My Custom Tower Shade Build...

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jul 05, 2010 3:13 pm Post subject: My Custom Tower Shade Build...

some of you may remember my $40 shade i built for my nautique
http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=82753

well a little nicer boat now, means allitle nicer shade.

my mobius LSV came with the stock bimini thats just, well, gay. looks like it belongs on a bayliner and only really shaded the driver and passenger, plus you have to put it up and down everytime.

all the ones you buy were expensive and the less expenive ones were just generic and still $500+. so i decided to build my own.

got some supplys and headed to my buddy brads. have to give him credit for all the welding.

supplys:

4x billet tower clamps (bullet)
$100

3x 1"x10' conduit
4x 90* bent corners
1/2" steel tube
$45

nuts, bolts, and washers
1/4" x 1" aluminum bar
$35

2 yards Sunbrella Marine 80" fabric
$75

adhesion promotor and paint
$12

Total Invested: $267

final size is 61" x 63" or about 5' x 5', and took us right at 8 hours to compete.

getting the sides welded up

weld cleanup

center bolt sleeves. weld in at the same angle as the tower. prevents the bolt from crushing the tube.

welded nuts for the front supports. on the inside so there hidden from view.

mocked up with the center bolts only.

i just finished weld cleanup, sanding and priming. painting as i type this.
ill keep the post updated as i go.

gravity custom paint · Newbie Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Posts: 33 City: SPOKANE

SWEET MAN. I AM REALLY THINKING OF MAKING A OVER THE TOP FOR MINE

savage3221 · Posted: Jul 05, 2010 8:18 pm Post subject:

Lookin good so far STANG!

kartman · Posted: Jul 05, 2010 8:21 pm Post subject:

thats b-a. the wife is getting on me to build one. you should have it powdercoated yellow. it should only be about 50$, and it will out last paint 10x's over.

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jul 06, 2010 4:30 am Post subject:

thanks gravity and savage!

kartman, yeah PCing it would be awesome but im trying to do it all myself. plus i already finished painting it last night Laughing

kartman · Posted: Jul 06, 2010 6:01 am Post subject:

sweet. i cant wait to see the pics.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

That's looking really good man! Keep posting pics and info. I'd love to see how it ends up.

AbsoluteZero · Criminal Joined: 04 Jul 2009 Posts: 50

Let's see some updated pics!

rc5695 · Criminal Joined: 08 Feb 2010 Posts: 94 City: Greenville

yup, lookin' good! Thanks for inspiring my project!

metalic_era · Criminal Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 80

Any update?
I started mine last weekend also and ready to start sewing Though i'm going to look in to having it powder coated.

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jul 14, 2010 5:20 pm Post subject:

well material came in and sewing as begun! we got about a 1/4 of it done tonight.

Jet · Posted: Jul 14, 2010 7:49 pm Post subject:

Man..where are the udated pics?? Ive been wanting to do this for a while. Im not dishing out $899 for the one I want. Jet

brichter14 · Addict Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 705

Jet, the post above yours...

NKCrider · Posted: Jul 14, 2010 10:03 pm Post subject:

STANG KILLA SS, as usual very clean lookin. keep it up

boardordie · Posted: Jul 15, 2010 5:22 am Post subject:

STANG KILLA SS, So are you going to tow with the bimini attached? I'd hate to have to find room in the truck or boat to store that thing with all the other crap I tote around when we go on vacation!

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jul 15, 2010 7:17 am Post subject:

absolutly. it will be towed inplace with fabric on. my drive to the lake is 20-30 minutes depending on the ramp we use, and usually at 60 mph

jjaszkow · Posted: Jul 15, 2010 8:39 am Post subject:

looking good!

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jul 16, 2010 6:21 pm Post subject:

frame is mounted! for some reason the pics make it look small. but its nearly twice the size of stock and even bigger than the Z5 shade. its 5' x 5' and seems huge in the boat. getting its first test run to the lake tommorrow.

and after our 3rd straight night of sewing the fabric is nearly done. all we lack now is the corners. need to be pied, hem'ed and velcro'ed.

Blindside_137 · Posted: Jul 16, 2010 6:46 pm Post subject:

looks good

m_lesney · Soul Rider Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 358 City: Austin

looks good beast the 1500 for my z5 !! Crying or Very sad

Crookcatchr · Newbie Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 43

Sooooo, how did it turn out????

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Looking pretty good! Are you planning to tip it down very often? Looks like you have bolts holding the 4 connection points. If you're going to tip it down often, it might be worth considering quick-release knobs instead. Did you end up going over the original cost at all?

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jul 26, 2010 4:15 pm Post subject:

havent finished sewing the corners yet.
okie. thanks, probly never tip it down. will probly always remain a solid shade. not tilting storage.
actually i did go over the origonal cost. $42 for velcro other than that the list is 100% accurate cost.

i actually have a pic of it installed at the lake from the test weekend. but the corners werent finished and just folded in. awaiting finished pics to post online. Wink

Pookie94 · Criminal Joined: 30 Jul 2010 Posts: 65 City: Maumee

thats sick!

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jul 31, 2010 12:13 pm Post subject:

finally finished! man that top took 4 days of sewing. but its all worth it.
towed it to the lake for the first time this morning, even at 65 mph it didnt even budge. the fabric didnt wave, slap, bow, nothing just perfectly flat and still like it was fiberglass or something. just perfect. we did make sure when we were building it to have it perfectly level to the ground. so there was no angle when towing. that helped alot i think. im SO pleased. and it works great.

grand total invested out the door. $309

kartman · Posted: Jul 31, 2010 12:16 pm Post subject:

looks professional. great job!

Crookcatchr · Newbie Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 43

Looks awsome. How did you do the corners? I am looking at doing this project this winter, so any tricks that you learned this time around would be apreciated.

Awsome Job StangKilla

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jul 31, 2010 4:18 pm Post subject:

its velcroed to the bars. sew on on the fabric. stick on on the bars. done in two flaps. with a pie out of the middle to prevent puckering.
we put alot of thought into the corners but after all that sewing we were ready for the project to be over and went the simple route. Laughing

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jul 31, 2010 4:31 pm Post subject:

Looks awesome, great job and pics. Cool

ls1gto · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Posts: 8 City: Cedar Hill TX

Looks great! Huge props.

Brit Rider · Posted: Aug 23, 2010 12:22 am Post subject:

Awesome project... always nice to see hard work come out this well.

Side note: Is that a Roswell mirror arm? How do you like it?

flixmaster · Site Owner Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Posts: 7487

nice job on that bimini.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Turned out really good. Great job!

Jet · Posted: Aug 28, 2010 6:14 am Post subject:

OK, I started on mine. Made the bimini bar out of galvanized 3/4" tubing. Mitchell, i know your probably tired of answering questions but did you Velcro the seams or sew it all together? The bimini is on hold so it will be a few weeks till i get back to it, started a DIYWake 5-light light bar i need to finish so i know how low I need to go with the bimini and this simple light bar project is kicking my arse. Its supposed to be buy and install but I dint like the lights that came with it so I have to modify the ones I bought, the clamps are to close together for my tower, so I have to modify the clamps, more time, more time, more time. I'll post some pics of the bimini when I get back to it. Jet

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Aug 30, 2010 11:54 am Post subject:

velcro.
theres sew on velcro on the top and on the flaps you see in pic #2. they just go around the bar and velco to each other. then the corners has velco sew on the fabric, and stick on velco on the corner bend of the bar.