Pontoon rebuild / redesign

[oops!]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

i got the pics of the manual of the swim up bar. ill upload them tonight..... i hope they turn out.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Looking forward to the pics opps, maybe that will give me some ideas!

I did a little research today on mold building.....found a really detailed series of videos from some guy up in the midwest.......he has a mold that he is "cleaning up". I'm guessing he bought it from someone who went under, anyhow mostly him sanding, yeah how exciting is that? Let me know if there are some mold building vidios out there....can't be that hard, but I would like to cut down on the learning curve. I'm sure someone has put up some good info on building plugs and molds.

Where I am going with this is I think we are going to toss the "fence" and put some glass sides on her....something more "sleek" looking I was also toying with the idea of dropping down the seat height to get the sides lower. Any thoughts? Most of the pontoon stuff could be built by lazyboy, lol! I find it interesting that most of the vocabulary used is more in lines with building a house, "fence", "furniture" etc. I guess that has to do with the marketing angle.

I keep seeing the new body being black for some reason.....bad idea given a) it will be 2 or 3 thousand degrees in the OK sun, b) water spots, c) shows dirt....but it would look sexy. And no Wood we are NOT going to have any orange on it!

One more thought is building the helm as an integral item in the new "sides" or I guess gunnels. I'm thinking the star ship enterprise cantilevered look. Any thoughts? I hate the big refrigerator box looking consoles.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

You can build the mold out of foam then glass over the top and finish. This is the fastest and cheapest way if you only need one part.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Interesting idea.....but I'm guessing you would need to paint the part? I'm thinking gel coat, but I might paint it if it simplifies things. That being said, paint can cost a ton! I wonder if I could draw it up and have the mold made and CNC routed out of urethane foam? That would be pretty slick.

 

[parrisw]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Very cool, I'd love one!! To anchor out in the lake and come and go from it with my boat, and people can stay on the pontoon while other are out skiing/tubing.

Here is a cool pontoon boat.

 

[Peteco]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Archbuilder,

Some of the best mold and glass videos out there are Mike Arnold's AR5 series. I have all 4 DVDs and they are well worth it.

 

[bacafrog]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Hey Arch... been awhile since I posted on here. I had an idea about the boat looking black and you using plexi-glass. If you use some type of see through material, could you not tint the inside of it? With a very dark tint it would look black, but not hold the heat. Just an idea that popped into my mind while reading the thread. I am keeping a close eye on this thread, since I am buying two pontoons. One is an 18' with no motor but everything on it, and the other one is a 20' that was in an accident. The 20' has a 90hp yamaha on the back of it, and it runs. I can't wait to see what you will put together. Keep up the good work.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Hey Frog, good to hear from you! I'm getting closer to being able to spend some time working on the boat.....fixed the roof at the lake, this weekend....now I just need to get my fence project wrapped up. Thanks for the ideas, hopefully things will start to move along on this build pretty soon.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Nothing new to report other than spending time researching fiberglass mold making techniques.....the "fence" is history! I have been up to my eyeballs in fall projects, hopefully I will get some time on the boat in the next couple weeks. I did come across this mold building video series that I thought was pretty interesting.....the host is a little..um well I think he speaks his mind, lets just put it that way, lol!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRBEEedpuRA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Opps any pics of that floating table thing you came across?

 

[oops!]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

yep....ill down load them from my cam as soon as i can,

 

[oops!]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

here they come......hope they turned out.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Thanks Opps, that is a pretty slick layout! Its raining here today for the first time in months.....so I'm going to take the day off from yard chores and work on cleaning the shop. Hopefully I will have some time left over to build an engine stand so I can pull the 45 hp off.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

It rained here last night. What a welcome sight that was. Most of the rain is going just West of us but we did get some last night. It is in the area through Monday. Hopefully we get some more. We desperately need it.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

I hear you we are about a foot behind for the year. We got 2" last night. I have to say I'm happy after the game at the cotton bowl yesterday and getting the rain How could I complain after a day like that?

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

I thought I would post an update so you guy wouldn't think I fell off the face of the earth. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the boat, unfortunately I have had zero time to work on it with all my fall projects. I have made a lot of progress, hopefully things will slow down in a few week so that I can start on the pontoon. Here's a couple pics of one of my fall projects, 360' of 6" x 18" mow strip for my new fence....with 3/8 rebar.....and 4 column footings......I sleeved each post in case I have to replace on or a few of them. Total pain in the ***, but it will be worth it if someone flies through my fence.

I also went to BFE last weekend to pick up the boat that came with the pontoon. My friend David K wants the motor....I figure I can scrap the boat and make a couple hundred off the trailer.

Almost game time here, I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

[oops!]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

arch.....mow strip?......what is a mow strip?....that looks like a sidewalk to me

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

I need a wide mow strip......a few beers and that zero turn mower can be hard on the fence, lol! The fence goes on top of the mow strip, that way I don't have to weedeat under the fence.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

By the way I was thinking of building a deck out of fiberglass....got the idea after reading one on Luhrs threads. I was going to lay up several layers of glass, then create some ribs on the bottom side to stiffen it up. But after doing the math on it I think I will stick to using plywood. I think I'm going to put it on, then glass over it. I was thinking about not glassing the bottom so it can breathe. My freind David K help a guy add a third pontoon to his boat this summer....some kind of conversion kit, anyhow they recommended putting aluminum sheeting on the bottom side of the deck framing. According to them it helps cut down on drag from waves and splash. Anyone have any experience with that? It would keep the bottom of the deck dry also.

 

[oops!]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

i would need to see pictures arch......but as for cutting down drag.......any thing that is out of the water wont help drag in the water......just drag in the air.....and that is not an issue at the speeds you are talking.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Pontoon rebuild / redesign

Seemed odd to me too, but I haven't actually been out on a pontoon when the waves are up.....hell I don't think i have ever been out on one now that I think about it. I'll post pictures of the fence next spring...