Ken_StJohn Posted June 10, 2006 Posted June 10, 2006 I am just about ready to start transforming the project into a 3-D form! All of the parts are cut and now ready to start assembly. I'd like to get some ideas for a castoring frame/dolly to assemble the boat on so I can move it around the garage to make room for cars between build cycles. Also, does anyone know approximately what the Weekender will weigh when completed using ACX? This will help me design the frame and forcast the number of souls required to lift, rock, and roll it! If anyone has some pictures or details of a frame they used, I would greatly appreciate seeing them. You could post here or send to: WeekenderProject@comcast.net . Thanks guys! Quote
capt jake Posted June 10, 2006 Posted June 10, 2006 I am guessing the completed boat at bout #600, though I have never weighed it. I understand the need for a movable stand but you need a way to make it solid when you are actually building. When you bend a piece of ply in place, for example, the boat needs to not move. It is also nice to not have it skate around when you step into it. ;) Quote
Frank Hagan Posted June 10, 2006 Posted June 10, 2006 I am just about ready to start transforming the project into a 3-D form! All of the parts are cut and now ready to start assembly. I'd like to get some ideas for a castoring frame/dolly to assemble the boat on so I can move it around the garage to make room for cars between build cycles.Also' date=' does anyone know approximately what the Weekender will weigh when completed using ACX? This will help me design the frame and forcast the number of souls required to lift, rock, and roll it! If anyone has some pictures or details of a frame they used, I would greatly appreciate seeing them. You could post here or send to: WeekenderProject@comcast.net . Thanks guys![/quote'] Check out the thread at http://www.messing-about.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1494. I went ahead and added that post to the Articles forum also, but the thread linked above has more comments on it. My Weekender weighed about 550 pounds, but it rolls very easily. The rub rails can get scratched and dinged, so having a helper with a piece of carpet or foam ready for putting between the floor and the rail helps. I had a couple of people come over, and they all watched while I rolled her over ... I think only two of us actually touched her as she rolled over. Quote
Dave R1 Posted June 10, 2006 Posted June 10, 2006 I made a dolly for my Weekender with casters at the corners. It made life a lot easier during the build. My dolly started with 4- 8 foot 2x6s. I cut two in half and screwed the halves together. These formed the ends. Doubling the ends up gave me a large enough surface area to attach casters. Between the end pieces I put in the other 8 footers using joist hangers and a couple of long lag screws through the end pieces and into the long rails. After squaring up the frame, I screwed some scraps of plywood on at the corners as gussets to keep it from racking. Initially I had just some supports screwed in place to keep the keel vertical. To put the boat in an attitude more like it would be in sailing, I blocked the keel up at the aft end with a scrap of 2x6 on edge. After the bottom was attached, I added some supports on the sides to keep it from tipping to the side. When it got time to flip the boat for the first time to glass the hull I got the boat off the dolly and modified the dolly to fit on the top of the boat. I set it up so there was a crossbar right in front of the cabin and another at the aft end that extended to the bottom of the cockpit. I placed the dolly, inverted, on top of the boat and held it in place with a couple of ratchet straps. We rolled the boat on a blanket and over on to its wheels. Quote
Andrew_Butchart Posted June 11, 2006 Posted June 11, 2006 I built my dolly mostly out of scrap lumber. It's about 8' X 4'. I took a couple of pictures of it yesterday. I lucked out on the wheels - my younger brother had a box full of old heavy-duty casters in his barn. Quote
Ken_StJohn Posted June 11, 2006 Author Posted June 11, 2006 All: Thanks for the tips - a great help! I particularly liked the idea of strapping the dolly on upside down for the rollover. Have to admit, I've already hit a motivation plateau! It's hard to imagine being at that stage as I'm still cutting out bulkheads. Oh well, guess it'll come eventually. BTW, I picked up four castering 5" rubber wheels at Harbor Freight ( www.harborfreight.com ) yesterday for only $3.99 each. They're rated at 330 lbs each. Quite a deal! FRANK-I sent you some info on registering boats in Colorado - did you get it? Ken Quote
Frank Hagan Posted June 11, 2006 Posted June 11, 2006 All:Thanks for the tips - a great help! I particularly liked the idea of strapping the dolly on upside down for the rollover. Have to admit' date=' I've already hit a motivation plateau! It's hard to imagine being at that stage as I'm still cutting out bulkheads. Oh well, guess it'll come eventually. BTW, I picked up four castering 5" rubber wheels at Harbor Freight ( www.harborfreight.com ) yesterday for only $3.99 each. They're rated at 330 lbs each. Quite a deal! FRANK-I sent you some info on registering boats in Colorado - did you get it? Ken[/quote'] I did Ken ... sorry I didn't acknowledge it! I have it in a folder for the updates I have to do to make the site "friendly" to Firefox. Thanks for the reminder ... maybe I'll do that page next since it has new content (thanks to you, that is!) Quote
Ken_StJohn Posted June 16, 2006 Author Posted June 16, 2006 Dave: Finished the frame of the trolley with the wheels attached. Waiting for someone to help me get the keel out of the basement so I can set it on the trolley. The trolley measures 12' by 6'-6". Once the keel is set on the frame, the plan is to add two cross beams at the 4' and 8' points the height of which will be adjusted to just contact the bottom of the keel. Then, vertical braces on either side of the keel to hold it fast. Then 3-D here I come! Quote
Dave R1 Posted June 16, 2006 Posted June 16, 2006 Good job, Ken. Keep in mind the boat won't be that heavy so you don't need to over build the dolly. You'll want to move it onto a trailer shortly after you get it upright again. Still, it sounds like you'll be in good shape. Quote
capt jake Posted June 16, 2006 Posted June 16, 2006 I have to do to make the site "friendly" to Firefox. Thanks for the rem Frank, all I have been using is Firefox. Haven't had any problem with the site. Quote
Ken_StJohn Posted June 16, 2006 Author Posted June 16, 2006 All: Appreciate the continued encouragement ... even though I'm building the boat alone, I don't feel that way knowing there's folks out there I can ask questions of. The Weekender video speaks to first-cut fever - I think sometimes it goes beyond that if your philosophy is not just to get the boat in the water. Personally, I want to be equally as proud of the craftsmanship as I am of the fact I built it out of plywood. The sounding board offered by this Forum is an essential part of continuous reality checks along the way. When I finish the process, I am going to make sure I make myself available to others who take the plunge for the first time offering any encouragement and whatever experiences I can. For sure, advising them to look to the Forum members like yourselves will be my first recommendation. Thanks Everyone!! Quote
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