On Sep 27, 10:46 pm, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:
That's a great looking bimini Joe. You didn't happen to keep a photo-record
of the construction did you? Any advise on construction?

Glenn.

"Joe" wrote in message

oups.com...



On Sep 26, 8:21 pm, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:
We cruise on our Gulfstar Auxillary 41 centre cockpit. Our bimini is now
old and will need replacing this season. I have been thinking of
replacing
with a hard bimini that will last longer than a sunbrella one, allow the
mounting of solar panels, water collection & other cockpit ammenities.

I am considering building one myself. Some folks at the boat-yard
suggested
building one out of some kind of foam, that can be cut & fit & when the
desired shape is reached, painted with resin to harden and so on.

Anyone built a hard bimini? Advise? Used this foam stuff?
Advise?...what's the stuff called & where can it be aquired? Advise on
bimini for a cruising boat?

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing

Use marine ply and cover with cloth..You can use just about anything
as a core I guess including foam, bimini's leak..wear out...and all
around are a pain in the ass.

I buildt a hard top after 2 bimini's.... best thing I ever did for the
boat.

http://sports.webshots.com/photo/272...63212926LiUcvQ

I guess with the proper foam and resin you could build lighter and
stronger.

Joe- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I just used 1/2" marine ply for the sides..Lexan windows..total weight
for the sides is about 40 lbs. The top is 1/8 " ply over 3/4" X 6" a
spruce framed top, covered with fiberglass cloth and resin. The top
weighs about 120 lbs for a combined total weight of 160 LBS. Total
cost about 500 bucks. I'm adding a rain water catching rim that will
funnel rain into the water tanks. I also just painted everything
inside above the dash flat black.

This picture shows the spruce framing:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...63212926yfjeXR

I've painted everything above the dash flat black now to aid night
vision/ navigation.

Joe

I made a hard bimini out of Deckolite (maybe Dekolite ?) that worked well.
It is end grain balsa between skins of "glass. Stuff's rather expensive
though.

"Glenn (s/v Seawing)" wrote in message
news:jADKi.764$x%6.264@pd7urf2no...
We cruise on our Gulfstar Auxillary 41 centre cockpit. Our bimini is now
old and will need replacing this season. I have been thinking of
replacing
with a hard bimini that will last longer than a sunbrella one, allow the
mounting of solar panels, water collection & other cockpit ammenities.

I am considering building one myself. Some folks at the boat-yard
suggested
building one out of some kind of foam, that can be cut & fit & when the
desired shape is reached, painted with resin to harden and so on.

Anyone built a hard bimini? Advise? Used this foam stuff?
Advise?...what's the stuff called & where can it be aquired? Advise on
bimini for a cruising boat?

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing

On Sep 26, 8:02 pm, "Garland Gray II" wrote:
I made a hard bimini out of Deckolite (maybe Dekolite ?) that worked well.
It is end grain balsa between skins of "glass. Stuff's rather expensive
though.

"Glenn (s/v Seawing)" wrote in messagenews:jADKi.764$x%6.264@pd7urf2no...

We cruise on our Gulfstar Auxillary 41 centre cockpit. Our bimini is now
old and will need replacing this season. I have been thinking of
replacing
with a hard bimini that will last longer than a sunbrella one, allow the
mounting of solar panels, water collection & other cockpit ammenities.

I am considering building one myself. Some folks at the boat-yard
suggested
building one out of some kind of foam, that can be cut & fit & when the
desired shape is reached, painted with resin to harden and so on.

Anyone built a hard bimini? Advise? Used this foam stuff?
Advise?...what's the stuff called & where can it be aquired? Advise on
bimini for a cruising boat?

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing

I built a hard top dodger. I used Ply and fiberglass and expoy. I
think that now I have looked around I have become interested in
Origami boat design. I think that using the origami method you could
shape a flat aluminum sheet into a curve to proper shape for a
bimini. With my next boat I am going to use the origami technology
build both my hard dodger and maybe a bimini.

Joel
Fat Tuesday

A few years back, a fellow built a hard dodger using starboard
material. He ordered a 4 x 8 sheet of 1/2" and formed it over his
existing bimini frame. He used a heat gun to warm the material to
pull it down on the sides. Turned out really nice.

Now I never thought of that. Starboard is pretty interesting stuff. My
father's threatening to replace some of the hard-to-sand teak hand-holds on
his Grand Banks with ones make of Starboard...never thought of a bimini
though.

Glenn.

wrote in message
oups.com...
A few years back, a fellow built a hard dodger using starboard
material. He ordered a 4 x 8 sheet of 1/2" and formed it over his
existing bimini frame. He used a heat gun to warm the material to
pull it down on the sides. Turned out really nice.

Joel, I'm going to show my ignorance here...what is Origami boat design?

Glenn.

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Sep 26, 8:02 pm, "Garland Gray II" wrote:
I made a hard bimini out of Deckolite (maybe Dekolite ?) that worked
well.
It is end grain balsa between skins of "glass. Stuff's rather expensive
though.

"Glenn (s/v Seawing)" wrote in
messagenews:jADKi.764$x%6.264@pd7urf2no...

We cruise on our Gulfstar Auxillary 41 centre cockpit. Our bimini is
now
old and will need replacing this season. I have been thinking of
replacing
with a hard bimini that will last longer than a sunbrella one, allow
the
mounting of solar panels, water collection & other cockpit ammenities.

I am considering building one myself. Some folks at the boat-yard
suggested
building one out of some kind of foam, that can be cut & fit & when the
desired shape is reached, painted with resin to harden and so on.

Anyone built a hard bimini? Advise? Used this foam stuff?
Advise?...what's the stuff called & where can it be aquired? Advise on
bimini for a cruising boat?

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing

I built a hard top dodger. I used Ply and fiberglass and expoy. I
think that now I have looked around I have become interested in
Origami boat design. I think that using the origami method you could
shape a flat aluminum sheet into a curve to proper shape for a
bimini. With my next boat I am going to use the origami technology
build both my hard dodger and maybe a bimini.

Joel
Fat Tuesday

On Sep 27, 11:00 pm, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:
Joel, I'm going to show my ignorance here...what is Origami boat design?

Glenn.

wrote in message

oups.com...



On Sep 26, 8:02 pm, "Garland Gray II" wrote:
I made a hard bimini out of Deckolite (maybe Dekolite ?) that worked
well.
It is end grain balsa between skins of "glass. Stuff's rather expensive
though.

"Glenn (s/v Seawing)" wrote in
messagenews:jADKi.764$x%6.264@pd7urf2no...

We cruise on our Gulfstar Auxillary 41 centre cockpit. Our bimini is
now
old and will need replacing this season. I have been thinking of
replacing
with a hard bimini that will last longer than a sunbrella one, allow
the
mounting of solar panels, water collection & other cockpit ammenities.

I am considering building one myself. Some folks at the boat-yard
suggested
building one out of some kind of foam, that can be cut & fit & when the
desired shape is reached, painted with resin to harden and so on.

Anyone built a hard bimini? Advise? Used this foam stuff?
Advise?...what's the stuff called & where can it be aquired? Advise on
bimini for a cruising boat?

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing

I built a hard top dodger. I used Ply and fiberglass and expoy. I
think that now I have looked around I have become interested in
Origami boat design. I think that using the origami method you could
shape a flat aluminum sheet into a curve to proper shape for a
bimini. With my next boat I am going to use the origami technology
build both my hard dodger and maybe a bimini.

Joel
Fat Tuesday- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Glenn they are boats designed by folding paper.
Great method...no frames!!

http://www.origamimagic.com

Joe

"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Sep 27, 11:00 pm, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:
Joel, I'm going to show my ignorance here...what is Origami boat design?

Glenn.

wrote in message

oups.com...



On Sep 26, 8:02 pm, "Garland Gray II" wrote:
I made a hard bimini out of Deckolite (maybe Dekolite ?) that worked
well.
It is end grain balsa between skins of "glass. Stuff's rather
expensive
though.

"Glenn (s/v Seawing)" wrote in
messagenews:jADKi.764$x%6.264@pd7urf2no...

We cruise on our Gulfstar Auxillary 41 centre cockpit. Our bimini
is
now
old and will need replacing this season. I have been thinking of
replacing
with a hard bimini that will last longer than a sunbrella one, allow
the
mounting of solar panels, water collection & other cockpit
ammenities.

I am considering building one myself. Some folks at the boat-yard
suggested
building one out of some kind of foam, that can be cut & fit & when
the
desired shape is reached, painted with resin to harden and so on.

Anyone built a hard bimini? Advise? Used this foam stuff?
Advise?...what's the stuff called & where can it be aquired? Advise
on
bimini for a cruising boat?

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing

I built a hard top dodger. I used Ply and fiberglass and expoy. I
think that now I have looked around I have become interested in
Origami boat design. I think that using the origami method you could
shape a flat aluminum sheet into a curve to proper shape for a
bimini. With my next boat I am going to use the origami technology
build both my hard dodger and maybe a bimini.

Joel
Fat Tuesday- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Glenn they are boats designed by folding paper.
Great method...no frames!!

http://www.origamimagic.com

Joe


That's fantastic...very interesting!

Glenn.

Sounds like interesting stuff. Do you know where I might find information
on this Deckolite stuff? I did a google search and found others reference
it but not a supplier. Thanks.

Glenn.

"Garland Gray II" wrote in message
...
I made a hard bimini out of Deckolite (maybe Dekolite ?) that worked well.
It is end grain balsa between skins of "glass. Stuff's rather expensive
though.

"Glenn (s/v Seawing)" wrote in message
news:jADKi.764$x%6.264@pd7urf2no...
We cruise on our Gulfstar Auxillary 41 centre cockpit. Our bimini is now
old and will need replacing this season. I have been thinking of
replacing
with a hard bimini that will last longer than a sunbrella one, allow the
mounting of solar panels, water collection & other cockpit ammenities.

I am considering building one myself. Some folks at the boat-yard
suggested
building one out of some kind of foam, that can be cut & fit & when the
desired shape is reached, painted with resin to harden and so on.

Anyone built a hard bimini? Advise? Used this foam stuff?
Advise?...what's the stuff called & where can it be aquired? Advise on
bimini for a cruising boat?

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing

On Sep 26, 3:21 pm, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:
... Anyone built a hard bimini? Advise? Used this foam stuff?
Advise?...what's the stuff called & where can it be aquired? Advise on
bimini for a cruising boat? ...

Many places have a fiberglass shop that can supply all that you will
need including advise. It is worth looking in the phone book or
asking around at the boat yard. There are online places too.
Jamestown Distributors has some basics. Try http://tinyurl.com/yv2p8u
for their selection of cores. There are lots of ways of going about
the process and not knowing what you are using for arches or if you
need a dodger as well as a bimini makes it hard to speculate on the
best method for you. Like everyone else, I think you will be happiest
with a cored glass construction. Some foam cores will tolerate heat
forming and many cores can be bought scored with light glass mesh. Be
aware that some cores are scored so that they will lay into molds and
some are scored to help with resin infusion. You want the former.
Core-cell is the gold standard but balsa is least expensive and plenty
good enough for what you want...

Good luck!

-- Tom.