old to fish. Although the Duratec / Gelcoat mixture takes a long time to fully cure (no thumbnail marks) once fully cured it is remarkable how hard and durable it is. Use Duratec Products in your projects.

[rojoguio]

Got up today with the game plan to attack the hatches, well that plan didn't last long. The hatches had holidays where the flange to filler plug didn't stick. While grinding to see if any leveling could be achieved to reduce fairing work I went right thru the glass. Of course nothing was stuck 1/2 way around. So I decided to punt. You can see how large the holiday was in one hatch, the finish gelcoat on the underside is all cracked from the hatch flexing so much.

Poor Lamination Hatches.jpg

I got on the phone to my Aluminum Supplier T&C Metals. If you need Aluminum T&C Metals is a great resource. Anyway I have a hatch maker, it's called a 6ft HD Finger Brake. So I have a 4x12ft sheet of 5052 in 1/8in thick aluminum on the way next week to fabricate all new hatches out of.

New Hatch Maker.jpg

With the forced re-direction I started looking at what had to happen first on setting the console. Well I'm using as much drop as possible and I happen to have a new in the box Yamaha 703 side control. So the first thing that had to be pulled thru the rigging tube I installed it the Big, Fat, 10 Pin engine side electrical connector. I would never get it thru with Hydraulic Steering hoses, Control Cables, etc. It HAD to go first. Well again, my plan was to pull stuff thru then set the console. Would work if I was using a Yamaha 704 Control but I didn't have "New" 704's lying around so I'm forced to change my plan again.

Console Guide Pins.jpgMounting Holes Located and Marked.jpgPilot Holes Drilled w Long Bit.jpgMtg Holes Drilled Flange Holes Enlarged.jpg

When I laid out the 2 transverse stringers I marked to hull so I could hit the forward one with the center console mounting screws. As I have said in the past you really have to think way ahead to do a totally custom build like this. Anyway since the wire for the control begins "Outside" the console, passes thru a opening to the inside of the console, routes thru the in-deck rigging tube, out the external rigging tube "Not Shown Yet" to the engine I have prep the console in such a way as I could drill all the mounting screws but lift the console up to apply sealer, then sit it right down exactly over the holes drilled. The guide pins is my solution. I really, really, don't want to set the Console to the Deck till I know everything is rigged right. Pulling it up after sealing would just be a mess. the guide pins are cut from TIG filler rods. Spacing the mounting screws 3 inches apart worked great. The console flange holes were enlarged so the mounting screws would not prematurely torque before anchoring the flange in the sealer.

Forward Console Flange Perfect Location.jpg

I may be moving to "Senior Status" but my aim was flawless, the front screws hit dead center the transverse stringer.

Rigging 1.jpgThru Hull Steering Hoses Fitted.jpg

Lastly, got the Engine 10 pin pulled thru the rigging tube and fitted the new steering hoses thru the splash well. They are pulled into the console for future connection.

[rojoguio]

Making Sausage.jpg

This is just what to call it, Rigging is like making Sausage, no pretty way to get it done. What a mess, I know that feeling well, the mess comes at the end of the job. Gelcoat still has to be applied but I need to hit that right after a late spring/early summer cold front so onward with the rest.

Making Hatches.jpg

The aluminum arrived yesterday so we are making hatches. I will post separately as a feature for Fiberglass to Aluminum hatch conversion.

Making a Custom Trailer.jpg

Of course this boat is getting a custom aluminum drive on trailer. Got those needed materials in too.

Making my Heart Break.jpg

Lastly this post is mostly for Mr. Rodbender................Paul I have held on to this Z Car for 15 years to build a Ferrari GTO 350 kit car. I just don't have the energy anymore for it. A guy is buying it for a 5.3/4L60E build with his son who is going to Auto Mechanic's school right now. This had a 350SBC / 6 Speed in it when I bought it. What a heart break to let it go...............terrible, just terrible, I need another Hurricane to distract me............

[pnut]

I'll have to stop bye and check it out. It sure is looking good.

[paulrodbender]

Hey rojo...... You got a lot going on I see. Boat is looking great and now an aluminum trailer too, I'm more impressed than before and thought this couldn't get any better. I thought I kept busy this winter redoing my trailer and here you are making yours from scratch..... Love it.

I'm guessing 240 or is it a 260? Either way I'm liking the 350SB idea and hope the father and son do a nice job with the 5.3, that will be good to. To be honest, I would have liked to see you make that GTO 350 kit car with it but I understand. To many projects and not enough fishing time, drives a man crazy.

[rojoguio]

It is a 280, but now just a memory. I am tired of having to back my boat in keeping it hooked to the winch. Also having to keep it in gear while loading so it will stay far enough up on the trailer to hook it to the winch. My other Blazer boat trailer is a roller trailer, well it rolls well. Anyway I had it set up like that to launch it on poor condition ramps. This Blazer project boat I want to weld the bunk mounts to the crossmembers keeping the boat as low as possible. That will allow me to load and launch it much easier. Trailers in general for saltwater use has gone sky high, I will have $1000 in my trailer, and it will totally fitted to my boat. I like 2x6's for bunk boards but am thinking I will table saw 2 4x6 cypress outer frame bunks since the crossmembers will be horizontal. If you look at a lot of aluminum trailers they need a boat on it to stay straight. They flex all over the place empty going down the road. A steel trailer does not work like that, it just bounces. I plan on building my trailer and using my boat building MIG to put welds in strategic spots plus upsizing the frame components so my trailer actually supports my boat when road abnormalities like potholes are hit at high speeds.

[rojoguio]

Just a teaser to what's on the way. I prefer to write the next post in such a way if someone decides to make themselves new aluminum hatches all of the details that need to be kept in mind are written in the post. I can tell you this, pulling on the big manual finger brake handles was easier 10 years ago. I used a cheater pipe on the handles today.

Main Hatches Formed on Brake.jpg

I hope to get the entire post up next week.

[rojoguio]

Well you've seen the full sheet of aluminum and seen some hatches formed, I thought I would post the rest.

Aft Hatches Layed Out.jpgBoth Forward Hatches Layout.jpgCold Saw and Guide Straight Edge.jpgStraight Cut using Guide.jpg

First things first. Draw out all the hatches you need to fabricate on paper. After that task is completed go back to the boat and re-measure everything! Measure twice - cut once. It's Real. So due to the site limiting pictures I am not posting my notes. If someone thinks it would be helpful to them ask and I will make a separate post of them. I try to use a sharp Sharpie for these lines for a more accurate final product. We don't want trapezoidal Hatches. In the second image you see I have to do mirror image hatches in the front. Layout the reverse in the middle of your sheet stock as shown here. It ensured you don't make 2 Port or 2 Starboard hatches. When cutting the aluminum always use a saw guide whenever possible. There is a saying; "A lazy man does the most work" very true words if you try to save time by not properly setting up a saw guide. You can see in the last picture how straight the Cold Saw cuts sheet aluminum using a guide.

Notching with my Antique Notcher.jpgNotching with my Antique Notcher2.jpgNotched and Un-Notched.jpg

So I bought this Antique Notcher from a scrap iron hauler for $50 and paid his son another $50 to free it up for me. (It still needs the long handles to make Notching easy) I got to say a solid Notcher like this and as long as you're accurate with your aim you get perfect notches. I notch everything at one time for speed in production.

Squaring Hatch with Brake Fingers.jpgCompleting Pan Bends.jpgFirst Hatch off the Brake.jpgMain Hatches Formed on Brake.jpg

Forming the Hatches for my boat on the Brake is pretty straight forward as long as you keep two things in mind. Always square your boxes (hatches) with the teeth of the brake, this ensures square hatches. Second, the side of the hatch that is mounted to the piano hinge must be bent at 90 degrees or a little more. If not your Hatches will not close properly. Using a Box & Pan Brake is very easy due to the removable teeth. It allows you to bend Boxes. Seen in the picture I have removed 2 teeth so they do not interfere with the 3rd & 4th bends. You can see an example of a formed Hatch next to a Notched only Hatch. Last picture is the first 4 Hatches off the Brake.

[rojoguio]

Using a Dolly to Profile Corner Radius.jpgCorner Before Profiling.jpgProfiled Corners Before TIG Welding.jpgSetup to TIG Corners.jpgTIG Welded Corner.jpgHatch Edging Profile.jpg

Back again, I have some pictures here to show why I profile the corners on all the aluminum hatches I fabricate that gets Edging installed. The Edging doesn't like to make corners, the metal reinforcements embedded in the Edging Rusts. Here you can see I'm using standard Auto Body Tools, Dolly & Flat Faced Hammer to form radius corners so the Edging will stay where I put it and not "Bulge" in the corners allowing water to intrude there first. By Tapping the edge of the aluminum with the hammer while holding the dolly just past the edge you "Roll" the radius in the corners. Be patient. It will walk right where you want it to go. Afterwards I TIG weld the corners with 5356 alloy rods, very tough filler material. Lastly you can see the profile of the edging material, since these are sitting on gelcoat I'm using Edging that has a Bulb Seal, hopefully it will last because My suppliers are out of stock on anything else.

Front Hatch Radius Side1.jpgFront Hatch Radius Side2.jpgFront Hatch Radius Side3.jpg

Ever hear the joke "Welders can fill any crack"? So cutting the radius on my bandsaw was a bit crooked but it doesn't matter on the profile as I'm matching the hull radius curve so the hatch looks "Factory". After tacking in the middle I clamp one edge then the other in the natural bend the aluminum wants to form. Using the TIG welding technique again I weld the Side Strip onto the Hatch filling the cracks as I go. Most was welded with 3/32 filler rods but for "Bridging the Gaps" I just step up to 1/8 filler rods, push the thicker rod into the puddle absorbing the excess heat then stopping my Arc to let the puddle solidify. Works like a charm. Well what do you know, the crooked cut is gone. Of course the welds will be cut smooth during the painting process.

Laying out Rod Box Hatch.jpgRod Box Hatch1.jpgRod Box Hatch2.jpg

The Rod Box Hatch is a little different animal. With reverse bends a radius side, and different hinge mounting I used the lid itself to transfer the angles to the aluminum sheet before forming. The rest is straight forward as written above.

5 New Aluminum Hatches.jpg

So the Blazer gets 5 new 1/8in 5052 Aluminum Custom Hatches............I will post the painting later. Hope you enjoy.

[bassboat1]

Nice looking work! Wish I had Tig or a spool gun

[paulrodbender]

I need to catch up. We went from Coosa and epoxy to aluminum in the blink of an eye……..
Looking good though.

[rojoguio]

Thanks Guys, when I opened my own T-Top Shop I went for the top of the line Miller TIG, the Miller Dynasty. Buying the Cadillac of TIG machines really worked out for me. Now I also use a mixed gas 50% Argon / 50% Helium. Man it really makes a great machine even better. You weld with less heat and TIG anodized Aluminum in one pass, no overworking the joint causing a Heat Effected Zone to crack later.

Paul, short of making Haggis anything that is not bolted, glued, or welded down is prone to get fabricated into something else around here. The glass work on the original hatches was garbage and I would have spent a month prepping and repairing them to be good enough for gelcoat. These aluminum hatches will get a PPG Epoxy followed by a PPG Shopline Single Stage Urethane Black and will be finished before I could finish one of the fiberglass hatches.

[paulrodbender]

As always, you give it at least 110%. You can make something good but why not make it better than good. Great work and not many people would paint the aluminum but I admire that extra step. Nice welding too.........

[doc201pro]

Any updates? I've been following this since the start as I've always wanted to do a project like this. Your attention to detail and quality work is second to none!!! Thanks for posting your project!

[rojoguio]

Thanks for asking, the hatches are ready to spray. I need to mount them first while in the white then finish spray them with 2K Urethane. I hoped to do it this weekend but I have a boat job for a friend in my shop. Graduation season, personal vehicles to fix, getting ready for hurricane season, etc. is slowing me down a bit. I did move it to the air conditioned side to finish the rigging while having a beverage.

[rojoguio]

My friend who we originally built this boat for was a paraplegic with a broken back so high up He almost needed a Iron Lung. Anyway right before Hurricane Katrina I drove to Hopedale, LA to evacuate this boat to my place. Anyway it has been here ever since. the owner recently passed and left this to me. A very close friend helped me move my recently deceased friend from Louisiana to Mississippi. I told him I was selling the boat and He wanted it for Floundering. So now I'm welding up the door we installed so a wheelchair could roll into the boat, extending to fore deck, adding a aft deck, welding in the floor (it was installed with screws) extending the transom for a 20in shaft engine, adding LED light bars all around the front, and fabricating my console design I have made and sold over the years.

Flounder1.jpgFlounder2.jpgFlounder3.jpgFlounder4.jpgFlounder5.jpgFlounder6.jpg

Here is a picture of my console design. I made patterns of everything including the pipes so I could crank them out when needed.

Rojo Grande Console.jpg

So my 2009 Silverado AC Compressor would not cycle. I went to the dealer and they sold me a thermocouple that installed in the evaporator which told the computer when to engage the compressor. I had to remove the dash which crumbled upon removal. Well my truck had no such device and I needed it in 3 days to drive to my wife to her youngest grandson's graduation in north MS. All I needed was a clutch cycling switch which with my VIN the dealer said I did not have in my truck. Anyway the replacement dash was $850. I'm not impressed with Chevrolet right now. So time was lost here too to work on the Blazer.

2009 Silverado Stripped Dash.jpg

It takes a lot of time and patients to replace a late model Silverado Dash.

Good news, the wine project is having flawless results. this is a glass of Blueberry / Plum / Meyer Lemon wine. ABV is 13.3% Ultra smooth, rewarding for all the effort, and a dollar a bottle to make. With today's price inflation it's great to have a couple of glasses after being under the welding hood most of the afternoon.

Blueberry Plum Lemon Wine.jpg