Drawings limited to a single "idea drawing"
because this design depends largely on what kind of vehicle you can find.
The design is based on the following facts:
- money is limited
- as a bait salesman you need a nice exterior and publicity
- it does not hurt if your ex gets a bit annoyed
- you have some old buddies around the marina.
You do as follows:
Run around the neighborhood in your truck and visit the vehicle wreckers
and also talk to your buddies. What you are looking for is a scrapped bus,
preferably towable and with a running motor. It may have a crashed front,
no problem. After you have found a useful bus, have it towed to the marina
and start looking for lumber. You need:
- 9-2x6 beams, the total length of your planned deck
- 2x4 Crossbeams, sufficient length to placed along the whole deck
on two foot centers
- 1/2" Exterior plywood for the whole deck
Get around to demolition places and you may be able to buy a house
for "a cake and a bottle" if you help to tear it down. The demolition
people may also be able to help to find some used form plywood.
Calculate weight for the bus and the deck with its structure. Double the
figure. Buy plastic barrels with a volume, which corresponds to the
doubled figure. If you want to go for the paddle wheel version, add a few
barrels.
Nail together the deck:
- Lengthwise beams spaced to put barrels between
- crossbeams on top of them
- plywood decking on top (make sure that all ply sheets are joined
on top of beams or joined by ply strips (the deck gives much of the
structural strength) Paint, tar or glassfibre the deck to make sure it
watertight from the top, since dry wood will never rot.
Launch the whole contraption in shallow water and put the barrels in
between the lengthwise beams (you may need to jack up the deck a bit to
get the barrels in). Fasten the barrels with ropes.
Arrange a double gangplank and roll the bus on board. Remove wheels and
fasten the bus to deck. Keep the wheels, since the rims will make good
anchors and the tires will become fenders.
If your bus has a crashed front, use plywood scrap and glassfibre to build
a new "fish-looking" front.
If your bus has a working motor and drive train, prolong the rear axis and
build a paddle wheel on each side. (separate the two handbrake cables in
the bus to be able to steer through applying brake power to the
paddlewheels) Else buy two old outboards and mount one each side.
Cover unused windows in the bus with plywood.
Find an artist among your buddies and paint "Betty's Best Bait" on both
sides (if her name was Betty). If you can find a bikini picture of your
ex, let that inspire your artist buddy to put a couple of pinup pictures
on the bus. This may result in lower alimony requirements if you later
offer to change the name and the pinups.
Start your bait business in the front end of the bus and create an
interior as soon as you have found out what the business requires. Build
living quarters in the rear part of the bus. By now your buddies will have
given a lot of help so it is important that you find space for a couple of
cases of beer and possibly a few bottles. A small bathroom will be useful,
especially if you plan to entertain lady friends.
Hopefully, the paddle wheel propulsion and the fish-headed bus will give
you local publicity, which is good for your business.
Bio:
Ingmar Ogren, age 61, having built 4 boats and rebuilt some more. The
latest, sailing trimaran is
based on a canoe hull. I live on Veddoe island on a small seaside farm
with my second wife, who accepts my boatbuilding and sailing. I have
a small company in Systems and Software engineering for a living.
--
Ingmar Ogren, Tofs AB
Delivers Tofs (TOol For Systems)
e-mail: iog@toolforsystems.com
30+ years in Systems Engineering
Tofs - with a mission to combine people and technology. Download free
tutorial, evaluation software and handbooks from
https://www.toolforsystems.com
Drawings:
 |
