Love my boat BUT

[HIGH&DRY]

Simple but works….
I have had very good success using a regular soldering iron connected to a rheostat; like the type you would use to dim the house lights, a rotating knob for easier adjustment, and mark the sweet spot on the rheostat so you can reuse it easily. Make certain the soldering iron tip is fresh and clean before you start!
I can use this set up without over heating/burning the powder or Roplene Welding Rods when making a repair.
Do a little practice on some scrap before going in for the kill!
Good luck, HIGH&DRY

[Putershark]

Originally Posted by defishman

checked out Merritt Marine for weld rods, where do you get a gun for it? or is there another way to heat up and apply? Bic lighter!! ??

Vic and I were just talking about this today since I just filled in some screw holes on Monday. I use a Propane Torch and...

• I drill out the hole to "match" the size / thickness of the welding rod
• I make sure I can then insert the cold welding rod in hole without trouble / binding
• I clean the surface (trim) around the hole with a razor blade to get it as flush as possible.
• Only heat the end of the welding rod with the torch till it flashes off into a flame for the first time (5 to 8 seconds). If it gets too hot, the rod quickly becomes a gooey mess that cannot be inserted.
• Once it flashes off and inserted, leave all of the rod in the hole for a few minuets till it cools.
• Then take a flat razor blade and trim the welding rod flush with the rest of the surface.

In most cases you are now done "unless" you are like me and moving some rod holders and now have those filled in holes exposed to view. In such cases then use 600 and then 800 grit sand paper on a buffer too blend it all in and then follow up with a dry (no wax residue) lambs wool pad on the same buffer to put the shine back on the panel It then looks like a factory fresh panel again

[cagrove]

Originally Posted by HIGH&DRY

Simple but works….
I have had very good success using a regular soldering iron connected to a rheostat ...
Do a little practice on some scrap before going in for the kill!
Good luck, HIGH&DRY

I also use an electric soldering iron, but I haven't use the rheostat. I just keep the iron moving in small circles to keep any one area from overheating. I also recommend some practice runs on scrap material before "diving in head first". Good luck.

[ssjrrupp]

Hi all,

I haven't had any problems with any of the rivets or bolts on mine yet, but maybe that's because I drop it in the water for the summer and pull it out in the winter... aside from these instances, no time riding on the trailer.

My main gripe is that while the boat is easy to clean, if there's any kind of debris on the deck, it goes through the smallish vents on either side of the back of the boat and into the hull. The drain plugs on either side of the transom are small, so alot of this stuff doesn't come out that way. They can also cause a real problem for the bilge pump. Little stainless screens installed prior to floor installation would solve this problem.

In the fall of 2006 I cleaned the boat up, put my cover on, got it winterized, then let it set. Came back to it in the spring, and even with the cover, there were still leaves on the deck. I vacuumed up everything I could see, but some of them were wedged around the cooler and under the edge of the center console. When I hosed off the deck for the first time, the little leaves went through the vents and into the hull. Some came out of the drain plugs, others I'm sure were ground up in the bilge, and the rest I cleaned out... well, at least what I could see anyways. This year I plan to install those small screens over, or if I'm able to reach my arm around, under the vents. That should keep the leaves out.

My second issue is with the plastic itself. I've noticed in various spots of the boat that the plastic actually has pores. I noticed this last spring during cleaning. No matter how much scrubbing I did as per the operator's manual, there are spots on the inside of the boat that I was not able to get completely white again. Upon a closer look, dirt had made its way into these tiny pores and was virtually impossible to get out. Hopefully it hasn't stained, as last weekend I bought a power washer and intend to clean up with it as soon as the weather gets nice (mixed rain and snow up here in Wisconsin, in April...who would'a thunk it).

Any tips on these trite aggrivations would be appreciated.

Best Regards,
Justin

[NCangler]

Justin, Your new power washer should take care of those small spots that are a result of dirt/dust getting in the "pores". For any trouble spots get some greased lightning or Mr. Clean stick or other product to hit those with. Usually a power washer is all I've needed for mine.

[junkman928]

I have found that the Mr Clean Magic Eraser will take care of about anything other cleaners won't touch. Used it on the seats today to get off marks from the cover, and stains from the herring used for bait here lately. Bright white again. Funny stuff. Looks like a piece of foam. Wouldn't think it would clean anything, but it does
BS

[ssjrrupp]

Power sprayer did work great on cleaning out those pores. I know it would clean the floor and all else exceptionally well.. thanks Cagrove...

Scum line still exists, though, even after hitting with the power sprayer... may have to buff. I guess I'll read the manual.

Best Regards,
Justin