TOPIC: TEE NEE restoration

We completed the restoration of a very old and rare Tee Nee trailer, yesterday. It has a double tongue with the top tongue having the capability to tilt, thus assisting a launch from shore.

All trailer parts were sandblasted, primed with 2 part epoxy, and finished with Imron Polyurethane. ( color is customers choice )

Larry
Vintage Boatworks

larry, the trailer looks very nice. you did a great job. I had a double tongue trailer years ago, but it was not a tee nee, but can not remember what it was. frog

Thanks Frog,
I believe this trailer is a 1955 or 1956 model???
We have had several old tilting trailers, but, none with the double tongue.
A Really cool 1956 dual cockpit 14' Wagemaker Wolverine will sit on the Tee Nee.

Larry

As always you have produced a beautiful restoration. Nice job!
I tried to find this trailer in my books but I only go back to 57. In 1957 -8-9they had an accessory called the tip and turn that you could add to any trailer. To make them a tilt.
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Way to Go Larry . Beautiful!! Travis

Really turned out nice Larry, and that Imron ought to last forever!

Ok that turned out very nice now shove everybody else on the back burner and do one of yours,, i will ok it for you see ya Bill

Del, I think your right. This must be the optional Tip & Turn feature.
Glassics Library shows an additional ball mounted on the lower tongue of a 57', but not the additional tongue.

Thanks Travis, I'm glad your Power Cat Emblems turned out nice. Thanks for the business.

Thanks Mark, We have always had great luck using Imron. It seems to be bullet proof.

Ok Bill, I'm really glad that I have your permission to do one of my own projects. LOL BUT,BUT, what do I do with the 2 years of Customer projects that I have waiting???

Larry

Larry,

Picked up this package so I could restore the trailer for another vintage boat. Nearest guess is 1957. Rollers, winch, tower, fenders, baby moons all original and good shape but for age. Want to disassemble and blast to bare metal, prime and paint. Am familiar with Imron as I've been in the aircraft parts and supplies biz for many years and was an Alumagrip distributor. Have an old Starcraft shot 25 yrs ago...still shines. I will disassemble but need to find someone to blast and paint. Am in the Chicago area...any suggestions? Also, the plastic Tee Nee badges on the winch tower need replacing as well as the fender decals. Are they available? The baby moons are rusted and need re-chromed or can I find aftermarket replacements. Everything else looks solid...no rust thru. Do you do anything for the inside of the main beam like sloshing compound or rust converter? Can't believe the rollers won't deteriorate pretty fast. Do you just use them til their shot or use some aging preventative? Sounds like you're in the restoration biz so I'd be happy to compensate you for your time answering all these questions or hire you if you are within a reasonable distance from Chi.

This is fun! Jim AlumaFD

Oh, one more thing. Notice the third wheel on the main beam? It has a simple spring loaded mechanism for it to drop down and swivel. Looked at it closely and it was stamped Fulton, Milwaukee, Wi. Guess it was one of the first trailer jacks..w/o the jack.

Jim

Jim,


Del can hook you up with the parts you need just give him an email he is in this post somewhere herters 59. He has new dog dish caps also I believe and the Tee-Nee decals . Travis

Jim, Travis is right. Del is the best resource for Tee Nee parts & restoration.
Our Shop is in Bakersfield, California. We do restore Classic Boats, Trailers, Outboards, and fabricate Fiberglass, Aluminum, and Brass Boat parts, as well as Vintage Boat Emblems.

Tips:
We pay $100 to have a disassembled Tee Nee trailer sandblasted, including the wheels. I can't afford to do it myself, for that price.
Getting the inside of the center channel clean is a tough one. We just do the best we can. Maybe someone here has a trick ???

Replacement rubber rollers can be found on eBay, Del probably has them as well. Not sure about the plastic rollers in the center beam. We fabricate the pins for the center rollers out of 1/2" stainless rod. A 1/2"X4" stainless bolt can also be cut to make the rollers.

The price for Tee Nee hubcaps has gone crazy, but, is still a little less than re-chroming existing ones. Hubcap Mikes in LA, California charges $60 each + shipping.

The plastic Tee Nee logo is being reproduced in aluminum, not sure who does them, but, I was asked just yesterday to have some made and will get a price from the Foundry, next week.

Hope this helps, a little.

Larry
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Larry,

Thanks for the info. I'll contact you later about the aluminum Tee Nee logo, but if you're ordering, I need two for the winch tower. I've decided to buy a blast cabinet and compressor as well as paint gun. I have a '57 Evenrude Lark, a 56 Javelin and a 56 Johnson 30 to restore so it'll be put to good use. I'll disassemble the trailer and shoot the small parts inside then maybe pick up and outside blaster and do the long parts. When we built airplanes we used Linseed oil inside the new tubing. Do you think sloshing some kind of rust converter inside the main beam would help slow down the process?

Jim

PS The plastic logo would be a good candidate for 3D printing or additive manufacturing. Down the road we'll all have printers in our shops to do many of these jobs.

"Getting the inside of the center channel clean is a tough one. We just do the best we can. Maybe someone here has a trick ???"

Found this from Eastwood.

www.eastwood.com/review/product/list/id/27003/category/26/

Think I'll find a longer hose and tape it to a long dowel rod to give more control drawing it through the frame.

Jim