Building a tower

[JasonB]

I'm thinking about building a tower for my '76 19' Glastron. Given my skills and tools, aluminum is out. I've seen a number of DIY towers on the web built with either 1.5" or 2" EMT. Is EMT strong enough? I would essentially want two top bars something like the photo below. (the boat in this photo is similar to mine). I also need mine to fold.

If I do this, I am planning to essentially take a 6+" piece of EMT cut lengthways as an internal sleeve at all joints and welding each joint. I want this to be safe and look decent.

 

[75TowerOfPower]

Re: Building a tower

Something that let it fold easy would be a heim joint, aka a fancy tie rod end. It won't allow any play when it rigid with othe attachment point but if you unbolt the front attachmments it can easy pivot back to fold down.

 

[JasonB]

Re: Building a tower

Heims and clevis are def. on my shopping list if I do this, I just haven't figured out a way to make the transition to the heim and I'm still trying to figure out if 1.5" or 2" EMT is strong enough for this.

 

[75TowerOfPower]

Re: Building a tower

Your best bet to make this look decent is to bend the tubes. The probably with EMT is it is designed for keep wires inside safe not supporting weight. Also, EMT will more than likey look like chit if you try to bend with a really bender. You wil really want to buy actual tubing and not piping or EMT. Try tubing is made to support weight. It's deminsioned by OD and wall thickness. So you should shoot for 2" .065" wall or .105" wall.

 

[JasonB]

Re: Building a tower

Good thoughts. The EMT is just an idea I'm playing with. I'm tempted to just buy a tower, but that takes the fun out of it to some degree. I just found another design I really like. If I were going to build it from EMT, I would just pick up 6 pre-bent 90 deg elbows and weld it all up. My biggest concern with EMT is how to put the heim joints in the ends and make them solid + look decent. Without a lathe, it would be hard to do a solid reducer. I took some scrap EMT and welded on it yesterday and I am comfortable that the joints would be good. I know to get it to look decent would take some effort with sandpaper.

Seems steel tube would be really heavy?

 

[sebber83]

Re: Building a tower

Just curious, how much would you save building your own compared to buying a cheap tower like the monster MTE for example? And let's say something goes wrong, would insurance cover you on a home made tower? Just wondering how it works?

 

[BaylinerNN]

Re: Building a tower

In reference to the heim joint I used speedway motors. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Female-RH-Rod-Ends-With-Studs,24273.html
I was able to use 4 on my tower mounts and was able to fold it down to put in the garage as well as to place the tarp on when on the road.

 

[JasonB]

Re: Building a tower

Sebber, for me, it isn't as much about saving $$$ (there are many less expensive than monster) as getting exactly what I want on my boat AND doing it myself. After looking at a number of the universal towers, some leave much to be desired in the way of being solid. I am considering just buying one though. I can get one I generally like for $650-$750 delivered.

BaylinerNN, that looks good. The one piece I can't figure out how to do as well as I want is that joint in your pic where the heim screws into the tube. I tend to overbuild things and I just can't come up with a solution beyond having a threaded tube adapter turned on a lathe.

 

[75TowerOfPower]

Re: Building a tower

Well steel maybe heavy but you could get away with a small wall thickness. Is you can weld AL then that woul dbe the way to go. Also if you notice none really uses 90 bends in the design. You could do it with them and just have the legs angled out and straight to the outside of the boat. It won't look as nice as a bought one but it would definiely be cheaper. I needs some friends with boats so I can practice on theirs. I have access to a bender and would like to try to copy a design.

Maybe on the next boat. the ole' lady won't enjoy dropping some more coinage on a boat we might be getting rid of at the end of the season since she wants a newer one.

 

[RAT Attack]

Re: Building a tower

I am very, very happy with my DIY WAKE tower. It is very solid with little sway, and love the looks & price...
Mine cost $1,379 delivered to my door loaded, but the tower alone is closer to $700 something...
Mine folds down just above the window.
Just my .02.

 

[JasonB]

Re: Building a tower

For the record, against by better DIY desires, I decided to buy a nice polished aftermarket tower today. I'll post pics if I get a chance when I get it installed, hopefully next weekend.

 

[JasonB]

Re: Building a tower

Grainy cell phone pic, but this is the finished result for those interested. I'll get better pics next time out hopefully. It folds to fit neatly in the shed.

 

[SeanT]

Re: Building a tower

Hawt!

 

[JasonB]

Re: Building a tower

Now I just have to learn to ride a wakeboard. I can have fun with the kneeboard in the mean time.

 

[Rinker97]

Re: Building a tower

Grainy cell phone pic, but this is the finished result for those interested. I'll get better pics next time out hopefully. It folds to fit neatly in the shed.

is that the avenger tower?

 

[JasonB]

Re: Building a tower

I wanted an Avenger 2.0, but they were out of them. I almost bought the Vortex, but for a couple reasons, I decided I wanted an H bar model (I think the Vortex or 2.0 would have looked a little better on this boat since they are 2" tubing).

This one is a HydroWake Shark. Possibly the same mfgr as the Avenengers, but it is a bit different as I have the Avenger install instructions and they don't work for the tower I have when it comes to distance between the front and rear feet.