Building a raised front deck?

[jerseyjimk]

what type of aluminum did you use the build the frame?I was toying with the idea of 1-1/4x1-1/4x1/8 alum angle or 1x1x1/8 square tubing.what seemed to works the best.I would like to this once and right the first time.I have 1/8 sheet for the floor.It's all going on a Crestliner 1860 mod-Vee.thanks jim

 

[onthewater102]

I used 1 x 1 x .125 (my build https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=33630 ) and I over-built it so much that it supported the .09" thick FPR decking material without any foam behind it. With the foam it's like a rock. Is the 1/8th deck sheet aluminum? If so you won't need much framing beneath it. Try www.onlinemetals.com - they're way cheaper than Home Depot or Lowes, and you can get the structural 6061 aluminum angle rather than the weaker 6063 like the big-box stores carry.

 

[BigTerp]

I used 1 x 1 angle for my framing and .125" sheet for my bow deck and floor. I would suggest you go with the 6063 angle and not the 6061. The 6063 is square where the 6061 is rounded in the center, which gives it higher strength but makes it a huge pain tyring to get things squared up. May not have explained that the best, but you can see the difference here: https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=61&step=2

And for comparison I'm 6'8" and weigh 275#'s. All of the above is plenty strong and very sturdy for myself.

 

[JoshKeller]

i also used 1 x 1 angle, to support 19/32 plywood. im 6'4" and 225 and theres no flex or give under my weight.

 

[onthewater102]

BigTerp » 16 Jun 2014, 16:04[/url]"]... I would suggest you go with the 6063 angle and not the 6061. The 6063 is square where the 6061 is rounded in the center, which gives it higher strength but makes it a huge pain tyring to get things squared up...

I used 6061 and all it took was a few passes with a file to the corner of any piece you're looking to nest to the inside of the angle so that the two fit together flush but to each their own. Onlinemetals is a great resource and their diagrams are spot on to see the difference in the way the metals are formed.

6063 is also a softer alloy, not just a different shape (again, see the alloy differences on onlinemetals https://www.onlinemetals.com/productguides/aluminumguide.cfm ) so over time the vibration of the boat stands a better chance of loosening your rivets up than you will experience with 6061.

 

[onthewater102]

Also, we are apparently a website of goons as I'm 6'3" and 230 lbs and have no problem with my FRP deck backed by expanding foam & aluminum angle. I used way too much aluminum on my build - the foam and FRP are like concrete when set.

 

[BigTerp]

onthewater102 » Yesterday, 11:37 am[/url]"]

BigTerp » 16 Jun 2014, 16:04[/url]"]... I would suggest you go with the 6063 angle and not the 6061. The 6063 is square where the 6061 is rounded in the center, which gives it higher strength but makes it a huge pain tyring to get things squared up...

I used 6061 and all it took was a few passes with a file to the corner of any piece you're looking to nest to the inside of the angle so that the two fit together flush but to each their own. Onlinemetals is a great resource and their diagrams are spot on to see the difference in the way the metals are formed.

6063 is also a softer alloy, not just a different shape (again, see the alloy differences on onlinemetals https://www.onlinemetals.com/productguides/aluminumguide.cfm ) so over time the vibration of the boat stands a better chance of loosening your rivets up than you will experience with 6061.

I agree with this, and 6061 angle is definitely stronger, but with what we are doing with our boats I don't think the strength nor softness difference between the two is going to matter. I used a piece of angle the entire width of my hull to support the front section of my floor. I couldn't imagine trying to get my floor to fit flush/square using the 6061. I think most guys on here use the 6063 in their builds, IIRC.

That's the nice thing about this site though, there are MANY different ways to accomplish the same goal and it's easy to see the pros and cons of each because so many people have done things in so many different ways.

 

[BigTerp]

onthewater102 » Yesterday, 11:39 am[/url]"]Also, we are apparently a website of goons as I'm 6'3" and 230 lbs and have no problem with my FRP deck backed by expanding foam & aluminum angle. I used way too much aluminum on my build - the foam and FRP are like concrete when set.

This made me laugh!!!!!!!!

 

[onthewater102]

Yeah, I definitely don't have an example of rivets or fasteners that came loose - but I was also foaming behind FRP so if anything came apart it would be a b!t<h and a half to get to to repair down the line. I used the 6063 for some trim work along the edges of my tackle tray area this weekend and along the leading edge of the FRP and it is noticeably softer (way easier to cut), but if everyone on here is using it then I suppose it's not much of an issue.

 

[JoshKeller]

onthewater102 » Yesterday, 11:39[/url]"]Also, we are apparently a website of goons as I'm 6'3" and 230 lbs and have no problem with my FRP deck backed by expanding foam & aluminum angle. I used way too much aluminum on my build - the foam and FRP are like concrete when set.

Ive never felt short until i stood next to bigterp :lol: =D>

 

[BigTerp]

JoshKeller » Yesterday, 11:10 pm[/url]"]

onthewater102 » Yesterday, 11:39[/url]"]Also, we are apparently a website of goons as I'm 6'3" and 230 lbs and have no problem with my FRP deck backed by expanding foam & aluminum angle. I used way too much aluminum on my build - the foam and FRP are like concrete when set.

Ive never felt short until i stood next to bigterp :lol: =D>

HA!!!

 

[fishjunky]

Would 1 x 1 x 1/16" square tubing be ok to use? It's half the weight (duh). Total weight for my project is major factor. My max span of unsupported tubing would be appx 2'.

 

[onthewater102]

I would think so - if not you can always add an angled brace back to your closest vertical support & cut the span in half - or add a vertical support if you've got a rib beneath the tube.

 

[fishjunky]

onthewater102 » 13 Jul 2014, 22:47[/url]"]I would think so - if not you can always add an angled brace back to your closest vertical support & cut the span in half - or add a vertical support if you've got a rib beneath the tube.

Thanks. I think it would be fine on the floor especially since there will be foam underneath to help support the floor. I can reinforce the back deck/drivers seat area if it needs it like you said. The 1/16" stuff would be a lot easier to work with as far as trimming to fit the ribs.

 

[DrNip]

Dunno if it is too late as this thread is a month old but here is what I did. Look on page 2.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=32289

 

[onthewater102]

fishjunky » 14 Jul 2014, 07:50[/url]"]...The 1/16" stuff would be a lot easier to work with as far as trimming to fit the ribs.

The 1/8" is plenty easy to work with too - I cut it ~ 1/16 longer than it needed to be and just shaped it with a ******* file till it was perfect. The nice side to using the square tube is it's easier to design the layout as you'll have 4 surfaces to rivet to rather than 2, which would have saved me a few drillout & redos on my build.

God, when I think of how many adjustments I made on the fly I probably drilled out a third of the rivets I used.