why cant i just build it myself?

[phatmanmike]

im talking about one of those large outboard motor brackets with the integral swim platform, such as the ones from stainless marine or gil.<br /><br />ive wanted one on my center console for about as long as ive had the boat. <br /><br />why not. im comfident with my glass skills and the strength required for the job. <br /><br />whaler had 'em. dusky uses 'em. why cant phatmanmike use one too.<br /><br />im in the process of rebuilding my entire boat right now.<br /><br />i need to swing for a jack plate of SOME sort, since my motor is about 1 inche below keel, and cant be rasied. i could incorporate a few inches of lift into the platform.<br /><br />anybody have any opinions of making one yerselves? nothing a few gallons of epoxy and some good strong ply cant manage. i mean what the 'ell, the rest of my boat is made that way?!?<br /><br />and fill it with foam to help the boat keeps its boyancee/flotaion angle all while improving the "X" dimesion<br /><br />lemme know if you think im crazy or not....<br /><br />m ikey<br /><br />EDIT : i could even incorporate a small mount for my 5 horse kicker motor!<br /><br />think of the cost savings...<br />kicker mount 150$<br />transom motor bracket 800$<br />swim platform 100$<br />cost of doing it myself...priceless<br /><br />im sure it could be done for around 200 bucks, if not less

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: why cant i just build it myself?

 

[hayhauler]

Re: why cant i just build it myself?

I was under the impression that they incorporated some stainless steel for strength. I suppose there is nothing you can't build yourself, it just comes down to whether you want your motors and your kids hanging on it. I'd want to get a good look at a commercial one, but it sounds do-able. There would be a heck of a lot of torque in at least three directions.<br /><br />If you figure it out I'd like to see how you do it. It would make a great project.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: why cant i just build it myself?

I feel that you should seriously consider getting some strong aluminum stock, cut the pieces to shape, and have the pieces welded by a pro. You would only need it to be the appropriate dimension to hold the motor and place the motor where you want it. You can configure it so it could have teak or whatever bolted to it for the swim platform. I sort of think that you would end up with a superior end result that would weigh less and be more trustworthy than something that is glassed together. I am sure that with enough wood and glass you could whip something up, but it may not be a bad idea to consider other options as well. I too have thought about a bracket, and there was someone on here, can't remember who, who made his own bracket out of aluminum and it turnd out well. Anyway, good luck...

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: why cant i just build it myself?

Walleyehead made a nice bracket a while ago. No swim deck though.

 

[lark2004]

Re: why cant i just build it myself?

go for it Phat! just remember that you will need to raise your motor a bit more, about 1 inch up for every 1 foot back from the keel.

 

[petrolhead]

Re: why cant i just build it myself?

My philosophy "If it can be made then I can make it!"<br />The only question then is can I make it as good for the same money or less? Given time and resources the answer to the first part is "Yes", but one-off specialist components can often take a lot of time and money to make compared to the mass produced item.<br />I should know because my job is all about making one-off custom built items, and they are rarely cheap! But then you won't be charging for your own time, and you'll have the satisfaction of having done it yourself, and you can do something that bit different to a commercial item.<br /><br />Do it!