Rainy Day Blues

I was planning on either fishing or boat restoration today but the rain kill both thoughts.   Yesterday I made a Home Depot run to get resin and some more clamps.

Before inserting the plywood I wanted to glass the splash well glass to the front side of the transom glass.  I was going to use some PC7 epoxy but since our local Home Depot doesn't stock about half of what Home Depot sells, I just bit the bullet and figured on glassing them together.  Not a lot of difference structurally, but the epoxy is quicker and makes less mess.

 After this trial fit with the clamps I had on hand, I figured on six more clamps.  That all went well, but the rain got to the plywood I had laminated so I need to wait for that to dry out before sticking the whole transom back together.  Then I will have a 1 3/4 inch thick transom with 3/4 inch of that being solid glass.  Since it is hard to figure out how well the 30 plus year old glass with get along with the new stuff I will install a full inch cap down into the old transom space and finish with about 1/4 inch for the top of the cap.  With less than a 150 horsepower motor I doubt things will be under built.

On the Welding front, also delayed by rain, I have been practicing with E6011 3/32 inch electrodes for the bus frame welding project.  The 6011s will have better penetration than the 6013 rods with the 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 3/16 inch angle iron I ordered and had shipped by UPS.  Believe it or not, having the metal shipped, 40 foot of angle and flat stock, was about the same price of buying the 20 foot I needed locally.  So I reckon I have another welding project to dream up after the bus stuff.  For some very odd reason though, Home Depot had the resin at a reasonable price but wants 4 bucks a foot for plain Jane angle iron.

After doing all the modifications to the little welder by the way, I am getting a full 100 amps out of a welder rated for 65 amps and a 15% duty cycle.  I burned through a half dozed rods this afternoon and never tripped the thermal overload.  If I add a cooling fan and a 25 amp breaker I may be able to do some TIG welding.  Then the V-20 might get some fancy stainless top of some type or another.  Who knows?

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas