1970 Aquasport 222 FB rebuild

[HawgLeg]

 Thanks Joel. Its just a left over 2x4 piece cut to 1/4"

[HawgLeg]

I'm reusing the original casting deck so I needed to cut a notch in my stringers to allow clearance. 31" in between the stringers gave me an inch or a little more around my tank. Now I'm figuring how I want to cradle my tank. The very front portion of the tank (about a foot) forward of the tie down will extend up under the casting deck.

The level is set on top of the stringer portion that will be under the casting deck.

I set the level on top of the stringer to show the bottom of the deck

[Shine]

looking good.  Looks like you have plenty of room to mount the tank, but its strange the fill in not 90 degrees. 

Tank should sit on strips of neoprene (high density neoprene made for tanks to rest on).  You can make small frames to match the contour of the tank, then put the strips down.  Tanks needed to be secured with brackets of some sort.  I would probably glass something from stringer to stringer on either side of the ridges on the top of the tank.  Also something on either end

[HawgLeg]

Thanks Joel,
I'm thinking of building my coffin very similar to Rick's with 3" PVC "middle stringer" and supports, neoprene strips atop those. I may rip them down more than half though so they will only add an inch or so in height. I agree it would be nicer if the fill was at a 90 deg. but I'm hoping the hose will have enough bend to not put stress on the doghouse. I need to make sure I can get my rigging tubes through the aft coffin bulkhead too. I'd like to use 3" for that.

[flatbackpaul]

Looking good - one step close to our fishing trip. 
 
Paul

[HawgLeg]

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are over I have time to get back to work. Over the holidays I did get the bottom of my casting deck ground and put a layer of 1708 with epoxy on. I also enclosed the original compartment windows on the front with a couple layers of chop and a few layers of 1708 with poly using the same technique as my transom skin. Really excited to announce that Randy Dugger is currently fabricating my tower to the console I got from Panga.

My goal for the week is to finish my fuel tank coffin. I have two 10ft. 3" PVC pipes and I have enough 1/2" neoprene to do 3 supports. I'm at a brain block on what angle to cut my PVC  in order to fully support my tank and not raise my tank too high. From my figuring it looks like the forward end of the center support will be 2" and the aft will be about 1/2". Any thoughts anyone? 

[RickK]

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are over I have time to get back to work. Over the holidays I did get the bottom of my casting deck ground and put a layer of 1708 with epoxy on. I also enclosed the original compartment windows on the front with a couple layers of chop and a few layers of 1708 with poly using the same technique as my transom skin. Really excited to announce that Randy Dugger is currently fabricating my tower to the console I got from Panga.

My goal for the week is to finish my fuel tank coffin. I have two 10ft. 3" PVC pipes and I have enough 1/2" neoprene to do 3 supports. I'm at a brain block on what angle to cut my PVC  in order to fully support my tank and not raise my tank too high. From my figuring it looks like the forward end of the center support will be 2" and the aft will be about 1/2". Any thoughts anyone? 

Randy has finished my seat and has the upholsterer working on the cushions - should get it this week.    He'll do a good job for you.
The PVC I put under my tank was also at an angle and was tough to figure out.  I started by splitting the PVC fuller than it need be and then kept cutting it down until I got it right. A belt sander helps here also.

[Shine]

I think I understand what your trying to do.

 One trick I have learned in making things fit is to use the shape your wanting a part to fit to as a "guide" So if you wanted a strips of PVC to fit to the hull so that when you lay your tank on them it sits on all of them flush, then I would hot glue (or tape) the PVC to the underside of the tank, lay it into the boat, trace the locations of the PVC, pull it out, glass PVC down.  Should fit like a glove.  Just have to account for a little extra glass thickness and the neoprene

[Levi]

No I think he's putting the pvc against the fence on his table saw and cutting it on an angle because if you cut it down any other way the blade won't cut all the way through the pipe because the cut depth is too deep to reach across the diameter of the pipe.
Roll it over on a 15° and set your fence as close to the blade as you can get it without touching it that should give you a nice sliver of pipe a smaller angle will give you less pipe (making  your support shorter) and a larger angle will give you more pipe (making it taller)
I have one question though? What's stopping you from ripping down a piece of 1 1/4" pipe or 2" pipe?  That would give you the height and you would have a full diameter of pipe which  I would  think would be stronger? Your only in contact with the tank surface in one small area regardless of the radius so a larger pipe won't spread the load over a lager area of the tank?

[RickK]

Where he is laying the PVC the hull starts dropping down to form the prow. I think that mine was about a half pipe at the rear and almost a full pipe at the front.  If the boat is level you can use a level to measure the heights needed or you can measure down from the stringer tops.  Either way it's a complicated cut for the center pipe. I marked the pipe and used a jigsaw.
You can see the difference in the pipe in this pic of my rebuild

[RickK]

Doesn't look like you have much room to raise the front of the tank up so it might be that you can't use 3" PVC unless you're only using the top 1/4 or 1/8 of it.
Just thinking aloud here...

[Levi]

Oh OK I see what you're saying.
Is it bad to have the back of the tank lower than the front though?

[RickK]

I wouldn't think so - in fact I think you want it a tad lower so the gas keeps migrating that way toward the pickup.

[HawgLeg]

I had no idea you guys were commenting. I must have changed my setting to not send email alerts?

I got er done. First I ripped the pipe done to i think it was 2 1/4" which was my limiting height + neoprene to give my fuel fill enough clearance(still going to be tight). Then I used a multitool(very valuable tool) to trim and taper down to the smaller end, then a belt sander to make fine adjustments.

Now, bulkheads. With 3/4" ply would you glass both sides once they are fitted then tab them in OR tab them in and come back and cover them? I guess the latter would allow you to do wet on wet.

[HawgLeg]

Doesn't look like you have much room to raise the front of the tank up so it might be that you can't use 3" PVC unless you're only using the top 1/4 or 1/8 of it.
Just thinking aloud here...

Not sure if you can see here but forward of the notch in the stringers there nearly 3" from the top of the tank to the top of the stringers. The tank tie down will be about 2" behind the notch. The supports only raised the front of the tank about 2 1/4" including the neoprene. I think it'll be dandy. I'm wondering if I should seal off the portion of tank up under the casting deck or if it'll be ok exposed.