# Firearms and Shooting > Projects and Home Builds >  boat Hardtop project

## Bill999

so heres something iv been working away at for the last month and a half since I baught a new hull
I borrowed my dads trailer and set off to palmy (from kaitaia) and picked this up

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## Bill999

So it begins

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## Bill999

for anyone who thinks trying to build anything with an arc and aluminum rods is a good idea just know it is not, i got covered in burns and they are weak as can be
but when you have $100 worth of them and no other option you persist

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## Bill999

Got a mate who was off work to give me a hand to mig it together

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Starting to take shape

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## Bill999

Enlisted the help of my partner and she used her brilliance to overlay in photo shop what I wanted the boat to look like

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## Bill999

Hashed this out and added it in as per decisions made on the photoshop pic

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## Bill999

Found this puzzle piece on trademe so dad and I went down to auckland to pick it up

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## Bill999

hashing out the bow rail

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## Bill999

I got a little bit distracted and started building the transom as the old one was as ugly as sin

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## Bill999

Finally sourced a trailer that fits and began the railing

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## Bill999

attacking the bow rail

it was taken on and off 3 times during this process and really was a bit of a pain

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## Bill999

Enlisted my next victim, I mean helper, my brother to help pattern the windows

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## Bill999

finished off the bow rail and tig'ed it inplace

and added something else rather noticeable

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## Bill999

Steering fitting and battery cutouts made






not quite as satisfing as the big jobs but equally time consuming

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## Bill999

windows going in with the help from my brother

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## Bill999

and that for the moment is where I am up to

just sorting out the battery isolation system for the twin batteries and the thing that makes them both charge 

and having a go at running the wires ahead of the system calibration fit up this friday at the marine shop to get the motor running

I cant wait to get this baby in the water as Iv been tough on myself and said no fishing till the project is done so 1. I save money and 2. I actually get something done as I am notorious for starting a project and loosing interest and taking forever to finish it (if it even ever gets finished) so Im keen to not see that happen here

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## Beaker

That looks bloody brilllent.!

Well done so far and looking forward to the fish pics  :Have A Nice Day:

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## puku

It's a fairly large project to take on. And I think a big improvement too! 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

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## Munsey

looks like the shit now . Nice lines  :Cool:

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## 199p

Holly crap mate what an improvement

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## Bill999

I've never had so many grinder cuts welder burns and beers in such a short time frame 

On the bright side I got the battery's wired up and the hatches fitted

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## Bill999

> looks like the shit now . Nice lines


Thanks mate if it ends up real shit I'll axe the top off and make it into a centre console

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## Bill999

> That looks bloody brilllent.!
> 
> Well done so far and looking forward to the fish pics


I'm looking forward to all nighters 

Might have to go hassle some swords

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## 7mmwsm

Looks really good.
My only question would be, Is the hard top strong enough to take a wave?

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## Bill999

yea mate it was strong enough to dance on before we even seam welded it, then the glass went in after that

Im a big believer of "if its worth doing, its worth over doing"

aparently a lot of manufacturers use the glass to hold their hard tops together, looking at the surtees ones(while I like them and think they are great) whats holding them up is 4 poles the size of my hand rails

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## Bill999

> Looks really good.
> My only question would be, Is the hard top strong enough to take a wave?



I suppose the only thing that would let go would be the cast acrylic exploding from a wave hitting it, bear in mind that if a wave hits there it would have otherwise gone straight over the top of the boat as it was, and these boats are very boyant
I think it will be fine as this is the sister product of bullet proof glass

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## Bill999

the side without the bucket jammed in as a brace haha.

mind the flatty

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## Bill999

just doing the grind tonight, small unsatisfying jobs that seem insignificant but need to be done like riveting and cable tying as well as hooking up the bilge pump ect
brefly had my brother here to finish the siliconing but he ran out of citrus cleaner so he disappeared soon after 

oh yea and the gauges arrived so they went in with a bit of holesawing

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## Dynastar27

awesome project looks good

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## Bill999

thanks man each step is getting me that much closer to getting back out on the water

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## ChrisF

What a Brillent job you done , awesome , it looks just like a proper factory one .

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## Bill999

thanks chris

shes in getting the motor hooked up and controls calibrated today, hopefully by the end of the day it will be ready to fish
which is about bloody time as i need a dose of vitamin sea

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## samba

bloody good job

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## 25/08IMP

Great job just needs an acid wash. 

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

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## Bill999

> Great job just needs an acid wash. 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


any idea where i can get it from mate? 

The research iv done has all said its bloody dangerious stuff

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## veitnamcam

> any idea where i can get it from mate? 
> 
> The research iv done has all said its bloody dangerious stuff


Any welding supply place should see ya right.
Just dont get it in your eyes or drink it.

Sent from my SM-G800Y using Tapatalk

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## 25/08IMP

> any idea where i can get it from mate? 
> 
> The research iv done has all said its bloody dangerious stuff


Yea I'll have a look what I used still got lots left after I've done mine.
I'll let you know then I put nyalic on it works a treat.

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## Bill999

Mean this is the info I need

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## veitnamcam

> Yea I'll have a look what I used still got lots left after I've done mine.
> I'll let you know then I put nyalic on it works a treat.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


Tell me all about Nyalic please.

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## 25/08IMP

> Tell me all about Nyalic please.


It's like a clear coat you put on after acid wash most Senator and Surtees boats are done with it if they are unpainted.
Makes it so easy to wash and keeps any Ali looking good.

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## veitnamcam

> It's like a clear coat you put on after acid wash most Senator and Surtees boats are done with it if they are unpainted.
> Makes it so easy to wash and keeps any Ali looking good.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


Yep I know that much already, cost of product? easy to apply? I heard it doesn't like spilled fuel? Yep keeps things looking good but after a while with the inevitable scratches is it easy enough to remove and re acid wash and reapply?

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## 25/08IMP

Yea real easy to apply just use a small foam roller goes on like water and yes it hates fuel I just splashed water on first before filling up so if it spilt it wouldn't damage it.

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## Bill999

Picked her up this afternoon from the marine shop 
even got to hear her run for the first time
very smooth and slick sounding outboard, just got to pop the tank in tonight/this afternoon and im ready for a test run (maybe this evening now the rubbish weather has passed)

just in time for the beautiful looking weekend coming

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## madjon_

> Attachment 46156
> 
> Picked her up this afternoon from the marine shop 
> even got to hear her run for the first time
> very smooth and slick sounding outboard, just got to pop the tank in tonight/this afternoon and im ready for a test run (maybe this evening now the rubbish weather has passed)
> 
> just in time for the beautiful looking weekend coming


Don't you just love it when a plan comes together :Cool: 
Hard work well done

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## Bill999

> Don't you just love it when a plan comes together
> Hard work well done


Mate I cant wait 
my fishing withdrawals are getting severe

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## JoshC

Top job mate! How long has the build taken you?

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## Bill999

I got the hull in December so that really was the start date

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## deepsouthaussie

Well done. Smashed it out!

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## JoshC

> I got the hull in December so that really was the start date


Good effort  :Cool:

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## Bill999

Im notorious for starting a project and loosing interest in it before its complete, like the 15hp motor I have under my house for the last 4 or 5 years......
so this time I wanted to make sure that I didnt end up doing the same ( the guy I baught it off gave up on it after what looks like 15min of removing the old windscreen)

this afternoon is the test run, and tomorro is the real maden voyage 

so hopefully my next post is a positive one  :Grin: 

vhf and fish finder go in today, and I also dishwashing liquid washed the entire interior with a broom to get the spilled powersteering fluid out

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## Bill999

Goes like a rocket

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## puku

Awesome! Top work man! 

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## Savage1

Awesome thread, I've got a mate that was looking at doing exactly that.

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## Bill999

Was a good day out on the water
The tuna / Marlin didn't show up but the snapper helped out by filling the bin

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## kimjon

Will done mate, that's a big project to take on and you've done it with style!

Kj

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## Bill999

Im pleased with how well it goes, the motor is a honey and the top feels mint, which is awesome because I wasnt sure if I would like it 
now I can finish the fit out to my likeing rather than just for selling it, 

and pop my other boat on trademe to get me back out of the poor house and off my noodle diet haha

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## 199p

good job mate looks mint

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## Bill999

thanks mate, I think it will look pretty slick once the rocket launcher goes on this week(hopefully) and the carpet goes in

time will tell if i paint it, as its a bit of a prick on alloy aparently 

Just lifting the outboard up a few inches today and looking at changing over the electronics from my old boat

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## Bill999

Out with the old



In with the other old but bomb diggity from my old boat



And this other good shit to go in that I'm transporting from my old boat

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## Bill999

With the wind trolling in chop
Hangs around 6 against the wind which is pretty sweet in the chop



Happy camper watching Dolphins 



Not really what I was hoping for in the lures

Had a stripy in the gear pull the out rigger clip bit the hook pulled and one rat King to round the day out

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## Bill999

Spent a weekend at great barrier fitted the rocket launcher and then spent the next weekend at mayor island
Almost ready to take her to 3 kings

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## Bill999

Spent a weekend at great barrier fitted the rocket launcher and then spent the next weekend at mayor island
Almost ready to take her to 3 kings

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## Gibo

Soueast bay  :Thumbsup:  many a rum a drunken in there  :Wink:

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## Bill999

I gotta say diving in the marine reserve around the corner was bloody awesome 
the snapper are not at all shy

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## kotuku

cool.dog must like it .hes parked up already waitin for you to go on a testdrive.a cracker rig.

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## Bill999

dog loves it when the dolphins are around and the birds are working around the boat, the excitement boils over when they turn up

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