24' Lumber for bunks??

[jtexfisher]

Question? Went to rebunk the trailer for my 24' pontoon. The bunks appear to be a single piece of lumber, I cannot find a splice. The bunks measure to 20' 3". Is lumber available in 20' or 24' lengths?

jt

 

[rbh]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

I think you are going to have to specialy order it in, from what I know about wood you may want to get it from northern canada as the wood takes longer to grow and it is more dense, fir or spruce seem to hold out the best for me.
rob

 

[RICHARD5]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

I'm surprised you haven't found the lengths you want. Anyway, the least costly and quickest way is join two pieces with a scarf joint. A down and dirty method for making a scarf is to stack both boards on on top of the other. Offset the ends by the length of the joint (12:1 the thickness of the board). Clamp and draw a straight cut line. With the bords still clamped, use a belt sander to smooth out any imperfections in your cut. This last step is not required if your cut is straight and true. I like to terminate the scarf into a 1/4" lap (as shown in the lonk) instead of a feather edge. I use gorilla glue for applications subject to the elements.



http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/stitchglue/plyshophtm/scarfjig2.htm

 

[109jb]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

I'd just buy 2 x 12's that are 22 feet and then rip them down using the good old circular saw. You can find this length easily as it is stocked for floor joists and roof rafter material. You will generally get good douglas fir in this size lumber instead of the crap they sell in smaller sizes.

 

[RICHARD5]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

Before you even buy the wood, check to determine where along the length is the best place for the joint. Even though a proper joint will be stronger than the wood, you want to check. You may determine, as example, a 10' and a 16' might work better than two 14'.

What's that? You say the numbers don't add up to 24? You're right, but remember the joint will 'eat' a foot of each board and because dimensional lumber is sold in 2' increments you'll have to step up to the next hightest board length.

Maybe you could find a 24' Trex board.

 

[jtexfisher]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

Good ideas, the joint and the 2x12! Was trying to put the boat on the trailer and the throttle stuck at about 2500rpm. Hit the trailer way too fast and at an angle. Tore up the bunks pretty well and did damage to the ????s on the pontoons. See the photos. Got the motor working but now I've got to fix up the trailer and the tubes. Not sure how I'm going to deal with this. Ouch.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

I'd splice the boards right at a bracket, that way both ends of each board area supported and you have a bolt holding the joint together.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

unless it will not hit the bracket 20 feet will be fine, 3 inches is not going to make a difference.

 

[justchange]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

The good news is that it doesn't look like you damaged the tube much.


If there's a good [competent] welding shop in your area that has heliarc capability check with them.


If not, check around to see if there's a place that works on semi truck fuel tanks. Most of those places can straighten fuel tanks and should be able do the same with a pontoon.

 

[chrisg]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

I replace a bunk on my 24 footer, I just bought 2 2*4 X 24 ft and cut it ( mine measured 22 feet long). I used PT. and put new I/O carpeting on it. Then I read not to use PT. heck, there is carpet on it.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

I replace a bunk on my 24 footer, I just bought 2 2*4 X 24 ft and cut it ( mine measured 22 feet long). I used PT. and put new I/O carpeting on it. Then I read not to use PT. heck, there is carpet on it.

Chris, the carpet actually makes the problem worse. The carpet will retain moisture and the corrosive chemicals will bleed through the carpet. I suggest removing the carpet and seal the PT or cover the surface with 1/4 inch plywood to act as an separator between the PT and the aluminium. Cover it with carpet after if you wish.

 

[rentprop1]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

where are you guys finding 24 foot 2 x 4 's I needed one approx 22 foot support a carport while moving it and the best I could find in FL was 18 foot and that was begging a roof truss manufacturer place to sell me one

 

[guitchess]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

You should check a professional lumber yard. One that the local builders use, not Lowes or Home Depot. It is common for yards to stock 2x6s in 26ft lengths, 2x4s may not be stocked but a 2x8 ripped in half would be less scrap than any other method and faster/stronger than scarfed joints. I am in Oklahoma, and if I can get these lengths just about anyone should be able to. Even if they don't stock them they should be able to order them, though, they may cost twice the price per board foot.

 

[jtexfisher]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

Weeeeeeeeelllllllll......

Lowe's, nope. HomeDepot, nope. McCoy's, nope. Local no name hardware store in a very small Texas town, YES! 20' 2x4s, about $11 each, will have 'em on the next lumber truck, sometime early next week! I'd a never thunk it. Thanks for the suggestions.

Also the 'local' (living in the sticks not much is really local) propeller shop can handle the pontoons.

So it'll get the pontoons fixed first, then out to the lake for a weekend camping and fishing, with a stop to put on bunks. Crappie will be on out here come December, so I have a month or two to get it ready for the winter. Kinda backwards huh? Boat sits all summer, then a rush to fix it up for December/Jan/Feb fishing.

Thanks to all!!

 

[justchange]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

Weeeeeeeeelllllllll......

Lowe's, nope. HomeDepot, nope. McCoy's, nope. Local no name hardware store in a very small Texas town, YES! 20' 2x4s, about $11 each, will have 'em on the next lumber truck, sometime early next week! I'd a never thunk it. Thanks for the suggestions.

Also the 'local' (living in the sticks not much is really local) propeller shop can handle the pontoons.

So it'll get the pontoons fixed first, then out to the lake for a weekend camping and fishing, with a stop to put on bunks. Crappie will be on out here come December, so I have a month or two to get it ready for the winter. Kinda backwards huh? Boat sits all summer, then a rush to fix it up for December/Jan/Feb fishing.

Thanks to all!!

Good for you!!!!

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

When you go to pick them up have a plan in mind of how you are going to haul them, up over the cab is fine on an old beater but a nice new truck might not be the best idea. Even a long bed with the gate down you are half out of the truck. Just have a plan so you dont chance an accident, 20's can be tough to haul without a rack.

 

[grahamh]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

My local Home Depot sells 20 footers, but it sounds like that's the exception to most of them.

 

[j_martin]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

A good place to look for good high quality lumber is the local truss manufacturer.

When I built my addition, I needed 16' 2x8's and they would be real close to the load limit. I got some southern yellow pine stress rated 2x8's from the truss plant. There is no bounce in that floor at all. I think they cost me about 2 bucks a stick over what SPF would be at Menards. My helper friends cried a lot carrying them up the ladders. They weigh like oak.

I had two stories of odd length studs to cut. I took the bundled wood to the truss plant and they charged me 10 bucks to gang saw the whole works to order. It took them about 5 minutes.

On the trailer. Is there any real reason you need continuous length boards. If you splice the joint from the bottom and dimple it a bit with a sander so the ends don't scratch, what's the difference on load? It should have 6 or 8 support pads holding it up.

 

[rentprop1]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

When you go to pick them up have a plan in mind of how you are going to haul them, up over the cab is fine on an old beater but a nice new truck might not be the best idea. Even a long bed with the gate down you are half out of the truck. Just have a plan so you dont chance an accident, 20's can be tough to haul without a rack.

once I find them I already know how I gonna move them, I have a topper on my dodge and I saved 2 old pillows from a old couch and plan to duct tape them on the lumber, cushin it to the cab and topper, run tie down straps in pass doors and back seat doors then support to rear bumper and front bumper, should make it home that a way

 

[jtexfisher]

Re: 24' Lumber for bunks??

I hauled them on a work trailer...18'. Coulda tied them right to my rust bucket of a pickup. The wood might have added to the stability of the body.

I still can't believe they were right there all along, < 2 miles from the house.