Adjustable sliding solo seat

[Alan Gage]

Great foot brace design Mr. Gage.
I have successfully cut aluminum with a sliding compound mitre saw, as well as a radial arm saw. Good quality carbide blade, but used, worked great.
Does the width of kerf from your metal chop saw differ much from a standard carbide saw blade?

It's probably about the same kerf. For the aluminum tubing to fit right the cut needs to be just a little wider than the blade kerf, which is easier with the abrasive blade. The wood chop saw might work better as the head can tilt. I'll give it a try.

Alan

 

[boatstall]

Thanks Alan, kerf relationship to tubing thickness had me curious. Was thinking maybe 2 passes on each slot with the blade angle creating a barely narrower tip of the aluminum bracket, with the area that the tubing butts into matching the tubings ID. Sort of a self centering tab that the tubing goes over. Just slight angle on the cuts, not pointed at all.

 

[Jim Dodd]

I would think clamping the angle in a good vise, and a 4-41/2" angle grinder would work fine !
At least you wouldn't have to worry about the big saw tossing the aluminum angle around.

Jim

 

[wingnut]

Good point on the bar instead of the foot pegs Alan. I was doing some research on the Yakima style footrests and ran across this company that sells the slotted track that might work with a spring loaded bar. Probably would need a stronger spring because of the slots not being as deep and some trial and error to find the right Dia tube to fit the slots. but they would make a clean looking slotted track.http://topkayaker.com/index.php?main...oducts_id=1048
Or even take the foot pegs that are used in the track off and mount a bar or tube instead using the sliding locking mechanism.

 

[wingnut]

Cruiser, The foot braces I posted looked like yours but had the red adjusting arm. I thought maybe a newer style. the dowel cutters you posted look like some top notch tools but i just got mine in the mail today. The price was right on these, https://www.mlcswoodworking.com/sho...ges/plgtenon.html?zoom_highlight=plug+cutters
They aren't carbide but I think they are capable. The style with with the fingered cutters cuts the tapered plug and I'm guessing the round style would cut a straight round plug. The nice thing about the tapered plug is it would fill the hole completely no matter if the drilled hole size didn't match the dowel size. That's a good Idea to add more plugged holes to make a pattern that would disguise the holes I had to plug. For now I doubled down with the seat placement where it is and finished it except for shimming the rear of the seat up to get it to tip down back to front. I'll take it out and paddle it this summer to see where I'm at with the placement before I move it. Maybe tomorrow I'll post a pic of it.

 

[Cruiser]

Wingnut,

I have a similar set of plug cutters, so I get the tapered hole idea. The point I was making was just that the plug cutters are more a surface fix, they fit really nice and give an almost invisible joint ... but you still have a hole on the other side. I would worry about water somehow finding it's way in there (the back side), so I would figure a way to seal that up.


Brian

 

[wingnut]

No Title

Good point Cruiser, I didn't think about a water problem. Here are a couple of pics of my slider. I appreciate everyones input, a dozen heads are better than one. I tried to strengthen the lower cross dowels and take care of the side to side movement with the legs that contact the hull. I epoxied them on so they should be fairly strong.

 

[Alan Gage]

I have successfully cut aluminum with a sliding compound mitre saw, as well as a radial arm saw. Good quality carbide blade, but used, worked great.

I needed to make two more sets of foot braces as well as cutting some other aluminum so I tried using my miter saw....worked fantastic! Felt much safer and very nice, clean, cuts. The jobs went fast and smooth and are by far the best looking ones I've done. Thanks for the tip.

Alan

 

[boatstall]

I needed to make two more sets of foot braces as well as cutting some other aluminum so I tried using my miter saw....worked fantastic! Felt much safer and very nice, clean, cuts. The jobs went fast and smooth and are by far the best looking ones I've done. Thanks for the tip.

Alan

You are quite welcome Sir. Just glad that I had something to contribute, to help make your superb design, even safer, and with cleaner cuts.
I started using carbide blades on aluminum in the mid 80's. Cut a metric crap-load back then designing and hand building two passenger-for-hire Coast Guard certificated vessels. Still eternally grateful to whoever developed the 12" sliding compound miter saw. Game changer for sure.
Thank you for the foot brace concept. I just now need to source the two sizes of tubing and the spring.

 

[wingnut]

Alan, post some pics of your new foot braces. I'm curious to see them now.

 

[Alan Gage]

I just now need to source the two sizes of tubing and the spring.

I get most of my tubing from Texas Towers. Great pricing, selection, and quick shipping. Each size is made to be a nice fit inside the next. I've been using 1" and .875". For a foot brace you could save a little money with .875" and .75". Not quite sure why I've been using the larger sizes so I'll just assume I had a good reason for doing so but that now I've forgotten what it was.

I get my springs at the local hardware store. It's a real hardware store with a large selection of different springs. None are long enough by themselves so I just double up. When I get a chance I'll get dimensions of the ones that have worked best so far.

http://www.texastowers.com/aluminum-6.htm

Alan, post some pics of your new foot braces. I'm curious to see them now.

I'll try to remember when I get a chance. From pictures they probably don't really look any different from the picture I posted earlier in this thread but in person they cuts are much cleaner....and much less clean up work with the file.

Alan

 

[boatstall]

Thanks for the Texas Towers info. I rarely have a weight issue with a portage, so the 1" and .875 will give me a sturdier brace.
Would really appreciate if you could, at your convenience, post the spring dimensions. I'm getting excited to build a couple. Thanks again Alan.

 

[Jim Dodd]

My feet are in the way, but a pic of Alan's foot brace, Oh and Sadie too.

Jim

 

[wingnut]

Thanks for the pic Jim and the source for the tubing Alan, looks like a good set up. That dog looks comfortable in the canoe.

 

[Alan Gage]

These are the springs I've been using:
http://wedo.hillmangroup.com/item/fastener-products/springs-general-purpose/540156

In case the link dies at some point in the future they're Hillman #52 Part# 540156.
3 1/4" long
13/16" diameter
.062" wire gauge

The wire gauge is kind of important. To small and it doesn't provide enough resistance. Too heavy and it's hard to compress. These seem to be about right. They're not long enough on their own so I have to double them up. They fit just right for the combination of 1" and .875" tubing.

I'm sure these aren't the perfect spring and no doubt there are others that will work just as good but it's what I was able to find locally and they've been doing the trick for me.

Alan

 

[boatstall]

These are the springs I've been using:
http://wedo.hillmangroup.com/item/fastener-products/springs-general-purpose/540156

In case the link dies at some point in the future they're Hillman #52 Part# 540156.
3 1/4" long
13/16" diameter
.062" wire gauge

The wire gauge is kind of important. To small and it doesn't provide enough resistance. Too heavy and it's hard to compress. These seem to be about right. They're not long enough on their own so I have to double them up. They fit just right for the combination of 1" and .875" tubing.

I'm sure these aren't the perfect spring and no doubt there are others that will work just as good but it's what I was able to find locally and they've been doing the trick for me.

Alan

Thanks Alan.