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homemade hull ????

Have you ever built a hull from wood?
If not the construction supports are verry important for structural stregth.--The area you will run in and what you will run on or over will be a factor as to how you need to design the supports--stringers--chine--keel--gunnel--and cross supports-- Types of wood that you use can also be a factor for weight and strength. along with the glues and fastners.
 
The first airboat were made of wood, and theres no reason why you can't, but....
Like he said, it had better be done right. Not only the considerations he mentioned above, but the engine stand, it's design, how it secures to the hull structure, how it transfers the thrust into the hull structure, and how the hull is designed to adequately except those forces.

Don't seem like a big deal, but it's not an 25 evinrude. If that falls off, well you just see some bubbles rising to the surface. If an airboat engine stand fails, you may get upclose and personal with the propeller.

It can be done, but it's gotta be done right.

Only problem with wood is, there are so many other materials out there that will do it right, at a greatly reduced wieght than wood may afford.
 
What the heck giver a go and make sure and take lots of pics during the process and have someone video the maiden voyage. I did it once it usually is not fatal but it is darn sure memorable. Every airboat is really a homemade hull just some homes are bigger and better equipped than others.
 
Cntry, did you ever think about this? Probably 2000 years ago, some old boy was nailing a pile of wood together in his back yard and a few of his neighbors dropped by for a little wine and some conversation ...

"Whaddaya makin?"

"It's a Boat."

"It's a what?"

"A boat."

"A boat. What's it supposed to do?"

"Well, I'm gonna get in it, and ride the seas, and fish, and see the World." :lol: !

I love wooden boats. There's a purity about them that nothing else can match.

BF
 
Maybe .. I am not against homemade anything. Almost everything starts out homemade at first. Then it gets modified for mass production. Airboats as far as I know are not mass produced or produced in a true assembly line setting at this point. I believe they could be but so far each one is unique and suited to the owners whims and wishes .. some of them good some bad but they are unique vessels and all are engineering marvels to one extent or another.
 
I was doing some research on building one-off hulls and found a great site. http://www.boatdesign.net. There is a post regarding using styrofoam as your base insof building a mould or using plywood. You have to use epoxy resin as to not melt the foam but you build a simple lath form, sew the styrofoam to the lath and then glass over it. Turn the hull over and dig out foam where you want the stringers and lay them up with glass. Once thats done you glass the inside of athe hull. Sounds interesting
 
COLD - Are you going to be trapped indoors, up there in the Great White North, at the computer, on the internet, offering posts like this for the rest of the winter?!!??

I hope so!! That is one awesome link you posted there!

Keep it up!

:)

And get down here to Florida when you can. ;) Although, those chilly mornings out here... when it is in the 50's We need to get out our snowmobile suits until mid-day when the temps get up to the low 70's. :p

Winter is the season when we go boating with shoes on.

matt.
 
Just finished a stint of -13F and warmed up to a beautiful 39F today,sunny and balmy. Hope to get this boat done by summer but that might be optimistic. Wish I didn't have to build a hull but nobody around here really builds anything up here that resembles an airboat hull. There are guys I could get to build welded aluminum but I can't afford that and I'm a do-it yourselfer anyways. Love to get down there again, would need to be guided around as im pretty good with left and right but not so good with north and south. Wy wifes the opposite so we make a pretty good team! Cheers
 
Manufactures use ply wood for reinforcing in areas ware they have to fasten things to the hull or sides. If you use ply wood do not use fiber filled for lighter weight . the center fiber core will collapse after being hammered by waves or logs on dry ground and create air pockets in the fiberglass witch equals delamination .
 
I was referring to regular boats . I built two offshore racing boats and we made the mistake of using the plywood with the fiber center for weight reduction on one of them-- It did not last one racing season. Some one will correct me if I'm wrong but I would say that the only wood in a modern fiberglass airboat hull will be found in the two main stringers that the running gear is bolted to. and that would be treated lumber cut to the size they use then covered with fiberglass.
 
I was looking at other boat builders and that seems to be the general concensus. however i can't find anything on building a fiberglass airboat hull.
 
YOU KIND OF HAVE TO LOOK AT GENERAL BOAT BUILDING SITES AND APPLY TECHNIQUES DISCUSSED TO YOUR APLICATION. I got the feeling the link I posted earler don't like airboaters much, I had to post a second question to get response for the same question, didn't mention airboat. I watched the 150HP vidio today, 4:18 of walking up to the machine, starting and mix of water and dry. When he walked up to the boat and later showed the engine I saw the floor of the boat so I could see the depth of the stringers, spacing and that they were wraped with glass. Wood doesn't last forever unless you can keep it dry but its not bad filler to wrap glass around. Light and strong and gets stronger once glassed.
 
You are right wood dos not last for ever but nether dose fiberglass. once a air pocket develops between the layers of glass and moisture gets in then fiberglass will rot just like wood.
 
Thats the problem we have up here with freezing temps, Poly resin absorbs water and over the years the cracks get bigger, absorbing water and then freezes making the cracks bigger, and bigger, and bigger from season to the next! Leart that from my ski boat. Grinding out delaminated glass isn't fun but used epoxy for the repair and the boats better than new (I mean it! the manufacture of the boat was really lousy)
 
Up their in Canada running on ice and snow the same way we do here in Michigan you would really be best with a aluminum hull. Buy the time you add up the cost of materials and time you would have in a home built hull verses the cost of a aluminum hull and considering the safety issue for you and your guest --Is a decision that only you can make!
I might be able to help you find a used hull --- or to get a new one..
 
I have herd good and bad about all types of construction on ice. Don't know who to beleive. The glass guys claim less chance of freeze in but I don't know. Check this sit out, Kool boats! http://www.airtoat.ca . Kind of a nice idea for boatin in the cold!
 
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