Dude. . .Just make the door bigger!

[pipefitter]

It has been a weird last couple years in the fabrication realm and especially with 40+ MPH aluminum structures. I was hoping this wasn't to be a trend and am fighting it. There have been two thus far and this was the first. Has to clear the windshield twice etc. Really tedious crap. The geometry involved limits the styling and it's harder to be enthused about something you feel is unattractive, regardless of how 'trick' it may be. Then of course, it has to stay together on a boat that frequents choppy waters.

A collapsible tee-top.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/Folding%20Tee%20Top/FoldingTeeTop010.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/Folding%20Tee%20Top/FoldingTeeTop023.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/Folding%20Tee%20Top/FoldingTeeTop030.jpg

[CByrneiv]

That's very nice work there... though I understand your aesthetic reservations.

But it's very clean and fair; and from what I can see the welding and fitting is perfect.

I also see you're a Miller shop. I'm trying to decide whether to bother buying the miller over the Hobart at the moment.

I've been a Miller man for a long time; but I wasn't paying for my own gear. Now I need a new MIG, and a new TIG, for my home shop, and I'm hungup.

On the one hand, I want the miller; on the other, I don't feel like paying extra for mostly what is the blue paint... Though they do have this irritating habit of putting slightly worse transformers, and stripping some nice but not critical features out of the Hobarts....

[Boatguy1972]

Very nice work!

Why did they want it to fold back? It seems one-dimensional to have it fold that way, with it folded back you can't operate the boat. I would have expected to see it fold forward to be able to get under low bridges etc..

[paladin]

I betcha it's for a garage or other structure for storage.

[pipefitter]

Paladin has it right. It fits under a lean-to shed. Initially, it might have had to fold forward and that layout was researched but it would have had flip well up and over and extend off the front of the boat or have the lid fold yet again. Customer only had 11" of room above the windshield to clear the shed.

[pipefitter]

That's very nice work there... though I understand your aesthetic reservations.

But it's very clean and fair; and from what I can see the welding and fitting is perfect.

I also see you're a Miller shop. I'm trying to decide whether to bother buying the miller over the Hobart at the moment.

I've been a Miller man for a long time; but I wasn't paying for my own gear. Now I need a new MIG, and a new TIG, for my home shop, and I'm hungup.

On the one hand, I want the miller; on the other, I don't feel like paying extra for mostly what is the blue paint... Though they do have this irritating habit of putting slightly worse transformers, and stripping some nice but not critical features out of the Hobarts....

It turned out pretty exact with no binding of the hinge points nor any misalignment of mating fittings. It's a tedious affair with considering the amount that aluminum moves when welding. Also, it incorporates a truss in the front section which is a work hardened laminate (pipe within a pipe) to subdue oscillatory stresses and fatigue.

Miller is good equipment but they are guilty of keeping up with the Jones'. In other words, fixing what isn't broken in order to have the newest 'best' trend. I have never been fond of square wave technology outside of lab environments. I find the square wave machines are more fickle about welding overhead or where you can't always have ideal torch angle which can be stressful when welding above new gelcoat regardless of what precautions are taken.

We have two types of TIG machines. One is the Synchrowave (square wave) and the other being the Dynasty and both are noisy as hell. The Dynasty(inverter) series doesn't have full time high frequency option, which is really needed when welding anodized aluminum or doing a lot of tacking. I avoid the Dynasty like the plague other than for stainless steel. It comes down to which brand is more locally serviceable. My machine here at home, which is an old Miller ABP, will weld circles around either of the others mentioned with aluminum in any position and it's quiet by comparison.

[Breakaway]

Very cool execution, though I agree with your aesthetic reservations. May I ask, have you limited the customer to the size and type of accessories he may install atop the top? Radome( disconnect, or slack, cable) outriggers, antennae, etc?

Kevin

[Hal Forsen]

You do beautiful work Paul. ;)

[Lew Barrett]

You do beautiful work Paul. ;)

Just seems to crank it out, one after the next. Makes it look easy but we know better.
Actually, it doesn't even look easy! Just beautiful.

[TimH]

Approximately how much is a custom piece like that?

Seems like it would cost more than the boat itself.

[Hal Forsen]

I know what a job like that would cost out here.
$$$ :o:(:eek:

[Bill R]

Damn PF. Every time I start feeling good about the welding skills I have managed to scrape together, you show up with something like this...

Beautiful work, and a real inspiration. Thank you for putting this up.

[pipefitter]

Top like that with the folding option is probably around 4k when it's all said and done. I can do 2/week, no help whatsoever. I can whip out the design, plot the key measurements and have it drawn full size pattern in under an hour. The first place I worked at had autocad and it would take them 2-3 hrs to deliver a print and then would have to be proven by the fabricator. I match as many angles of the console as possible to avoid the gremlins that favor obvious afterthoughts. This is really clean, fun and challenging work.

Here is a large one I just did for a 35 ft'r. This guy was a great customer. "Spare no expense, I want it right" type. This one used 2" (2-3/8ths" O.D.) sched 40 anodized for the mains. All other bracing was bumped up one size than normal.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/Boatstuff141.jpg

I succeeded in capturing 5 of 6 possible angles with the 5th being left out of play so that the electronics box was in perfect reach/view within the structure. All wiring is integral within the structure for a really clean install.

This is what it replaced.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/Boatstuff153.jpg

[pipefitter]

Very cool execution, though I agree with your aesthetic reservations. May I ask, have you limited the customer to the size and type of accessories he may install atop the top? Radome( disconnect, or slack, cable) outriggers, antennae, etc?

Kevin

All tops have provision for GPS, VHF, Anchor light, standard e-box mounts and aft flood and fluorescent lighting by default of our standard build schedule. I cam add radar plates to any top and if they want a remote search light, I can make an arch that moves the dome above.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P1030006.jpg

The possibilities are endless really. I incorporated the antenna mounts with the arch just to make it that much more trick, with the antenna wires meeting up with the other harness straight down through the leg tubes. These are things you think of on day 1 and invent better ways as you go, as is the case with the antenna mounts.

Thank you for the nice compliments. I can imagine that many of you would not mind building things like these, regardless if for other than a wood boat. A lot of folks want to watch it come together and end up hanging around. After a day or two they are more prone to say, "forget what I said, build it as if it were your own". LOL

[erster]

A person does not learn this stuff in books! The man is a genuis and an artist at the same time and rarely receive the proper compensation and acknowledgement. Sadly the numbers of these types of guys continue to decline with each generation of kids.:(

[Boatguy1972]

A person does not learn this stuff in books! The man is a genuis and an artist at the same time and rarely receive the proper compensation and acknowledgement. Sadly the numbers of these types of guys continue to decline with each generation of kids.:(

So true...

[Paul Pless]

A lot of folks want to watch it come together and end up hanging around. After a day or two they are more prone to say, "forget what I said, build it as if it were your own". LOL> :)

[Cecil Borel]

I am really impressed, too. I am very impressed with the bends and fit of the tubing, as well as the welds. I am refurbishing an old hossfeld bender and hope to be able to bend some stainless tubing to make a bow pulpit, maybe make a boom gallows. How do you make your bends? and do you think a hossfeld manual bender would work?

[Ross M]

... I can imagine that many of you would not mind building things like these...

Well, sure, but for the enormous skills deficit :D

Your design & fabrication work is incredible. Offshore center consoles are extremely popular here in Stuart, so we see a lot of pipework. A lot of that work is very nice. But I never see your level of work.

Ross

[pipefitter]

I am really impressed, too. I am very impressed with the bends and fit of the tubing, as well as the welds. I am refurbishing an old hossfeld bender and hope to be able to bend some stainless tubing to make a bow pulpit, maybe make a boom gallows. How do you make your bends? and do you think a hossfeld manual bender would work?

A Hossfeld bender is an excellent tool and is what I learned on and used it exclusively for the first 8 years. We used to have the manual version that looked like it came over on the Mayflower. I wish I still had one. For this polished anodized pipe, we used the EMT dies lined with thin wall PVC pipe split and then heated to shape it because the Hossfeld used a wiper die system. With using the liners, all we had to do is spray soap water on the pipe and there was no scratching whatsoever. You may have to use a liner to protect the pipe. See if your tubing is adaptable for a liner. The EMT was slightly oversize than that of Sched 40 which was just enough room for the liner. You may be able to use the next size up from your target size and do the same.

I use a pneumatic/hydraulic press bender and for the life of me the name (CM?) escapes me at the moment. It's on the yellow stand behind the picture. It is limited to how close together you place multiple bends.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/Boatstuff150.jpg

[pipefitter]

A person does not learn this stuff in books! The man is a genuis and an artist at the same time and rarely receive the proper compensation and acknowledgement. Sadly the numbers of these types of guys continue to decline with each generation of kids.:(

You aren't kidding, Mike. I think every able boy ought to do a year and a half in trade school if they are so inclined. I went to welding school to learn the welding part of it and it astonishes me how many up and coming weldors have not. I was also fortunate to have the most non politically correct hardass for an instructor whom I still keep in touch with. He was actually the one who told the company I now work with where to find me about 7-8 years after I graduated. All young men could use no-nonsense role models like that and as a basis for serious work ethic at an industrial level. I get frustrated when people don't move their feet, especially if they are in front of me.

One thing I will say for the owner of this company, he does acknowledge my skills and pays me the limit to what he can afford. He brags on me when given the chance and has even offered his competitors contest. As he had nothing else to offer, he gave me 25% of the company. I often joke with him that he just gave me 25% of the debt. LOL

He really is a great guy and leaves me alone for the most part. Every once in awhile we will throw ideas back and forth but for the most part we are on the same page this many years into it.

[pipefitter]

Well, sure, but for the enormous skills deficit :D

Your design & fabrication work is incredible. Offshore center consoles are extremely popular here in Stuart, so we see a lot of pipework. A lot of that work is very nice. But I never see your level of work.

Ross

I can teach just about anyone that has a knack this trade in pretty short order. I can tell just by talking to them in 5 minutes and a hand shake if they have what it takes and I would have to say that the most obvious indications would have to be, enthusiasm and passion. I always thought that if I got to where I couldn't hack this work anymore, I could find satisfaction as a welding instructor.

[Captain Blight]

SWIMPAL's doin a welding tech program. She suffered a very hard blow about a week ago when it came out that the meds she's on do funny things when they interact with pressurized nitrogen, and she's had to give up on her dream of welding under water. But she still loves to weld, and after talking it over, she decided to just go ahead and get her welding certs and we'll see what shakes out.

She's got a ways to go before her work is as clean as yours, though!

[pipefitter]

My ex wife went thru welding school with me. She ended up competing with me constantly and it became an issue with her once fab skills came into the mix and she ended up being resentful and would not allow me to help her because of it. Regardless of our association outside of the class, she couldn't quite grasp the fact that at some point, different personalities and skill sets end up taking one down different paths within the program. She never welded again once we graduated. I was through with the course 3 months ahead of schedule so I was able to spend the remaining time choosing my study and pursuing employment opportunities and helping new students. It made for some tension on the home front, even though we initially agreed that this would not become competitive or interfere with our personal lives before enrolling. Welding was my gig. I signed up for the school on my own, she tagged along after the fact and she made a good part of it very difficult for me. She really deserved to be treated like a guy and to this day, has no idea how much pride I swallowed for all the right reasons, which in a nutshell, was to be the better 'man'.