DIY PVC pipe pontoon boat - HomeMade boat - in 1 day
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- Опубліковано 22 вер 2024
- My Homemade pontoon boat! this was the first boat ever made but definitely not the last. i prefer to call this my pontoon boat but many have referred to it as a raft...probably because i built this boat in Florida back in 2002. this boat was quick and easy to build and i was able to float it in one day!
material were simple:
2 - 12" diameter PVC pipes - 10 foot long
4 - pipe caps
6 - 1/8" x 2" metal strapping
1 - 1/2" pressure treated plywood sheet
6 - 8' long pressure treated 2x4's
and assorted stainless steel fasteners
i dont remember exactly how much this boat cost me back in 2002 but i think it was less than $200 excluding the engine, which i picked up at a flea market for $50. i just had to rebuild the carburetor...that was a project.
all in all this little boat was ALOT of fun...for very little cost.
if you build one please remember to be safe!
For those interested in messing around with PVC for boats, you can easily find out how best to build your craft by paying attention to the weight you intend to haul with it. A cubic foot of water weighs about 64 pounds, so to float, you need to be lighter than 64 pounds per square foot on your boat. Think of a cubic foot of wood; if it weighs 64 pounds or more, it will sink. If it is lighter than 64 pounds, it will float. Wood usually is significantly lighter per square foot than water, which is why it floats so well. (On the flip side, that's also why a solid cubic foot of iron sinks rather than floats. It weighs hundreds of pounds!).
Simply put, to figure out how much weight a PVC pipe will lift, calculate the volume of the pipe in cubic feet, and multiply by 64 (again, this being the weight of one square foot of water). This boat this gentleman has made, if you plug the PVC pipe dimensions he used into a volume calculator, which you can easily find online, you'll see he has approximately 10.9 cubic feet of inside space combined between the two pipes. Rounding up for easy calculating, 64 * 11 equals 704 pounds. Remember, each cubic foot of space in the PVC pipe weighs very little compared to the same amount of water, so that's how the PVC can carry so much. After all, that space only contains air! Now, you have the amount the boat can carry! Maybe take off 125 pounds for the wood frame, the pipes' own weights, and the motor, and then take off another 200 or so for the passenger, and you get about 379 pounds left!
You can use that number to estimate how deep in the water your boat will be when loaded to any particular weight. As a percentage, 379 pounds (the amount of pounds left before the boat sinks) is about 54%. So, the boat is 46% loaded up, with 54% more weight left before the boat completely sinks. We should expect the pontoons to be about half way in the water, with a bias towards being out of the water when the boat is loaded in the video. And as you can see in the vid, that's fairly close! Of course, sitting in the back means the boat tilts and the back half sinks deeper than in the front. Plus, he may very well be lighter than the 200 pounds that I estimated. But most importantly, his boat is loaded to a safe margin here, since it would take another 100 pounds or more before the boat started dangerously getting low into the water. Keep in mind, you probably want a margin of 30% or more to keep your boat from getting too low in the water!
Using this information, you can see why other PVC boat creators sometimes sink so far down and their boats don't seem to work; because they didn't use enough pipe! Or they put too much weight on one end rather than distributing it evenly.
If you are into log rafts, you can actually estimate the amount they can hold too using this formula. Just look up the weights of different species of wood used and try to guess how water saturated the wood is to adjust for error. If you calculate the volume of the logs used, and do the math above, you should have a good idea of how it will fair. If you use simple math, you can analyze other boats on youtube, and you can plan your own boat to float correctly instead of praying it floats :D
thanks, i covered the same things in my followup video
My dear am so complicated about these calculator and measurement, woul you explain to me in an easy way how to do this calculations in case if am planning to build a floating or fixed dock as am leaving near a very wild nile full of crocodiles in Sudan , Africa as well the speed of the water during rain time reach more than 70mph, also the running water carrying huge broken trees , sink cars, many dead or alife animals plus mug, so pls guide me how I invest my beach on this nile ??? Sorry my english is not that good!!! I hope you understood me, also am planning to build floating restaurant which can take 200 customers on this beach on floating dock, we don't have all marine equipment or technology to help us this why am looking for your guidance sir. Thanks so much please help contact me at mouawiaraab@yahoo.com
A lot of corrections need to be made in this write-up in connection with square feet vs. cubic feet.
Actual water weight is 62.4 pounds per cubic foot or 1 kg per liter. I find it easier to do in metric myself.
great info. is there an optimal level for how deep a pontoon should be in the water. looking at photos of professional ones, it seems something like 30% of the pontoon float is typically submerged
@@joeny1980 I'd say it depends on your situation! If you're in a calm lake, you could probably risk 60%-80% of the total weight, but clearly the lighter the better. If you're in a normal situation, yeah probably 30% to 50% is alright depending on where you're at.
I think you could add a third pontoon under the platform and increase the flotation. Shorten it so it's totally under the platform so it doesn't interfere with the motor.
Another thing would be to fill the tubes with expanding closed cell foam so there's not room in side for water to leak into.
all good points!!
Wouldn't the foam add weight and if it does get wet? I'm thinking about doing something similar to this.
@@cindyreid6404 Closed cell foam locks water out.
But yes, enough foam to fill those tubes would add about 100 pounds to the weight of the craft. Don't go there.
this little boat is becoming very popular!
Ray Pena I like and love your video
zyler
I really love your video
thanks!! i enjoyed it very much
gotta make the front caps more aerodynamic its killing dem HP gainz
Wow! Your first swing at a simple boat build and it came out great!
+Rick Saffery thanks Rick! Yeah I was quite surprised how well it worked....i may need to revisit this boat design
Ray, your Martin 60 outboard is a great motor. It was built by National Pressure Cooker
and has a poppet valve for the intake - something not seen on other two cycle motors.
The Martin's were known for their reliability and could idle down to a 'pop'. Great choice.
It is 7.2 h.p., plenty of power for your boat.
yes it was a great motor, definitely had enough power to push this thing!
In the early 90's I used pvc pipe to mount alongside my jon boat for better stabilizing and it worked very nice. I had also included halogen lighting for underwater illumination. Plus, I had two electric trolling motors hooked up independantly with foot controls for steering while I fished. (The two trolling motors were more powerful than if I had bought the just one that was a size up and cost less too !!!
Great
Great job but I would suggest making a cone out of flashing material and secure it to the front so there is less resistance up front.
+12jeeplover thanks. i did epoxy piling cones on the front and it worked great. sadly i never took a picture with the piling cones in place. about 6month after i put them on, the epoxy failed and they were never seen again :(
+Ray Pena have you considered plastic welding something in place instead of glue? should hold quite well untill you crash into something :)
+76aussieguy that would be a good idea for the next one
AWESOME you have my wheels spinning. great project for me and the kid.
glad you liked it!! be sure to watch the follow up video as well for some of the most common questions i have been asked ua-cam.com/video/23Z2FwWqSS4/v-deo.html
I'm thinking of building one using 2x2's to make it lighter. I will use a electric trolling motor and install a battery box and pedestal seat! Great video!
+buz butler you could probably get away with 2x2, I have a tendency to over do it. You have some good ideas, thanks for watching.
did you get a chance to build one yet?
Not yet. I'm on the road 10 months out of the year. Hopefully next spring.
Ok, it like to know how it turns out
Why don't you try PVC sheets instead of wood. Bolt the sheets of PVC to the PVC pipes with rubber seals to seal the inside and outside of the bolts.
dude nothing but respect,
+BioVampire laghing man thanks!!
Great job, thanks for posting.
+Darrel Laxton thanks!
this is great and I can't wait to get this out on the river to try out
thank you for this idea.
+Kole Carson no problem! See if you can get the pipe used or salvaged. I bought them new a long time ago and they were much cheaper then than they are now.
Very cool. Glad you changed the fronts. I would spray that expandable foam into the pontoons to make it nearly unsinkable. You never know when something will run into you and put a hole in the pontoon. : )
You have a good point!
Ray MAKES - Thanks. I remember years ago learning about (I believe it was) Mako boats being made that way. They showed commercials where they cut one in half and it still floated.
Very sweet! Now just add some rails or siding and seats
+Eric R thanks, something to think about
Use PVC. That's what I thought of immediately. Then you could have rod holders! 😁😁😁
Great video. Short and to the point! 👍
Glad you enjoyed!
i made my own off of this video but i made my own pontoons out of aluminum and some spray foam to help the back of the pontoon stay above water when I'm running it thank you!
thanks! would love to see it, do you have a video or pictures?
+Ray Pena it's put at my parents barn where there's a lake where I live there's no lakes near but I'll see if i can I travel a lot for work
Pretty cool looking although a little too close to snakes and croc's/alligators for me, LOL. You could expand on that now that you have the proto type and make it wider and put some rails and seats on it and perhaps a little canopy to keep your noggin from scorching.
+Angela Angell I'm thinking about a V 2.0
Let’s raise this to a million boys, also hi old friend
That would be awesome! I don't have any videos that have reached a million yet, but this one is the closest
awesome!!! got to 1MIL!
@@RayMAKES Nice!
Definitely going to make one.
+The Demon great!! I'd love to see it
I really appreciate you sharing this idea with us, man. It looks great.
my pleasure!! i've made quite a few boats that are on my channel
Where did you get the tubes? Are they reasonably prices?
I want to know too
I got them from a plumbing supplier. They are not as economical now as they were 20 years ago when I built it.
maybe a reducer cap for the tips. Has a taper to it. Pretty cool. Hey, add some pvc railings, Mini pontoon, fishing platform. even guys up north can use a pop up shelter on it and make a temp fishing shack, duck platform for hunting. If on thinned ice you will float. Might try me a smaller version using 6 or 4 " for a flow jump platform in the pool. Have to start someplace. In a few months we may see another video with all the mods you did to it
not bad ideas...I've been thinking about another boat out of 3/4" pvc...just need to plan it out a bit
Awesome SIMPLE idea! Thank you...... now.... THIS POOR GIRL can make a mini pontoon!
I' ll use waterproof seal coat on mine. 😁✌
Glad you liked it
You're a naval architect in the making ! lol
Hey , great job . Hope you get lots of time on the water with it !
thanks, i don't know if i want to go back to school for that, lol. i built the boat 15 years ago and used it for one year. it was a great little boat, the first of many small boats i have built since! thanks for watching.
Great job! Time to be fun dude!😘
Thanks!
A couple 2x6s for first and last crosspiece on the deck instead of 2x4s would enable the bottom side to be rounded out and give the PVC tubes a natural form to fit into and greatly lessen the strain on the straps over time.
Nice simple design though!
i think you are absolutely right. if i were to do it again i would definitely improve on this first model. thanks
So cool
+Ben12 Dawson12 thanks!
That is one clean shot video . Very straight forward . Thanks for sharing your knowlage .
thanks, glad you liked it
awesome boat
thanks, Glad you liked it
Thanks for posting...
You're welcome
very cool
thanks!!
At the bow, how about putting an elbow, pref a 45 degree, instead of just a cap. The nearly flat caps create enormous bow waves. Another way to get a finer bow would be to carve bows out of foam and cover them with liquid plastic.
hi Cheryl, i actually epoxied pilling cones on the bow...fast and cheap but i never took a picture of it :(
thanks for watching, if you like boats take a look at some of my other boat projects: ua-cam.com/play/PLjb5twhxLLcI_w3HrjqW_w0U4csufQFhc.html
Thanks ray
+Cooper Thornsberry sure thing!
Martin outboards rule!!!!!
that was a great motor
Thank you. I've always wanted to make one.
+Saegaran Blues great, good luck building
Great job!!!!!!
+Will Wiles thanks
thanx for replying. I'd like to add an idea for the front .I think that you can make a tapering front by heating the pvc tube by a torch and press the hot tube on both sides to make a straight ,sharp, vertical and tapering front .I think it would be less resistant than aconical front. This is ideal for lakes but for sea tubes should be with a bigger diameter and a higher dock .
I've seen that done on another boat, a catamaran style. i have been experimenting with careful cuts and welding to make a better forward cone
Nice.. simple yet it could get u to your fishing spot
Absolutely
Sweet Build-
Cheers,Patrick
thanks
Nice Job Ray!
thanks!
Cool video! Gonna do one of my own.
+Badass 40s awesome!
allright I'm going to do this.
Great
Cool,im a plumber so I was thinking put 1/4 bends (elbows) on all four corners turning up and you can frame off that.love country boy smarts😉
thanks, that would be a good idea. are you going to try it?
Good little unit.
+tweetingsparrow thanks
As, that is super cool you made that
Glad you liked it
This would make it Huckleberry Finn jealous. Great idea Thank you.
lol, im sure it would, glad you liked it.
This is awesoen
+_ I_am_ILJ _ thanks, glad you liked it. Have you seen my clear boats?
+Ray Pena yes
Pretty cool.
thanks!
Nice work 🤙
Thank you! Cheers!
Super video great job
+The crazy man from Ireland. Thanks
Great Video
Thanks, gkad you liked it
Wow, amazing job!
thanks
Great job bro.
Very interesting.
Well done.
thanks. im thinking of revisiting this boat with an improved model....not exactly sure yet.
nice. this looks better than the barrel boats
Glad you liked it
like the video. I would change the front pontoon caps to a 90 degree then cap it. one is deadhead and 90 degree water moves around it. just a thought. thanks.
yeah that's one way. on the followup video i discuss how i actually dealt with it but there are no photographs that document the performance ua-cam.com/video/23Z2FwWqSS4/v-deo.html
Awesome idea.
Glad you liked it
I would have put some elbows on the front to turn the pipe upward. Other than that, I loved it.
+Donald Johnson I actually put pilling caps (the cone type) on the fronts but I never took a picture of it :(
could I use a hamper and seal it with duct tape to water seal it on the holes and opening and then add my wood baseplate?
would paddles be an easy option for acceration?
where'd you get the pvc
Plumbing supply
Its very well built ! Thank you for sharing...
Thanks for watching
Wow, great job, i want to do this on a smaller scale to make a rc boat, unmaned, for fishing, trolling, as i sit on shore and control it.
You can do it!
Hey Ray - Try putting cones on the front of your pontoons next time.
cut and shape some pvt- then PVC glue it together. maybe even add in some screws or nails (sealed with apoxy generously to the cones)
Adding an over-set deck will also possibly help with stability- add additional lift to the front to bring your nose up when at running speed.
If you don't know what i'm talking about; it's not DIRECTLY on the front it's more so just past the midsection.
actually, i had epoxied pilling cones on the front of the boat, the very next day...just never took pictures of it. and yes it worked fantastically!
That's awesome news, I just figured i'd throw that suggestion out there! :)
Keep working on your design and be sure to share more about it. :)
i built this boat 15 years ago....i might revisit the idea, especially since this is proving to be a popular topis on my channel.
This video is not good at all! Its freakin Awesome!
+Cosmo John thanks!! I'm actually making another video revisiting this build to answer some of the hundreds of questions and comments I've received on this boat.
love your little boat. just a quick thought though if you had put 45 degree elbows facing up on the end of the bow rather tan just capping them off like you did and filled the tubes with A-B foam before capping off the bow. you would have had almost zero drag in the water and the elbows would have made the pontoons slide through the water much smooth as well. just wondering where did you find 12 in PVC pipe?
thanks. i actually epoxied pilling cones on the bow...fast and cheap but i never took a picture of it :(
thanks for watching, if you like boats take a look at some of my other boat projects: ua-cam.com/play/PLjb5twhxLLcI_w3HrjqW_w0U4csufQFhc.html the PVC pipe came from a wholesale supplier....bought the pipes 15 years ago so they were much more economical than they are now.
yea already checked out your other boats kinda scare in all honesty. but at the same time it sows what you can do with next to nothing for materials. I have to admit you are creative do you remember where you bought the 12 inch pvc pipe?
Thanks Andy! i bought it a Action Supply in Margate Florida...15 years ago. they are still in business...
ya thanks for the idea man
+Nicholas Pitts sure thing!
Question, once you build this, is it easy to take apart for storage in an apartment? I’m looking for something I can store in an apartment but take to the lake or river.
I would say no, it is too heavy for that
VERY GOOD VIDEO MANY THANKS FOR SHARING FRIEND
+des goulding thank you
If you'd like to see the updated version of this videos with answers to many of the most common questions, here is the link
ua-cam.com/video/23Z2FwWqSS4/v-deo.html
Ray Pena c
Mantap
Keren
Ide kreatif
BRAVO
Glad you liked it
Way to go!!! Looks great
Glad you liked it
Is it possible to find 24 inches pvc pipes ,i need something bigger ,here there is where waves
+christian genest I have seen bigger PVC pipes, but I think they would be cost prohibitive. You should look at the plastic barrel pontoon boats for something that big
Please tell me where you got the pvc pipes from, I can't find any that are near my price range, the cheapest ones that I have found are $323.99!! Please help.
Hi Tim, i bought the pipe from bought it a Action Supply in Margate Florida about 15 years ago. they come in 20' lengths, i had to hand cut it on the yard to load it on my truck.
Wow ..super..i like...👍👍
Thank you
you can do it also with 180 liters drums welded together each side 4 drums
Yes you can
good job
thanks!
Did you have to register this? If you use a motor of any kind in PA, you HAVE to register it !
i'm sure i SHOULD have but i didn't, i also didn't get caught either.
Holy smoke! The two pipes alone are $460. I think I'll buy a boat ;-). It does look like a good job though.
+Peter Coombs I built this boat a almost 15 years ago, these things were considerably less expensive back then....and I bought them wholesale.
good
Glad you liked it
awesome job !!
Thanks
does this boat works on the sea? or it is only recomended to use on lakes and rivers
i would say "protected waters"
front edges should be tapering for less resistatace and smoothly running. well done lad.
thanks, i actually had pilling cones on the front but never took a picture. in the follow up video i discuss some of the things not mentioned in this video ua-cam.com/video/23Z2FwWqSS4/v-deo.html
Nice Good Job Man!
thanks glad you liked it
I'm thinking about doing the same thing for a deck but with diffrent pontons do you think it would be good to fish off of
+Nicholas Pitts should be no problem at all. You can calculate the volume of the pontoons in cubic feet and multiply by 62 (62lbs/cu ft of water). Subtract the weight of the pontoons and deck. That is your max buoyancy. You want your max weight (load) to be 1/3 of your max boyancy.
ingenious!!!!
+Kole Carson thanks!!
Where can i buy that pvc? Home depot said they dont have that thick
Plumbing supply
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!!
thank you
where do you find that big of pvc pipe bc my local lows dose not have it i keep getting some dumbass saying they don't make it and when they look it up on there site it 1500 dollars
keep in mind i built this boat almost 15 years ago, PVC pipe WAS MUCH CHEAPER then. i bought the pipe at a wholesale plumbing supply, it came in 20' lengths and i cut it in half with a handsaw at the suppliers yard. i paid about $125, 15 YEARS ago, may not be as economical now.
Nice job Ray....cool little boat !
Thanks for posting !
Liked and subbed !
+Screww Googlle thanks, glad you liked it. I have a few other boat videos, including completely clear boats!
Perhaps the only thing I would change is adding two 45s to the front to reduce the likely hood of getting stuck on something
not bad idea
omg so awesome I want to make one so bad
+J Dizzle lol, all it takes is a few pipes and some wood
Ray Pena I got an aluminum boat to finish after that I'm going to make me one of these diy pontoon boats
Amigo el tubo de cuántas pulgadas es? Y que largo del tubo? Gracias desde Perú
12"
only thing I would change is making some more hydrodynamic nose cones for the pipes
+John Smith I actually had pilling cones epoxied to the front of the pipes. Worked very well but I ran out of film....yes this project was about 15years ago.....I had not yet purchased a digital camera, lol
Exactly what I was thinking. A good reuse of a couple of Conehead Halloween costumes.
Could you do this same procces but double the size?
Yes, it would be possible
I was thinking of using 3 or 4 6" pipes 10' long that is schedule 20 thickness as for light weight. there apparently sold as vacuum tubing for I believe commercial systems.
+Nic l to equal the amount if boyancy of this boat, you will need to use 4 lengths on each side
+Ray Pena the 12in is probably schedule 80 &even if schedule 40 both much heavier in that alone than 20. also I'm just planning on straping them to 11/32 plywood 7'x3' maybe 3.5' with some 2"x2" for screws to go in on top side and act as lip around top side edge. theres a yt guy calls himself turtle something that did this but I think with the thicker pipe but still seemed to do good. plus I am thinking more pipes equal more balanced buoyancy and maybe less drag. not sure but figure I'll mess around with it. got the wood and pvc glue so I'm part way there
great, would be interesting to see
Im gonna make mine even bigger and add
Side railing
Rod holders
Tarp roof
Ladder
A few seats
Its quite cheap since i already have tons of lumber and pvc just sitting in my garage and my uncle has a tarp at his house. Wish me luck
good luck
How heavy is the pontoon boat without the motor? I'm think of possibly building one for fishing but it'll have make it light enough so I can strapped pontoon to the roof of my Rav4.
This one was very heavy, I think about 300 lbs
fico fascinado com essas invensoes um dia vou copiar umas dessas pode ter certezsa
+Davi Gomes glad you liked it, it would be great if you made a version for yourself
K thank u so much
sure thing, don't be afraid to ask questions.
Te quedo muy bueno, una pregunta, donde puedo comprar los pipes de 12" con los caps...
+Ariel Ramos busque un distribudor de plomeria y compre un tubo de 20' y lo corte al centro para hacer dos tubos. tambien compre los caps en la misma empresa
Ah ok gracias por la informacion, es lo mas dificil que veo de conseguir ya que esa medida se trabaja industrial...
Where do you find 12" PVC? I've only found up to 6" at hardware/lumber stores.
Home Depot has 12" x 10' over $1,000 each. You can buy a real boat for that.
Plumbing supply
How much weight can you carry... Including passenger
I had about 300lbs on it
What was the final weight? How heavy are you (I'm 230)? Don't laugh but I was thinking about dropping a hole in the middle, between the pontoons, so that I could vertical jig in the winter if I don't get any ice to ice fish! With that in mind, how stable is it? I can't afford to flip it in the cold water. If you had to do it again would you stick to 4' wide or would you make it 5 feet (especially if you were going to sit on a chair and not the deck!)?
that is a mouthful of questions, lol. you and i are about the same weight so no worries there. the hole in the middle for iceless ice fishing is quite brilliant...you can put a tent like structure on it for wind shelter! 5 foot wide would have been a bit more comfortable. i was able to stand on any corner of the boat without fear of flipping it over, but a wider deck would be nicer
Thanks! I just finished your other video where you addressed some of the common questions. Do you think a trolling motor could push it around?
+Glenn Krzeminski it probably will work fine, but I never tried it