project "Swamp Donkey"

[Tigger72]

So this was/and has been my latest project....To make a long story short.... this boat was the boat I grew up in fishing and hunting out of it as a kid with my dad... for the last 10 years ( or so ) it has sat upside down near the waters edge and hasn't been used...And of course when my dad said "hey ... ya want the old boat...?" I said sure!!! I'lll come down and pick it up.... originally I thought I was getting the newer of the 14' tinners it just happens the newer one had a tree land on it in the winter.... so the old leaky one it was!!
I'm not sure how to post all the pics at once but the first two are how it sat when I got it..
I'll try and post them all

[Tigger72]

After a few days of wire wheeling I gave up and took it to a sand blasting yard inside and out in an hour ( sooo worth the $110.00)

[Tigger72]

A couple of cans of gluvit and it's all sealed up ( I hope)

[bwackwabbit]

"Subscribed" looking forward to seeing this one transform.

[Tigger72]

Yes I used the Gluvit on the bottom as I wanted to be sure that I had all the leaks covered. Then a coat of some Zinc Chromate... ( terrible colour I know)

[Tigger72]

So I didn't take any pics of the inside but this is what I rolled into it ( made for concrete and it's gritty)

[Tigger72]

Oh my god ... First time painting with a gun!!! Holy s#*t ... Ventilation is key ... 6 coats later... Voila!! But it's not done yet!

[RavYak]

Instead of a wire wheel should have used paint stripper. The commercial quality stuff gets the job done with only a little elbow grease.

Make sure you use high quality primer and paint. I used crappy tire products and it all rubbed off very easily...

[Tigger72]

I better make a new transom as the old ones were rotten!

[Tigger72]

I think the transom is a good place to practice!!

[Tigger72]

Hmmm let's try the outside if the boat... A little different .. No turning back !

[Tigger72]

Here how the inside turned out ... I like it!! Now to fix the outside ...grr!

[Tigger72]

Added a little more dark brown/black camo to break things up

[Tigger72]

Well there its done... just in time for a fathers day outing.... and seeing that I'll be hunting with it as well..... I thought I would just park it and see if it blends in... Not bad.... now to fab up a duck blind .... Oh and no leaks either....!!

[Mackinaw]

Originally Posted by Tigger72

Added a little more dark brown/black camo to break things up

Your camo job is so good can't see the boat......just kidding
Looks awsome. Nice job

Mack

[jungleboy]

Great job!

[HunterDave]

Awesome thread......I love it!

[Doubledown]

Looks good, great job!

[riderprider]

Looks great! Love stuff like this. Wish I had the time, space, and money to do it. Someday, someday......

[Tigger72]

Thanks everyone!
It was a bigger process then I thought.... Finding marine paint that wasn't white never happened... as everyone told me "Marine paint? We don't carry that, we live in land-locked Alberta!" I even called bass pro who had the camo paint on their website ( which I believe is US only ) and they said "Nope sorry". Well when I was up there looking around ( after the I had finished painting ) guess what I found... yep paint exactly what I was looking for... for about 1/6th the cost. I still would have needed to buy reducer and clear coat but I think regular clear is cheaper then buying flat clear... oh well now I have to paint up all my "Ont." decoys to look like mallards... anyone wanna help??

[waterninja]

looks like a lot of work, but the finished project looks great. you didn't mention what kind of boat it was, perhaps a lund or princecraft?
congrats on a job well done.

[Barnes19]

Better than new! Great job. Thanks for showing us the process, might have to go look for an old tinner now.

[huntsfurfish]

Well done!

[gnugen]

very cool to see step by step how to do this! make me want to source a fixer-upper.

[FreshAirGetter]

Nice work Tigger, it looked a little hopeless in the beginning, but it's pretty boss now! Now think, if you bought a brand new boat it would be great but wouldn't mean much. This boat is completely custom with a lot of memories and stories I'm sure...definitely the way to go

P.S. Not sure about the white seat (although it looks comfy), but if anything being so visible might at least save you from being shot by a clueless hunter!

[Mike_W]

Who did you use for sandblasting?

[Tigger72]

Originally Posted by Mike_W

Who did you use for sandblasting?

I used this do it yourself co. called Consolidated Compressor in foothills industrial in S.E. Calgary
http://www.consolidatedcompressor.com

[Tigger72]

Originally Posted by FreshAirGetter

Nice work Tigger, it looked a little hopeless in the beginning, but it's pretty boss now! Now think, if you bought a brand new boat it would be great but wouldn't mean much. This boat is completely custom with a lot of memories and stories I'm sure...definitely the way to go

P.S. Not sure about the white seat (although it looks comfy), but if anything being so visible might at least save you from being shot by a clueless hunter!

Thanks!! I think I would still like a new fishing boat at some point ( need to save money ) ... but I would keep this one for duck hunting and for hauling into more remote places and it came on a tilt trailer so I can shallow launch it just about anywhere too.
The white seat won't be seen once I have built the duck blind... ( still fabricating it in my head right now) but all you would see is my head.

[Sooner]

Nice job, I re did dads old Sears 12 ft years ago. Just the outside color strip but I worked in a bodyshop so it got sanded down to alum, epoxy primed and base coat clear coat. Still shines like the day I painted it and that was more than 16 yrs ago. Your boat looks cool with the leaf patterns.

[Willowtrail]

You did an awesome job. Looks great.