Pt 1 DIY Pontoon Boat - Foldable G21

[@Fishaholicboy]

I look forward to part 2.. it’s always so nice to hear your thinking process and design ideas

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching! Hopefully the weather will be getting warmer so I can work on my boat. I am surprised to see snow in the middle of April. On Sunday, I worn a t-shirt building my boat out door. A day later I have to wear my down jacket to go shopping.

[@carpathiancraftsman]

I see you use foam to glue them together. Is that durable enough to sail on water? Im afraid it might get unstuck

[@DIYUSA]

A very good question! I have built foam boats using the wood glue (the same glue many other people use also). Before I built this one, I also tried spray foam to glue the foam blocks together. I found this method produce a very strong bond and is much easier and faster to apply than the wood glue. Again, I am not the first person using spray foam to glue the foam blocks. I learned from others. I have also used PMFG method to coverup the foam. With this boat, I experimented with Gorilla tape to make the build faster. It works well for me, and this video is a review of the result kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqDWop2KhbCWb68 Whether you use wood glue or spray foam, there is also the PMFG layer, or the Gorilla tape to hold the foam blocks together. I believe this foldable kayak will last for many years if I take good care of it. It is the only boat I feel comfortable to use at the Pacific Coast for crabbing and fishing because it is very stable and will not sink.🙂

[@carpathiancraftsman]

@@DIYUSA thank you for the detailed answer! I'm thinking to try and build a foam boat and add a layer of "rubber paint". The one that is used to protect cars frame from weather. Not sure if it will stick properly to the foam, so it will be a test.

[@DIYUSA]

@@carpathiancraftsman There is a company doing something similar. The paint will form a hard shell and protect the foam. I will find out more info for you in the next few days. One thing has to care about is if the paint will 'eat into' the foam.

[@carpathiancraftsman]

@@DIYUSA very true. I will first test it on a small piece. I have that paint because I was supposed to work on my car last summer, but I couldn't. So I have it here. I think that paint which contains strong solvent melts the foam

[@yepyepuhhuh]

I like it. I did something similar. Mine is not foldable. I am using a commercial frame, but replaced the inflatable pontoons with foam pontoons as you did. I wrapped the pontoons with canvas and glue. I am considering using Kraft paper and glue to save weight.

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your comment and input. I am looking into reducing the over all weight but have not think of using Kraft paper. I have used PMFG/canvas + glue and I expect it will increase the weight if I implement it on this boat, but it offers better protection to the foam than gorilla tape. The weather have been rainy and cold (48F) and the progress will be slow in building this boat. But it will be done soon. Cheers!

[@yepyepuhhuh]

I have seen, but not personally used or tested, great results from the craft paper and glue version of PMF. I always do appreciate your videos.

[@DIYUSA]

@@yepyepuhhuh Thanks for your feedback. This is a very good motivation for me to keep making videos. I will look into the craft paper solution. 😃

[@erichandyauto]

Is there a link that you could share on how to build a foam cutting tool? Thanks for your help.

[@DIYUSA]

I didn't go into details in any of my videos in making the foam cutter. I will make a video in the next 2 weeks. I will do an experiment to use a notebook computer power adaptor to make the cutter because that kind of power adapter is easy to get. The 'heat' wire cost a few dollars on Ebay and is easy to get. Please stay tuned.