Spray rail production.

[gofastsandman]

Here is the profile. 2 1/8 " w X 1 3/8" w X 10 ft l.
You can see the slight downward taper on the trailing edge of the bottom, which I like.

The downslope from the top also looks like it wont "catch" as much water while drifting as some designs I`ve seen .




Here is the shape of the bow. These are pvc and it will take some doing to pull them in as Dan noted.

Capo Boatworks LLC has provided perhaps a much better material.

I went to see a local plastic guy for help with the flexibility of the pvc and was not satisfied.



The leading edge looks like it was profiled with a Surform. The look is Down East. I might do a straight taper like NoBones for the pointy end of the boat.

A big factor me is how to make it so easy to install that even a Cave Couple can do it.




Now onto some neat videos I found for free online for mold making and such.

Cheers,
GFS

[pl99]

They look Awesome, Cant wait.

Nice job, I have been wanting a pair for years to lazy till found this site...
Chris

[kerneltugboat]

GFS,

In my opinion there are too many hard PVC spray rails already available, like the ones I bought at Hamilton Marine (But never installed), to make it worth the effort.

http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/brow...------160440/4,12529.html

With that said, I think there may be a market for a well designed soft one. If you went with the softer one, then using the high tech adhesives is the way to go. The softer ones are much lighter, much easier to ship and you can probably design a shipping system that does not require special trucking. On top of that they are easier to mold to the hull. If you went with the harder type, then bolting through would be my choice with lots of 5200 to prevent leaks. I think there are applications where both are needed. Cape Island Boats only uses the Hamilton Marine rails, and bolts them on (They finish Duffy's). They say Hamilton is cheaper than going to the manufacturer in Mass because Hamilton buys in such volume. In my opinion I would like to see a rugged, soft, durable and light design that I can glue on and paint to match if needed. I have nothing against the Smart-Rail except they are way over priced, but they can argue there is nothing else like it and they are correct. If you did make one similar to the Smart Rail, but different enough to avoid a lawsuit, I can assure you the Smart Rail price would plummet, so that is another thing to consider.

Good Luck,

Dan

[kerneltugboat]

I noticed the Barbour Prices have come way down since I checked them last, they seem tough to beat. I believe they make the Hamilton Marine rails and they make the Smart-Rail, but are not allowed to sell the smart rail direct. If you search the THT you fill find lots of inf

[gofastsandman]

Kernel,
Nice boat you have.

We think alike.
I don`t know how light I can make them yet, but my main concern is ease of install. I was at a plastic shop Mon and he was pushing me to pvc. Pass. Big heavy boats like a Duffy or Beal or Wesmac etc. need them. We don`t. Spoke w the UPS guy today and he thought 10 ` rails would ship.

3rdday has me on what I think is the right track. Thx Brian!

My learning curve is pretty steep right now which is encouraging. PVA and other release techniques , mold making, mold sealing, silicone vs urethane, gassing the load, pressure loading, void avoidance, and words I`m still having trouble pronouncing. Methyl Metha wh. Methyl math create. Took a week.

The rail profile is like many others so I think Im ok there.

GFS

[Old'sCool]

I couldn't resist............













And for the obama fan...........

[gofastsandman]

I`m eagerly awaiting material samples, I have decided to go with a glass mold. Silicone is only good for 20 - 30 pops, so I`ll make it as perfect as I can once. I`m gonna use the pvc for plugs. I need to fill holes and fair them.

What can I use that won`t get burned by the poly?

Talked to a glass guy who said I can back off 50% on the MEK and not burn the pvc so that`s good.

The mold will be 2 piece. I am thinking of brushing 1 coat of poly on the top of the pvc 1st for a smooth surface and then the lay up.

GFS