First rail

Chad H · Posted: Mar 20, 2009 9:39 pm Post subject: First rail

We've been saying we're going to build a rail for the past 3 spring breaks and finally got around to it this one. It's 20 feet long, which is short, but this will be the first one we hit. Currently, the start of it is above water, but we predict it will be under water by summer. All materials ended up costing around 90 dollars and we still have one more short section of PVC to add to it this summer when we hit it and complete it.

We were going to hit it today, but conditions didn't allow for us to.

daniel · Back Big Joined: 26 Apr 2004 Posts: 3669 City: Duncan

looks nice man, don't forget to get pics when you hit it!

skimboarder · Posted: Mar 20, 2009 10:03 pm Post subject:

that only cost 90 dollhairs?

what a nice rail man Smash

Chad H · Posted: Mar 20, 2009 10:33 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the comments.

As for the price, yeah it was only 90 bucks. Instead of 4x4's for the posts, we screwed 2 2x4's together, which saved about 4 bucks a post. I'm curious to how hard the PVC will be to slide, as I really would've liked to use trex, but it wasn't economical because we aren't sure how the local authorities feel about rails on the lake.

The only things we have left to do are add another section of PVC, and then I think we're going to rescrew down the current pieces of PVC so that we can drill holes for the screw. I'm worried that the way it's currently mounted, even though they are slightly sunk in the PVC, that the board edge will catch the screws.

Thanks for the comments, and if anyone wants plans i'll draw some up the best I can.

joel · Backside 180 Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 747 City: ORLANDO

looks solid, just make sure that the pvc is wet or waxed to keep it from melting to your board. I have some pvc streaks on both my wakeboard an wakeskates from pvc and pvc sheeting from some rails on a lake near by.

skimboarder · Posted: Mar 21, 2009 12:14 am Post subject:

pvc is really slick and will slide fine just keep it wet as joel said.

tjmac · Backside 180 Joined: 08 Nov 2007 Posts: 780 City: valley

im geussin u pounded into the water?

Chad H · Posted: Mar 21, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject:

tjmac,
Yeah, those posts are sitting about 3 feet in the ground. It's extremely sturdy. I'm pretty proud of it.

tjmac · Backside 180 Joined: 08 Nov 2007 Posts: 780 City: valley

thats sweet. me and my friends built a rail kinda like that but wen we tried to get it in the water it was super bouyant and floated and we couldnt hit it. it sucked

Toxis · Posted: Mar 21, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject:

Curiousity question... If you were to screw the pvc in at an angle instead of straight down, wouldn't that eliminate the chances of scratching the bottom of the board? You could screw it in from the inside to the ouside so even if you hit it at the side, it wouldn't scratch. It wouldn't have to be too far of an angle, maybe 15 degrees... just a thought while looking at it (after the fact)

GnarShredd · Backside 180 Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 1529 City: Seattle

Toxis, The best way to do it is to go to a hardware store and find toggle bolts. Like this http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/4506101

I remember them being cheaper at home depot and whatnot. Anyway, you basically drill a hole big enough to fit that wing part through (it folds) and then it opens once it's inside the tube. From there you just tighten the bolt and it pulls the wings down and secures the pipe from the inside. annnnnd BAM! No surface screws to speak of that way. It'd kind of hard to explain but I'm sure if you do a quick google search you can figure it out.

Chad H · Posted: Mar 21, 2009 2:54 pm Post subject:

Toxis,
Yeah we should've done it that way. I think we're going to go back before we hit it and drill holes where the screws go so the screws will sink in past the top section of PVC and there won't be a chance of the board hitting it.