REQUIRED TOOLS

The frame and pontoon assembly for our 6'x11' and 6'x14' single-nose pontoon boats requires a few basic tools, as well as a couple specialized tools. Below we have provided a list of everything that you'll need, as well as part numbers and links to where you can get the specialized tools from McMaster, which is a reasonably priced industrial supplier. Click on the part number to view the item on the McMaster website. Many customers will already have the majority of these tools, if not all of them. These tools (other than perhaps the transfer punch) should be stocked at your local home supply or hardware store as well.

3/8" transfer punch McMaster PN: 3374A32
Center punch McMaster PN: 3451A31
3/8" drive ratchet
9/16", 3/8" drive socket
3/8" drive ratchet extension
9/16" box wrench
5/16" hex-key wrench (Allen wrench) McMaster PN: 7122A25
Long needle nose pliers
Electric drill
3/8" drill bit McMaster PN: 8870A36
Countersink bit (optional) McMaster PN: 2846A39 - ALTERNATIVE
Carpenter's square
Tape measure
2 saw horses
2 C-clamps
3-4 ratchet straps
Steel hammer
Rubber or plastic hammer (optional)
TORQUE WRENCH SEE NOTE




STEP 1

Place one of the pontoon main beam extrusions across two saw horses. The main beam is the aluminum tube in your frame system that has a "T" shaped cross section with two slots on the top. Place the extrusion so that the slots face down and use two C-clamps to clamp it to the top of your two saw horses.

FLOAT ORIENTATION - FOAM FILLING PLUGS

Each of the straight floats (blunt end floats) in your boat kit have a foam filling plug on the top flat portion. This plug is offset to ensure that the frame seats properly in the float. During assembly of your pontoons, be aware of which side of the frame main beam you are placing these plugs. When building your first pontoon assembly, put all the plugs on one side of the assembly. When building the second pontoon, put the plugs on the other side of the assembly. When the two pontoon assemblies are built, this will allow the plugs to be facing inward on the boat. This is purely for aesthetics, and simply makes for a better looking craft.

STEP 2

Place one of the straight floats (blunt end floats) on an end of the main beam. Tap the float into position so that the end of the float is even with the end of the main beam. A rubber or plastic hammer can be used for this. Place a ratchet strap around the float and the main beam to temporarily hold it in position and ensure that the float is properly seated on the frame member.

NOTE:
If you purchased a set of lifting brackets with your boat kit, the float must be placed 3" from the end of the main beam, not even with the end as shown. The front of the main beam will also also extend 3" beyond the frontmost crossmember.

STEP 3

Place the remaining straight floats for the pontoon assembly onto the main beam and install ratchet straps around them and the main beam. 6'x11' boats require 3 straight floats per pontoon assembly and 6'x14' boats require 4 straight floats per pontoon assembly. When placing the floats on the main beam, tap them securely against the previously installed float. Verify that the first float is still even with the end of the main beam and adjust as necessary. Verify that your straps are secured.

STEP 4

Place a nose cone float on the front of the pontoon assembly as shown. Due to the shape of the nose cone, you will not be able to place a ratchet strap over it.

STEP 5

Using a 3/8" transfer punch, go down BOTH sides of the pontoon assembly to mark the position of each bolt hole. To do this, insert the punch into EVERY bolt hole and give it a solid tap with your hammer. Don't smash it; just give it a solid tap. The ratchet straps will hold the straight floats in position for this, but the nose cone will have to be held in position by hand when you do this.

STEP 6

Remove the ratchet straps. Before removing the floats, number the positions of the floats on the main beam as shown. You can use a piece of masking tape to write on or you can use a marker to write on the floats and main beams. If using a marker, lacquer paint thinner will remove the ink after assembly, and the paint thinner will not hurt the plastic or the aluminum. Remove the floats and unclamp the main beam from the saw horses.

STEP 7

Using a standard center punch, make the marks you made with the transfer punch in step 5 more pronounce. This will make the holes easier to drill in the next step.

STEP 8

Using a SHARP (prohibits wandering of the bit) 3/8" diameter drill bit, drill through ONE WALL of the main beam at each marked position. DO NOT drill all the way through both sides of the main beam during this operation. Drill through every marked position on one side of the part, flip it, and drill through every marked position on the other side of the part.

For this operation, you can use a hand-held drill, but we find it much easier and quicker to use a drill press. If you have a drill press, you will need to use a spacer block, such as a piece of 2" x 4" lumber, to make the material surface level. If using a hand-held drill, be careful to keep the drill bit perpendicular to the surface you are drilling through. You can't undrill holes, so take your time.

After drilling the holes, they must be deburred. We like to use a countersink drill bit for this, but a little bit of sand paper or a file will do the trick as well.

STEP 9

Clamp your main beam back onto your saw horses and place the floats back onto the main beam, matching up the numbers you marked in step 6. Place the ratchet straps back over the floats and tap the floats into position so that the holes line up. DO NOT INSERT THE BOLTS YET.

STEP 10

With a 3/8" drill bit mounted in your hand-held drill, start at the back end of the pontoon assembly and drill through the rearmost bolt hole in the float and all the way through both sides of the main beam. When doing this, go slowly, as your drill bit should only be clearing chips and verifying hole alignment, not drilling a new hole. Insert one of the 3/8" x 4 1/2" hex bolts with a 1" outside diameter fender washer over it, and tap it through the hole with a hammer. We prefer to use a plastic hammer for this. Drill through the next hole and insert a bolt with fender washer. Do this until every float has bolts installed in both holes. DO NOT INSTALL THE NUTS YET.

When building the second pontoon assembly, be sure to install the bolts from the opposite side of the pontoon. The intention is to have the bolts for each pontoon assembly pointing toward the center of the boat, so the bolts will be driven in from the opposite side of the foam filling caps. This is purely for aesthetics.


STEP 11

Using a rag, remove any chips from the exposed threads of the bolts you just inserted through the floats. Place a 1" diameter fender washer over each of the bolts. DO NOT INSTALL THE NUTS YET. Using the included Loctite capsules (blue medium strength Loctite type 242), apply a little bit of the thread locker to each of the bolts. Your kit has 3 capsules for every 4 float bolts, so more than enough is included. The Loctite lubricates the threads, makes the nuts more secure, and is 100% required. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

Thread 3/8" lock nuts onto each of the bolts and tighten the nuts until the mounting flanges on the floats start to flex inward. We do not have a torque specification beyond this.

Remove the ratchet straps and C-clamps holding the pontoon assembly to your saw horses. Place the pontoon assembly aside.



STEP 12

Repeat steps 1 through 11 to build your second pontoon assembly. Remember to place the foam filling plugs on the opposite side of your main beam for the second pontoon assembly. Place your two pontoon assemblies on a flat surface so that the foam filling plugs face inward on the boat. Adjust the placement so that the two pontoon assemblies are about 69" apart on center.

CROSSMEMBER PLACEMENT DIAGRAMS:

Moving forward, you will have to reference the appropriate crossmember placement diagram below. If possible, print the diagram or have it handy on a mobile device as you will need to reference it throughout the remaining assembly. The diagram is particularly important to follow if you purchased a railing kit for your boat, as bolt holes are pre-drilled in the fence panels and must line up with the crossmembers of your frame. Be careful and double-check all crossmember placement before tightening bolts.

The crossmember placement diagrams have "Rear Set" noted on the rearmost 3 or 4 crossmembers for each boat. If you purchased a transom (motor mounting bracket) with your boat kit, there will be 3 or 4 crossmembers in your frame system that have "Rear Set" written on them. The rear set of hat channels will have bolt holes for mounting your transom and must go at the rear of the boat, as indicated by your diagram. If you did not purchase a transom with your boat kit, all the hat channels will be identical and any hat channel can go in the rear set position.

NOTE:
If you purchased a set of lifting brackets with your boat kit, the frontmost and rearmost crossmembers are to be placed 3" in from the ends of the main beams, not even with the ends of the main beams as shown moving forward (diagrams and pictures). This allows space for the lifting brackets to be bolted to the pontoon assemblies.

STEP 13

Each hat channel crossmember requires a set of 8 nuts, bolts, and washers for installation. The front crossmember is the only crossmember that is a square tube, not a hat channel. Slide 2 square nuts for each rear set hat channel crossmember into each main beam slot and position them in the approximate rear set position shown on your crossmember placement diagram.


FRAME & ACCESSORY FASTENER TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS

Each of the 3/8" diameter bolts for the frame crossmembers and accessories (transoms, lift plates, tie-down plates, trailer winching plates, etc.) require the proper amount of torque to ensure that they are fastened securely and retain full strength. The proper amount of torque for all 3/8" nuts and bolts from this point forward is 55 foot pounds. DO NOT TORQUE BEYOND THIS SPECIFICATION. From this point forward when we say to fully torque or fully tighten a bolt or nut, we are referring to the 55 foot pound specification, and it is good practice to draw a line on the head of the bolt with a marker after to indicate it has been torqued properly. If you do not own or have access to a torque wrench, be careful not to apply too much torque to the bolt heads. If you do not own one, or do not want to purchase one for your assembly, many autopart stores will allow you to borrow one at little or no cost.

STEP 14

Loosely bolt the rearmost hat channel crossmember across your two pontoon assemblies using the 3/8" x 7/8" hex bolts, 3/8" lock washers, and 3/8" SAE flat washers. If you purchased a transom, make sure to select a hat channel that has "Rear Set" written on it. Adjust the hat channel so it is even with the ends of the main beams and use a square to ensure that one of the pontoon assembly main beams is square with the hat channel. Completely tighten the bolts on that side of the hat channel. Adjust the other pontoon assembly to be square with the hat channel and leave the bolts finger tight.

NOTE:
If you purchased a set of lifting brackets with your boat kit, the rearmost hat channel crossmember must be placed 3" from the end of the main beams, not even with the ends as shown.


NOTE:

Crossmembers have "A" written on one end. Be sure to place the marked ends of the crossmembers on the same side of the boat (doesn't matter which side). When the hole pattern is machined in each crossmember, this is the end that is referenced on the machine cutting the holes. Placing the "A" end of all the crossmembers on the same side of the boat ensures perfect alignment of all the mounting holes.

STEP 15

Loosely bolt on the remaining rear set hat channel crossmembers and place them as shown on your crossmember placement diagram. Adjust the pontoons as necessary to ensure that the rearmost hat channel is square with both pontoon main beams, and completely tighten the loose rearmost hat channel bolts. Leave all but the rearmost hat channel bolts loose for now.

STEP 16

If you DID NOT purchase a transom with your boat kit, skip this step and move onto step 18.

If you purchased a transom with your boat kit, locate the bag of hardware labeled "transom mounting hardware" or similar and move to the next step.

STEP 17

Select the 3/8" x 1 1/4" hex bolts from your "transom mounting hardware" bag, and insert them through the holes in the center of your rear set hat channels. Line up the hanging bolts with the holes in the mounting tubes of your transom or trolling motor mount and clamp your bracket in place with C-clamps. DO NOT INSTALL NUTS ON THE HANGING BOLTS IN THIS STEP. All the bolt holes are slightly over-sized, but you may have to make super minor adjustments to the crossmembers to ensure that all the holes line up. You now have a bolt in every hole in the top of the transom mounting tubes or trolling motor mount tube, so you can be completely certain that all the holes are lined up for the final installation later on. Tighten all of the rear set hat channel bolts that are currently loose and remove the transom or trolling motor mount completely. Place the 3/8" x 1 1/4" hex bolts back in the "transom mounting hardware" bag.

STEP 18

Referencing your crossmember placement diagram, slide groups of four 3/8" square nuts into both pontoon main beams at the approximate locations of the remaining hat channel crossmembers shown on your crossmember placement diagram. As your front crossmember is a 2" square tube with a total of 4 bolt holes, slide one additional square nut into each main beam slot at the front of your boat. The center of these nuts should be about 1" from the end of the main beams.

STEP 19

Place the 2" x 2" square tube front crossmember across the front end of your pontoon main beams and place the side of the tube with the larger holes upward. Position the square tube so that front edge is even with the ends of the main beams. Align the square nuts at the front of the main beams with the bolt holes in the square tube.

NOTE:
If you purchased a set of lifting brackets with your boat kit, the square tube front crossmember must be placed 3" from the end of the main beams, not even with the ends as shown.

STEP 20

Locate the 3/8" x 3/4" socket head cap screws (bag may say "Allen bolts) and place a 3/8" lock washer and 3/8" SAE flat washer on four of the bolts. Using long needle nose pliers, insert the four bolt assemblies through the ends of the square tube crossmember, through the holes in the base of the tube, and use a 5/16" hex key wrench (Allen wrench) to bolt down the tube. A great way to get extra leverage on your hex key wrench is to use a box wrench.

STEP 21

Bolt all the remaining hat channel crossmembers onto the frame. Working from the rear of the boat forward, position a crossmember, check your measurement against the crossmember placement diagram, and bolt it down loosely with the same 3/8" x 7/8" bolts, lock washers, and flat washers as before. Move onto the next hat channel until all of your crossmembers are on your boat.

Once again, working from the rear of the boat forward, tighten every crossmember bolt. We like to use a marker to draw a line across every bolt head that we have fully tightened to ensure no bolts are missed.

THIS PART OF YOUR PROJECT IS COMPLETE!

The frame and floats system for your Tiny Pontoon Boat is now complete! Pat yourself on the back as you did a great job. If you purchased a transom or trolling motor mount for your boat, move onto the section below.

TRANSOM INSTALLATION

With your frame assembled, the next step is to install the decking or transom. If you purchased our aluminum decking package with your boat kit, the final installation of your transom happens AFTER the decking is installed. Decking installation instructions are listed HERE. If you are using marine grade plywood for decking, you can install the transom before the plywood is installed.

Installation of our transom or trolling motor mount is very simple as you lined up the mounting holes during the frame assembly. Place a 3/8" x 1 1/4" hex bolt with flat washer through each hole in the center of your rear set crossmembers. Line up the holes in the mounting tube/tubes on your transom or trolling motor mount and clamp it into position as you did in step 17. Each bolt now extends into the transom tube/tubes.

Using a 9/16" socket with an extension, install a 3/8" flange lock nut on each bolt hanging into your transom tube. The extension allows you to reach into the tube from under the boat. Tighten and then double-check every nut and bolt holding your transom. If you have a 6HP transom you can also tighten the bolts for the motor clamp plate.

Your transom is now installed!