# diy grab bar using carbon



## yobata

Has anyone made their own grab bar? I'm not talking about re-purposing something else for one, but actually making one using some sort of mold and fiberglass or carbon.

I have found this thread http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=60718 in which someone made this:









But there are not very detailed descriptions of the process involved. If anyone has any experience, please chime in.

Thanks!


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## tomahawk

I have built a couple.
I used pipe insulation foam for the mandrel and I use pvc for tiller extensions. I laid out the hoop on a piece of plywood, used packing tape on deck screws to hold the foam in position while the first two layers cured. I put two layers on the foam and wet them both out together. Each succeeding layer was also two at a time. Finished it up with a couple of coats of neat epoxy. Thats about it really.  
Some good info from Soeller Composites http://sollercomposites.com/MakingShafts.html 
Thats where I get my sleeves as well.








This is one I'm working on now for a Gheenoe I'm rebuilding.









The one I built for my GF16.


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## yobata

Very cool work! Thanks tomahawk!! 

How many layers total do you have? 4?


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## tomahawk

On the Gheenoe I used 6 FG and 2 CF trying to save some $$. Its plenty stiff, Obviously the more CF you use the stiffer and lighter it will be.

On my GF16 I used 4 layers of the Carbon/FG hybrid and its's not stiff enough. It has a little play in it. Not a deal breaker for me though.


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## yobata

Can anyone describe a good way to mount one of these diy grab bars to the floor? Should I try glassing it in with a big fillet?


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## yobata

yobata said:


> Can anyone describe a good way to mount one of these diy grab bars to the floor? Should I try glassing it in with a big fillet?


@CurtisWright @tomahawk @firecat1981 any of you guys have a recommendation on how to attach/glass in a grab bar made of glass over the AC insulation foam to the floor?


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## firecat1981

Just a big fillet may not be strong enough, and might fail if you need to really lean on it in a bad situation. 

I had to go back and refresh myself on your skiff. If you are still putting in a sole/false floor/floating floor...whatever you wish to call it...then you are in a good situation to anchor it. What I would do is after you make the grab bar find a way to fill the ends with something solid, maybe a plywood plug embedded in epoxy. Then bond it to the bottom of the skiff with a nice fillet and some glass. Build the stringers and floor up around it then do another nice thick fillet around it on the floor and glass it in. This way it will be anchored twice and not likely to fail from your leverage. The taller the stringers and floor the stronger this arrangement will be, but even a few inches will be 5 times stronger then just bonding it to the top of the floor.


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## No Bait / Lures Only

yobata said:


> Can anyone describe a good way to mount one of these diy grab bars to the floor? Should I try glassing it in with a big fillet?


That is the procedure I used in my Spear Glades X, as the aluminum plate and epoxy putty started cracking and loosened. And so I roughened the adjacent areas around the plates and puttied n glassed 1208 and matt with epoxy which solved all of the issues. You can now lift the boat with the grab rail, very solid/strong. This connection is an aluminum flange and grab rail console assembly with the putty and screws into the 1 1/2" core that did not support the putty/flange connection. The built up epoxy fillet and the biaxial n mat has been very strong for 2 years with the vibration and movement it incurs. The flange is 4" diameter and the reinforcement is +/- 7" diameter, probably overkill, but it worked.


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## CurtisWright

I'm at a loss on this one


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## jonrconner

I'd think you'd want a diagonal brace or a gusset mounted to a plate which would be glassed onto the sole, or attach it to a coffin box.
JC


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## LowHydrogen

This is a cool thread. Lots of talent and ingenuity around here.

@tomahawk nice build, nice wrapping work too.

X2 what @jonrconner said, that's pretty much how mine is. Attached to the floor with carbon fiber flanges, then 2 other short tubes running at 90° to the back of my coffin box and through bolted. I bet you could achieve the same like you said with 45°s as long as they came in to the hoop high enough. Although tying them into a cooler/seat would probably be way easier, since if you're going to have a hoop or supports there taking space anyhow, a seat seems like more of a gain than loss.

I can take some pics of my setup if you guys want.


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## No Bait / Lures Only

yobata said:


> @CurtisWright @tomahawk @firecat1981 any of you guys have a recommendation on how to attach/glass in a grab bar made of glass over the AC insulation foam to the floor?


Can send photos if necessary


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## yobata

stephenchurch said:


> Can send photos if necessary


Please post them, especially if you can show the details of the mounting technique to the floor. Thanks!!


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## No Bait / Lures Only

yobata said:


> Please post them, especially if you can show the details of the mounting technique to the floor. Thanks!!


send email or cell as I can't post


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## yobata

Pm sent


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## Emerald Shiner

yobata said:


> Has anyone made their own grab bar? I'm not talking about re-purposing something else for one, but actually making one using some sort of mold and fiberglass or carbon.
> 
> I have found this thread http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=60718 in which someone made this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But there are not very detailed descriptions of the process involved. If anyone has any experience, please chime in.
> 
> Thanks!


Hey I realize this is an old thread but I just happened upon it. I made the green and black carbon/Kevlar/fiberglass grab bar at the beginning of this thread. I mounted it to a console that is removable on my FS18.


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## Jred

Glass light bulb from Home Depot. Spray with pva and then glass around it with one layer of chop mat and then wait until it cures and break the glass and tap it with a rubber mallet until all the pieces fall out. I've made tiller extensions using this method and so far it's worked well


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## DuckNut

I don't think there would be enough surface area to give a solid foundation if you just use filets around the leg.

If you build a 6x6 base and glue that down I would think you would have a more solid footing.


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## No Bait / Lures Only

yobata said:


> Can anyone describe a good way to mount one of these diy grab bars to the floor? Should I try glassing it in with a big fillet?


I had the aluminum grab bar with flange bases with 3 screws on each bedded in fg putty from builder. That lasted 2 trips n i refabed d base flanges to d floor wit 2 layers mat n 1 layer 1208 n epoxy. No more issues. The vibration caused because length of grabbar and ff/gps n mini console n switch n trim switch cantilevered required much more reinforcement than builder used.


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