PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

[LX Kid]

Found the DIY T-Top post "very" interesting and was thinking about the pro's and con's of a 1" or 1-1/4" T-Top. Seems that it would be sturdy enough and could even be made adjustable for high speed travel wheather it was being trailered or on the water! Let's ponder this and see if anyone has any good suggestions as to it's feasibility! What cha think? (Yes, I am cheap!)

1. PVC is strong & light weight
2. PVC is paintable or even chromeable
3. All kinds of fitting available
4. Can be heated to make radius turns
5. Very easy to work with

Ron

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

requires more cross bracing, than steel.

 

[i386]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Will snap like a twig when it's cold.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Winter time in Tampa it seldomly gets below 40 degrees. I've got more cross bracing and lots of PVC cement!

 

[redfury]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Well, if a wind catches the bimini top and stresses it to the point where it fails, it isn't going to bend out of shape, it's going to break...hard to "bend it back" until you get home. That would be the larger issue at hand as far as I can foresee other than that it'll be bulkier visually.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Could be made in an airfoil design with 1/2" or 3/4" PVC and dual canvas (top/bottom) with leading edge make like a wedge. Convex shaped top and bottom for 0 lift potential. Top could be made adjustable for varying speeds and removal for trailering. Hmmmm, am I starting to sould like this is something that I might give a try? Ron

 

[Mark42]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

If I were to use PVC, 2" would probably be quite a bit stronger, need less cross bracing, etc. Also, look for furniture grade PVC connections, they look nice and have a finished look.

EMT will work too, and its easy to bend with an inexpensive pipe bender, stronger than PVC too. If you don't have a welder, or know someone with one, you could braze it together with a map gas torch.

 

[jonesg]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

The aerodynamics are below lift off speed for most aircraft so the cross braces can be made from 1/8th inch stainless wire with turnbuckles to tighten it , loop and crimp at the fittings ,a simple X pattern at the front , maybe more on the sides or just use smaller pipes on the side brace.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Probably top should be removable for trailering because of the hiway speeds. Adjustable for water speeds. I have'nt had my Grady White in the water yet and don't know what kind of speeds to exspect. I'm thinking it may do around 40 mph top, I just don't know what a heavy 24', 305 V8 I/O will do. Ron

 

[daviscfad]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

I was just wondering
Are you taking a 4 by 8 sheet of pvc and making this top?...And are you going to cover the pvc with some kind of fabric?

 

[LX Kid]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

I was thinking of fiberglassing the leading edge, in the shape of a wedge or even rounded, and using marine canvas for the top and bottom of the "wing top." Making lift handles in the rear for adjusting the "wing top" to reducie air flow resistance at varying speeds. What cha think? Ron

 

[mthieme]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

I thought of using CPVC for a rail, asthetics was the only that stopped me.

 

[maxum247]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Wonder if you laced your canvas top to the frame leaving a two or three inch gap all the way around, giving the air under the top somewhere to escape, if the frame and top would be more stable?

 

[LX Kid]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Maybe Daviscfad had an idea for me with using a pvc panel for a hardtop and that would make the whole top more stable. Top could be fiberglassed to pvc pipes and made rigid. Would'nt have to make a wing and could be made flat and give a lot of strength to the cross supports. I wonder if I used "Crazy Foam," to fill the pvc pipes, would add any tensil strength to them? Ron

 

[daviscfad]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Pvc will last forever Just make sure you keep it covered b/c if you dont the sun will destroy it.. Thats why i was asking if you were going to cover it with something. I made my new boat seats out of pvc sheets and it worked great.. And i want have to worry of rot anymore.. I bought from a place called piedmont plastics and got 4 by 8 sheets 1/2" thinck for 80 bucks a sheet which is an awesome price compared to a lot of places.. I was gonna use starbd but it was a little over kill on the price..

 

[LX Kid]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

I think it may just work! Also it easily could be made to either fold down or removed for transport because of it's light weight. Could be that I don't even have to use a "wing" design. After this project maybe I'll be thinking of a "main sail" for those days when I don't have gas money! LoL "Nobody said I had to be smart, just willing!" Ron

 

[Wcsweb]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Can anyone direct me to the diy PVC T-top post?

 

[mthieme]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

www.plumbing.com

sorry - couldn't resist

I was going to suggest a search, but I got 287 hits with "PVC" and "Top".

 

[Wcsweb]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

Can anyone direct me to the diy PVC T-top post?

Anyone I have been searching bot can not find....PVC T Top

 

[BigB9000]

Re: PVC T-Top, Pros's & Con's

so you don't have a link to building a PVC top?