Steel Boats and Welding

[haidan]

Originally Posted by Yachts66

Yep, it's doable, but if Manson or Rocna ever got word you might find yourself on the wrong end of a nasty patent infringement suit. Then again, if you didn't advertise what you were doing, how would they get the word?

Regards,

Thomas

Well yes but, for one they'd have to find you (think living on a boat) and second, steeling peoples ideas and improving on them is the name of the game isn't it?

[SaltyMonkey]

haiden, its a derivative and you aren't selling or giving it away. This is a BS rat hole of a conversation we are going down.

Remind me not to get on a small boat with Yacht66. I've learned the stuff he has to say is...well, lets say the colour of his eyes should be brown.

[Yachts66]

LOL and this coming from a person who refers to himself in the third person!

Thomas

[SaltyMonkey]

Three people is way better than one when sailing solo.

[Brent Swain]

Anchors are the most copied items on a boat, regardles of patents. They would spend far more money chasing down imitations than they could ever afford. When a new anchor design comes on the market, copies are immediately built in the thousands around the world. The price , initialy grossly over priced, quickly drops to more reasonable levels. They are very cheap and quick to build.

[osirissail]

Welding up your own copy of an anchor or welding up your own design is probably one of the most dangerous things you can do for your boat. Your boat/home is hanging on that piece of welded together metal and if you did not do the perfect job or missed something in the design from the original - then your boat, maybe with you and your family or without may just break loose and end up on the beach/rocks/reef/ or floating over the horizon to points unknown.
- - Some equipment is just so basic to safety that trying to "save" a few bucks may just cost you the price of your boat and maybe much more. I would suggest instead making anchor chocks for your bow to store your purchased, proven quality anchor.

[ConradG]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Welding up your own copy of an anchor or welding up your own design is probably one of the most dangerous things you can do for your boat. Your boat/home is hanging on that piece of welded together metal and if you did not do the perfect job or missed something in the design from the original - then your boat, maybe with you and your family or without may just break loose and end up on the beach/rocks/reef/ or floating over the horizon to points unknown.
- - Some equipment is just so basic to safety that trying to "save" a few bucks may just cost you the price of your boat and maybe much more. I would suggest instead making anchor chocks for your bow to store your purchased, proven quality anchor.

Welding really isn't rocket science. Especially steel. I agree, someone on their second hour of welding probably doesn't have the experience to even know if the weld is good, but with a few weeks under my belt I'd sooner trust my weld than some guy on a friday looking for" Miller time". Here SaltM is talking about going slow and getting into it. When he's talking about the hiss of the transformation to spray arc then he'll be ready!

As for the welding class, do take it slow- watch the puddle for now and move it side to side with cresent advancement. I always started people with the torch to help cement what you are doing, melting the steel so that it joins. The issues are contamination through oxidation (from burning) vs lack of penatration (not enough temp). With your "glue gun" (wire feed) there are amperage, speed and trac, angle of arc and amount of wire that you can and should play with. It is the combination of those that will allow you to move from flat to uphill to overhead and down and get "good welds". Really understanding how they "work" is the key and most of it comes with experience. If there are torches there I would strongly recomend going off in the corner and playing with them. In fact I'd strongly recomend getting a set if you have any interest in being able to do anything metal. The electric welder choice can come later. A/C D/C stick, wire feed, tig...but you will want torches for cutting, heating, brazing, soldering, welding and starting the bbq...

[SaltyMonkey]

osirissail - Although I respect what you are saying, I have absolutely no problem with a home-brew anchor. I get to choose choice the best materials from the recycling yard, and make TIG quality welds. I think you can save a lot of bucks, at least on a secondary anchor if nerves have you rattled.

[SaltyMonkey]

ConradG - believe me, I'm hooked.

[ConradG]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

ConradG - believe me, I'm hooked.

Great stuff! Check your local advertizer and pick up a set of torches! I still have the ones I bought when I was a teenager and haven't even had to rebuild the regulators yet even with many years of commercial use. Don't be afraid to spend another $75 on an A/C Lincoln buz box, I bought mine 40 something years ago at a yard sale and it's still humming along. Since have aquired many more but am down to a large mobile D/C machine and a little 110 wirefeed now. Oh, and the forge of course...All those big old kedge (fisherman's, yachtsmans, whatever you want to call them) were forge welded in "the old days" and if you want a really strong weld...but that's a different kettle of fish-heat, flux and presure...(did you know that you can forgeweld by exciting the molecules by friction alone with a big enough powerhammer? Not too aplicable to boatbuilding though...

[SaltyMonkey]

I've got my eye on a Miller Stick /TIG, but I want to fly through a TIG and Oxy class first.

Have my eye on a few steel boats for sale. Somehow glass just isn't doing it for me anymore. Looks cheap.

[Yachts66]

Hey Salty MPD there's one listed on Yachtworld right across the street from you there in Alameda.

Chin up, you can get help for that MPD problem, really.

Thomas

[SaltyMonkey]

Thanks Y66, there are a couple near me, and I have perused them a bit online, but my eyes shoot north - so many up there worthy of a SaltyMonkey (but I hold my cards close!). A jar of peanut-butter and I am off solo from SF to Sydney non-stop! Working the spreadsheets as I speak!

[Yachts66]

There is a Roberts 53 up here, I believe in Oregon now, it was in Anacortes for years. It's got some terminal problems and should probably be avoided. You don't seem to think much of my opinion, but I've been around longer than you and I can tell you that good steel boats sell pretty quick. If it doesn't sell quick there's a problem somewhere, obvious or otherwise.

Thomas

[SaltyMonkey]

Too big Mr 66. Need somethin' in the 30's. SaltyMonkey only 145 lbs and under 5-8. Have eyes on a number, but have to run the calculation$ and make some calls...then I know nothing of import fees etc so theres THAT research. A few under a different flag and not CA~. =O But, I think they are all sound boats.

"If your boat ain't made of steel, its gonna sink or gonna heel"