More Abstract Boat Stuff

[pipefitter]

I know, I know. . .It's not all THAT exciting but building stuff like this really is and surely it beats posting in the bilge.

Aluminum is very finicky when it comes to building parts that include reliable motion into the design. This is a flip back chair/lean post. People that do a lot of trolling for fish can make use of this. It reverses so they can look aft in comfort. Every time I build one of these for the display, I never get to the putting the foot flanges on before someone snatches it up. There is a lot more work to it than what it seems at a glance. The hinge points have to be dead nuts perfect or it will gall the female to the male parts. You would be surprised how many seasoned fabricators don't know how to do this or how many hinging apparatuses I have had to fix due to poor fit and alignment. I first learned of this with, believe it or not, making wooden hinges when I was a mere lad. The hinge points are indeed perfect and the rest of the piece is within a 32nd and maybe a light 16th at it's extremities after welding. It will have 2 sets of snap fit c-clips that hold the chair back firm in both directions that clasp the cross bar of the seat back so it doesn't rattle or jump around.

In the helm position:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9160068.jpg

Facing aft:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9160069.jpg

With upholstery:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9190076.jpg

You can actually sit all the way on this comfortably with the folding footrest down and it will fit a 70QT Igloo under it which is subdued by the cooler stay bar at the bottom rear and still open the cooler. The hardest part about this was getting equal seat top exposure in either position, equal degrees of lean(15degrees) back plus, the flip back matching the angle of the bent rear leg when in it's standard, forward facing position. I doubt if anyone would have really cared if it didn't match but I think it adds a certain tidiness to the project.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9190077.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9190078.jpg

The chair is sold and I have to add another footrest assembly on the rear that will clear the function of the cooler.

[TerryLL]

Pipefitter,

Beautiful!
I worked for a few years in an aluminum fab shop cranking out all kinds of boat-related stuff, as well as the occasional skiff and landing craft. I can really appreciate the skill, and art, that went into that bench. Very impressive!

[mmd]

Excellent workmanship & design, Pipefitter. Do you chamfer the joint butts to create a v-groove weld seam or just set your current high enough to penetrate the square butts? Is the finish anodized or is that just well-buffed aluminum? Do you finish the pipe with lacquer or other coating, or leave it raw to oxidize to the soft gray aluminum-oxide finish?

Our guys are just now fitting the railings, ladders, & grab-bars on the fireboat. I shall show them these pictures to inspire them. Thanks for posting.

[Tar Devil]

Awesome work!

[pipefitter]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate that. This stuff really is fun to do. Kind of like the big boys erector set with really nicer material to work with.

mmd, the pipe is anodized 6xxx series. We get it from a company called "Western Extrusions". I think it is only one of two in the nation that manufacture this.

I butt where I can get away with it and cope the larger pipes from 1-1/4"(sched 40) on up. I never bevel but as you noted, use high amperage (250-270 manual pulse) depending on the surrounding (heat sink) bulk of the project and as you know with relation to heat fatigue, the faster the better.

The pipe is just left anodized and as long as the salt is removed, all it takes is furniture polish (Pledge or other wax based product) to keep it looking like new indefinitely. We paint the raw welds with rustoleum aluminum paint which is a standard of the industry.

Every single design is basically a one off and I have all the radii and bend marks and relative math formulas in my head. I forgo the scientific calculator but instead have an array of general test bends to prove my drawings before I cut the first piece of pipe.

Here is an example:

A fair curve for a bull nosed lid for the canvas area on a tee top which is an 8" peak in 5'6". A profile that I like for this style of lid. It will also rise to 4" in height at CL.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9220084.jpg

I crudely take off the angle, after all, we are dealing with peel crayons here for drawing and the pipes have varying degrees of spring back between one stick or another.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9220085.jpg

I use a speed square which roughly tells me that the relative angle will be 69 degrees but in this case, I would be comfortable with 70 and would actually have to bend it to say 73-75 on the bender to allow for the spring back.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9220086.jpg

Here's a 70deg test bend with a 6" reference mark. Our bender has a center of bend line up mark on the die so this saves me a lot of math and time. I use a standard of 6" reference all the way up to 1-1/4" pipe and 10" for 1-1/2" and 2"
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9220087.jpg

[pipefitter]

Transferring the reference mark from the test bend for the actual bend mark I will need for this situation.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9220088.jpg

Here is the side rail that already has a 90 bent in the opposite end to the right. This assures me my lid will end up at exactly 7' overall.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P9220091.jpg

This allows me to design it and actually prove it beforehand and I usually can design and layout an entire project to full size pattern in under an hr, including taking measurements from the actual boat. When there is other fabricators in the shop, these methods help keep it consistent because a lot of these guys can weld well but really lack in math and layout.

[Lew Barrett]

Terrific looking and well executed as always.

[Concordia...41]

Makes me wish I needed some kind of custom aluminium work.... :(;)

[pipefitter]

Thank you Lew and Margo. Margo, I could also say I wish I had a Concordia to restore after watching over that project of yours all these years. I don't think there is anything that you couldn't do that you set your mind to. Talk about an impressive project.