low-level dock cart ideas?

[SUPERJET-113]

Very nice - only one problem in my case - I want to be able to lift the RN from a sitting on the floor position.

Thanks man,

Well, I have a small winch that I've been meaning to mount on the handle just for doing that or for in the water and to secure the front of the ski while toting . I just have to get around to drilling 2 holes to mount the small crank winch.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Very nice - only one problem in my case - I want to be able to lift the RN from a sitting on the floor position.

I just had an idea that may save me lots of welding - 3/4" steel water pipe will do the trick for the overall framework. Will still have to make arrangements for the axles and the lift pods though.

Hopefully you can make out how the lift pod is made in those pics if not let me know and I will post you a better pic.

 

[blaster800]

Very nice - only one problem in my case - I want to be able to lift the RN from a sitting on the floor position.

I just had an idea that may save me lots of welding - 3/4" steel water pipe will do the trick for the overall framework. Will still have to make arrangements for the axles and the lift pods though.

I do know that with a small dia. pipe you will get MUCH more flex than if using larger dia tube .. to the point of almost bending , mock it up and see what happens,, I have a feeling it might work for a smooth dock but on the beach ..IDK ? anyways I hope it works for you

 

[WFO Speedracer]

The welding is done and it looks very nice,they even painted it,however in my haste to get it to the welding shop I forgot to take the braces so I have to take it back and have them welded on.

 

[KaosFreestyle]

I have one of those original totes that the original owner of my ski gave me. As long as the ski is kept on the ground or a couple inches off the ground, it works pretty good and is very easy to move a ski with it. I havent used mine in a couple years and has been sitting in storage though.


WFO,
what size tubing did you use?

 

[WFO Speedracer]

I used 1" for the main frame and handle and 1 1/2 for the upper piece the handle and bent legs connect to,metal can be gotten quick and cheap off of Ebay.

 

[KaosFreestyle]

what thickness??



Not sure about pricing but I have found metal distributors, at least in my area to be priced really good. Though because I dont have to deal with shipping, I pick it up in 12' sections. SpeedyMetals.com is local to me.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

what thickness??



Not sure about pricing but I have found metal distributors, at least in my area to be priced really good. Though because I dont have to deal with shipping, I pick it up in 12' sections. SpeedyMetals.com is local to me.

I would have to go back and see on the thickness,it was fairly light duty metal as this really doesn't have a lot of stress on it.

 

[showmepro1200]

Early stages of mock up. Way too long right now, will be cutting the handle down once I get things further along and can find the best leverage/balance point.

Also, it looks all rickety and out of sync right now because its not welded up yet.

This pipe WILL work. To test it I used only one pipe and lifted my whole shop cart off the floor, minimal bending of the pipe.

Still working on figuring out the design of the "pods" I will be lifting the boat on. Whatever it is, it will be carpeted or turfed well to protect the hull, pivot on the arms as I push the handle down, and weighted on the front side so they will stay ready to slide under the bondline as I push it under the boat.

Oh, and if I note any stress on the curve part I'm going to weld a brace in the 90 degree area too.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Back from the second trip to the welding shop,painted and assembled,here it is picking up the squarenose.I still need to sand and paint the rims and the masking tape on the handles just gives the paint a slight texture,I will probably try to find some motorcycle grips to put on the tube for secure gripping purposes.

 

[blaster800]

Early stages of mock up. Way too long right now, will be cutting the handle down once I get things further along and can find the best leverage/balance point.

Also, it looks all rickety and out of sync right now because its not welded up yet.

This pipe WILL work. To test it I used only one pipe and lifted my whole shop cart off the floor, minimal bending of the pipe.

Still working on figuring out the design of the "pods" I will be lifting the boat on. Whatever it is, it will be carpeted or turfed well to protect the hull, pivot on the arms as I push the handle down, and weighted on the front side so they will stay ready to slide under the bondline as I push it under the boat.

Oh, and if I note any stress on the curve part I'm going to weld a brace in the 90 degree area too.

You can gain some leverage by getting rid of the nipple between the ''T'' and the ""90"" since you are welding it anyways , this will allow you to shorten the handle some more fwiw .

 

[showmepro1200]

That nipple will all but disappear once I wrench things up tight. The handle will be getting shortened drastically too - so much so that I am starting to wonder if Ill need an extension on it for the leverage to lift the machine up. We'll see.

I went with the smaller tube tires for space purposes on the dock, I'm going to be close on getting through the posts on the dock to the storage spot (proabably within a couple inches each side)

Oh and please no cracks about my welding job ha ha - was done quickly in 15 degree weather outside tonight.

 

[KaosFreestyle]

WFO, In the 3rd picture is the ski all hooked up? The handle looks really low and extended use might adversely effect your back.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

No that ski has no engine in it yet so it won't balance exactly right, not that its not a heavy beast, it comes up about waist height or higher when you have it loaded properly.I will snap a pic when I move some skis around today.

 

[showmepro1200]

The more I think about my creation, the more I am concerned about the wheels "bowing out" from under the weight of the machine, especially when I turn a corner on the dock. I believe I will end up solving this problem by adding an overhead hoop from wheel to wheel on it to keep things straight. I haven't welded anything but the axles and lift points yet so I can easily work this in.

All the pics and input look great guys, I got lots of good ideas from this thread.

 

[blaster800]

your lift points dont need to be 6 inches long, it gives the ski leverage on the wheels and causes your tires to ''lean'' when weight is applied , if your tires are not straight when weight is applied then it wont track around a curve. also twist the lift arms slightly out before welding that way when weight is applied tires are now straight and it will trac real nice ,

 

[showmepro1200]

your lift points dont need to be 6 inches long, it gives the ski leverage on the wheels and causes your tires to ''lean'' when weight is applied , if your tires are not straight when weight is applied then it wont track around a curve.

If you're speaking of the length of the 5/8" roundstock coming out at the very ends, I left it long for a final fitting and cut-off later once I figure out the lift pod idea. There will naturally be a lean on the tires though, cause remember I am lifting from a floor position, the wheels are not going to be under the hull whatsoever.

The structure of the cart will fit very snugly to the bondline of the boat, as I am dealing with only 43" total width to maneuver through the dock uprights. Opening has to be 28" for the boat, with (43-28)/2=7.5 inches max of wheel/pipe/etc width allowable on each side. Tires are about 3" wide each, I should make it easily.

 

[showmepro1200]

Budding engineer got involved

My son (Experimental) came home for the weekend and gave me lots fo good ideas, the product is somewhat different than initial mockup inculding no overhead "hoop" from wheel to wheel anymore. The 3/4" pipe is solid when screwed together, and even way more so once its welded. I should have some new pics here soon. I've tried it, and it works, is compact for storage on the dock and is very maneuverable too. My lift pods I take full credit for, they fall ready to push under the bondlines everytime like magic.

My welding abiities suck, I am getting lots of good practice at least.

 

[showmepro1200]

pics of finished product

 

[showmepro1200]

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