Question-removing bench seats from jon 2025

Fishing Buds reply :

How ya do fellas.

Me & my son have a 1436 flat jon and I'm putting plans together for a project(inspired by low budget hookers boat) and I'd like to remove the two bench seats.

Question is: does anyone have personal experience with this? know it, seen it, touched it?

Is there Structural problems?

I've for two days looked back to see if there was any old post on this topic but, I did not find any. I've seen the "my jon boat" site but I'd like to hear from someone with actaul experience on this.

any help would be a blessing.

thanks

Catt reply :

Question is: does anyone have personal experience with this? know it, seen it, touched it?

Answer is: yes

Question is there Structural problems?

Answer is: yes

Solution: you will have to add additional ribs to replace the structural integrity lost by removing the seats.

Fishing Buds reply :

Thanks Catt, I believe I do not wanna put in more ribs, that may be above my talent. I was really looking into leg room as your sitting(gotta bad back). poppen the feet up on the sides and trying to rest comfortly for two hours against the seats and casting is rough on this big boy. I still got some Ideas tho.

More on the boat, me and the son had a 12' jon last year and sold in hopes that I would get a bigger one. Lord found one for us about 4 weeks ago, 14' jon, trailer and a mercury 6hp that purrs for $600 bucks! The fella I got it from had a canopy and a big ol' high back office chair on it, It did look comfy but, I let him keep the chair

needles to say we were excited when I bruoght her home

I let the kids paint and camo right away

not bad

Like I said its a 1436 as you see

you can see how deep it is using the battery as a guide

Back on the old drawing board tho, I still like the red Low Budget Hookers boat.

I'll keep thinken.

Catt reply :

Well alrighty then

This is a perfect example of why it is important to provide as much informant as possible when asking questions.

After reviewing your photos it would be possible to remove the middle seat with out losing structural integrity. If you notice your seats are not attached to the floor, ribs were added on both side of each seat, some manufacturers use the seat as structural strength and do not add ribs. If my calculations are correct if you remove the seat you will be left with 20 holes in the side of the boat, my suggestion would be to have these holes welded. Many people believe welding makes the aluminum brittle, this is false since most all aluminum boat are made from 6061T6 aluminum which is highly wieldable.

Good luck, that is a fine project for you and your son, keep us updated

Fishing Buds reply :

alright Catt back in buisness ;D

Watcha think of http://durafix.com/index.html#order

Looks easy for me?

Catt reply :

That'll work

bassbob08 reply :

Nice project,it will work ive done it,no problem.

Fishing Buds reply :

Thanks Guys,

Catt I'll check the hole count on the sides

well this is awsome then

I've got two cracks to weld up as well, I like the idea of the durafix- wanna have a smooth weld as best I can, Me and the Son are wanting to repaint it ;D

I'm wanting to approach it with the Interlux paint just like L.B.H. did, and Iam aware of the dry time on it.

question: Is etching primer able to be brushed on? :-?

Catt reply :

question: Is etching primer able to be brushed on?

answer: Yes

Fishing Buds reply :

Thanks again Catt

well I think I'll get started stripping the paint(been told don't worry about it) but, I do want to try and get a smooth finish best as possible.

I'll post pictures as I go, besides thats fun too.

You know before I found this particular site I was wondering about some of the changes, Ideas I had, going all electric?? :-?

This mercury (nice motar) I've got, did not go as well as I thought or I should say, as cool as I thought. The yanking for starting, the gas fumes too :) didn't realize how strong they could get. Funny thing is when I sat in my little jon with a trolling motor I'd *** those passing by me with a gas motor reaching other places I feared to reach, now I realize how far with the correct equipment you can go, and the headaches aren't so bad 8-)

Man I'm tellin ya Lots of Ideas here ;D

Thanks again.

Fishing Buds reply :

Didn't get to start saturday, lawn mower issues >

Catt I'd like to run a closer picture of the seat for ya.

there's only 9 holes holdong it on-3 on each side and 3 at the top

welp took everthing off

cracks I gotta weld

and at last but not least-prove that we started on her

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Catt reply :

Ok Bud, that crack is on the cap on the transom, go to Lowes, buy a piece of aluminum L-angle and bolt it over the cracked piece. Go as long as you can fit with the L-angle. The other one I would worry to much about, stop drill it and fill it in.

Stop drilling is simply drilling a hole (1/8 drill bit) at each end of the crack which stops it from cracking farther.

rdneckhntr reply :

Dont forget you have to have a special welder to weld aluminum...

I took the seats out of my jonboat but they didnt look exaclty like yours. We just busted the rivets and put silicone on it then riveted it back.

Fishing Buds reply :

Hey rdneckhntr

So you took both seats out :-?

how'd it do? How long a boat is it?

rdneckhntr reply :

I have a 12ft vbottom. First I took out all of the seats and replaced them with 1x8s. I just recently took out the 1x8s and used aluminum stud to frame out decks on the front and back.

Fishing Buds reply :

Thanks for the tips there Catt 8-)

Man this thing was beat up. Still stripping the boat, found a (I would call) spider crack on the hull, under the handle, you can see where the trailer wheel has been banging against it, I will need to update how the trailer holds the boat So far my son has been hangen in there with me, has been some elbow grease. Hey after seeing the seats more closer do you still recommend just taking out the front bench? :-? not both?

Thinken about something else painting the inside of the boat up to and over(whatcha call) the rails with bedliner.

1. durability

2. extra sealing (I'm told)

still plan to wall the side with a thickness wood with carpet up to the rail, cause I know I'd suffer from the sun with all that black showing but, this is a expense increase.

I first thought of just the floor and then apply a flooring on top of it but, besides money why not up the side and over the rail?

any thoughts? :-?

rdneckhntr love the leg room. works for me ;D

rdneckhntr reply :

I dont know about takin the seats out of a flat bottom so I wont answer that one since i have no experience...

Yea I love that boat lol. Now it has a rig on the very front for a foot trolling motor. We just put that part on so i dont have pics. Id go take some but its over on our ramp(river behind my house) and its dark out lol so Ill try and get some tomorrow morning if i dont have to work... oh yea we rigged up the back so the batterys stay back there and its wired to the front ;D

Why are you wanting to put wood up then carpet??

Catt reply :

My suggestion would be not to remove the very front seat or the very back seat; this is what holds your boats shape (structural integrity). I fell using bed liner adds to much unnecessary weight, a good quality paint will do just as good of a job at sealing and weigh less.

I also prefer to use aluminum over wood because it's lighter, stronger and just as easy to work with as wood.

flyphisher # reply :

Leave the seats in and use them as support for decking and storage.

bassbob08 reply :

I did the same thing but I left the middle seat in and turnd it into a live well.Works great.

Fishing Buds reply :

Thanks again guys your helping me piece a picture together in my head

I believe I'll leave the seats in, keep it simple for now.

I do like the seat layout at www.sofnet.com/~robertg/boat.htm already priced the aluminum square tubing.

curious bassbob07 if ya had a pic of your boat? :-? love to see it.

rdneckhntr reply :

Gosh that 14' in that link is one nice boat. He deff. put some time in that thing...

fishbear reply :

My only thought on that boat is: Where is the live well??????

Catt reply :

If you stick you finger under your seat you'll find the seats have no bottom, therefore it can't be used as a live well.

Fishing Buds reply :

alright Catt I was trying to keep it simple :

SOoooo how do you do that one? sounds intresting :-?

Catt reply :

Quote
alright Catt I was trying to keep it simple :
SOoooo how do you do that one? sounds intresting :-?

Huh :-?

How do I do what?

Fishing Buds reply :

How do ya do

sorry Catt after re-reading my post I can see confusen from my excitement.

what I meant was -what container goes into a live well in the seats? I can't think of something that slides into the seat to create a live well? Isn't the seat an odd shape, therefore no after market kit?

I have limited expeince on live wells(and I may have gave me more credit than I deserve on it) :

rdneckhntr reply :

You could always rig up a cooler for a livewell...

Catt reply :

Unless you're tournament fishing why would you need a livewell?

rdneckhntr reply :

Quote
Unless you're tournament fishing why would you need a livewell?

To keep that huge mess of crappie fresh till you get home.....

Fishing Buds reply :

Quote
I did the same thing but I left the middle seat in and turnd it into a live well.Works great.

Hey bassbob07 is your seat like mine is, not attatched to the bottom? :-?

If so what did you use as the tank? :-?

Catt reply :

Bud, your seats not being attached to the bottom is not what I'm talking about, go out to your boat and stick your finger under your seats.

They do not have a bottom

Fishing Buds reply :

Quote
If you stick you finger under your seat you'll find the seats have no bottom, therefore it can't be used as a live well.

SOoo when you said can't put one in, you meant can't put one in.

Yea it all makes sense now

wish you would've told me sooner

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Question-removing bench seats from jon 2025

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