Aluminum drift boat build.

[koditten]

I got out of sequence. Allow me to post up pics that should have been up earlier.

I sandwiched the Delryn plastic between the rub rail and the gunnel. !/4" stainless bolts hold the stuff great!

This stuff is a dream to drill. It is very hard, but very quiet. I think it will support the oar locks just fine.

 

[koditten]

Fabbing up some tail light boxes with the aid of my home built Monster Square.

 

[koditten]

Light boxes and guide on's attached to trailer. I plan on taking some of the extra Delryn and attach it to the face of the guide on's. It is very slippery and should work good to reduce scratching of the boat.

I was looking thru my boxes of trailer light extras and I found a pair of LED back up lights. They are the same dimensions as the 6" ovals that will be used as tail lights. I'm kicking around the idea of attaching another set of boxes below what you see and installing them. I didn't even know I had these lights. I do know back up lights on a trailer could be very handy when loading the boat at night.

 

[koditten]

I put the word out that I was looking for some 3" pipe to make the roller. One of our contractors here at work told me he would look and see what he had laying around. He works for a boiler installation company so they have tons of pipe.

Anyways, one of my co workers hunts me up. He wanted to let me know that Tom stopped by your house and "laid some pipe". "You might want to check up on your wife"

That ***** couldn't wait to use that line on me

I had told Tom to lay the pipe beside the garage. I can't help how these clowns entertain themselves.

Anyways, I hope to get some time to fab up the roller.

Does this mean I have to make up labels saying the boat is sponsored by the Boiler company that gave me the pipe?

 

[koditten]

I had to send the cooler/base thru testing to make sure it would pass muster as a quality part of this build. I'm happy to say, it is thoroughly approved.

 

[marinusdees]

When are you going to weigh that ( epithet deleted_)?

 

[koditten]

Funny, you menton that. I picked up a couple bathroom scales a while back in a garage sale. I guess any time I lift it off the trailer.

Any guesses?

In gonna say...<450.

 

[koditten]

Well...that didn't work. The bathroom scales want 2 foot type, foot print. They wouldn't register with a 2x4 spanning across the pair. Gonna have to wait until I drag the trailer to work one night and drag the boat and trailer another night. Bummer.

 

[marinusdees]

Have you built the oarsman's seat yet?? You need to put some foot braces at a comfortable distance. Also, now that it's done, why didn't you use diamond plate for a casting platform?? In my old Wooldridge, a piece of 3/8" marine plywood, cut to fit, and coated with Philly-clad served. No, it wasn't level. The Nimrod had to put up with the rocker of the boat. But it sure was easy to throw it out, hose the boat out, and put it back. I'm not sure how much access you have if you manage to drop a fly under the casting platform.

 

[zmotorsports]

Fabbing up some tail light boxes with the aid of my home built Monster Square.

Nice looking taillight boxes.

Mike

 

[mike93lx]

Well...that didn't work. The bathroom scales want 2 foot type, foot print. They wouldn't register with a 2x4 spanning across the pair. Gonna have to wait until I drag the trailer to work one night and drag the boat and trailer another night. Bummer.

Can you use two pieces of 2x4 for "feet" and then have your existing board span them?

 

[koditten]

I could. Like the rest of us, time is battling me every step of the way.

 

[joe49]

You could improvise a beam scale.

 

[bigair360x]

Looking forward to some fish pics!

 

[koditten]

I picked up a cheap scale so I was able garage the boat between my 2chain falls.

Found out the boat weighs just under 400 lbs.

 

[koditten]

Trying to figure out how to post pics using my new tablet. It's being difficult.

 

[koditten]

I'm back.

Proof of what 1, half of the boat weighs.

 

[koditten]

The center section of the boat floor, under the rower bench. I decided to try something new. I drilled 1/2" holes in the floor sheeting and plug welded the sheeting to the bottom laterals. Walking on it proves to be very solid feeling.

 

[koditten]

Another shot.

 

[koditten]

I wasn't going to level the rear floor section, but after reading and doing some home experimenting while standing on a slope, I changed my mind.

I don't know what I was thinking. For some reason I thought adding a level floor was going to increase the boat weight dramatically. After the light bulb went on, I realized the only weight gain would be from the floor under supports. Maybe 2 lbs. at the most in weight gain.

 

[koditten]

A shot of the finished floor. You can see my screw up. I made the floor cut out the same as the bottom dimension. With the floor raised 5" in the front and 1 3/4" in the rear, I quickly found out my floor sheet was too small. I ended up making perimeter trim pieces to close the big edge gaps. It happens, fix and move on.

Also visible is my rower bench seat. I cheated and used a 20' winch strap for the seat base. I can tighten or or loosen to my comfort level...and sometimes I might need a winch strap.

 

[koditten]

Fabbing up the rear thigh brace. The radii of the corners matches that of the beer can purely by coincidence. We can't have any sharp corners for someone to stab into, can we?

 

[koditten]

Thigh brace welded in its final home.

 

[koditten]

A quick video of what I have done so far. Completely free ramblings. 1st take. You gets what you gets

 

[koditten]

Fabbed up the front casting brace.

 

[koditten]

A little welding ****. Pretty impressed with the spool gun. I think the welds look just fine. Sure is a hell of a lot faster than TIG welding.

 

[koditten]

Quick test fit before I weld it in permanently

. Hard to do this and take a pic.

 

[koditten]

Very solid and should be a great place to set random stuff as well.

 

[koditten]

A picture from a far.

 

[koditten]

One more as well as showing how messed up my shop is.

 

[koditten]

I found these on the web while searching for paint. Kinda cool looking. Not sure how well the vinyl would hold up. I will be running the boat into brush, rocks, stump and possibly other boats.

 

[RivennHewn]

Fish ready yet?????

 

[koditten]

No, fish are not ready for this awesome boat!

 

[koditten]

Practice run installing shaft wrap.

 

[ilovevocs]

Koditten,

If you ask the wrap crowd they will tell you its stronger than paint.

Personally for your application I would hit it with a scuff pad and some soapy water.

When it starts to look a little worn out just repeat.

 

[koditten]

Koditten,

If you ask the wrap crowd they will tell you its stronger than paint.

Personally for your application I would hit it with a scuff pad and some soapy water.

When it starts to look a little worn out just repeat.

Took me a minute to figure out what you were talking about. At first I thought you were referring to the oar wrap. I realized you meant the boat wrap after a bit.

I'll take that referral as a positive. I dolike the looks of them. Price wise, paint vs wrap is not a big ddifference.

Thanks
Kirk

 

[ilovevocs]

Took me a minute to figure out what you were talking about. At first I thought you were referring to the oar wrap. I realized you meant the boat wrap after a bit.



I'll take that referral as a positive. I dolike the looks of them. Price wise, paint vs wrap is not a big ddifference.



Thanks

Kirk

Yes the boat wrap.

Just to clarify though, I was a proponent for just putting a grain in the al with a scotch bright pad.

My brothers duck boat is rhino lined o.d. Green inside and out and it wears like iron. Something else to consider as well.

 

[marinusdees]

The reason for an aluminum drift boat originally was so you could beat the piss out of it and it would stand up way better than a wood boat. Personally, I could never figure out why people wanted a $5,000 paint job on their drift boat. Mostly just a trailer queen. Leave it aluminum and use it. You can always dress it up. When you put the slippery stuff on the bottom, you don't need to cover the whole bottom, just the sole. With your arrangement for a rear casting platform, you're going to have to figure a way to control the anchor via a pulley (and probably winch) system. Doable, and done in many iterations, some marketed. Copy what seems like a good one, you can always modify it.
Looks to me like you are going to fall victim to the usual: the owner of the boat gets to sit down and row, and his buddies get to stand up and fish. Unless you can stand up and cast in between two other guys. Again, done but a pain in the ---.
Jus' sayin'.

 

[ilovevocs]

Took me a minute to figure out what you were talking about. At first I thought you were referring to the oar wrap. I realized you meant the boat wrap after a bit.



I'll take that referral as a positive. I dolike the looks of them. Price wise, paint vs wrap is not a big ddifference.



Thanks

Kirk

Yes the boat wrap.

Just to clarify though, I was a proponent for just putting a grain in the al with a scotch bright pad.

My brothers duck boat is rhino lined o.d. Green inside and out and it wears like iron. Something else to consider as well.


Not to tout my classifications but set the mood...

I want value for money, don't care much about what other think if I can out build them.

I have an background in paint and graphics.

I wouldn't do any sort of finish on my river boat.

I have done paint/ airbrush/ vinyl graphic work most my life and I wouldn't waste my time on my river boat I want to enjoy.

Do you really want to get frustrated when you wreck you new graphic?? Better to just just hit some stuff and call it a testament to your skills with a smile. Food for thought.


Not trying to be strongly opinionated. It's your money spend it as you wish. Just sharing perspective. Either way it will be a beautiful boat and I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

[koditten]

I will be running this year with just bare aluminum. My buddy that has been paying for some of the material is sing your song. We are gonna beat the **** out of it. Graphics are a waste.

As for anchor system, yes, pulleys with the rope fed between rowers legs. I was actually working on the pulley system 15 minutes before I responded.