Metal fabricating help.

[Majesticman]

I am making a double seat adapter for my boat.

Do any of you that welds or fabricates things know of any website that has instructions on making different types of slide adjusters?

I also need info on metal thickness and strength of different types of metals.

Every thing I find is above my head so I need something for stupid people.

[dr_duff]

Well I don't have an answer on the fabrication but I can give you a couple of other hints that might help. Bass Pro Shop Wally Marshall Double Down, www.actionp.com "Spider Seat", Cabela's Quad Pedestal Seat( I think that is what it is called but a search for "quad" will definately turn up a single four legged pedestal for fishing, and Bass Pro Shop "Spider Seat"). Well I know that is not much help for the fabricating but maybe it will give you some ideas.

[LIL' Joe]

Trying to figure out exactly what you are trying to do. Are you wanting to come up with a 1.25" pipe, and make a T for the seats to mount to?

Also remember to gusset all your right angles. This will make it twice as strong.

Do you have a welder? Don't forget the limitations of the welder if you already have one.

[Majesticman]

Basically that is it except I would like to use 2x2 square tube. The existing mount is a 3/4 inch pedestal mount and I want a 40 inch bar with 3/4 ID pipe on each end for two pedestals. What is a gusset? Now you know how stupid I am.

[LIL' Joe]

OOooo you don't have a hole for a seat to fit into like a bass boat then. If you have a pedestal that is screwed to the floor into the fiberglass I would not try to attach to seats to it. The reason I say this is because once you sit down in one of the seats, you are going to put alot of sidways pressure on that pedestal. The screws in the base are not designed to support a sideways load like this. You will either rip the screws out of the fiberglass or bend the metal in the floor of the boat. Let me draw something up that I was considering.

[Majesticman]

Yes it does have a hole. I have a 18 foot G3 aluminum tunnel hull. I have 1 standard 3/4 inch pedistal mount on the deck.

[backtocrappie]

Knew I should have finished getting my certification.

While I used to work in prefab shop many years ago, I do my own work but don't ask me if I'm a welder by trade.

Gussets are triangluar sections welded into a corner for more strength.

Let me see if I have this right. You want to take a section of 2x2 box iron and weld (2) 3/4 tube sections to the ends? If you use box iron with a wall thickness of 1/8 inch or more you can probably hang the whole boat on it so you won't need gussets. Punch (drill) 3/4 holes through one side of the the box iron, only 1 side, square it up then full circle weld that outside joint, tack the inside joint on the 3 sides facing to you skip the one in the back, your done.

As for pipe strength and thickness use only schedule 40, 20 is weak and 10 paper thin. Look at pvc to get an idea of what I mean.

If haven't welded before don't bother it's no where near as easy as some make it look. And for the love of GOD please use a full face welding helmet or you will super sunburn your flesh off. Not to mention you might end up permanantly blind.

[Majesticman]

I do weld some on my equipment when it is a quick fix in the field. I have a truck mount and a wire feed that is in the shop but I have an employee that is the welder. He is on vacation until after easter so I will have to wing it.

What I don't know is metal strength and how to make the the adjustment slide.

I will go down to the metal supply company tomorrow and get their advise.

[backtocrappie]

Well man your half way there if ya got one on a truck.

So you wanna make a box in box slide I take it? (wish I had an image)

I take it you want a merrigoround for when fishin gets slow? 2 guys on a G3 spinning around going weeeeee!

[paw paw perch]

I've been welding 2/3 of my 60 years and what your trying to do is make a double pedistall out of a single, right ? Your main consideration needs to be balance then strength. If I were designing this I would use your main beam on the floor, pined to center with the 3/4 sockets on each end for the seats.You could use flat metal instead of box beam in the form of 1/4x3 or even 1/4x4'' flat. does this make sense?