hansp77
09-25-2007, 07:30 AM
Finally, I have finished and installed the new pushpit, which I desinged and (with some help) made myself.
It took me, well, just a little while:rolleyes: but it is on there, and aside from being really really comfortable, it is solid as a rock, and I am really happy with the lines and appearance and how it works with my boat.:cool:
Here is a shot of it at home, just after final fitting of the timber seating.
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/../gallery/data/500/medium/pushpit.jpg
Rather than forking out for teak, or sourcing out some white beech, I compromised and just used some merbau (Kwila) I had at hand (if worst comes to worst, it will not be hard to pull it off and use it as templates for some other timber).
After soaking in my bathtub for about a month, topped up and drained with each daily shower- helped with a few hits of napisan (to leach out the tannins that will ruin any finish applied to the merbau) I re-sanded to glossy finish and saturated it in pure tung oil for about three days (with a little dryer added) and it has cleaned up a treat (now I just have to get the dryed tung oil off my stainless steel).
The S Steel is all 316 grade, and was welded by a combination of TIG and MIG. Most of it by an uncle and myself and the last touches by some goon I had to pay through the nose for (because we had lost access to the last welder we where using).
Cost? well, I would rather not think about that... Nearly half the cost was paying the SOB at the end who overcharged me, and then a whole lot in stainless steel... but still cheaper and IMHO better made and fitted to my boat than what it would have cost to get someone else to do it... Just.:rolleyes:
It is done and on there, that is all I care about now.:)
heres a picture of it just after installing on the boat.
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/../gallery/data/500/medium/Pushpit_on_the_boat.JPG
If you can ignore that dodgey old bird poo covered poop deck hatch and deck (that is the next thing waiting to be put down next weekend- a lovely new-built curved-top hatch) then you can see how it is positioned. The bottom of the curved back legs sits square on top of the transom, and the front rail of the seat (under your knees) is pretty much directly above the transom line and follows where the old pushpit middle rail sat (with the curve of the wood following the curve of the transom). The plan was, to get somewhere comfortable to sit, while maximising, and indeed increasing, our usable deck space. The old one I ripped (literally snapped!) off over a year ago was just made out of old iron water pipes, was rusted to the s!!t house, and weighed a tonne. With all the extra size, and the timber seating, I actually doubt if this new one is any heavier than the old.
I can't remember the actual dimensions I used for the seat and back, but it was worked out as standard to ergonomical requirements of a comfortable seat... and it is comfortable.
When sitting at the tiller, the back rest and rail is thankfully well below the horizon line, so does not significantly impede ones view- which was something I was concerned about.
Here is a shot of Altair floating in the water where you can sort of see the profile of the pushpit.
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Altair_in_the_day.JPG
Now that the pushpit is on, I can finally put up my stauchions again- well almost.. so in anticipation, I have just finished reinstalling my toerails (where my jib sheets run through) with brass runners/travellers that with the deck , my staunchions screw into...
basically a lot has been waiting on this blasted pushpit.
next weekend I will get the new poop deck hatch down, soon after that the restored splasboards and winches, then the staunchions... and we are ready to repaint that bird crap stained deck, etc...
The engine (old stuart turner 8hp) I have finally got running well, after fixing the carby and its float- and I can now with confidence get the thing started.
Anyway, there it is, comments welcome,
(critiscism too if you want- I think some would prefer two vertical back supports instead of one... but, I like one:D)
and in the mean time (because sailing is not really very practical or easy at the moment) we have been having a good time camping out on it.
Here was a night a couple of weeks ago, sitting on my new pushpit seat, celebrating my partner and I's 5 yr anniversery, looking out over the melbourne city skyline.
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/data/500/medium/City_night_view.JPG
Hans.
It took me, well, just a little while:rolleyes: but it is on there, and aside from being really really comfortable, it is solid as a rock, and I am really happy with the lines and appearance and how it works with my boat.:cool:
Here is a shot of it at home, just after final fitting of the timber seating.
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/../gallery/data/500/medium/pushpit.jpg
Rather than forking out for teak, or sourcing out some white beech, I compromised and just used some merbau (Kwila) I had at hand (if worst comes to worst, it will not be hard to pull it off and use it as templates for some other timber).
After soaking in my bathtub for about a month, topped up and drained with each daily shower- helped with a few hits of napisan (to leach out the tannins that will ruin any finish applied to the merbau) I re-sanded to glossy finish and saturated it in pure tung oil for about three days (with a little dryer added) and it has cleaned up a treat (now I just have to get the dryed tung oil off my stainless steel).
The S Steel is all 316 grade, and was welded by a combination of TIG and MIG. Most of it by an uncle and myself and the last touches by some goon I had to pay through the nose for (because we had lost access to the last welder we where using).
Cost? well, I would rather not think about that... Nearly half the cost was paying the SOB at the end who overcharged me, and then a whole lot in stainless steel... but still cheaper and IMHO better made and fitted to my boat than what it would have cost to get someone else to do it... Just.:rolleyes:
It is done and on there, that is all I care about now.:)
heres a picture of it just after installing on the boat.
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/../gallery/data/500/medium/Pushpit_on_the_boat.JPG
If you can ignore that dodgey old bird poo covered poop deck hatch and deck (that is the next thing waiting to be put down next weekend- a lovely new-built curved-top hatch) then you can see how it is positioned. The bottom of the curved back legs sits square on top of the transom, and the front rail of the seat (under your knees) is pretty much directly above the transom line and follows where the old pushpit middle rail sat (with the curve of the wood following the curve of the transom). The plan was, to get somewhere comfortable to sit, while maximising, and indeed increasing, our usable deck space. The old one I ripped (literally snapped!) off over a year ago was just made out of old iron water pipes, was rusted to the s!!t house, and weighed a tonne. With all the extra size, and the timber seating, I actually doubt if this new one is any heavier than the old.
I can't remember the actual dimensions I used for the seat and back, but it was worked out as standard to ergonomical requirements of a comfortable seat... and it is comfortable.
When sitting at the tiller, the back rest and rail is thankfully well below the horizon line, so does not significantly impede ones view- which was something I was concerned about.
Here is a shot of Altair floating in the water where you can sort of see the profile of the pushpit.
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Altair_in_the_day.JPG
Now that the pushpit is on, I can finally put up my stauchions again- well almost.. so in anticipation, I have just finished reinstalling my toerails (where my jib sheets run through) with brass runners/travellers that with the deck , my staunchions screw into...
basically a lot has been waiting on this blasted pushpit.
next weekend I will get the new poop deck hatch down, soon after that the restored splasboards and winches, then the staunchions... and we are ready to repaint that bird crap stained deck, etc...
The engine (old stuart turner 8hp) I have finally got running well, after fixing the carby and its float- and I can now with confidence get the thing started.
Anyway, there it is, comments welcome,
(critiscism too if you want- I think some would prefer two vertical back supports instead of one... but, I like one:D)
and in the mean time (because sailing is not really very practical or easy at the moment) we have been having a good time camping out on it.
Here was a night a couple of weeks ago, sitting on my new pushpit seat, celebrating my partner and I's 5 yr anniversery, looking out over the melbourne city skyline.
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/data/500/medium/City_night_view.JPG
Hans.