I'm gonna build a boat (i think)

[CNYDWW]

I say I think because i wont know till i get to the store, still on the fence. What i've done so far is taken a simple stitch and glue canoe and scaled it for use with a small 8ft pontoon boat. Basically i'll use two sheets of AC ply to cut the parts to make two 8ft by aprox 16" pontoons and attach with a frame.

[myxpykalix]

Have you seen that scarfed joint Bill came up with? Not sure i grasp your description but if you need to glue the joints together this might be something useful.

[CNYDWW]

Thanks jack. The scarf joint is a bit much for 3/8" ply. It's just a toy to float down the Mohawk on weekends till it breaks. It's basically a flat bottom canoe. I ended up getting a hold of some old scrap cdx that'll work for a "prototype"

[Brady Watson]

If you are going to build a boat...make sure you have the tenacity to actually finish it. I've still got a weekend dingy that is sitting up in the pallet racks that needs a few more little things + paint to make it ready. I started it over 5 years ago...and there are a bunch more boats that I know of that botters started an never finished...Kinda sucks when it stares back at you and asks when you are going to finish me!

Stepped scarf in 3/8 is no problem. The boat I put together uses 1/4" marine ply for the sides and it has a 6" stepped scarf on each side to get over 8'. Your spoilboard needs to be dead flat and your numbers right to make it all right, but when it is done correctly it makes for one wicked strong joint not possible with other means.

-B

[myxpykalix]

In case of leaks, whatever you do make sure you take along your
"water-let-er-out-er"

[Ajcoholic]

I have built several cedar strip/fiberglass canoes, and one stitch and glue kayak a few years back. The cedar strip looks better, but the stitch and glue makes a light, super strong construction when glassed on both sides.

I have dreams of making a wooden runabout some day. Not any time soon though.. I know the canoes and kayak took me about 60 hrs each. A boat would be a lot more time I would think.

But they make very interesting projects. Make sure you post pics if you go ahead!

AJC

[myxpykalix]

I don't know if you might glean anything from certain techniques or building ideas here that you could adapt:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Pint...-log/?ALLSTEPS

[bleeth]

Randy:
A canoe design can be modified to work for a small pontoon but the basic pontoon shape for a slow moving platform is so simple it might be easier to do it yourself from scratch. The main thing that could be a bit of a challenge is the whole weight distribution and flotation aspect. You don't want too much captive air keeping it so high it doesn't handle worth a heck and you sure don't want the pontoons going down too low!
Unless you plan on having a pontoon that really moves fast under power just about any entry lines work and you don't really need a canoe back end. You do need a closed top and a flat top is a heck of a lot easier to put your deck on than the usual canoe shape of the gunwales.
I've seen designs as simple as a torpedo shape tied together with a deck to highly sophisticated v-hulls that get up on plane and fly with a whole darn houseboat up there.

[CNYDWW]

I don't know if you might glean anything from certain techniques or building ideas here that you could adapt:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Pint...-log/?ALLSTEPS

Thanks Jack, been over all the instructables already. Been a busy weekend but i cut parts for two pontoons out of some old scrap cdx. More for a trial run then anything.

[myxpykalix]

well along with your life jacket make sure you take your "water-let-er-out-er"