Lady Bug
- Thread starter tx river rat
- Start date
Got the bottom refinished and all the scratches out.
Final coat of epoxy on the bottom and sides.
Ron
Final coat of epoxy on the bottom and sides.
Ron
Flipped the bug over and started working on the hatches,
cut out the spacers and the lips
glued in the spacer ,you never have enough clamps
sanded it flush with the inside of the opening
then glued in the lip for the seal
hatches just need a gasket and bunjis now
Ron
cut out the spacers and the lips
glued in the spacer ,you never have enough clamps
sanded it flush with the inside of the opening
then glued in the lip for the seal
hatches just need a gasket and bunjis now
Ron
Final coats of epoxy on decks and cockpit
We will let her cure for a few days the a light sanding and the spar varnish will be applied
Ron
We will let her cure for a few days the a light sanding and the spar varnish will be applied
Ron
I figured she was cured enough and sparayed the first coat of spar varnish on today ,few more days and she will be ready to pick up.
Ron
Ron
Last coat of varnish applied
Now I can start on the finishing up of hatches ,getting close now
Ron
Now I can start on the finishing up of hatches ,getting close now
Ron
Wrapping the Lady bug up .
Gasket applied on hatch openings.
This Lady likes red so I made the soft pad eyes from red straps
Mounted them and put on the bunji cords
Mounted the seat . all I have left to do is clean her up now ,oh and red rope for the carry handles.
Ron
Gasket applied on hatch openings.
This Lady likes red so I made the soft pad eyes from red straps
Mounted them and put on the bunji cords
Mounted the seat . all I have left to do is clean her up now ,oh and red rope for the carry handles.
Ron
Thanks Matt
She turned out pretty good I think. As long as the Lady is happy with it I am tickled plumb pink.
Ron
She turned out pretty good I think. As long as the Lady is happy with it I am tickled plumb pink.
Ron
Horaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I am finished ,she is ready to pick up.
Now for a little story to go with the boat.
No one sees the bad things that happen to a boat during the build and dont normally even hear about them.
Well here is my horror story for this boat.
I had the boat tacked up and rough sanded and before I put a coat of epoxy filler on it I wet it down so I could get a good ideal for the colors of my fillets.
She is looking pretty good and slick. After she dried I was going to move her inside my tunnel. Thats when the trouble started. I picked her up ,now I have a thumb that was blown off a few years ago ,they reattached it but my grip isnt as good in my left hand,Well gingerly I picked up the bug and as I started to go to the tunnel the dang wind jumped up high, took that hull right out of my hand, when it hit the ground it split every seam I had tacked , the only thing holding it together was the ends. It looked like a banana peel
That was a heart breaking sight, I just turned around and walked off. After a hour or so I went back and started looking at the wreck the next morning went back to work on her and here she is finished.
Not one piece of wood broke ,just the tacked seams.
Ron
I am finished ,she is ready to pick up.
Now for a little story to go with the boat.
No one sees the bad things that happen to a boat during the build and dont normally even hear about them.
Well here is my horror story for this boat.
I had the boat tacked up and rough sanded and before I put a coat of epoxy filler on it I wet it down so I could get a good ideal for the colors of my fillets.
She is looking pretty good and slick. After she dried I was going to move her inside my tunnel. Thats when the trouble started. I picked her up ,now I have a thumb that was blown off a few years ago ,they reattached it but my grip isnt as good in my left hand,Well gingerly I picked up the bug and as I started to go to the tunnel the dang wind jumped up high, took that hull right out of my hand, when it hit the ground it split every seam I had tacked , the only thing holding it together was the ends. It looked like a banana peel
That was a heart breaking sight, I just turned around and walked off. After a hour or so I went back and started looking at the wreck the next morning went back to work on her and here she is finished.
Not one piece of wood broke ,just the tacked seams.
Ron
Hey Ron,
My Dad always said "ya just can't tell the luck of a lousy calf". What you had was a giagantic stroke of luck. What kind of feeling went through your gut when the wind took it from you?
Bob
My Dad always said "ya just can't tell the luck of a lousy calf". What you had was a giagantic stroke of luck. What kind of feeling went through your gut when the wind took it from you?
Bob
This is a family forum so I cant type what I said, but there was some leaves on the trees scorched and had to put a couple grass fires out. My first reaction was to finish the job and put it in the fire pit . Then later I got to thinking about it, hell I put every strip together and built it I could put them back together again and then I went to work. It took 20 hours of work to get back to where I was when the wind caught it.
My trees has spread some more and what is under them is doing well , whats in the sun all day is burnt up.
Ron
My trees has spread some more and what is under them is doing well , whats in the sun all day is burnt up.
Ron
You did a good job of it. You cannot tell that it had a splintered past by looking at it. You can hang a picture of that one on your wall.
Bob
Bob
Dahhhhhhhhh
That pic is back a couple months ,right before I crashed the boat,thats why the grass is green.
As always happens I learned a lot on this build ,by the time I am an old man maybe I will be a decent builder.
Thanks for the support and comment on this thread also.
Ron
That pic is back a couple months ,right before I crashed the boat,thats why the grass is green.
As always happens I learned a lot on this build ,by the time I am an old man maybe I will be a decent builder.
Thanks for the support and comment on this thread also.
Ron
hey ron like you said if you hadn,t said something we would have never knowed. :wink: :lol: i,m sure you aint the only one thats had a problem. :wink: it sure is a pretty boat . if they don,t want it you can send it my way for charity. 
:lol:
:lol:Here is a pick of the way I mounted the seat and using a small bunji cord to hold in the pins you adjust it with.
Ron
Ron
This is wrap up day . got the Lady bug out and wiped her of they are going to take her to her new home today
New owner Stacie and Ricky
They seemed tickled with the rig.
Ron
New owner Stacie and Ricky
They seemed tickled with the rig.
Ron