|
|
Post by mike on Jun 22, 2015 22:22:50 GMT -6
No it's not a 4x4 but it is for offroad and a source of great pleasure and stress relief for me.  My latest project is the rebirth of my 20' Pirate Generation III pontoon Boat. I have neglected it for two years or more now because life got in the way of fishing. We bought a lot for our camper by Sardis lake and spent most of summer and fall of 2113 working on cleaning up the property and then spring of 2114 a tornado hit my sisters house so I spend all of 2114 helping them rebuild. In the mean time my boats and camper just sat gathering dust which has taken a toll on them all. I had the Pontoon covered but rain gathered on the cover so the frame that held the cover up broke from the weight of rain water and I ignored it for too long. I've spend the last few weekends at the lake working and I decided to pull the cover off to build a new frame to hold the cover up. I also wanted to see about getting it back seaworthy and found two inches of moss growing thru the carpet and the seats badly stained and deteriorating...... Bad Bad Boat owner !!! :slacker:    |
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 22, 2015 22:42:23 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 22, 2015 22:57:22 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 22, 2015 23:15:10 GMT -6
Now I have a couple of questions for anyone who by chance might know..... 1. Where do I get a sheet of treated or marine plywood 8'x5' ? Yea 8'x5'... That's not a type O, The front sheet is 8'x5'  The boat is 8' wide and all the supports run that way with I beams to support the sheets where they meet together. There is no correct type support in a place where I can split two sheets of 4'x8'.  Bad Bad Boat Builder !!  2. who knows a person/place that can weld aluminum ? I have a little dent in the side of the railings that need repaired...   That is the impression of where someone (ME  ) ran the Wave runner into the side of it at about 20MPH (don't ask  ) PS: The wave runner was relatively unharmed during this act of stupidity I also have a broken aluminum pole on the Bimini top frame. |
|
|
|
Post by c2 on Jun 23, 2015 6:30:37 GMT -6
Damn...guess we won't see you again until winter!
I'm not set up to weld aluminum, but I'm happy to help anywhere else I can.
|
|
|
|
Post by 06blackmax on Jun 23, 2015 6:40:24 GMT -6
Nice project. A friend of mine just did the same thing, but I don't remember him saying anything about odd sized plywood. Why not split and use two sheets cut 4x5 and join them with truss plates? You know the plates with all the teeth on them that are used to build trusses or rafters. They hold incredibly well and should work great for this.
As for the aluminum, my neighbor that has the fab shop can weld it but you prolly don't want to come this far.
|
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 23, 2015 7:40:17 GMT -6
I'm not sure truss plates will stay on after a bit of pounding and flexing on 3' waves and the seam would be in highest traffic area on the boat, right in the center of the entry gate.
And I'll drive that far if that's where I need to go to get it fixed.
|
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 23, 2015 7:57:21 GMT -6
Damn...guess we won't see you again until winter! I'm not set up to weld aluminum, but I'm happy to help anywhere else I can. Thanks, I'll be around when there's something here to do but other than that I'll be at the lake.  anyone is welcome to join me any weekend. I even have the Waverunner they can go play on. |
|
|
|
Post by 06blackmax on Jun 23, 2015 14:23:39 GMT -6
I'm not sure truss plates will stay on after a bit of pounding and flexing on 3' waves and the seam would be in highest traffic area on the boat, right in the center of the entry gate. And I'll drive that far if that's where I need to go to get it fixed. Didn't think about the center being at the gate. Oh well. Back to the drawing board. |
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 23, 2015 14:55:28 GMT -6
If I could find an aluminum 5'x3/4" I-beam then it would probably hold up
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffreylane on Jun 23, 2015 15:19:01 GMT -6
Any reason not to use sheet aluminum there instead of wood? I don't know much about pontoon boats, but southern steel can get you custom sized aluminum sheets. We recently bought a 13'x4.something 3/8 for work and they had it to us next day. Aluminum may not work at all for that, just thinking out loud. Not sure what the cost was.
|
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 23, 2015 16:10:36 GMT -6
Any reason not to use sheet aluminum there instead of wood? I don't know much about pontoon boats, but southern steel can get you custom sized aluminum sheets. We recently bought a 13'x4.something 3/8 for work and they had it to us next day. Aluminum may not work at all for that, just thinking out loud. Not sure what the cost was. Actually aluminum is done a lot and it works well and is even lighter weight than wood. My reason for not doing it is strictly cost, it would be a minimum of twice the price as marine plywood and the plywood is upwards of $500 |
|
|
|
Post by Somebody on Jun 24, 2015 8:41:22 GMT -6
Finally getting the toys cleaned up! Wish I could be there to help ya old man.. |
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 24, 2015 9:26:28 GMT -6
Finally getting the toys cleaned up! Wish I could be there to help ya old man.. You know how much fun that Waverunner is, it's even more fun to have it out with the pontoon boat. I'm missing my bathtub toys ! : rofl: |
|
|
|
Post by mike on Jun 26, 2015 8:53:24 GMT -6
Looks like it's going to be a great weekend to be hanging out by a bonfire. Lows in the 60's !! Perfect ! I'll be going down alone this weekend and there's always room for more if anyone wants to get away from home. Got plenty of room for a tent and a spare queen size bed.
|
|
) ran the Wave runner into the side of it at about 20MPH (don't ask 
) 
anyone is welcome to join me any weekend. I even have the Waverunner they can go play on. 
Just remember...we give them back in 10 months 
It's alive!! 
