Inspiring to see you just gettin 'er done. As someone else said, the net is full of naysayers, aluminium wizards and people saying you need all the specialist tools to do a t-top ourself - this is inspiring, well done.
Jack, the best video I’ve seen on fabricating stuff for the boat. I’m trying to fab a custom swim ladder. I had no idea electrical supply stores sell aluminum conduit. Thank you for sharing
Man this came out amazing. I have a T TOP that needs some feet and standoffs made and i have been a bit afraid to do it. this definitely makes me feel more confident. I like how you made the mounts, i was struggling with that until i saw your video. It was hard to hear you throughout most of the video though
Glad you enjoyed it. This was one of my earlier videos and my camera equipment was not the best at all. I think I have fixed those sound issues now. Glad you are confident and thanks for the kind words.
@@elaineevander thanks. That was the bender that harbor freight sells and you just have to pick the die that is the closest size. A real tubing bender works so much better but you can make it happen with that pipe bender.
Hey there Jack Daddy are you making them even with the console or are you going past it a little bit for length and width, or depth will you bump you legs when you come around the corner from the steering wheel ..what size is the center console compared to the size of the new frame around it? I guess that’s what I’m asking lol ..nice work hope to hear from you .. we have an aluminum top but need the frame ? Do you do jobs and ship to Florida?
I can get measurements later but it sticks out past the console on each side and the front about 3 inches but it is pretty flush with the back as to not interfere with getting around the helm. In this particular boat, there is still plenty of room to get around the sides. Even if it was a squeeze, I think it would be worth it for the shade. We have fished without it before and I would never do that again. What part of Florida are you in?
That thing came out awesome. I tried welding aluminum once. I wasn’t proud of it. I’m thinking of doing something like this on my aluminum center console fishing boat. What to you guess it weighs?
you can get the conduit at any good electrical supply stores or order it from places like grainger. i have no idea what the materials would cost now with inflation... i imagine it would be several hundred dollars more than what i had in it. I also had a lot of the materials laying around so I'm not sure about total costs.
I got it as a way to weld aluminum until I could get a good tig. I still haven’t bought a tig. lol. I like it and it’s certainly sufficient, but I would love to have a push pull mig. Just can’t justify it right now.
Hey Jack, loved the video thanks and great job on the build. It has inspired me to have a go at this but with zero welding experience I am massively lacking confidence and know how. I'm wondering What kind of welder you used and what was your welding experience when you started the project? Keep up the good work!
I used a Miller multimatic 215 with 150 amp spool gun. I had welded alot before this, but not much aluminum. This was one of my first aluminum projects but it wasn’t that much different than steel. The main part is fitting the pipes and that part is the same with any metal. Just practice on a few pieces and go at it, you can do it.
6061 I’m pretty sure. Thickness is probably around 100ga to 1/8. Not sure on it either. I was using what I had on hand. Hope you make it happen. Let me know if you have any questions along the way.
That’s sweet! I am wanting to make a grab bar and a leaning post out of this and have been going back and forth between 6063 t5 and this conduit which is 6063 t1 I think. My question is how well is it holding up? Can you hang from it? Just wanting to see if this stuff will be strong enough for a leaning post and grab bar. Thanks
Holding up great. It is plenty strong. I certainly could hang from it but I don’t because I do t want to compromise the fiberglass that it’s bolted to. We definitely hold on to it in rougher waters though. I use this stuff for all types of projects and it does great. A big plus is that it’s readily available without having to drive 2 hours to an aluminum supplier. Hope your project turns out great.
What is the material you used for the top? I’m looking at designs and found your video it’s a really nice top. I wanted a way to mount lights for nights on the river on my pontoon cat fishing barge. Now you got my mind spinning on all the things I can have mounted above.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms thanks for the reply, waiting on warmer weather to rebuild my pontoon and seen the videos and like the build you did. Thanks for posting it.
@@unsaltedlife5998 no prob. Post yours up when it’s done. Link it on here so we can check it out. I don’t blame you one bit, it’s getting a little nippy here in south Alabama too.
Sorry, disregard that last post. I thought it was on my other video of building a boat. It is 2” aluminum conduit. Which is about .125 wall thickness but it’s measured differently than tubing.
I’m considering building my own after watching your video, this definitely help and guide people in the right path who wants to do it themselves. Also where can I get one of them metal bender?
You can definitely do it yourself. That bender came from harbor freight. they are not ideal but they get the job done ok. There are several hacks and work arounds all over youtube for how to use a bender like that to get perfect bends. Have fun with it!
I had less than 300 in it because I had most of the aluminum laying around and got the rest at a scrapyard for CHEAP. The starboard and the hardware were my main expense... with the starboard being the brunt of it. Even if you bought the aluminum conduit, you don’t add a whole lot though.
Happy Easter. He is risen indeed! Yes I used a Miller multimatic 215 with a spoolgun and 100% argon. Definitely not as pretty as tig but with enough practice you can make it look good. I’m just not set up for tig aluminum yet but maybe one day.
This is great! This is something I can eventually do. If I may ask, looking back, is there anything different that you would do? How has it held up so far?
Thank you! this thing has held up amazingly. if i could have done anything different i might would have incorporated some type of storage somewhere... and i would have used tig instead of mig... just for looks.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms Thanks for the reply. My buddy does metal fab for a living, so I'll see if he'll do that. And maybe fab some storage as well. Whatever I end up with will sure beat the bimini that always gets in the way!!
I’m running stainless and 1/8th white PVC panels mated in the center. The thing I have about starboard is you can’t glue anything to it, heavy and stains fairly easy. I’m wondering how much noise the thin pvc will make. I know the real thin stuff for patio is loud. The is always a trade off.
if it does its not enough to tell or change the way it rides. I don't know how i made it without it to be honest! so much better fishing on those hot sunny days!
Curiosity has gotten the best of me here! I love to build also. But for conversation, how much do you have in it, versus buying one pre fab'd? But it's an awesome build either way!!!
I had less than 300 in it because I had most of the aluminum laying around and got the rest at a scrapyard for CHEAP. The starboard and the hardware were my main expense... with the starboard being the brunt of it. Even if you bought the aluminum conduit, you don’t add a whole lot though... i could have bought one for around a grand probably that would be shaky and fabric top.
Hello buddy! I’m sorry about my bad American (I’m Italian) Anyway i would like to know which tipe of aluminium and which diameter did you use for the construction Btw well done ! Amazing work
@@andreabozzano117 sorry. It is 2” everywhere but the support pieces and it is 1”. There is some flat bar and angle as well but that could be any size you wish. I was making do with what I had.
i believe it is around 50-70 dollars a stick (10 ft) 5 sticks will give you a good start if you are good with your scrap. i used 2" for the legs and some 1 inch in other places.
Congratulations came out really great and Really nice video! few questions, how much weight the entire project at the end? ; how is the starboard holding as Top? ; any cracks? could it be done with T connections welded to provide stronger support at the joints? Thank you!
Thank you! I’m guessing it added about 150 pounds. I didn’t weigh it to be sure but me and my wife handled it fairly easy to put it on the boat. The starboard is holding up very well. Much better than any canvas I have seen. Very pleased with it. You could certainly use t connections if you can source them. I imagine it would significantly up the cost of the project though.
i got my aluminum from an electrical supply store. Any good supply store will have it, Home depot and Lowes usually don't carry aluminum but some do... better check the smaller specifically electric stores though!
STEVE it works better to me. I’m sure you have heard of filling the pipe with sand. If I’m going to do a tight bend I always do that method and have always had success. A “real” tubing bender is in my near future for sure though. Pipe bender has bent a lot of stuff it wasn’t meant for but it’s done ok.
I didn’t have a way to weight it but I’m guessing somewhere between 100-150. Me and my wife put it up there fairly easy. I could have managed the weight by myself but the size made it too awkward for me to handle. Would have been nothing if it wasn’t for the starboard. That was the heaviest part.
Hey man I'm trying to do this for myself the metal supply company is charging 73.00 per 10 feet does that sound about right? And if you could give a rough estimate of build materials I would really appreciate it. Thanks man
that sounds a little high, but prices will differ in different areas. i think our electrical supply store sells the conduit for 50-60 a stick. its 45 on grainger but i don't know about shipping. its always good to check local scrap yards as well. that's where i got some of my stuff and i had those 5 sticks of conduit already laying around so i didn't place an order to look at as far as materials lists... but i think if you had 6 sticks of 1 1/2, 2 sticks of 3/4, 20 feet or so of 1 1/2 angle you would be at a good place. don't forget a few small pieces of plate for mountings and your starboard and stainless hardware. hope that helps and hope it turns out great! post up some pics when you get it done!
@@TheBishop46 if I was close, I would be glad to lend a hand. You waited until the heat of the year to do it though. Lol. I was in San Antonio doing some street ministry last summer and it was brutal out there.
it is a mig but i have a spool gun. I'm using the miller multimatic 215 with the 150 spool gun and aluminum wire. 100% argon. takes some getting used to but it gets the job done for sure and with practice i can get it to look pretty close to like it was tig.
haha... I'm sure. just have fun doing it, and i HATE to pay tons of money to do something i can do myself. Ive learned to take my time on the fitting the older i get... i used to just get it close and go to welding... hahaha. thanks for the nice words!
Conduit? Really? Like I could go to home depot and build this with conduit? Why does everyone scream that i need 6061 aluminum tubing to make a hard top? How well is it holding up? Man I need to learn how to do this lol
I'm with you. Trying to figure out how to do this almost exactly, and it seems like there are 1,000 nay-sayers, guess we need to try it and see for ourselves lol
Eric Riviere my Home Depot didn’t sell aluminum, only rigid. I got this aluminum conduit at an electrical supply store. I run mine all summer in the gulf. Rinse it off when I bring it home every time. No problems.
Mike Gardner I had less than 300 in it because I had most of the aluminum laying around and got the rest at a scrapyard for CHEAP. The starboard and the hardware were my main expense... with the starboard being the brunt of it. Even if you bought the aluminum conduit, you don’t add a whole lot though.
i don't know if want to get into doing production stuff, this was just a hobby and a labor of love. doubt i would have a turn around time that would be sufficient for you... where you located though?
@@islandlife4141 I had less than 300 in it because I had most of the aluminum laying around and got the rest at a scrapyard for CHEAP. The starboard and the hardware were my main expense... with the starboard being the brunt of it. Even if you bought the aluminum conduit, you don’t add a whole lot though.
You should really remove the bar that goes ontop of the Cushion in front of your console seat. That must be so uncomfortable for who ever sits there. One wave and the pain would be unbearable.
@@backforties not sure, I can look next time I’m down at the shop. I set my machine for whatever thickness I’m welding. Make sure your aluminum is clean too.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustomsGreat video by the way. I'm a electrician by trade, so bending conduit will be easy for me. However I've welded carbon steel with my mig setup but have not used my spool gun on aluminum yet.
@@josephdimaggio28 thanks man. You’ll have no trouble with the bends. set some time aside to practice with that aluminum before you dive into your good stuff for your top. It’s not hard but it’s a different stroke than regular mig. Hoping you’re turns out great!
@@josephdimaggio28 a decent bit. I have done several modifications on aluminum boats, even cut a jon boat in half and made it 2 foot wider, lol. I have used tig but just in the past years started using the spool gun. i have to say, once i got used to it, i prefer the spool gun all day long. the top is about 4x7 i believe.
This guy really just drew up a design on the floor and made a awesome t top. Man thanks a lot for the idea🙏
Lol. That’s what happened. Glad you enjoyed it. You are welcome. Thanks for watching.
Inspiring to see you just gettin 'er done. As someone else said, the net is full of naysayers, aluminium wizards and people saying you need all the specialist tools to do a t-top ourself - this is inspiring, well done.
Thank you!
Nice fabrication skills. I got a center console that is in need of this very project, glad I found it.
Thanks for stopping by. Good luck with your project
Impressive sir.
Thank you much.
@@steveowalls thank you!
Hands down on your t-top project. Best, awesome video. Way 👌 detailed. Thank you
thank you!
Jack, the best video I’ve seen on fabricating stuff for the boat. I’m trying to fab a custom swim ladder. I had no idea electrical supply stores sell aluminum conduit. Thank you for sharing
Hope it turns out great. Thanks for watching.
So impressed by people who can do this kind of stuff. Looks awesome👍
Appreciate the kind words. Thanks.
Very nice build! I really wish I had the tools and the talent to do this! Thanks for the video.
thanks! you can do it man... just learn a little as you go.
Top-notch man. Great video, too
thank you!
Man this came out amazing. I have a T TOP that needs some feet and standoffs made and i have been a bit afraid to do it. this definitely makes me feel more confident. I like how you made the mounts, i was struggling with that until i saw your video. It was hard to hear you throughout most of the video though
Glad you enjoyed it. This was one of my earlier videos and my camera equipment was not the best at all. I think I have fixed those sound issues now. Glad you are confident and thanks for the kind words.
Like you're approach to handling that build I've been inspired so now i have to build thanks .
awesome!!! build one even better man!
Had my doubts when i seen the chalk blueprint haha. Turned out beautiful. Nice Taco too
Lol I had my doubts too lol. Appreciate it.
Wow. Nice job, brother.
thanks!
Thankful for the shade it makes! ❤️
couldn't imagine fishing with it!
Beautiful work
Thank you.
Very nicely done.
Thank you very much!
Came for the build, will stay for the "we love jesus" always love supporting my fellow Christian Craftsmen
Thanks brother.
Right On!
Jack
Daddy
Christ
Loved the build.. gonna try it on my Angler.
Thanks bro. Hope you’re turns out great. Make it happen.
wow nice job,what bender is that and are the dies in different sizes?
@@elaineevander thanks. That was the bender that harbor freight sells and you just have to pick the die that is the closest size. A real tubing bender works so much better but you can make it happen with that pipe bender.
That is the cool stuff I like great job
thanks!
Great job brother!,looks fantastic
Jack
Just posted my version of your T-Top on my channel. Thanks for the inspiration.! Barry
Just watched it. Looks good. Thanks for the shout out!
Hey there Jack Daddy are you making them even with the console or are you going past it a little bit for length and width, or depth will you bump you legs when you come around the corner from the steering wheel ..what size is the center console compared to the size of the new frame around it? I guess that’s what I’m asking lol ..nice work hope to hear from you .. we have an aluminum top but need the frame ? Do you do jobs and ship to Florida?
I can get measurements later but it sticks out past the console on each side and the front about 3 inches but it is pretty flush with the back as to not interfere with getting around the helm. In this particular boat, there is still plenty of room to get around the sides. Even if it was a squeeze, I think it would be worth it for the shade. We have fished without it before and I would never do that again. What part of Florida are you in?
That thing came out awesome. I tried welding aluminum once. I wasn’t proud of it.
I’m thinking of doing something like this on my aluminum center console fishing boat. What to you guess it weighs?
@@tsjuno probably 100-150
That thing looks awesome, where’s a good place to get the material? Like the piping? And about how much did it cost?
you can get the conduit at any good electrical supply stores or order it from places like grainger. i have no idea what the materials would cost now with inflation... i imagine it would be several hundred dollars more than what i had in it. I also had a lot of the materials laying around so I'm not sure about total costs.
Great video! What size pipe did you use on the legs?
2”
how you like the spool gun? ive been debating getting one for at least 4 years. one of these days ill get one. or get a welder to tig alum.
I got it as a way to weld aluminum until I could get a good tig. I still haven’t bought a tig. lol. I like it and it’s certainly sufficient, but I would love to have a push pull mig. Just can’t justify it right now.
Looks great!
Thanks!
Nice job
Thank you.
Hey Jack, loved the video thanks and great job on the build. It has inspired me to have a go at this but with zero welding experience I am massively lacking confidence and know how. I'm wondering What kind of welder you used and what was your welding experience when you started the project? Keep up the good work!
I used a Miller multimatic 215 with 150 amp spool gun. I had welded alot before this, but not much aluminum. This was one of my first aluminum projects but it wasn’t that much different than steel. The main part is fitting the pipes and that part is the same with any metal. Just practice on a few pieces and go at it, you can do it.
@JackArmWhat size type wire did you use? LOOKS GOOD!strong-jackdaddycustoms
Nice work
Thanks
Where did you get the starboard that size. I am looking for a peice about 4x5 and it’s hard to find
I got mine from a store in gulf breeze. I think it was a dock supply store.
I'll be doing the same job, but might use two plastic folding tables (legs removed) will end up 60" wide 72" long
now, that sounds interesting!
Looks great... what grade of aluminum are you using? Thickness too ???
You just gave me hope ...
6061 I’m pretty sure. Thickness is probably around 100ga to 1/8. Not sure on it either. I was using what I had on hand. Hope you make it happen. Let me know if you have any questions along the way.
That’s sweet! I am wanting to make a grab bar and a leaning post out of this and have been going back and forth between 6063 t5 and this conduit which is 6063 t1 I think.
My question is how well is it holding up? Can you hang from it? Just wanting to see if this stuff will be strong enough for a leaning post and grab bar. Thanks
Holding up great. It is plenty strong. I certainly could hang from it but I don’t because I do t want to compromise the fiberglass that it’s bolted to. We definitely hold on to it in rougher waters though. I use this stuff for all types of projects and it does great. A big plus is that it’s readily available without having to drive 2 hours to an aluminum supplier.
Hope your project turns out great.
What is the material you used for the top? I’m looking at designs and found your video it’s a really nice top. I wanted a way to mount lights for nights on the river on my pontoon cat fishing barge. Now you got my mind spinning on all the things I can have mounted above.
It’s called starboard. It’s a dense plastic like material that is very good in marine environments. I love it... a little heavy but very solid.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms thanks for the reply, waiting on warmer weather to rebuild my pontoon and seen the videos and like the build you did. Thanks for posting it.
@@unsaltedlife5998 no prob. Post yours up when it’s done. Link it on here so we can check it out. I don’t blame you one bit, it’s getting a little nippy here in south Alabama too.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms will do I’m at lock and dam 25 on the Mississippi River or ice rink now.
Hi Jack! Is that a 2”x.125” aluminum tube? Thx!
It is 1x2x.125 wall.
Sorry, disregard that last post. I thought it was on my other video of building a boat. It is 2” aluminum conduit. Which is about .125 wall thickness but it’s measured differently than tubing.
I’m considering building my own after watching your video, this definitely help and guide people in the right path who wants to do it themselves. Also where can I get one of them metal bender?
You can definitely do it yourself. That bender came from harbor freight. they are not ideal but they get the job done ok. There are several hacks and work arounds all over youtube for how to use a bender like that to get perfect bends. Have fun with it!
Looks great how much in materials total $ do you have invested in project ?
I had less than 300 in it because I had most of the aluminum laying around and got the rest at a scrapyard for CHEAP. The starboard and the hardware were my main expense... with the starboard being the brunt of it. Even if you bought the aluminum conduit, you don’t add a whole lot though.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms
Jack thank for the info .
Did you use a wire feed welder ?? Happy Easter !! He has risen !!!!!!
Happy Easter. He is risen indeed! Yes I used a Miller multimatic 215 with a spoolgun and 100% argon. Definitely not as pretty as tig but with enough practice you can make it look good. I’m just not set up for tig aluminum yet but maybe one day.
great job...💪
thanks
Exultant job young man
Thank you sir
This is great! This is something I can eventually do.
If I may ask, looking back, is there anything different that you would do? How has it held up so far?
Thank you! this thing has held up amazingly. if i could have done anything different i might would have incorporated some type of storage somewhere... and i would have used tig instead of mig... just for looks.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms Thanks for the reply. My buddy does metal fab for a living, so I'll see if he'll do that. And maybe fab some storage as well. Whatever I end up with will sure beat the bimini that always gets in the way!!
@@mobettadealgetta5111 no doubt about it!
I’m running stainless and 1/8th white PVC panels mated in the center. The thing I have about starboard is you can’t glue anything to it, heavy and stains fairly easy. I’m wondering how much noise the thin pvc will make. I know the real thin stuff for patio is loud. The is always a trade off.
just , thank you .
Welcome!
Hello! Are you using the same type of pipes you would use in making a fence around your house?
no sir, these are aluminum. the fence pipes would be galvanized steel. you could use that but it would far heavier and far more apt to corrosion.
What's your welder setup?
@@JD-kv7tx miller multimatic 215 with spoolmate 150
Looks good!
thanks brother
Real nice job! Just wondering if it pulls any different going down the road? I have a bimini on my boat. Pros and cons to each.
if it does its not enough to tell or change the way it rides. I don't know how i made it without it to be honest! so much better fishing on those hot sunny days!
Curiosity has gotten the best of me here! I love to build also. But for conversation, how much do you have in it, versus buying one pre fab'd? But it's an awesome build either way!!!
I had less than 300 in it because I had most of the aluminum laying around and got the rest at a scrapyard for CHEAP. The starboard and the hardware were my main expense... with the starboard being the brunt of it. Even if you bought the aluminum conduit, you don’t add a whole lot though... i could have bought one for around a grand probably that would be shaky and fabric top.
Hello buddy! I’m sorry about my bad American (I’m Italian)
Anyway i would like to know which tipe of aluminium and which diameter did you use for the construction
Btw well done ! Amazing work
Thanks bud. I believe aluminum conduit is 6063 alloy. And it is 2” od
Is it 2” everywhere? On The top as well?
@@andreabozzano117 sorry. It is 2” everywhere but the support pieces and it is 1”. There is some flat bar and angle as well but that could be any size you wish. I was making do with what I had.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms what about the roof? Which material did you use for it?
@@andreabozzano117 it’s called starboard. It’s a type of plastic that stands up well to the sun.
Helllll yeah brother!
thanks
Hey buddy how much did the aluminum pipe cost? 3 inch? Bout how many feet you think? I want to build one for my 16 foot center console. Thanks man
i believe it is around 50-70 dollars a stick (10 ft) 5 sticks will give you a good start if you are good with your scrap. i used 2" for the legs and some 1 inch in other places.
Congratulations came out really great and Really nice video!
few questions,
how much weight the entire project at the end? ;
how is the starboard holding as Top? ; any cracks?
could it be done with T connections welded to provide stronger support at the joints?
Thank you!
Thank you! I’m guessing it added about 150 pounds. I didn’t weigh it to be sure but me and my wife handled it fairly easy to put it on the boat. The starboard is holding up very well. Much better than any canvas I have seen. Very pleased with it. You could certainly use t connections if you can source them. I imagine it would significantly up the cost of the project though.
what type wider and will it weld schudle 40 aluminum pipe
It’s a millermatic 215. It will weld aluminum very well but you will need a spoolgun and 100% argon for shielding gas.
Which spool gun did you purchase. I also have the 215 . Great job by the way. How much would you say you have in the project?
@@theknottypinemetalshop8674 it’s the spoolmate 150. It’s like a busted drum... hard to beat!
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms just order it.
Wow nice job!!!
thanks... it turned out even better than i thought it would!
Where do you buy aluminum tube ?
Any good electrical supply store.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms thank you!
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms I don see any supply stor? Can you tell me please?
@@ToanNguyen-rx8xu I use a local supply store but you can get it at granger.com
where did you get the aluminum. i want to build my own, but searches lead me to 5052 aluminum, cant find any.
i got my aluminum from an electrical supply store. Any good supply store will have it, Home depot and Lowes usually don't carry aluminum but some do... better check the smaller specifically electric stores though!
How’s that HF pipe bender work with Al? I know it’s ok with steel, but worried about kinking Al.
STEVE it works better to me. I’m sure you have heard of filling the pipe with sand. If I’m going to do a tight bend I always do that method and have always had success. A “real” tubing bender is in my near future for sure though. Pipe bender has bent a lot of stuff it wasn’t meant for but it’s done ok.
What thickness starboard did you use
1/4 inch.
Thanks
How much did she end up weighing
I didn’t have a way to weight it but I’m guessing somewhere between 100-150. Me and my wife put it up there fairly easy. I could have managed the weight by myself but the size made it too awkward for me to handle. Would have been nothing if it wasn’t for the starboard. That was the heaviest part.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms
Looks great man .
Lot of love went into that unit man
Hey man I'm trying to do this for myself the metal supply company is charging 73.00 per 10 feet does that sound about right? And if you could give a rough estimate of build materials I would really appreciate it. Thanks man
that sounds a little high, but prices will differ in different areas. i think our electrical supply store sells the conduit for 50-60 a stick. its 45 on grainger but i don't know about shipping.
its always good to check local scrap yards as well. that's where i got some of my stuff and i had those 5 sticks of conduit already laying around so i didn't place an order to look at as far as materials lists... but i think if you had 6 sticks of 1 1/2, 2 sticks of 3/4, 20 feet or so of 1 1/2 angle you would be at a good place. don't forget a few small pieces of plate for mountings and your starboard and stainless hardware.
hope that helps and hope it turns out great! post up some pics when you get it done!
Where did you find alumium pipe?
electrical supply store.
What size is the main tubing you are using?
2"
Are you located in Texas
No sir. South Alabama.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms I wish you were in Houston
@@TheBishop46 why is that? Lol
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms I need to replace the top on my dolohine pro 2 going from fabric to fiberglass
@@TheBishop46 if I was close, I would be glad to lend a hand. You waited until the heat of the year to do it though. Lol. I was in San Antonio doing some street ministry last summer and it was brutal out there.
Great job, I plan on building my own T-top in the near future. Are you using a mig welder with aluminum wire?
it is a mig but i have a spool gun. I'm using the miller multimatic 215 with the 150 spool gun and aluminum wire. 100% argon. takes some getting used to but it gets the job done for sure and with practice i can get it to look pretty close to like it was tig.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms I have a Millermatic 135. Will have to see if I can do something with that. Thanks
i'll try to do mine,but with less pipes, like that it takes for ever and a day.
yes it does but its a beast and looks good. less pipes will make it way lighter which is a good thing! good luck with your build!
Great job, you sure you're not a pro welder fabricator ?
haha... I'm sure. just have fun doing it, and i HATE to pay tons of money to do something i can do myself. Ive learned to take my time on the fitting the older i get... i used to just get it close and go to welding... hahaha. thanks for the nice words!
aluminum conduit???? I thought it was pipe sch 40 ??
Aluminum conduit from the electrical supply store. Works great.
Conduit? Really? Like I could go to home depot and build this with conduit? Why does everyone scream that i need 6061 aluminum tubing to make a hard top? How well is it holding up? Man I need to learn how to do this lol
I'm with you. Trying to figure out how to do this almost exactly, and it seems like there are 1,000 nay-sayers, guess we need to try it and see for ourselves lol
It’s holding up like a champ. It’s aluminum conduit though, not just regular ol galvanized rigid from Home Depot. Still looks like the day I built it.
Eric Riviere my Home Depot didn’t sell aluminum, only rigid. I got this aluminum conduit at an electrical supply store. I run mine all summer in the gulf. Rinse it off when I bring it home every time. No problems.
Thanks for the reply Jack!
well done.
Thank You!
How is the starboard holding up?
Joseph Attaway great. Looks like the day I built it. The key is to give it enough room for expansion so it doesn’t buckle and wave.
Holly smokes,that's a lot a pipes
lots of pipes means lots of fitting... i probably wouldn't use that many if i did it again, but you gotta admit, it looks SWEET!!!
How much were the materials for this T top ?
Mike Gardner I had less than 300 in it because I had most of the aluminum laying around and got the rest at a scrapyard for CHEAP. The starboard and the hardware were my main expense... with the starboard being the brunt of it. Even if you bought the aluminum conduit, you don’t add a whole lot though.
Great job brother Would you be interested in building me one
I’m just starting on my house right now so all my spare time will be on that. I might be interested whenever I get it built though.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms ok cool I appreciate
Thats awsome wish i could weld, should have been a welder instead of a tool maker
@@adamcain4603 thank you. Never too late to learn.
I have a 15 foot boston whaler how much to build me a center console
i don't know if want to get into doing production stuff, this was just a hobby and a labor of love. doubt i would have a turn around time that would be sufficient for you... where you located though?
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms thanks for your response, im in Puertorico. How much did you end up spending in materials
@@islandlife4141 I had less than 300 in it because I had most of the aluminum laying around and got the rest at a scrapyard for CHEAP. The starboard and the hardware were my main expense... with the starboard being the brunt of it. Even if you bought the aluminum conduit, you don’t add a whole lot though.
There’s a guy in Puerto Rico by the name of Tito Martinez who builds custom t tops for boats. If you’d like his contact info please let me know
@@AB-yt7gd sure send it to me, and thanks
You should really remove the bar that goes ontop of the Cushion in front of your console seat. That must be so uncomfortable for who ever sits there. One wave and the pain would be unbearable.
your sound is low!
fish mouth in it lol
You make look so easy, I fucked up like poles and still can't get it right.
Did you draw it out on the floor?
@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms
Yes sir!! But when am welding the poles i am burning holes on the aluminum. How much amps are you using to weld.
@@backforties not sure, I can look next time I’m down at the shop. I set my machine for whatever thickness I’m welding. Make sure your aluminum is clean too.
What lengths of 2in conduit did you buy.
10 feet.
What type of pipe bender did you use?
A sorry ol harbor freight one. It got the job done but it reminds me every time I use it how much I need a real tubing bender.
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustomsGreat video by the way. I'm a electrician by trade, so bending conduit will be easy for me. However I've welded carbon steel with my mig setup but have not used my spool gun on aluminum yet.
@@josephdimaggio28 thanks man. You’ll have no trouble with the bends. set some time aside to practice with that aluminum before you dive into your good stuff for your top. It’s not hard but it’s a different stroke than regular mig. Hoping you’re turns out great!
@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms thanks man. Just curios, do you have alot of experience with welding aluminum? Also how big is your top?
@@josephdimaggio28 a decent bit. I have done several modifications on aluminum boats, even cut a jon boat in half and made it 2 foot wider, lol. I have used tig but just in the past years started using the spool gun. i have to say, once i got used to it, i prefer the spool gun all day long. the top is about 4x7 i believe.