Pontoon rebuild / redesign

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Probably true Oops, but I do like working with it....we get so much yellow pine plywood down here it is nice to work with fir.

I didn't get that far this weekend, its a little frustrating. I finally got to the point today where I was cutting everything 3 times instead of measuring 3 times! I decided it was time to walk away for the day....I'm not sure if I like the look and I was fixing to start working on the corner section.....that is going to take more patients that I have tonight! Here is what I got done.....

By the way, if anyone works for Arrow Fastener company, tell the guys in the glue gun department they were right.....the tip of that ##$@@** glue gun does get to 380 degrees!

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Hey Arch,
Did you use that finger probe to check the temp? That's not a good ideal, as you now know. LOL
Sorry arch.

 

[Skagen]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Arch, to help with weight issues, why don't you mock up some sliding trays for either side of the motor well? You could put a tank on either side to help with getting the weight in the back. If you get the long skinny plastic/metal ones, you could have a ton of gas/weight to help balance the the front seating with the added benefit of keeping the deck clear of extra tanks. Then you could have an extra ice chest or two!

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Bob I actually tested it out with my forearm.....I have a neat glue gun shaped tatoo on my forearm now

Skagen, thanks for the idea. I may just have to do some math, figuring out how this thing will set in the water shouldn't be that hard give the hull is made out of tubes. I maybe over thinking the weight issue, I'm not sure that it will be that much more than what was originally on it. I'm going to see if I can find a brochure that showed the original seating layout for comparison. I don't see the glass weighing much more than the "fence". I'm just redistributing the weight.

My freind David K had the idea of moving the cockpit area to the back, and having the bow open.

Hopefully I will have a little time to work on it tonight.

 

[Skagen]

Heck, you could even move your batteries underneath, too. Make some boxes under the deck and put a few flush hatches in, and you could have a real clean look.

 

[oops!]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

actually just about everything that does not have a bikini could go under the deck

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

LOL, that sounds like a good design philosophy Oops!

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

I had a little time to work on the boat tonight.....next time I decide to design a boat, someone remind me NOT to create a part that has two different radius's and two different center points!

After some debating I decided to make a curved piece that forms the top of the sloped section. The hard part about this is the angel of the sloped section is constantly changing as it moves around the radius's...here is the inside of the radiused part. It is one to the two horizontal references that are constant.

The other is the point where the slope breaks over from sloping outward on the top, to angling back towards the boat on the bottom. Here is a shot of the top curved reference point from the outside.

The next thing I did was figure out where the point of the outward sloping section would break over and turn back towards the boat (just trust me on this, lol)

The top edge of the cardboard is where the two planes meet....hopefully

Here is a shot of both curved sections.

Hopefully I can now start to piece in the corner section. I'll be curious to see what the corner, bow, and gunnel look like.....but I'm already thinking the bow may need a flater angle.......

 

[oops!]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

arch.....just about any material .....cardboard.....veneer......arbourite.....thin metal......you name it.......will have difficulties on a angled radius.

really really tough. that part almost needs to be sculpted with pour in foam.....then sanded to shape.

dont know if you want to go that route on a mock.

but i must say bud.......your mock looks good......really good

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Hey arch,

Just want to make sure I undercomprende what you are after...

From what I am gathering, you want to create a sort of cowling that connects the side railings to the fore/aft railings??? a nice smooth curved piece, right?

If so, here's a possible tip that can not only help you visualize the design, but with a little more fleshing out, might be useable as a base for a mold...

My idea is something we use in model railroading to create land forms, and it involoves two things you have in abundance. Cardboard and hot glue...

I hope my splaining makes sense, so here goes...

Cut several strips of cardboard to curve from one rail to the other, sort of like ribs, this will give you a close representation of the piece, then using more strips running vertically, and either or woven through the horizontal strips, like a cane chair, and/or hot glued to them, you should be able to actually see the shape of the cowling...

Does that make any sense???

If the cowling for the right front has the same dimensions as the left rear cowl, you should only need to make the template for the left front and that will give you the template for the right rear...

You can then cover this skeleton with your choice of material, heavy paper, few layers of aluminum foil, add some kind of mold release, and begin laying glass.

Hope this helps, if it is even close to what you are looking for...

Later,
GT1M

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

I think you are right on the pour foam oops, but I'm going to save that for the actual plug once I'm happy with the mock up. I actually have been toying with the idea of modeling the corners in 3d, then having a foam supplier cad/cam cut the plug. I ran across some stuff that Dura Tech sells that you can spray over Styrofoam that protects the foam from glass. Sounds like it builds up a protective film that you can use to create your plug or in this case the mold. That way you can use the cheaper foam for your mold, but the protective film stuff is pretty expensive....so I might be better off just going with urethane foam. I'll have to check the pricing.

Good idea GT1M, we had a guy in architecture school who did models that way. He was always had some weird organic design going with compound curves. I think on this I'm just going to run ribs between the upper reference point and lower. Once I have that done I think I can cover them with chip board and get a nice surface....well see.

I'm hoping I have a little more time to play with it after Turkey today.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Here is a video of the progress on building the compound curve at the corner. Its starting to come together nicely, but I still think the bow section needs to have a steeper angle. I'll post some more pics later, right now I'm headed out for lunch and hopefully finishing up the corner this afternoon.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

That's starting to look real cool Arch!

I also came up with another wacky idea...

This is for the negative or mother mold...instead of creating a buck out of foam...although in the end, using foam might be faster/better???

Over your finished cardboard template, cover it with your choice of aluminum foil, wax paper, or any kind of sacrificial separation layer,then lay some window screen over that and you can use a couple of thin layers of RTV rubber, supported by a backer of plaster of paris [might need to make a simple wood support skeleton for it, since it is going to be a rather large piece], once set, pop out the cardboard buck and the sacrificial separation layer, add a mold release, like car wax, even though RTV silicone probably shouldn't need it, but its cheap insurance, and start laying up some glass and mat, pop it out of the mother then you just perfect the shape based on that plug...

Just thinking out loud...you know what they say..."there's more than one way to skin a cat" and "opinions are like armpits, everyone's got a couple"...:redface:

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

I kind of thought "this is really solid" today GT1M.....I was toying with the idea of putting drywall joint compound and cleaning up the curves....but if I can get the stryofoam plug or mold made for $500 or so I figure it will be worth it. The more I thought about it, I want to see if I can talk a freind into building a really detailed 3d model of it to cut the mold from. He owns a 3d modeling company, this would be child's plat for him!

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

I kind of thought "this is really solid" today GT1M.....I was toying with the idea of putting drywall joint compound and cleaning up the curves....but if I can get the stryofoam plug or mold made for $500 or so I figure it will be worth it. The more I thought about it, I want to see if I can talk a freind into building a really detailed 3d model of it to cut the mold from. He owns a 3d modeling company, this would be child's plat for him!

That sounds like someone who might be bribed into helping you out for, say, maybe a day out on Miss Morgan and a few brews...

 

[herefishy]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

I think what you want is a segment of a frustum.

http://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/geometry-solids/conicalfrustum.php

There is an empirical way to make a frustum. Try searching the subject along the lines of sheet metal fabrication, also.

I'll report if I find the empirical method.


~Fishy

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

thanks for the link herefishy.....center of gravity is going to be an issue for sure with this build.

GT1M all you have to do is fly up here, Miss Morgan is always ready to go.....but you might wait till it warms up a bit!

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Here are a few shots of the mock-up with the corner completed....I' post the video next. I'm open to suggestions, or comments....let me know what you guys think!

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Here is tonight's video:

 

[oops!]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

hey arch.......havent looked at the vids yet.....i will tommorow....

just checked in real quick to ask you to look at the iboats add for a faster toon.......good simple idea....

http://www.pontoonwaterglide.com/index.asp