Funds Brave restore thread

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42202

I actually have one of their floor-standing one's in my basement- I use it so often I got tired of driving 8 minutes to the shop. If you have one, you'll discover hundreds of uses for it.

I typically leave 120 grit aluminum oxide in it and switch to beads when I want to do very fine surfaces. But beads are too slow and not necessary for anything else- like clean-ups and paint prep. I also have crushed walnut shell for really sensitive surfaces. It'll polish aluminum & chrome and even remove deposits from glass.

I believe how much you use it, especially with all of the projects that you do.

It looks like I only have a few things to clean this way, and I have space limitations where I am at, so I may take a friend up on an offer to blast those frames for me and hold off on buying a little cabinet. Good to know that small ones can be found pretty cheap.
 
Almost done???

No. :D

Spent a lot of time in the bilge this weekend. As I cleaned, I got a good look at the rigging and what I do and do not want to replace. I will be unstrapping things along their route, painting, and then restrapping.
I want to replace the control cables and the fuel lines. The switchable exhaust is full-time open, and I am pretty sure that they will need to be closed, if word on the street is correct.
Kind of funny.... before I had the engines and drives removed from the boat last fall I noticed that one of the drive trim motors didn't run. I made a mental note to troubleshoot once the drives were back on, and the harnesss and batteries were reconnected.
While I was cleaning I found a short piece of wire, about 10 or 12 ga. It had an eye hook on one end and a separated butt connector, with the other side of the butt connector joint on the...... yes.... trim pump. I may have found the reason for no trim on that side. That would be nice.
 
I believe how much you use it, especially with all of the projects that you do.

It looks like I only have a few things to clean this way, and I have space limitations where I am at, so I may take a friend up on an offer to blast those frames for me and hold off on buying a little cabinet. Good to know that small ones can be found pretty cheap.

Those small cabinets are nice to have around, especially if you frequently use different types of media. Good to hear that your making some progress, just dont do what I did and let it snowball into a bare hull sitting on the trailer. Otherwise this thread will still be going this time next year. :ack2:
 
Those small cabinets are nice to have around, especially if you frequently use different types of media. Good to hear that your making some progress, just dont do what I did and let it snowball into a bare hull sitting on the trailer. Otherwise this thread will still be going this time next year. :ack2:
No. I am not going to get that carried away. Although my list grew after sitting in the bilge for 6 hours last weekend looking at things. Like the cracked fuel lines. I am holding off all cabin/cockpit work until the bilge is done and the boat runs again. I may leave the cabin as is this season. But as good as the pics looked when I bought the boat, the bow hatch was faulty all last summer and leaked alot into the cabin. That mixed with old Florida funkrot did a number on the cabin cushions. I will try to clean them up for now... cause it will be a grand to replace them. I want to redesign the locker set up too. It is set up with opposing lockers each with two scuba tank holders inside. I think that I may adapt those more for my use.
 
And Damnit fundy!!!! now you say no presents saturday... I was getting this mounted for you today..guess I will jujst have to post it here... actually give me a couple and I will block it up in photoshop so you can see what the matting was going to be like..
 
And Damnit fundy!!!! now you say no presents saturday... I was getting this mounted for you today..guess I will jujst have to post it here... actually give me a couple and I will block it up in photoshop so you can see what the matting was going to be like..
I'll take it. I was just avoiding getting stuff for you and Tracy. ;)
 
just dont do what I did and let it snowball into a bare hull sitting on the trailer. Otherwise this thread will still be going this time next year. :ack2:

No. I am not going to get that carried away. Although my list grew after sitting in the bilge for 6 hours last weekend looking at things.


Glassdave said something to me last week which is forever stuck in my head... We were chatting about my project and he said; "At some point you just have to stop and put it all back together." :)

But heck, I do know a few people who would rather work on the boat instead of using it so to each their own!
 
Glassdave said something to me last week which is forever stuck in my head... We were chatting about my project and he said; "At some point you just have to stop and put it all back together." :)

But heck, I do know a few people who would rather work on the boat instead of using it so to each their own!

No doubt. Reminds me of the famous quote:

"There is nothing--absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
- Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, Ch. 1

And another not so famous:

"I would rather have that boat sitting in my driveway for years while I worked on it than the other boat in the water."
- Chris Sunkin
 
Spent another day in the bilge. Starting to be able to envision paint. Cleaned the anchor locker. Found that the original owner had his anchor rode connecting his large danforth to the line with a dog leash style snap hook. Eek. Not sure if he was a super fair weather boater or what, but 3 footers in Erie would have snapped that like a celery stick.

I was happy to find a pair of wires running up to the bow for the lights. The bowlight was removed by the corvette guys, I suppose. Maybe they removed the little keepers on the port and starboard of the bow cleat, because if you anchored right now... the line would ride from the cleat over the new paint. Eek.

The corvette guys screwed up the bow hatch too. They took it off, breaking the original seal. They painted it white, dented it, ruined the rubber gasket by coveruing it with automotive paint and re-installed it (backwards from Apache standard) and didn't do a complete seal. It leaked all last year, so now I have some mold issues.

So I will buy a new hatch and install it correctly. I seem to buy boats with bad hatches and sell boats with good hatches.

The cabin interior will have to be replaced.
 
Back
Top