"C-Dory RedFox" and her projects...

Mr. Fisherman · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:14 pm Post subject:

Great googly moogly!
When you get done with her do you want to trade?

I think I need to come spend a summer with you so you can put one on Sea Lion.

Pretty interested in how the seaboard holds up and to how you feel it may get in the way.

Wow.

Wow.

Could this be the best project eva?

stevej · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:38 pm Post subject:

That is incredible Greg !!!!!!!! Never really liked the idea of a hard top but after seeing that you got me thinking.

Adds an whole new dimension to the boat. With the limited desk space on the 25 it's tempting to start thinking about having one built.
Lot of possibilities and I really like what you did with it.

How many hours do you think you have into it?

stevej

gljjr · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 11:18 pm Post subject:

Looks AWSOME Greg! But don't get rid of the old pages! Those were great!

BTW: How did it affect the Radar? The antenna looks a little low now Wink

Redƒox · Guest

Oh my goodness! Was not expecting such kewel feedback! Shocked

Thankyou fellas, and you raised some interesting questions. Perhaps I can integrate them into the next page. I had no more free storage space from MSN without making more phony IDs with them (LOL) so I had to take the old pages down to post the new ones.

You may find interesting; I really did not get the knack (of the best part) of the TIG experience till after a whole bottle (150 cf) of argon was gone, and the top was almost complete! (shame) Embarassed

LOL! Perhaps the joints are a little stronger with all that extra filler in them, than the fusion-only connections - but I doubt it. Running the TIG with little as possible "filler rod", getting al your joints to be fused together with close to zero tolerance as possible, and joining them takes about half the argon, and saves tremendous time and energy buffing them latter. I can do better, but was really needing to just get the monster done first. I will do better on others stuff if I get into it. Star

Did some testing on a few pieces that were only tack-welded in small fusion beads, and there was no way to get them apart! stainless is so unbelievably strong it ain't funny! Thumbs Up

and I chose thin-stainless pipe because steel looses a small percentage of its strength when welded, in comparison to aluminum! From what I read in my tig books; aluminum looses almost 3/4 of its strength (annealed strength) in the welds.

I don't know about actual hours on building. I can say it took me longer than a month because I am still getting tooled-up for this new industry, spending a few days of getting supplies and tools took a lot of time! Sad

I can't wait to do more of this stuff! I'm getting more ideas as time passes, and can't wait to start on my new "stainless folding camper deck" Idea

to replace the old junker I now have now on the Tundra Camper rig. LOL

Now all I want is a water-cutter! Smile

hehehehehe Crook

Redƒox · Guest

Oh shoot... before I go... The "SeaBoard" I no longer regret at all!(because it is heavy---52 pounds) It is about the only material I can think of that ice will not stick to! Thumbs Up

super-duper important when winter boating! Embarrased

(did anyone ever tell you how dangerous 'winter boating' is) well... I am! LOL Crook

Redƒox · Guest

... poof (I'm back Bat

) hehehe

Just anouncin another project (an old one actually) Xmas Tongue

spent all mornin on it... ya better like it Disgust

If I'm still allowed to announce things over here Embarrased

I'll put in the link so you project masters out there can indulge:

http://www.msnusers.com/C-DoryRedFox/vberth1.msnw

MichaelOnTheClaraMae · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:40 pm Post subject:

Nice job Red... I'm impressed.

ffheap · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 7:05 pm Post subject:

Nice job Red Fox.

I have always wondered how much room was under the berths. What I was thinking was to put a water proof flush hatch under the berth cushions to give me more storage. Then figure where to put some foam to compensate for the loss of the flotation the space under the berths offered. There is a lot of space under the gas tanks, and behind the gas tanks, ender the side decks in the cockpit, etc. Also way up in the bow. Areas that are dead spaces. If the foam equals the lost flotation, the boat will not sink. Might be an interesting engineering project.

Fred

Redƒox · Guest

Thanx fellas! just did-up another page of sumpin I did a few months ago.... Beer

http://www.msnusers.com/C-DoryRedFox/towhitch.msnw

TyBoo · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 9:06 pm Post subject:

Looks good, RF, and a great idea!

Keep an eye on those welds, though. I don't know much about welding or metallurgy, but I do know that welding carbon steel with 316 rod can be tricky because of different critical temperatures and shrinkage rates. Normally it isn't a problem, but trailer hitches are petty important things. Watch for cracks that can develop in the weld and especially the base metal adjacent to the weld. Hate to see you get to the launch ramp without Red Fox back there.

And hey - pretty beads!

C-Hawk · Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 9:58 am Post subject:

TyBoo is right. You want to be careful when weld dissimilar metals. With stainless you can get "IGSCC" or intergranular stress corrosion cracks stemming from the "HAZ" or heat affected zone of the root. This is a very common problem in nuclear power plants. I used to work the shutdowns inspecting the piping and tracking the "IGSCC" with ultrasound equipment.

In other words-- be careful, you won't see it until it breaks.

Redƒox · Guest

Are you gize bs'n me... LOL! (had to ask ya know - hehehe) Great knowledge, thanks for sharing that. All I have heard is the advantages of using stainless filler on plain steel. (MIG, TIG, and stick) I'll watch my step for now on... from what little I have read on the subject; dissimilar metals mostly involve stuff like brazing brass to steel, or that type of thing.
Now that we are quackin about this, sumpin comes to mind: I welded my galvanized EZ-Loader Trailer (the one that has held RedFox since birth) where the tongue meets the frame with that very same rod, and using the ancient old buzzbox welder too boot, and the weld is about 4 years old now, and has NO cracks developing on the stainless beads at all. I think maybe that was why I continue to use that old rod, it seems to weld steel better than the regular rods.
Great sharin with you all again! Thumbs Up

TyBoo · Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 6:00 pm Post subject:

Naw, it ain't no BS. That stainless is some weird stuff. It shrinks more as it cools than mild steel, so some of it's tensile strength is used up just holding things together. And stainless doesn't always grow and shrink the same amount as it is heated and cooled, which is part of the reason it pulls so much when welding. Even welding stainless with stainless is easy to mess up. The different alloys in the SS cool at different rates and have different critical temperatures, so the composition of the steel can actually change into something else. The hot-shot welders at work say to quench a 316 ss weld so all the alloys fall below their critical temperature at the same time. The old guys use a rag dipped in a bucket of clean water on their TIG welds to cool them. Us millwrights just toss the thing in the bucket while it's hot. Using a guench and a clean SS wire brush while it is still wet will clean it right up to shiny silver without the bronze color that it can turn to through the entire heat affected area, too. The discoloration is hard to get out if it isn't done right away.

What's really neat is to watch an experienced pipefitter change the radius of an already wleded 90º elbow by heating small diamond shaped spots and cooling it down with a hose. Seen a few pumps stress-relieved that way so they will stay in alignment.

Keep in mind, though, when considering any advice I might offer that when the mill starting reguiring every weld to be made by a certified welder, I didn't even bother turning in a coupon. I just took the fancy electronic welding hood they bought me home and let some other fool do the welding at work. Same pay. Who says millwrights are dumb?

Redƒox · Guest

TyBoo wrote:

Who says millwrights are dumb?

You did Mike, and I thought your expression was so funny, I had to start using it too... then mom told me to stop calling myself that awful expression "dumb old mechanic" Xmas Naughty

I say the heck with all that psycho stuff and it can show your just a little "larger than life" to make fun of yourself Xmas Tongue

Mike, great knowledge! I really love reading just about any book on welding! talking about strengths of materials; One reason I love stainless so much is the weld is so unlike aluminum! steel only looses only a fraction of it's strength in comparison to aluminum! Thumbs Up

when welded Star

Any chance I get I like to bring that fact to all them tin-boat-owners Xmas LOL

Alright, I better get back to my favorite metal now. I'm makin sumpin really q-well right now Smile

Redƒox · Guest

......

http://www.msnusers.com/C-DoryRedFox/poopdeck.msnw

Take a looksee at the new page-o-pixmons Razz

some long awaited info on my 'poopdek is now up to view.

Hug