Carpet- 16 oz or 20 oz for 94 Astro?

[Fishn4bass]

I'm replacing carpet in a 94 Astro 17 ft Bassboat and have learned that older boats used lighter carpet in 16 or 18 oz. I just don't know what year they may have changed to 20 oz.

My compartments are tight now and I am concerned about using 20 oz. if they are fitted for 16 oz.

Has anyone done a recarpet on an Astro around a 94 model?

[JoePA]

You can get 16oz...I think bass pro or cabelas not sure. But if the lids are tight now I wouldn't go any more than 20oz. BassCat has a great deal and the quality is awesome but it's 24oz and may be a little thick. You can check out bassboatcarpets.com and get a carpet kit from them. When I spoke to them about the same issue you are talking about they said you could allways use a pair of hair trimmers and thin the carpet out where it's tight. I tried it and it works!! Good luck and keep us posted.


Joe

[Tim-B]

Trimming carpet between lid and frame does insure a good fit and is well worth the time and effort, especially when you desire the benefits of a thicker carpet on other areas like decks and floors.

For what its worth, here are a few tips I have learned along the way.

If you have old eyes and diminishing dexterity like I do, you may find trimming is more easily accomplished before re-attaching the hinges to the lid frame. Carpet as usual, attach the hinge to the lid on the appropriate side, and drop carpeted lid into frame before trimming. This will allow appropriate tolerances for the hinge.

While the carpeted lid is lying in place, examine the all the edges carefully and note where some excess could be removed. You may find that only 1 or two edges require a shave. I often mark these edges with a small piece of maskng tape because it seems that my aging brain won't retain that information for the 30 seconds it takes to remove the lid and start trimming. This is the same reason I never take my glasses off half way thru a project. But I digress...

Pull lid from frame, take it to a good source of light, stand it on end, and remove excess carpet sparingy. I find that removing carpet on the lid edge first results in a straighter looking finished edge. I will remove up to 25% of the carpet thickness on the lid side (of course not all at once) before resorting to removing carpet from the frame side.

Don't loose patience. Trim just a little, then reset lid in the frame and examine all the edges again. Do this as many times as it takes to get a perfect fit. This can be tedious but resist the temptation to rush if you can.

If openings in the lid for a slam latch or other closure mechanism are not present, I sometimes make two small hooks out of thin strong wire, bend it to the frame shape and lay it on opposite sides between the carpeted frame and lid as an aid to removing the tight fitting lid. Resist the temptation to pry a tight fitting lid in and out using an old screwdiver on your new carpet (trust me on this one).

Also, below is another source of carpet for your consideration. I find the quality very good, delivery solid, and the prices most reasonable.

http://www.boatcarpetonline.com/about_us.htm

Best of luck to you.

TB

[Ritchie]

Tim - thanks for the carpet shaving help! Do you find it necessary to shave the area where the hinge bolts to the lid? I was wondering if that would take some of the pressure off the hinge and lid because of having to "crush" the carpet between the two?

[Tim-B]

You may if you wish. I have not had the pleasure of a hinge deflecting or otherwise distorting due to stress caused by pinching too much carpet but you make a good point.

My main concern on lids is to be sure to use a quality hinge and solid fasteners. I'm not sure what the original hinge is on your boat but if it is rusted, damaged, bent, or just plain flimsy, I might investigate some replacement options.

One look at the deck hardware section of West Marine's catalogue will convince anyone that the choice of hinges is endless. Personally, I prefer a continuous SS piano hinge on the appropriate side of the lid. This ensures an even tolerance between the lid and frame and prevents any pinching of the carpet caused by the opening and closing action of the hinge.

Regardless of the hinge style, I believe that the most vulnerable part of any hinge is the fastener connecting it to the lid and frame. Typical fastener choices include aluminum and SS pop-rivets, SS self tapping machine screws, and SS machine screw/washer/nut assemblies.

Over carpet on lids using a piano stye hinge (and in most other applications where stress is present and a solid connection is critical) I prefer the SS flat head machine screw/washer/nut assembly. The drawbacks are that it is also the most expensive option and can be difficult to install in tight quarters. For your project, I would consider the investment of time and money a wise one if your budget/timetable allow.

If your lid is aluminum or fiberglass, self taping machine screws can also be used successfully. If you use pop-rivets, be sure to compress the carpet as firmly as possible (or perhaps shave) and use quality rivets. Don't hesitate to drill out and replace any "misfires."

Again, good luck. I hope you might consider posting an image or two of your finshed project. I'd like to see how it turns out.

Best regards,

Tim B.


Modified by Tim-B at 6:31 PM 1/1/2007

[North Texas Fiberglass]

Make sure you mark the direction the lids go on the boat. You want to keep the grain of the carpet running in the same direction. We go aft to stern, and roll the carpet off the roll starting at the bow of the boat.

If you get a lid turned wrong. The grain will not match and the carpet will look a different color and not turn out the way you wanted.

[Ritchie]

Thanks Tim and Mike for the advice. I believe getting new hinges would help me - my originals are piano style, but made of aluminum and with a hinge wire I think is too small for the job.

[Dover]

good info

[fastman151]

I replaced the carpet on a 1990 Bomber bass boat that I believe to be 16oz with 20 oz. I ended up having to shave every lid both inside and outside just to make
them work smoothly, probably spent as much time shaving as carpet laying.