Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Seat Frame Pattern
I have been looking for seat frame patterns similar to those built by Montana Boat Builders. I have searched the site here and haven't found anything ( I may not be looking in the right areas). I realize I could just by one seat from MBB and then use it as a template but I would rather not spend 166.00 on a seat. I would be willing to pay someone here if they had a template similar to the MBB seats, or would love to work up a trade if someone would like to lead me in the right direction.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on
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Jordan: Being a cheap old SOB I would make my own pattern. Find a wooden chair that is comfortable and measure the angle between the seat and back with your bevel gage. If you dont have one buy one because you will need it for buiding. Get some cardboard and start sketching out the backside and the bottom with the smooth curves as in Jason's pictures. Lay it out with a half lap jount at the back/bottom,stringers between sides at back, bottom and front. Lay out for the location of the rope holes- 3/8" rope is good and have at it. The angle between the seat and bottom is important. We have a captains chair that has too much angle and it is a really uncomfortable thing for 5 minutes- let alone all day.
Good Luck- make some sawdust.
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Permalink Reply by Don Wakefield on
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Hi Jordan -- I think Lawrence Long gave you some pretty good advice. I am just past halfway with building two of my own for my new drift-jet boat. I too used the Montana Boat Builders site to copy ideas from - among others. Their kit description at one time offered some good pictures, not quite squared away but enough to get the curving idea. I haven't got my two seats tested yet, so hesitate to recommend what I managed to come up with. I used red oak. My beginning stock was 4-7/8 x 21-1/2 and this includes the lap from each. I made them an overall width of 17", the spreaders I started with 2-1/4 x 17"" and notched them 1-1/4 inch into the frames leaving an inch to but up against the inside of the side frames, and install the side screw.
I used a 3/8" otffset router bit with ball bearing to cut the recess for the borrom piece of 3/4" plywood. If I had it to design again, I'd increase the width to 18" . I guesstimated the angle for the back it came out that the top of the back portion was 4" past vertical. MBB is selling plans now too I think, what the hey, maybe they'll just sell you the plans or pattern instead of the kit?? I made my pattern from a chunk of 3/8" plywood, if you lived in Northern CA I'd be happy to give you the one I used, but again its totally untested so that would be a risk. By the way those seats are pretty labor intensive, but I work for nuttin. I cut the stock out of a 1x12 - 8' board at about $4 a bd ft, this is for both seats. I'm going to give them a couple three coats of epoxy and then polish this - similar to a plastic bar top. In this picture the two "coffee tables" are covering the motor and pump that I dug out of a Yamaha 760 waverunner. If you want to give me a call feel welcome. Don
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Permalink Reply by lhedrick on
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Don,
This jet boat you are building looks outstanding. This is the first image I have seen of the wide flat top gunwale.
I would encourage you to start a BLOG entry here if you are willing to share the experience and build history. I would love to know a lot more about your project.
Can't wait to hear about how it up runs fast water.
L
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Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on
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Don - I agree with Larry - please post more "pics"... looks like you are building an awesome craft!! GH
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Hi Larry, thanks for your reply and words of interest. I have planned for some time to share this build experience with all...... thank you for suggesting the blog posting as I don't have the slightest notion of how to navigate with WBP, or Facebook either!! I guess I could have been more sharing with in-progress photos but what if this idea was a bust? In the very beginning I got panicked when I realized I didn't have any idea how to incorporate a jetski motor and water pump into a wooden boat -- now I'm thinking it will indeed work but lots of unknowns like: Will it sit level in the water? How fast will it go (and I'm hoping for 30 statute MPH) -- How heavy is the boat going to end up and will this make it a very sluggish rowing boat for down stream drifting... how much draft.... will it go straight in the water.... etc etc. So I'm with you - I'd like to have all these answers too. I intend to use this boat on the upper Rogue above Agness in the "Wild and Scenic" portions of the river so hope it will scoot up with ease all those daunting stretches like the Devils Staircase, and Blossom Bar.
I am getting down to the short rows with this project which I started by buying a jetski in Roseville (E Sacramento) about March 2010 sometime I think. What a fun project this has been and how much I have had putting it together and all the headscratching that goes along with this.
I bought a neato trailer for it and as soon as I get it spruced up I will figure out how to get the boat setting on top of the trailer and down to the water.
Then I will want to totally share! Going to include one photo here, when I flipped the boat, and it shows how the pump intake was incorporated into the seven degree V-bottom to help prevent slipping and skidding into the bank!
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Permalink Reply by Jordan Davis on
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Thank you Don. Believe it or not I am a sales rep and northern California is part of my territory. I won't be through there though for some time, but if I make it through and the offer still stands, maybe we can grab lunch, trade some boat stories and look at those seats and that AWESOME sled! MAN, YOU ARE SKILLED!
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Hi Jordan -- thanks for replying back..... and for the compliments which I have lapped up with gusto. Wonder what would happen if I wrote your mailing address on that plywood pattern and took it to the Post Office?? I have heard of screwball mailings like this but... who knows? And again need to know if what I am creating will work -- the business of width, spine curvature, seat contour, length and width of seat, angle of the back to vertical and so forth can be deal makers or killers.
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I really appreciate your willingness to get those patterns to me. I can bet the post office would love to help you out, for the right price... But my friend, there is no need to go to all of that trouble. Your posting here has been more than helpful, be it just dimensions and descriptions. i am going to take your advise and contact Montana Boat Builders to see if they will sell plans. Boy, I hope so... Maybe at that point, and if they do, we can discuss the angles and dimensions they use as compared to your seats, and maybe give you piece of mind towards your design. I think you've got it all locked up by the look of things though.
JD
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Permalink Reply by Scott Hepler on
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Jordan. I made my seat pattern on the computer with Photoshop. They are very comfortable and I have been totally happy with the dimensions. You can look at my pics and see if you want the file. I could e-mail you the file which is just the full size profile of the seet. I just printed it out, spray mounted it on a piece of Masonite, cut it out and made it smooth, put double sided tape on the pattern stick it to the oak. Rough cut the oak on the band saw Then using a pattern makers bit on the router table You have your seet sides. Put in the stretchers and drill your holes for the roap. If you want it send me your e-mail
Scott
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If you don't mind I would like a copy of your pattern. I need to make a couple seats for my boat. joel_sauder at hotmail dot com
Thanks,
Joel
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Scott, Thanks so much for the offer! Your seats look awesome and I would love to get the pattern from you! Please let me know what I can do for you! I would be absolutely willing to pay for them.!
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no money just your e-mail. Joel I sent it to you, if you have any questions let me know. It is just a full size profile of the seat. I did a mortise and pinned tennon, but you could do a half lap just as well. The holes are one inch in and 7/8" apart. I used 5/16" rope in a 3/8" hole. The hole becomes smaller because of the epoxy and finish that will be applied to the wood. If you are just going to oil the interior of the boat you could use a 11/32" bit. The seats are 18" wide.
scott
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