cherod
N/A
similar , and if i wanted i can put my main sheet on it to facilitate a bimine or sun shade / rain cover , it is strong , i am sure i could lift the boat with it , you gets what you pays for , i built my own .
Solar Gantry Cost
- Thread starter double-dutch
- Start date
double-dutch
Member
So are people saying that materials are not that crazy but most of "my" £2,500 are the labour cost?
cherod
N/A
Yes , a good welder is not cheap ??
pvb
Well-Known Member
Yes, there's a big labour content in making a one-off arch. It has to be designed, then roughly assembled and brought to the boat to try it in situ so as to get the angles of the fixing feet accurate. Then taken away and properly assembled and finished by polishing.
cherod
N/A
And the polishing is not a DIY jobbie
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
Depending on the detailed design a most stainless steel tube of the the kind used for solar gantry comes already polishing there's not much real polishing.
Mine is quite complex a it has all kinds of bits and bobs added
Mine also supports my cockpit cover and various safety equipment. Mine is made of 50mm o/d 316 stainless steel tube main tube ha 4 bends and the aft leg welded to the for shaped legs/ solar panel support for 4 solar panels.
After launching the boat and all the safety equipment and cockpit cover/solar panels.
cherod
N/A
Yes thats q good , and complex , It makes sense to have it multi purpose 
, yes the tubing can come pre polished ( at extra cost ) but you still got to do all the fittings and the welds , and there can be quite a lot of that ! and all have to be done same as the tube , if not looks dreadfull ( patchy ) How did you polish your stuff ? and how did you do your bends ?
, yes the tubing can come pre polished ( at extra cost ) but you still got to do all the fittings and the welds , and there can be quite a lot of that ! and all have to be done same as the tube , if not looks dreadfull ( patchy ) How did you polish your stuff ? and how did you do your bends ?
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rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
Yes thats q good , and complex , It makes sense to have it multi purpose
Bends
Up to 25 mm 1.6mm thick I have a hand bender and a long handle.
Over I take it to a local company who will bends any tube or other section.
I have a bender for flat bar up to 8 mm thick 70 wide over that again a local company who does laser cutting for me.
Tube comes fully polished it only only any thick wall scheduletube that needs polishing.
On flat bar I start with an angle grinder with 120 grit sanding pad then 120 grit flap wheel to 240 then 320 grit then polishing mop either on angle grinders as below or bench polisher made for a second motor.
Polishing equipment as below
Stainless can be electro polished but its no where as good as hand polishing and why hand polishing cost so much is its a horrible and dirty job so I will not do it for anyone else and if I can get a local to do it for me I will labourer.
cherod
N/A
Cool , you are well set up , i hate polishing !!! And you do your own welding ?Bends
Up to 25 mm 1.6mm thick I have a hand bender and a long handle.
Over I take it to a local company who will bends any tube or other section.
I have a bender for flat bar up to 8 mm thick 70 wide over that again a local company who does laser cutting for me.
Tube comes fully polished it only only any thick wall scheduletube that needs polishing.
On flat bar I start with an angle grinder with 120 grit sanding pad then 120 grit flap wheel to 240 then 320 grit then polishing mop either on angle grinders as below or bench polisher made for a second motor.
Polishing equipment as below
Stainless can be electro polished but its no where as good as hand polishing and why hand polishing cost so much is its a horrible and dirty job so I will not do it for anyone else and if I can get a local to do it for me I will labourer.
cherod
N/A
50 mm is big , i thot mine was big at 42 ?
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
Yes some I can do stick and tig. I've just got a Mig set so I need to get into that.
Mig will allow me to do aluminium welding but again I have another mate who has done aluminium is I needed it which was not very often.
I do have a friend who is better at tig then me so sometimes I get him to do welding if i'm busy or I need some tricky welding doing.
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
My handrails/ stanchions are 38 mm and my boat is 15 meters long so much smaller would be out of place in my view
Graham376
Well-Known Member
Most things boaty have a high labour content, cockpit tents and sprayhoods are a fine example, the materials are cheap.
I mocked my gantry up in 19mm x 19mm timber and gaffer tape so it could be measured, including angles of bends. Had a local guy bend the two 40mm tubes for me then cut the rest myself. It was stick welded up on the ground in the yard, welds not very pretty as wind was blowing shield gas away but they're strong enough. Have never got around to pickling the welds (nasty stuff) which would improve appearance. Since photo taken Aerogen binned and panels increased.
cherod
N/A
nice job,,, btw,, a jar of pickling paste costs about 25 £ and will last you for ever ,, not really too nasty if you are carefull with it and wash it off thoroughly . i use that white p
Bends
Up to 25 mm 1.6mm thick I have a hand bender and a long handle.
Over I take it to a local company who will bends any tube or other section.
I have a bender for flat bar up to 8 mm thick 70 wide over that again a local company who does laser cutting for me.
Tube comes fully polished it only only any thick wall scheduletube that needs polishing.
On flat bar I start with an angle grinder with 120 grit sanding pad then 120 grit flap wheel to 240 then 320 grit then polishing mop either on angle grinders as below or bench polisher made for a second motor.
Polishing equipment as below
Stainless can be electro polished but its no where as good as hand polishing and why hand polishing cost so much is its a horrible and dirty job so I will not do it for anyone else and if I can get a local to do it for me I will labourer.
[/Q
cherod
N/A
just looking at your pics on computer screen ,,, that is nice job, i suppose you done your landing platform as well ,,, handy being able to do this stuff, saves a fortune and gets it just as you want itBends
Up to 25 mm 1.6mm thick I have a hand bender and a long handle.
Over I take it to a local company who will bends any tube or other section.
I have a bender for flat bar up to 8 mm thick 70 wide over that again a local company who does laser cutting for me.
Tube comes fully polished it only only any thick wall scheduletube that needs polishing.
On flat bar I start with an angle grinder with 120 grit sanding pad then 120 grit flap wheel to 240 then 320 grit then polishing mop either on angle grinders as below or bench polisher made for a second motor.
Polishing equipment as below
Stainless can be electro polished but its no where as good as hand polishing and why hand polishing cost so much is its a horrible and dirty job so I will not do it for anyone else and if I can get a local to do it for me I will labourer.
( did you do your neighbours as well !! )
just realised you are in South Africa
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
No I don't work for anyone else. I retired 10 years ago after running a computer software development company.
I did practice as a mechanical design engineer until I can to South Africa almost 40 years ago. where I moved in to control system design then computer systen development.
Many locals boat owners have asked me to but I only make things for myself now. Don't need the money and prefer my free time.
That "landing platform" can also fit on the side as well as on my bow fitting depending how I moor.
Have a look at the link in my sig giving you some idea of the building and fome of the stainless steel fittings.
DownWest
Well-Known Member
Like Roger, I have a bender for up to 25mm, a DIY draw type, does quite good bends with little distortion. Above that dia, I would likely buy in the bends, cheap enough.
The one I reffed above was a simple two tube arch, with braces between the tubes and fitted to the existing 'push-pit' with lugs and bolts. Stick welded the lugs on to the push-pit as my Mig is B heavy. Looks good and holds the single 100wt panel nicely.
As above, carefull first drawing, then a quick check and fit. My supplier happened to have a bunch of 19mm tube on discount. About €10 for 6 mtrs (!) I bought a lot for a terrasse railing and the boat got some too.
The one I reffed above was a simple two tube arch, with braces between the tubes and fitted to the existing 'push-pit' with lugs and bolts. Stick welded the lugs on to the push-pit as my Mig is B heavy. Looks good and holds the single 100wt panel nicely.
As above, carefull first drawing, then a quick check and fit. My supplier happened to have a bunch of 19mm tube on discount. About €10 for 6 mtrs (!) I bought a lot for a terrasse railing and the boat got some too.
cherod
N/A
I dont remember finding the 90 bends to be cheap ? ( 42 mm )
DownWest
Well-Known Member
Compared with buying a bender, peanuts. Fine if you expect a lot of work, less so if not so sure.
cherod
N/A
I only have the one boat ?
