6 Attachment(s)
Convertable / Removable Flounder Lite System / Rod Holder Set
Well I guess I'm at it again. Seems I bore easily, should be fishing, but designing, fabricating, bragging on Cool itself is just Fun to me. So my basic design is Dual Side Rail/Lite system that plugs into Big Game Rocket Launcher Rod Holders that are welded to 3x4 Anodized Pads that are screwed to 3x4.5in Bases welded in place that are made with matched, threaded holes for mounting the Pads / Rocket Launcher components.
Attachment 472226Attachment 472227Attachment 472228
First I cut 6 Base pieces of 1/2in thick 3in wide 6061-T6 Flat Bar into 4.5in lengths. After removing the sharp corners and edges with a sanding disc each Base was punched using a transfer punch to match the hole pattern of the 3x4in Pads. Then all punch marks were deepened with a center punch before drilling for threading.
Attachment 472229Attachment 472231Attachment 472230
Aluminum Tap Magic is the best aluminum threading lubricant I have ever used. You get extremely clean cut threads, greatly reduced torque in the threading process, and a much extended cutting tool life. Here I patiently, slowly thread all 24 holes in the 1/2in thick Hard Aluminum. The Rocket Launchers are laying on the deck. 6 total will be used. I will bend 1-1/4in Sch80 Anodized Aluminum Pipe to drop into two at a time Rocket Launchers on both Port & Starboard sides and weld 3 Lite Mount Bases along each of the pipes. The two front Rocket Launchers will use Single Lite Systems so the trolling motor will not be interfered with in deployment and stowing.
12 Attachment(s)
Advancing on the Light Mount / Rail system
I don't know if I should lead with a picture or not? Let me try.
Attachment 472391
Pipe Bending 101 - You always, always have to know a repeatable mark location. Here I use the leading edge of the clamping shoe. If you look close you will see a sharpie mark right against the shoe. Not a 1/4in either way but right in a repeatable spot.
Attachment 472392
I'm bending 1-1/4in Sch 80 Aluminum pipe with a 7in Radius Bending Shoe so at 90 degrees my bend will grow 10-3/4in. This 10-3/4in figure never changes as long as you are using the die you used in the first place. Without out knowing the growth of the outside edge of the bend repeatable bends are impossible. When fabricating Roll Cages from scratch your "Offset figure" gets welded into the brain, pun intended. This is a "One-Shot" Bender. I made a pile of money bending T-Tops with this bender. Being Air over Hydraulics I don't have a ratchet handle to pull on.
Attachment 472393
Mine did not come with a gauge so I made this one and it works great. If you need to repeat a bend just stop in the same place each bend.
Attachment 472394
To prevent axial alignment issues or twists not intended to be in the pipe I use a digital angle finder. Here it is zero degrees but when I put full bend torque the dies allow a .02 degrees down so when a start my second bend I will make sure I get the pipe in the exact (within .05 degrees) before starting the bend.
Attachment 472395
This is a target of 63 inches outside to outside on this pipe. The reference mark shown is written on the table 32-1/4in but since I have been bending pipe for a long time I realized the finished pipe was going to be too short so since my bud is deer hunting in Illinois I just added 20 inches. 63 inches minus the offset of 10-3/4in is 52-3/4in. This reference mark is 52-3/4in from the starting mark.
Attachment 472396
Here is a picture of the pipe after bending still in the bender. Please don't judge all the debris on my table. This poor table has to carry and support a lot of projects.
Attachment 472397
To drop in the Rocket Launcher Liner without damaging it I sand a radius to 320 grit in the ends of the 1-1/4in pipe.
Attachment 472398
Here I'm preparing to weld the Rocket Launcher to it's Pad. All 6 get welded the same. I will only weld one side so the Rocket Launcher can be bend into alignment with the 1-1/4in pipe. After getting a perfect alignment so the pipe slides in and out with ease I will weld out.
Attachment 472399
These are done for now but 2 get welded out now they will have individual light fixtures up on the Bow shining forward.
Attachment 472400
TIG Welded anodized aluminum in one pass with a Miller Dynasty.
Attachment 472401
A match set of pipes. If you know the offset and put the initial clamping shoe mark you can calculate the rest of the bends.
Attachment 472402
In a holding pattern now till I talk to my bud. I think the light mounts need to be under the pipe with the fixtures mounted under that to reduce the glare on the water.
10 Attachment(s)
Getting Close On This One Now........
Got up this morning and got back on the Flounder Lite System. I had to crank up my big welder Mr Miller 350P. This thing is a beast. You must open the big door and personnel doors to let the smoke out when using this MIG Welder.
Attachment 472740
Welding such contrasting thicknesses I chose to weld the perpendicular edges and seal the parallel edges from saltwater intrusion. I welded all six pads after prepping the gunnels. The smoke stains was all wiped down with water then the opposite edges were sealed. I will paint these tomorrow.
Attachment 472741Attachment 472742
next was test fitting the Rocket Launchers to the Rack Pipes. Bending the Rocket Launcher welds to align everything as best as it could be then welding the Rocket Launchers out to the pads.
Attachment 472743Attachment 472744
Now I can weld on the Light Mounting Pads to the Light Racks.
Attachment 472745Attachment 472746Attachment 472747
After everything is totally cool I put the Light Racks into their corresponding Rocket Launchers for another test fit.
Attachment 472748Attachment 472749
Still need to mount the new custom windshield and built a grab bar around it after.
2 Attachment(s)
The Final Pieces are Finished
I had a bit of creative block on how to fabricate the Bow 2 Lite Mounts. I felt I needed to tie in the look of the 2 side mounts but these needed to be lower. A pair of pipe plugs was used to finish off the sides of each mount. I think the "Look" has been accomplished. All that is left is to paint the welds with the Hot Shot "Aluminum" paint.
Attachment 473315Attachment 473316
3 Attachment(s)
Windshield / Grab Bar Installed
I didn't do my usual today. I had too much going on getting this Windshield laid out, holes drilled in the Acrylic and Console aligning the Windshield slope with the Backrest slope.
Attachment 473671
I needed the Windshield installed so I could fabricate a Grab Bar to protect it from damage.
Attachment 473672Attachment 473673
I will back up the mounting hardware with extra thick Aluminum washers on the inside of the Console for improved clamping of the 1/4-20 SS Screws & Nuts.
All the weld are painted with Hot Shot, the additional welded pads were painted too. Boat is finished just waiting on paint to dry.
16 Attachment(s)
Installing the Lights Today
I've had the boat here for a few days but needed to finish the Peach wine, Christmas, and processing enough wine bottles to bottle 40 bottles of my Tripletail wine.
Attachment 478475Attachment 478476Attachment 478477
Starting out with a Light Mounting Bracket I used a pair of Spring clamps to layout the location of the mounting bolt hole on all 8 Mounting Plates. After locating the hole I used a Transfer Punch to center punch a mark for drilling.
Attachment 478478Attachment 478479Attachment 478480
Of course when the 1/2 inch holes were drilled huge burrs was left on the exit side of the drill bit. I used a deburring bit to bevel both sides of the mounting holes.
Attachment 478482Attachment 478483Attachment 478484
here is a quick picture of the TIG welds. I Bump Weld Anodized so I can weld in one pass without creating a Heat Affected Zone in the weld.
Attachment 478481
Attachment 478485Attachment 478486Attachment 478487
The wiring is a bit of a pain to deal with as there are numerous "Tees" I tied all the power and control wires as best I could to keep them off the deck. Each Light has a Ballast and the Mfgr of the Lights provided a harness to tie all the ballasts for each side together and mount them remotely. Here I have the Ballasts screwed to a piece 1/2in piece of King Starboard using 1/2in Screws so the ballasts will be isolated from the boat hull. The thickness of the ballast flange is enough to prevent the screws from touching the hull.
Attachment 478488Attachment 478489Attachment 478490
