Pilothouse

Mods and custom builds
kmorin
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Location: Kenai, Alaska

Re: Pilothouse

#76

Post by kmorin »

optomist,
do you weld aluminum? If not? the project will be pretty challenging!

It does not appear you realize that rectangular tube (both 6061 and 6063) are rolled into radius 'beams' by pyramid rolls? That implication- infers you may want to do more research before going forward on you cabin project?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
optomist
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Re: Pilothouse

#77

Post by optomist »

Thanks for the reply kmorin! I am definitely a bit over my head with lack of aluminum fabricating experience, but I am confident that I will figure it out. I do have some welding experience and I have worked in a machine shop and have a degree in mechanical engineering.

I have looked into shops in Seattle to roll beams for me, but thought I might be able to use relief cuts and do it on my own (I realize this will greatly reduce the strength of the arc, but I am not too worried about strength as I am probably already going way overkill.)

I basically just don't want to spend a ton of time and money and be left with a franken box that looks terrible.

I am considering just making simple joists with a slight upward angle and a flat running down the middle of the roof. CAD pic attached

I have been playing around with CAD a bit and have a basic idea of what I want to do. Deciding whether or not to slope the windshield forward or back. Just want to make the boat feel more spacious, my dad is a big guy and hates feeling crammed into the thing.

planning on using 1/8" 1x2 tube to build the frame. I have windows ordered and on the way.

Any thoughts/advice is greatly appreciated. You may be right and this may be too challenging. But my username is Optomist for a reason :thumbsup:
roof_joist.PNG
roof_joist.PNG (202.08 KiB) Viewed 9596 times
cabin_idea.PNG
cabin_idea.PNG (194.03 KiB) Viewed 9596 times
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gandrfab
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:33 pm
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Location: Edgewater Fl

Re: Pilothouse

#78

Post by gandrfab »

1/8" wall 1"x2" box tube can be rolled or arched manually. Bump bending between blocks of wood anchored to a stout table or vice. wood shoes in a vice to save scratching the metal.
1st try if you haven't done this before make a template (line on the floor, table or part of the curve in a hull) that will be your target arch, bend, curve.
Then cut your start length (about 6 to 8 feet longer than the arch you want to make.
Mark the center that length and estimated finish length (measuring off your center line) of your arch on that piece, and mark one inch increments along the length where your arch will magically appear.

Then finesse the box tube in your wood blocks ever so slightly giving it a bend on your 1" marks.
When you start your first few bumps in your blocks making your 1st bends you shouldn't even see the arch, go down the full length ever so gently bending your metal ever so slightly. You should have to run the length several times to get your finished arch.
The less aggressively you do this the more smooth and even finish you will have in the end. Also going gently, if you go a little over, gently returning (bending) back will be easier. When you do have to bend it back use the same technique of 1" increments and ever so slightly bends.

May you have few scrap pieces, good luck.
kmorin
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Re: Pilothouse

#79

Post by kmorin »

Optomist, G&R,
here's a link to a boat building site http://www.glen-l.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=28755 where I've posted a few building articles. This one is about various design and building considerations of welded aluminum boat cabins.

May help with your thinking in different aspects of the cabin build project? At least its a discussion of many aspects of cabin building that might inspire your own solutions once you think in more detail on the subject?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
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gandrfab
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Location: Edgewater Fl

Re: Pilothouse

#80

Post by gandrfab »

Optomist :beer: Fabricator :thumbsup:
optomist
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Re: Pilothouse

#81

Post by optomist »

Thanks for that gandrfab! I have some scrap material that I will start experimenting with. I really just want a very slight arch, so hopefully it won't be difficult. Just need to make each arch the same!
optomist
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Re: Pilothouse

#82

Post by optomist »

Really appreciate all of the information kmorin! Incredible work that you do! I am the auto shop teacher at the high school here, (unfortunately not the metals teacher!) and I will definitely share this with some of our students to show them what high quality attention to detail can achieve (as long as you are okay with that?) This project is definitely intimidating for me, but will give me something to dive into.

Thanks for all of your help/thoughts. I will post some pictures of the boat and my plan as it develops.
kmorin
Donator 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Posts: 1735
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:37 am
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Location: Kenai, Alaska

Re: Pilothouse

#83

Post by kmorin »

optomist, Thanks for the kind words.

I posted the articles on welded boat building to help a shortage of knowledge of this aspect of the metal working trade. So please feel free to share the links with anyone interested in this subject.

I have built on and off since 1970's and tried to find a way to accumulate the information and illustrate my points of view with enough detail that the methods and techniques can be learned by reading the various posts and trying for yourself? I also show some layout, marking, cutting and weld prepping in the various articles there @ Glen-L.

I'm happy to reply and hope my remarks made from a long list of enumerable mistakes will allow you to avoid a few along the line as you invent your own set of errors in your build?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
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