REQUIRED TOOLS

The frame and pontoon assembly for our 8'x12' blunt lift boat 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.

1/2" transfer punch McMaster PN: 3374A41
Center punch McMaster PN: 3451A31
1/2" drive ratchet
3/4", 1/2" drive deep socket
3/8" drive ratchet
9/16", 3/8" drive socket
3/8" drive ratchet extension
3/4" box wrench
9/16" box wrench
3/16" hex-key wrench (Allen wrench) McMaster PN: 7122A47
Electric drill
1/4" drill bit McMaster PN: 8870A27
1/2" drill bit McMaster PN: 8870A45
Countersink bit (optional) McMaster PN: 2846A39 - ALTERNATIVE
Carpenter's square
Tape measure
2 saw horses
4 C-clamps
3 ratchet straps
Steel hammer
Rubber or plastic hammer (optional)
TORQUE WRENCH SEE NOTE




STEP 1

Place two of the pontoon main beam extrusions across two saw horses. The main beams are the aluminum tubes that have a "T" shaped cross section with two slots on the top. Position the main beams so that the slots face down and are about 12" on center. Use a square to ensure that the ends are even. Clamp the two frame members to your saw horses.

STEP 2

Place one of the floats on the main beams and center it. Place a ratchet strap around the float and measure to verify that the float is centered on the frame members. If you need to adjust the placement of the float, a rubber or plastic hammer can be used to tap the float into position. Tighten the ratchet strap. The ratchet strap is used to hold the float in position when you mark hole locations later on.

STEP 3

Place a float on both ends of your main beams and place them even with the ends of the main beams. Install ratchet straps around the floats and main beams.

STEP 4

Using a 1/2" transfer punch, go down both sides of both sets of mounting channels on the plastic floats and use the punch with a hammer to mark EVERY bolt hole position through the molded-in bolt holes in the floats. Don't smash it; just give the punch a solid tap. You will have to do this from both the outside set of holes and the inside set of holes. This means that you'll have to go under the pontoon assembly on your saw horses to mark the inner holes. It's inconvenient, but 100% necessary.

STEP 5

Remove the ratchet straps. Before removing the floats, number the positions of the floats on the main beams as shown. Number the floats and main beams on both sides of the pontoon assembly. Label position 1, 2, and 3 on one side and 4, 5, and 6 on the other. This ensures that you don't mix up the positions of the floats after you drill holes. 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 beams from the saw horses.

STEP 6

Using a standard center punch, make the marks you made with the transfer punch in step 4 more pronounce. This will make the holes easier to drill in the next step.

STEP 7

Using a SHARP (prohibits wandering of the bit) 1/4" diameter drill bit, drill through ONE WALL of each main beam at each marked position. DO NOT drill all the way through both sides of the main beams during this operation. Drill through every marked position on one side of each part, flip it, and drill through every marked position on the other side. After drilling all the 1/4" holes in both main beams, use a 1/2" diameter drill bit to drill through every 1/4" hole. Once again, only drill through one wall at a time for each hole position.

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 8

Clamp the main beams back onto the saw horses in the same orientation as before and place the floats back onto the main beams, matching up the numbers you marked in step 5. Place the ratchet straps back over the three floats and tap the floats into position so that the holes line up. DO NOT INSERT THE BOLTS YET.

STEP 9

With a 1/2" drill bit mounted in your hand-held drill, start at one end of the pontoon assembly and drill through one bolt hole. Drill all the way through both sides of the main beam on that side of the float. You will be drilling inward from the side of the float. 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 1/2" x 5" hex bolts with a 1/2" flat washer from the outside position, 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 washer. Do this on both sides of the pontoon assembly until every float has bolts installed through each hole on both sides of the float. DO NOT INSTALL THE NUTS YET.


STEP 10

Remove the ratchet straps and flip the pontoon so that it's right side up. As the float will be heavy at this point, please be careful when doing this. When we build boats at Tiny Pontoon Boats, this is when we remove the pontoon assembly from the saw horses and place it on a couple pieces of scrap carpeting on our shop floor. We find it much easier to complete this step with the pontoon on the floor.

Using a rag, remove any chips from the exposed threads of the bolts you just inserted through the floats. Place 1/2" flat washers 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 1/2" 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.



STEP 11

Place the completed pontoon aside and repeat steps 1 through 10 to build your second pontoon assembly. Place your two pontoon assemblies on a flat surface so that they are about 74" on center.

CROSSMEMBER PLACEMENT DIAGRAMS:

Moving forward, you will need to reference the crossmember placement diagram below. The hat channel crossmembers require specific placement and the A-frame gantry system and cross-plates will be mostly self-aligning.

STEP 12

Each hat channel crossmember requires 16 sets of nuts, bolts, and washers for installation. Each main beam cross-plate requires 8 sets of nuts, bolts, and washers. For each hat channel and main beam cross-plate shown on your diagram, slide 2 nuts into each main beam slot. You will be sliding a total of 16 square nuts into each main beam slot. Position the nuts into the approximate locations of the crossmembers and cross-plates shown on your diagram.

FRAME FASTENER TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS

Each of the 3/8" diameter hex-head bolts (does not include 3/8" socket-head set screws in step 19) for the frame crossmembers, main beam crossplates (Step 15), and A-frame bolt plates 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" hex-head bolts from this point forward is 55 foot pounds. DO NOT TORQUE BEYOND THIS SPECIFICATION. ONCE AGAIN, THIS SPECIFICATION EXCLUDES THE SET-SCREWS IN STEP 19. 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 13

Loosely bolt one hat channel on each end of your pontoon assemblies as shown on your crossmember placement diagram. Use the 3/8" x 7/8" hex bolts, 3/8" lock washers, and 3/8" SAE flat washers in the configuration shown. You will have to align the square nuts in your main beams to line up with the bolt holes in your crossmembers. Adjust the two hat channels so their sides are placed 3 3/4" in from the end of your main beams. Use a square to ensure that one main beam is square with either hat channel. Completely tighten the hat channel bolts on one side of your boat. Leave the hat channel bolts on the opposite side of the boat finger tight for now.


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 14

Loosely bolt on the four remaining hat channel crossmembers in the positions indicated by the crossmember placement diagram. Do not completely tighten the bolts yet.

STEP 15

Using the 3/8" x 1 1/4" hex bolts with a 3/8" lock washers and flat washers, loosely bolt the main beam crossplates into the positions indicated by your diagram. Please note that the 4 holes in the center of the plate are offset. Position the plates so that the central holes are offset toward the center of the boat. On one side of the boat, the plates butt against the innermost hat channels. On the opposite side of the boat, the plates are spaced approximately 3 7/8" away from the innermost hat channels.

Fully tighten the bolts for all the hat channel crossmembers and the main beam cross plates that are butted against the innermost hat channels. Leave the crossplates that are spaced away from the hat channels loose for the time being.

STEP 16

Select one of the A-frame legs (all 4 legs are identical) and loosely bolt it on top of a main beam cross-plate that is butted against a hat channel. For this, use the 3/8" x 1 1/2" hex bolts, 3/8" SAE flat washers, and 3/8" flange lock nuts. The nuts are installed from under the cross-plate. Do not completely tighten the bolts yet.

STEP 17

Loosely bolt down another A-frame leg on the opposite side of the boat so that the top fittings of the two A-frame legs butt against each other. You may have to adjust the placement of the main beam cross-plate to do this.

STEP 18

Insert the stainless steel gantry cross-tube into the fittings at the top of the A-frame legs you have bolted on. Slide the tube in from above the center of the boat so that it sticks through the top leg fittings by about 2 1/4". Adjust the cross-tube so that the lift rings are vertical.

STEP 19

From the side of the boat that you installed the second A-frame leg, slide the top fitting of the next leg over the stainless cross-tube. Slide on the leg so that the cross-tube sticks through the top fitting by about 6". Do not bolt the leg down yet.

Slide the last A-frame leg over the cross-tube from the other side of the boat. Loosely bolt the last A-frame leg to the main beam cross plate under it. Adjust the position of the last leg so that the top fittings are butted together and loosely bolt it down as well. Once again, you may have to adjust the placement of the cross-plate for this.

Adjust the top tube so that it is centered between the legs (check "stick-out" from the leg top fittings on either end), double check that the lift rings are vertical (use a level if you are assembling on a level surface), and tighten all the leg base plate bolts and the remaining loose main beam cross-plate bolts.

STEP 20

Thread the included 3/8" set screws into the top fittings of each leg after applying the included Loctite to the threads. Some A-frame legs may ship with the set screws pre-installed. If your set screws are pre-installed, pull out each screw, apply Loctite, and reinstall it. Each leg has two holes that require set screws, and the set screws are the only hardware for which extra parts are NOT included, so take care not to let any escape. Tighten all the set screws and your A-frame lift boat is now fully assembled.

YOU'RE DONE!

Your A-frame lift boat is now complete!