building dredge pontoons

[taternut]

So I bought a 3" suction dredge and I need to build a set of pontoons, I've found a few different styles that look decent. I'm thinking of getting a few 6"pvc pipe and filling them with door jam foam then just bolting the pvc to my frame. Anyone else have any ideas/suggestions??

 

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[Oakview2]

Go to Reed Lukens youtube site and watch how to build a dredge. He uses inexpensive barrells and they seem to work very well.

 

[taternut]

Yeah I saw that video I just have no clue where to buy the drums anywhere around me

 

[omnicron]

If your in Cali, your wasting your time/money building a dredge as dredging is banned.

Check with car washes, carpet cleaners or any type of business that would have liquid in bulk.
Personally I would stay away from pvc pontoons...the weight alone will be a lot.

 

[taternut]

Yeah I'm not too far from the Oregon border so im not too worried about it. Thx though ill check out some place like that

 

[TerryC]

I suggest Google up the Cheasapeake Light Craft boat place. You can order large amounts of epoxy resin and fiberglass matting. Build exactly what you want ... to your own specks by using styrafoam cores and epoxy/glass coatings. ( www.clcboats.com ) TTC

 

[Hoser John]

Barrels work great. Your 3 don't take much to float so 4 -15 gallon will work just fine as that flaots my 4" over/under great in creeks-just go to hotels/cleaners/[lating shops or even sportsmen warehouse as they sell'm too-but cheaper elsewhere,city dumps sell'm all the time $5 a piece. John

 

[G1sammons]

Check Craigslist

You should find someone selling barrels there...

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

So I bought a 3" suction dredge and I need to build a set of pontoons, I've found a few different styles that look decent. I'm thinking of getting a few 6"pvc pipe and filling them with door jam foam then just bolting the pvc to my frame. Anyone else have any ideas/suggestions??

PVC sounds heavy. When I looked around for DIY methods, I spotted boat fenders at Cabelas



Sure seem like they'd take a beating. Fiberglassing is relatively easy to do, but I suspect a good whack on a rock will end up with a crack.

They (cabela's) also had platoon floats for fishing, which seemed like they could work. They had one set on sale, but I don't see it online offhand.

If you search craig's list for "plastic barrels" or "plastic drums" you might find someone local selling used drums.

 

[ncclaymaker]

There is a PVC pipe that is used for non-pressurized liquids. Usually used for drain water from downspouts. This stuff is really thin and very light, but fairly rigid/strong. Comes in 10 foot lengths at your local big box hardware.

 

[goldgit'r]

Filling with foam will not help floatation,it will only add weight! Wes

 

[russau]

i was going to foam fill my pontoons untill the guy told me it would add 2 lbs per foot of pontoon! i repaired my 'leak" myself. it was coming into my pontoon from the 1/4 anchor mounts on the top of the pontoon. Keene didnt have any more of that type of anchor so i went to the hardware store and bought some 1/4-20S drywall anchors and it was just about the very same thing and it worked perfect! and then i used some 1/4-20x1 stainless steel bolts with antiseize lube.

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

I was in the outlet cave at cabelas and they had something like



Looks to be easy enough to mount a sluice and pump...

 

[russau]

There is a PVC pipe that is used for non-pressurized liquids. Usually used for drain water from downspouts. This stuff is really thin and very light, but fairly rigid/strong. Comes in 10 foot lengths at your local big box hardware.

those pipes are called DWV pipe, drain waste vent

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

Foam filled pvc might do the trick. Home depot & lowes have 4 or 3", I see Menards has an 8"

Schedule 40 Cellular Core PVC DWV Pipe-8"x20' at Menards



We have sprinkler and irrigation places here that have large diameter pipe out in the yard. I've seen some big stuff. In addition to pvc, corrugated drainage...



You can get some reallly big stuff



Of course, you have to find a way to seal the ends on any type of pipe.

 

[russau]

like John said,go to fast food places that use their cooking oil in the square 5(?) gallon barrels. they are cheap/tought/and fit real good in your frame for pontoons.just seal the bung hole with teflon tape.if you were to rupture one, they would be EZ to replace in no time!only problem is that from time to time if they are sealed tight, youll need to vent them to prevent them from colapsing from the expansion/contraction because of the temp and altitude.

 

[rebel003]

one of our club memers made a PVC frame with no filler for his 2.5" worked great in the stream we have to dredge in. good luck.

 

[taternut]

one of our club memers made a PVC frame with no filler for his 2.5" worked great in the stream we have to dredge in. good luck.
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That's pretty much the idea I have except I have two 6" PVC and I'm just going to do two parallel with my box then just bolt the frame to the pvc

 

[taternut]

Btw I just got a above ground pool from Walmart that's 15' wide n 4'deep. And I bought a used gold diver dredge that needs work. Out of curiosity at the end of summer if I get it running would it be illegal to test it out in the pool before I throw the pool away? Lol

 

[maipenrai]

Food processing plants may have barrels, like for pickles, beets and the like. Barrels will be your best bet, lightest, and cheapest . Dont fill with foam!