Commander 26 Re Build

[Rain City]

That is better. However most pleasure boaters won't use epoxy because it won't give you that shiny glossy finish. Usually lays down differently and doesn't cure with a clear coat finish like a poly product will. I've done some with etching primer and Endura. Honestly that is more durable. Powder is honestly crap in the long run. Not suitable for long term marine use. It's cheap and easy.


Endurance and Awlgrip ( same **** ). 4 times the cost but holds up. Super flexible durable finish.


Your doing one of the coolest boat build I've seen in a ling time. Take your time. Don't rush. That will be a fantastic boat. One of the coolest around here.

Ps ditch those pipe plug lights. You want lights do bolt on.

Doesn't Coastal Craft Epoxy paint their entire boats?

Found this...

FAIRING AND PAINTING​

Our dedicated yacht fairing and painting craftsman take great pride in the finishes they produce time and time again. Their painstaking efforts and attention to detail mean the difference between a painted boat and luxury yacht finish. From grinding and etching to priming and fairing to final primers and top coats no corners are cut. Using industry leading Awlgrip Yacht coatings and fairing products ensures the best possible adhesion, smoothest surfaces and highest gloss marine finishes. These topside products include etch primers, ultra-build and high-build primers, spray fair, final primers and top coatings. Special engine compartment coatings are applied to interior bilges and mechanical spaces. Sound dampening coatings are strategically applied to areas within each vessel to reduce vibrational, air borne and mechanical noises. Bottom paint coatings included etch primers, epoxy barrier coatings and antifouling bottom paints. These speciality yacht paint products, in the hands of our professional craftspeople, produce the most beautiful and long lasting finishes in the industry.

 

[Sttr]

Doesn't Coastal Craft Epoxy paint their entire boats?

Found this...

FAIRING AND PAINTING​

Our dedicated yacht fairing and painting craftsman take great pride in the finishes they produce time and time again. Their painstaking efforts and attention to detail mean the difference between a painted boat and luxury yacht finish. From grinding and etching to priming and fairing to final primers and top coats no corners are cut. Using industry leading Awlgrip Yacht coatings and fairing products ensures the best possible adhesion, smoothest surfaces and highest gloss marine finishes. These topside products include etch primers, ultra-build and high-build primers, spray fair, final primers and top coatings. Special engine compartment coatings are applied to interior bilges and mechanical spaces. Sound dampening coatings are strategically applied to areas within each vessel to reduce vibrational, air borne and mechanical noises. Bottom paint coatings included etch primers, epoxy barrier coatings and antifouling bottom paints. These speciality yacht paint products, in the hands of our professional craftspeople, produce the most beautiful and long lasting finishes in the industry.

Ron has painted entire boats with epoxy. Can’t wait to see what he can do!

 

[Sttr]

That is better. However most pleasure boaters won't use epoxy because it won't give you that shiny glossy finish. Usually lays down differently and doesn't cure with a clear coat finish like a poly product will. I've done some with etching primer and Endura. Honestly that is more durable. Powder is honestly crap in the long run. Not suitable for long term marine use. It's cheap and easy.


Endurance and Awlgrip ( same **** ). 4 times the cost but holds up. Super flexible durable finish.


Your doing one of the coolest boat build I've seen in a ling time. Take your time. Don't rush. That will be a fantastic boat. One of the coolest around here.

Ps ditch those pipe plug lights. You want lights do bolt on.

Thanks , some of these ideas on here amazing, dropping my deck.. linseed oil for teak… too many to mention. These lights look super cool, made in us and feel like quality, but I have never used them. I’m not total happy with the mounting for the lights, I wanted welded bungs and got flat bar tapped to 1/2 npt, the issue is someone drilled and tapped it crooked and my light doesn’t sit straight, I would have to rely on the pipe dope to seal on the threads and that would technically be my only sealing area, the light housing must be flush against the pod to seal.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Should I be drilling my pod mounting holes in the pod BEFORE powder coating? Now it’s just making more sense to. Also to inside of the pod was not powder coated, should I address this also when I send my pod out to get redone?

I didn't with pod I just got made. The worst is to put holes into something and not have them line up. I would mark and drill on install. Take some epoxy paint and touch up after the fact of you want. I use powdercoating all the time at my job and it is not an issue to drill out holes after. Just touch them up.

That fit up a transom you shows is major problem though. Looks like it will have to be remade. I know when my pod was getting made it was installed on the boat and tack welded first. They pre mounted before it was sent for powdercoating.

 

[SpringVelocity]

No shim, this will be repaired properly and powder coated again, not sure the process involved in re powder coating it

It has to be sandblasted. Might be a total redo honestly. Depending on cost sandblast etc.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Oh one last thing go with a primer underneath your powder coating. Some guys skip this big mistake. Just ask for it. When it chips off in a few years that is why.

 

[Aquaholic]

Isn’t there a lot of heat in a true powder coating process? Would that heat have caused the change in what the template showed and what the end result was?

 

[SpringVelocity]

Isn’t there a lot of heat in a true powder coating process? Would that heat have caused the change in what the template showed and what the end result was?

Yes. You don't see any deforming with aluminum usually. It tends to show up in stainless. Sometimes steel depending on geometry.

 

[Sttr]

I didn't with pod I just got made. The worst is to put holes into something and not have them line up. I would mark and drill on install. Take some epoxy paint and touch up after the fact of you want. I use powdercoating all the time at my job and it is not an issue to drill out holes after. Just touch them up.

That fit up a transom you shows is major problem though. Looks like it will have to be remade. I know when my pod was getting made it was for tobtge boat and tack welded first. They pre mounted before it was sent for powdercoating.

I thought about the installation process and had a few different ideas, tacking the pod on the boat never crossed my mind. With the transom perfectly straight I didn’t even think there would be a issue. If the pod was straight there wouldn’t be a issue. The powder coating cost me 330 bucks so I wasnt worried too much about it, my worry was timing and my pod got delayed so many weeks already that I just dropped it off to get powder coated as soon as it was ready and sandblasted.
Im trying to figure out the best way to mount it,
I do have a template but am sceptical, I would like to set it in place and mount it with 4x 1/2 bolts. Then drill the other holes and mount 5/8 hardware, then remove the four 1/2 bolts and drill them out to 5/8 in case the template for the first 4 was off a bit. Also thinking about beefing up to 3/4 or 1” hardware

 

[Sttr]

Isn’t there a lot of heat in a true powder coating process? Would that heat have caused the change in what the template showed and what the end result was?

Maybe he took it to Alberta and welded it there

 

[Corbin]

That is better. However most pleasure boaters won't use epoxy because it won't give you that shiny glossy finish. Usually lays down differently and doesn't cure with a clear coat finish like a poly product will. I've done some with etching primer and Endura. Honestly that is more durable. Powder is honestly crap in the long run. Not suitable for long term marine use. It's cheap and easy.


Endurance and Awlgrip ( same **** ). 4 times the cost but holds up. Super flexible durable finish.


Your doing one of the coolest boat build I've seen in a ling time. Take your time. Don't rush. That will be a fantastic boat. One of the coolest around here.

Ps ditch those pipe plug lights. You want lights do bolt on.

Perfect. That helps to confirm everything I have gathered. I have seen a few metal boats that used several coats of epoxy and then did a final high gloss poly finish. I know of one steel commercial fish boat that went this route, after 20 years the only place that there was any corrosion is where the paint had been abraded off.

 

[Sttr]

One more concern with the pod is the extension that was added, structural integrity I’m not worried about . What I am worried about is the pieces are not connected perfectly straight and the welds are either indented or grinded to make it flush. I am worried about air bubbles forming. I definitely don’t want to loose any performance because of this.

 

[Sttr]

Oh boy, I want a new pod

 

[kaelc]

Not a welder but with some alloys stress relief is needed after welding? https://www.clintonaluminum.com/stress-relieving-processes-for-aluminum-alloys/

 

[kingblazer84]

One more concern with the pod is the extension that was added, structural integrity I’m not worried about . What I am worried about is the pieces are not connected perfectly straight and the welds are either indented or grinded to make it flush. I am worried about air bubbles forming. I definitely don’t want to loose any performance because of this. View attachment 76424View attachment 76425View attachment 76426View attachment 76427View attachment 76428View attachment 76429

Looks like buddy either has glasses like bubbles from trailer park boys or just doesn’t know how to build a straight pod… lol maybe even both!

 

[Thunder21]

A couple ideas regarding the pod. If you are really going to redo it, I would have it built in a way that you aren’t relying on caulking to keep water out of the pod. I would want the front of the pod that meets the hull completely welded closed . Also, you can weld channel where the engines mount in a way that allows you to install the engines without having the bolts go through into the pod.

 

[Sttr]

Looks like buddy either has glasses like bubbles from trailer park boys or just doesn’t know how to build a straight pod… lol maybe even both!

This is where you blame the apprentice?

 

[ship happens]

Isn’t there a lot of heat in a true powder coating process? Would that heat have caused the change in what the template showed and what the end result was?

That is a very good question. However will not do that to a fabricated welded piece of equipment. Powder coaters know how to heat things up and cool them down. It's part of the process for sure. I've had tons of things powder coated with zero issues of warpage or twisting.

 

[TheHurtLocker]

A couple ideas regarding the pod. If you are really going to redo it, I would have it built in a way that you aren’t relying on caulking to keep water out of the pod. I would want the front of the pod that meets the hull completely welded closed . Also, you can weld channel where the engines mount in a way that allows you to install the engines without having the bolts go through into the pod.

I was going to say the same thing. When they built mine, the pod itself is completely sealed.

 

[Fisher_dude]

I work with stainless and aluminum every day. Stainless pulls like a SOB with welding. Aluminum not so much. I just think that it’s shoddy craftsmanship after looking at the grinding and such. I also agree with everyone else that the pod should be completely sealed. All it takes is one small area and you’ve got water intrusion into it. I’ve been trying to think about how to fix that bow in it but after seeing everything else, I’d probably just start fresh. That whole bottom of the pod should be broke out of one piece of material, not scabbed together out of multiple pieces.