02-23-2009, 02:19 PM
I just got finished with my little project, and I wanted to put it somewhere on the web incase someone else out there is in a similar predicament as I was. I have a 12 foot or so Intex 4 inflatable raft. I bought one of the motor mounts for it online. When I recieved it, I realized I had an older model that didn't have the places to attach the mount to the raft so I had to make my own way to put it on. The good thing is I can take it on and off very easily, yet it is very sturdy and holds my Minn Kota 50 trolling motor quite well. It is one of my first successful projects, and I really have no experience with anything like this, but I have worked for framing and fencing companies in my youth. After lots of thinking, I finally came up with a construction plan. Here's my amateur instructions. Pictures are attached.
Equipment needed
[font "Times New Roman"]-1 Intex motor mount bought online for under $30 ( [/font][url "http://www.nextag.com/Intex-Recreation-Motor-Mount-541739148/prices-html"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][url "http://www.nextag.com/Intex-Recreation-Motor-Mount-541739148/prices-html[/#0000ff][/font]"]http://www.nextag.com/...tml[/#0000ff][/font][/url][font[/url] "Times New Roman"] )
[font "Times New Roman"]-1 1x3x56” piece of hardwood (oak, cedar, etc.)[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-2 19” (can be a little shorter) pieces of 3/4” PVC[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-4 3/4” PVC endcaps[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-2 3/8x6 (or similar size) threaded carriage screws with full length threaded and matching wing nuts[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-2 ¾” EMT two hole fasteners[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-4 ½” EMT two hole fasteners[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-14 8-32 x 1-1/2” (can be shorter) carriage screws with nuts[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-marking pencil[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-bailing wire[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-PVC glue[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-Spray can of Thompson’s Water Sealer[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-loc-tite[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-hand saw[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-needle nose pliers[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-heavy duty pliers[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-wire/bolt cutters[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-flat head screw driver[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-power drill with bits[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[ul][li][font "Times New Roman"]Inflate raft[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Assemble motor mount and tighten everything on it well[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Cut the PVC and board to about the size I said (or wait until you have it all together and fitting and cut to size you want)[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Use power drill and select the right bit to carefully bore a hole close to base of both fishing rod holders (don’t worry you can still use them!) and put the 3/8x6 carriage screws in them. (don’t bore hole to close to the base, you have to fit PVC there)[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Carefully bore holes through one end of both PVC pieces and attach them to fishing rod holders by running the carriage bolt through them. The carriage bolts are too long but they are the best ones I found. You can cut them shorter if you wish.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Attach top bars of motor mount to top side center of the board (visualize it on raft to get it in the center) with the four ½” EMT two hole fasteners, running the screws upward (bore right size holes first) and tighten nuts down all the way. The tops of the bars with those parts you put on while assembling the motor mount should extend over the edge of the board so you can tighten the EMT fasteners all the way down.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Now this is a tricky part. Another person should help you. Set board with attached motor mount on top of the two PVC pieces and on the top center of the inflated number 2 chamber. (It will be in the middle of the little centimeter measurement.) The curved bottom sections of the motor mount should be very snug up against the back of the raft to the point that they are making indentations. Continue to hold.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]With the mount and board held in this position, get a pencil and mark where the PVC pieces are touching the bottom of the board. Now look at the top and mark where on the PVC where the edges of the board are. Every raft is a little different and not symmetrical with how the fishing rod holders are mounted so you have to do this.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Take PVC pieces back off of the raft.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Flip board and mount upside down. Attach PVC to board with the ¾” EMT fasteners matching the angles you marked on the board, and at the spot of the PVC you marked, running screws up the same way as the others in the center. Tighten down. [/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]I did this next part to help keep the board and fastener from slipping up or down the PVC but it might not be necessary. Looking at board with PVC pieces and mount right side up, bore a hole straight down in the PVC where they meet the rear edge of the board. Run a screw up those holes and tighten a nut down on there.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Next I crisscrossed bailing wire around the PVC and board and twisted it tight with pliers to give it a little more stability.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]By now everything is pretty much together. Cut the board and PVC to desired lengths, and glue the end-caps on the PVC.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Attach the hole thing back on the raft with the large carriage bolts on the fishing rod holders. It’s a nice tight fit. You can now test it by putting some weight on the motor mount where you will attach the motor. The weight should feel well distributed. The rear of the raft seems to absorb most of it, and you get a little flex with the PVC attached at the fishing rod holders.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Pull up a little and you notice that the whole thing comes up a little too. You can also still move it side to side a little. We need to fix that. The new Intex rafts have two places to attach the bottom of the mount to prevent this. But wait! What about that big black attached to the back of the raft? Hmmm… and there are small holes conveniently under the connections on the curved bottom section of the bars. Run bailing wire or even long, heavy duty twist ties (like the kind that package toys and are annoying to take off) through these holes and tight through that black handle. The mount will not lift up, or move side to side now.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]I keep mine all in one piece, just attach at the rod holders and wire at the rear handle when putting it on. I put loc-tite on all the screws and nuts to prevent them loosening up from motor vibration. I water-proofed the wood with the spray water seal.[/font][/li][/ul]
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Equipment needed
[font "Times New Roman"]-1 Intex motor mount bought online for under $30 ( [/font][url "http://www.nextag.com/Intex-Recreation-Motor-Mount-541739148/prices-html"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][url "http://www.nextag.com/Intex-Recreation-Motor-Mount-541739148/prices-html[/#0000ff][/font]"]http://www.nextag.com/...tml[/#0000ff][/font][/url][font[/url] "Times New Roman"] )
[font "Times New Roman"]-1 1x3x56” piece of hardwood (oak, cedar, etc.)[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-2 19” (can be a little shorter) pieces of 3/4” PVC[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-4 3/4” PVC endcaps[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-2 3/8x6 (or similar size) threaded carriage screws with full length threaded and matching wing nuts[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-2 ¾” EMT two hole fasteners[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-4 ½” EMT two hole fasteners[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-14 8-32 x 1-1/2” (can be shorter) carriage screws with nuts[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-marking pencil[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-bailing wire[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-PVC glue[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-Spray can of Thompson’s Water Sealer[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-loc-tite[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-hand saw[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-needle nose pliers[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-heavy duty pliers[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-wire/bolt cutters[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-flat head screw driver[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]-power drill with bits[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[ul][li][font "Times New Roman"]Inflate raft[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Assemble motor mount and tighten everything on it well[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Cut the PVC and board to about the size I said (or wait until you have it all together and fitting and cut to size you want)[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Use power drill and select the right bit to carefully bore a hole close to base of both fishing rod holders (don’t worry you can still use them!) and put the 3/8x6 carriage screws in them. (don’t bore hole to close to the base, you have to fit PVC there)[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Carefully bore holes through one end of both PVC pieces and attach them to fishing rod holders by running the carriage bolt through them. The carriage bolts are too long but they are the best ones I found. You can cut them shorter if you wish.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Attach top bars of motor mount to top side center of the board (visualize it on raft to get it in the center) with the four ½” EMT two hole fasteners, running the screws upward (bore right size holes first) and tighten nuts down all the way. The tops of the bars with those parts you put on while assembling the motor mount should extend over the edge of the board so you can tighten the EMT fasteners all the way down.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Now this is a tricky part. Another person should help you. Set board with attached motor mount on top of the two PVC pieces and on the top center of the inflated number 2 chamber. (It will be in the middle of the little centimeter measurement.) The curved bottom sections of the motor mount should be very snug up against the back of the raft to the point that they are making indentations. Continue to hold.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]With the mount and board held in this position, get a pencil and mark where the PVC pieces are touching the bottom of the board. Now look at the top and mark where on the PVC where the edges of the board are. Every raft is a little different and not symmetrical with how the fishing rod holders are mounted so you have to do this.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Take PVC pieces back off of the raft.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Flip board and mount upside down. Attach PVC to board with the ¾” EMT fasteners matching the angles you marked on the board, and at the spot of the PVC you marked, running screws up the same way as the others in the center. Tighten down. [/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]I did this next part to help keep the board and fastener from slipping up or down the PVC but it might not be necessary. Looking at board with PVC pieces and mount right side up, bore a hole straight down in the PVC where they meet the rear edge of the board. Run a screw up those holes and tighten a nut down on there.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Next I crisscrossed bailing wire around the PVC and board and twisted it tight with pliers to give it a little more stability.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]By now everything is pretty much together. Cut the board and PVC to desired lengths, and glue the end-caps on the PVC.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Attach the hole thing back on the raft with the large carriage bolts on the fishing rod holders. It’s a nice tight fit. You can now test it by putting some weight on the motor mount where you will attach the motor. The weight should feel well distributed. The rear of the raft seems to absorb most of it, and you get a little flex with the PVC attached at the fishing rod holders.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]Pull up a little and you notice that the whole thing comes up a little too. You can also still move it side to side a little. We need to fix that. The new Intex rafts have two places to attach the bottom of the mount to prevent this. But wait! What about that big black attached to the back of the raft? Hmmm… and there are small holes conveniently under the connections on the curved bottom section of the bars. Run bailing wire or even long, heavy duty twist ties (like the kind that package toys and are annoying to take off) through these holes and tight through that black handle. The mount will not lift up, or move side to side now.[/font][/li][li][font "Times New Roman"]I keep mine all in one piece, just attach at the rod holders and wire at the rear handle when putting it on. I put loc-tite on all the screws and nuts to prevent them loosening up from motor vibration. I water-proofed the wood with the spray water seal.[/font][/li][/ul]
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