My Homemade Tower Build, Lots of Pics

[Adrenalin]

So after shopping around and around and around for a tower, I decided to build my own. The prices for the universal towers and lack of support and possibly rattling led me to my decision to just build my own. I fab'd up this tower and mounts in a day with material I already had in my shop. To say the tower is solid is an understatement. Made 5x12 backing plates from 1" Marine plywood front and rear then used 1/4" aluminum on the underside of the backing plate. The mounts for the tower are 5x10 1/4" plate with a high durometer adhesive rubber on the bottom to protect the gelcoat. The tower is mounted using poly bushings that I machined. They are very rigid, but soft enough to absorb any vibration that could be created from normal driving. The Tower is made from chromoly DOM tube and is all mandrel bent. 1.75dia x 0.120" wall. The tow point is the home built tower go to, tow ball. I was afraid the tow ball was going to be ugly and was only going to be used temporary until I machined a new one, but its grown on me and I don't think its too noticeable. The tower has ZERO flex or sway side to side, and Zero vibrations.

Let me know what you think of this Tower build. I think it turned out alright for building on a Friday afterwork, letting the paint cure for 2 days, installing Sunday night, then boarding all day Monday! Not a bad Memorial Day weekend eh?


Raw Materials


air/hydra bender


First Hoop / Front


Shooting for 88" center to center. This was a little bit of a pain when you're man handling a 18ft stick of tube. It's like wrestling a bear! Especially when you are doing the second bend and 90% of the hoop is out of reach.

[Salty87]

the white whale gets a tower...are there more pics? that's cool you have access to all of that.

[Adrenalin]

First Hoop mocked up in place. Hanging from the rafters. Wasn't the most fun lifting this hoop on and off and hanging it by myself.


another angle of the front hoop mocked in place


Rear legs are on


Rear Legs, You can see the bushings.

[Adrenalin]

Off the Boat and ready for some more tube!


Second Hoop and some spreader bars


Burning it in with the glue gun!


All welded up, ready for a good cleaning, then paint.

[Adrenalin]

Painted


The 3 helpers putting in their time so we can ride in the morning


Pulled it out of the shop with a jeep then hooked up the diesel to it. The jeep turns easily, and the crew cab diesel does not!


After a long winter, getting some much needed ride time.

[Adrenalin]

Added some board racks from DIYWAKE.com The price was better than me building a set.


Bottom of the Tow Point


rack


other rack

[Adrenalin]

My White Tower for a 10th Anniversary White Whale Pirata

What do you think?

[haugy]

Oh for the love of all things tubing. There is no way this is going to come out nice, so here it comes.

Did you do the cage on the crawler in the background? If you did, stop, step back away from the bender, and put the tubing down. You have a 10th anniversary Pirata, an extremely rare boat. Please don't destroy a legacy classic with backyard fabrication. Not to mention have you done any of the load calculations for something like this? I'm not sure if you are aware of the amount of load that will be on certain points of the tower depending on how it's built. Are you using two main hoops? How are they connected? How is the load dispersed from the main tow eye through the hoops and into the hull? How good are you at welding? Have you done structural analysis on your welds? Can we at least see your design?

Good luck, and please take pictures of the tower BEFORE you mount it so we can ummm, see it.

[wotan2525]

I think it's fine. The welding and fabrication looks goood. It's a little "old school" / boxy for my taste but I can't be throwing rocks seeing the monstrosity on my boat.....

[Adrenalin]

Wotan- thanks. It may be a little old school, but I like it. Thanks for the comments.

Haugy- 'structional analysis' on my welds? "How good are you at welding?" Seriously?! Do you think I would attempt something like this if I can't weld? I realize your post was up before my pictures loaded completely, but thanks for bashing before you saw the pics. So to answer your 'constructive criticism' I weld like a boss will put my welds up against anyone not only for strength but looks as well. And as far as structural analysis, I am a mechanical engineer and have over built this to say the least. I know plenty have monster towers and like them, but not having any support running from front to rear legs on the sides doesn't sit well with me.

It may not look like the new swooping designs out there, I think some look a little goofy sometimes. I built it from scratch and for under $150.