| Author | Message | ||
     86129squids |
There, got that out of the way... Now- who here has experience DIYing a re-upholster and detail job on a 16' boat? It's WAY past time for mine... I acquired the boat from friends that were moving and liquidating pretty much EVERYTHING they owned, essentially "stole" the boat and trailer for the $$$ I have in it. It's a Thundercraft tri-hull, walk-thru windshield, with an 85HP outboard. The back to back seats are good, but ALL the rest of the upholstery is shot, rotten, and providing a Trump style mansion for ants and spiders. (BTW, I lost a cousin to a spider bite gotten whilst he was cleaning his boat... blew through more than half a can of bug spray this afternoon. Yeesh!) To do justice by this boat and to enhance/preserve my investment, this must be done. I just called my "boat guy" who quoted $1800 for the upholstery, $400 for the detail... To date, I've got a sum total of less than $1000 in this thing, including pre-mix that I've gotta use before I lose it. I've been out ONCE this year, back in January, and I'd like to get used to using it year-round. (I'm sure dreams and reality will collide there too.) I've yet to surf the internet or youtube to assess my prospects, so as usual, I'm asking you good BW'ers about all this. Thanks in advance for your input! | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Try looking at some of the classic car refurb suppliers for upholstery kits. | ||
| Reepicheep |
If you want to stay cheap, you might be able to do it yourself and not have it be a disaster. I did a cafe racer seat, which was likely much harder than your problem, and it turned out tolerable. I got the material (exact same stuff used on dirt bike seats) at a local big fabric store. Hard to find it in their stacks, but it was there and it was cheap ($8 per yard or something).  I also picked up a $20 harbor freight pneumatic staple gun to simplify it. | ||
| 86129squids |
I kind of feel like my abilities would suffice, given a fair amount of instruction and Youtube, various and sundry types of research... I've got a great public library too, might go looking there. | ||
| Etennuly |
You want good looking inexpensive upholstery re-do in your boat?  Me too! I've had mine nine years. Still just throwing beach towels over the seats.  Remember this; "a boat is a hole in the water in which to throw money". I cannot justify a $2000 upholstery job on a boat that will be worth $2800 when it is done. No offense, but your boat will be worth about $1600 after you put $2200 in it. I would bet if you spent $3000 you could make it worth about $1800.(yes my calculator has been calibrated for boat ownership) I watched a buddy spend $6000 on a boat that he already owned, to sell it for $3900. It is totally possible to get a running boat for nothing, and loose money on it while never get in a boat ride.  One of those "if you can't do it yourself" things. | ||
| Schwiiing |
Upholstery isn't rocket science. I've tinkered w/ re-upholstering my dining room chairs, assisted w/ recovering the seat on my Cyclone, and this past weekend recovered my antique poker table. You'll want to find marine grade fabric and closed cell foam for your seats. You can play around with layering different density foams, or just use a single. An electric carving knife (the kind you'd use on a turkey) is great for shaping the foam. Aerosol Adhesive is your friend for getting things in place until you are able to tack it in place. It's also used on any concave surface to pull the covering material down into the curves. Start w/ fresh plywood if needed, spray w/ the adhesive, and glue the block of foam to it. Use a marker to sketch out your shape and cut back to the marks w/ the electric carving knife. Spray adhesive onto the shaped foam and lay the material over tacking onto the back of the board. Use a "blind tack" (google how to do it) to attach a back cover that hides the front cover tacks, and you're pretty much finished. It can be a pretty rewarding project when you sit back and look at what you've accomplished. Good luck. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"I got the material (exact same stuff used on dirt bike seats) at a local big fabric store. Hard to find it in their stacks, but it was there and it was cheap ($8 per yard or something)." Sorry for thread jack, squids, but thanks for the idea, Reepi. Got a rip in the beemer's seat, might be time for a DIY repair. Answers to many of life's dilemnas found right here on the badweb  . | ||
| Sifo |
Just take a good look at what you are taking out and reverse engineer it. It's usually pretty basic stuff, plywood, closed cell foam, vinyl, vinyl piping and staples. You might need a sewing machine (and someone who knows how to use the infernal thing) depending on how fancy the seats are. Often they are just flapped over on the bottom of the cushion. A bit of heat with a warm iron will help flatten folds and what not on the underside. | ||
| Kenm123t |
Squids look up the boat supply places you can buy new seats etc cheaper than you fix the old ones | ||
| 86129squids |
Thanks all for the good advice, Vern, you in particular seem to have an idea of what I need to do. Bubba engineering here we go. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Belinda, if you can sew (or supply beer to somebody else who can sew) the stuff I got would work well for a repair... Carefully remove the old cover, and use the stuff from the fabric store to either just replace the bad panels, or use the old seat as a pattern for the new seat. I think Dennis Kirk sells the seat material in bulk, but the stuff I found was cheaper and looked like just as nice as the stuff I've bought as high dollar name brand dirt bike seat covers. Bubba engineering is underrated. I'm all for new and beautiful machines that work perfectly, they are wonderful. But I think we as a country need to re-embrace redneck "cheap fixes that work" engineering and respect and appreciate that as well. It's a wonderful thing ecologically, economically, and creatively. | ||
| Oldog |
I think we as a country need to re-embrace redneck "cheap fixes that work" engineering and respect and appreciate that as well. It's a wonderful thing ecologically, economically, and creatively.  That's an accurate statement. Hey Brad you need to post pics on your Bubba project, (so we can cheer you on) | ||
| 86129squids |
Thanks again for all the good input, folks... What it boils down to is the fact that with the exception of the "back to back" seats, which aren't too far from new, everything else is trash. The vinyl is shot, and the wood it had covered is now ant food, simply crumbling to dust. The boat itself is in fine shape, just needs a serious clean and detail, but if I wanted to head out on the water right now, it'd go just fine. I'm feeling pretty sure that with the right research, the right materials sourcing, a shit-ton of elbow grease, and hopefully a good buddy to share labor and beer with, it could turn out nicely. Trivia fact: Since I acquired this boat from the good friends of my honey, in her "honor" it will be given her nickname, my pet name for her... "Wackadoo". So, with that theme in mind, I've gotta re-do this potentially nice runabout the right/best way possible. Gonna deposit my paycheck today, pay bills, and then see what I've got leftover to play with. Hey Vern- wanna come down and "play" sometime? | ||
| Etennuly |
Hey Brad!!You first!  If I had the time and desire to mess with fixing a boat, mine would probably be done just because of it's proximity to me. I'd rather use it than fix it, it is really low on my chart of projects(the only thing I can see that is lower is fixing your boat  ). It runs well, looks OK from fifty feet, pulls a tube full of screaming kids, floats good, I can fish from it, and most importantly it is paid for. Funny thing, the wife, kids, grand kids only complain about the looks of the seats/carpet stuff on the way to the boat, on the way back they just talk about the fun they had on the lake! The worst thing that can happen in boat ownership is boat payments and the required additional insurance. That, on a machine that has for me, gone nearly a year at a time without being used. Other years it gets used frequently. I seem to get a lot more use out of it in dry summer situations. When we have wet summers, like this year, I spend my "extra" time mowing.....a lot. | ||
| 86129squids |
Love you too, man, thanks for keepin' it real.  I noticed a crucial difference between MC's and boats, although they're both essentially "toys" (MC's can do the work commute though)... MC's allow for almost immediate gratification. Gear up, gas up or run by the nearest pump, and go at it until satisfied. Boats (unless dry-docked) require at least 3 hours of prep before firing the motor, including the drive to/from the put-in. Add the travel time and disembarkation to come home, about 2/3 for going out. NOT immediate gratification... I guess I'll figure it out. Just gotta learn how to evict all the bugs, ESPECIALLY the spiders. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Get a fumigator pack like they use in shipping containers & put it in the boat under a well wrapped plastic sheet. | ||
| Xben9r |
Squids, you can redo the interior yourself very easily and come in with a low budget. There are a lot of forums that are great resources for the project, iboats being one of the most active and informative. One big note before you spend another penny on this boat check the integrity of the transom, as strange as this sounds stand on the anti-cavitation plate of the motor and 'bounce' your weight on it, if there is ANY movement in the transom step down and run away from this boat. I have a '74 Checkmate MX-16 that is a great little project for me and my family. When it is done it will be a 60mph+ boat that puts a smile on my face just like my Buell. There is a chance to turn the boat upside down cost wise but it all boils down to what makes you and yours smile.  Ben | ||
| Etennuly |
You are absolutely correct about the prep time for a boating trip. My prep always includes topping off the battery charge, testing electricals, and wet starting the motor after hooking the trailer to my truck. Three hours is about right by the time you load the cooler and fishing gear. I have had my boat loaded, tested, and prepped four times this summer. It has only been in the water once. Two times the weather changed and once I just ran out of time.  Weather is a big factor. Rain is not as big of a deal as the wind and lightning. For fishing I'd much rather be out in a calm rain than on a sunny windy day. Wind just sucks.  I was out one early morning in my former bass boat in a lake in central South Florida several years ago. A strong thunder/lightening/hail storm came up fast. I was a couple miles up the lake from the ramp. Florida lakes are usually less than five feet deep, the swells were at four feet at a 45 degree angle to the shore. The swells were going out about thirty feet out from shore. We backed the truck and trailer down the ramp to the point the waves were going over the tail gate in order to have enough water to launch the boat up onto the trailer. I had to ride a short fast deep wave into the trailer's front guide, keeping the prop engaged, while my son-in-law had to race the truck out of the water so that it did not wash the boat back off the trailer. What a bear that was! | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Save all that mucking about, flog the boat & get yourself a practical useable tool. http://www.dukw.com/dukwv.html | ||
| Xb1125r |
having a bout seems so time consuming. sounds like more people spend time maintaning them then actually enjoyign them, but then again with gas prices of today! thanks to president O | ||
| Hootowl |
A boat is a hole in the ocean you throw money into, so the saying goes. They sure are fun though. | ||
| 86129squids |
Yeah, Obama told me to buy his expensive gas too. That's your second purely brilliant post I've read today. | ||
| Tq_freak |
B.O.A.T Bust Out Another Thousand | ||
| 86129squids |
Tq- Good one! The thing is, as it sits there with gas, I'm doing just fine, gots less than $1K in it! I just have to become that person I've ALWAYS wanted to be, ORGANIZED, and get to the point that I can easily get all my shiznot together for a day on the water. Might give it a try this coming Monday, if I can beat back the honey-do list enuf. | ||
| Hootowl |
It IS possible to enjoy a boat. My sister and her husband came into a boat in much the same way you did. It needed some work, but mostly a good cleaning. They pay $2K a year for a spot in the marina that's a few blocks from their house, and they use the boat quite frequently, weather permitting. | ||
| Aesquire |
Boats, Airplanes, both expensive time consuming toys.... or vehicles to take you where you could never, otherwise, go. Is a boat worth it? HAH! on what scale? Mr Grumpy, I always wanted a Schwimmwagan. Not too many made it here, used up rat racing during the occupation, I suppose, but a little less hard to park than the Dukw. ( not that I wouldn't mind one of those, either. ) Maybe I should just break out those old hovercraft plans. It's only a few miles to the nearest creek. Could use it in winter too. http://www.oldbug.com/schwim1.htm | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Aesquire, building a hovercraft has been on my "to do" list for a good number of years. Life & motorcycles keep getting in the way & pushing it down the list though. | ||
| Etennuly |
Loving a boat comes easy at the right time and place! Fourth of July and Labor Day are generally the busiest boating days on most American lakes. Usually not particularly good fishing days. Those are the two most likely days you might see other boats decorated with young ladies clad in bikini bottoms!   .....me.....I like fishing myself.  | ||
| Skntpig |
Thank you Obama for keeping the fuel prices down so everyone can run their boats. Hmmm...One who complains about fuel prices today forgets that between G Ws beginning and end of term... fuel prices tripled from around $1.50 and peaked at over $410 for regular. Of course we all know the president controls the gas prices. Wait... Back to your regular scheduled program. Aerospace 303 for all your vinyl protection once you get the interior in. Great everyday cleaner and protectant. You can get it online and west marine. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Yeah. There is a knob on the armrest of the oval office desk. It controls the prices directly. |
