Lightweight Dolly

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Tailmaker
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Lightweight Dolly

Post by Tailmaker »

Some may have noticed that I usually do not post about decorative carvings but rather some mechanical and practical things. Here is another one...
Back story: I have an inflatable kayak that is not really heavy but sometimes I have to haul it a few hundred yards from a camp site to the water. Including trolling motor and battery that can become a bit annoying.
So I designed a lightweight dolly that moves the boat but can be folded up and stowed in the kayak. It is made from bamboo plywood and weighs less than 2 pounds.
It rolls on in-line skate wheels and once assembled and folded out, the parts lock together.
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scottp55
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by scottp55 »

Clever design Tailmaker! :)
Sure it's designed for your boat and needs very well,but as a 50+yr kayaker, I'm too biased towards fiberglass/kevlar(and even broke down and bought a sit upon 5-O roto-molded surfyak in Kill Devil Hills that's now down at the pond:)

Got a better shot of the boat(or the make /model)?

Like my front wheelchair wheels....those would disappear in Mud Season, and get trapped by roots on our "Paths". :D
Sure both boat and carrier suit your needs perfectly...knowing you!! :D
Might also be good for flat bottom river/lake canoes.
Well Done!
scott
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Tailmaker
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by Tailmaker »

Scott, we are definitely not kayak pros and got the inflatable only a few months ago. I went a bit beyond the super-cheap basic vinyl skin kayaks but even so it is a pretty inexpensive boat. Furthermore, I am not the sporty type which is why I got the trolling motor.

Recently we bought a motorhome and want to have a way to stow away that boat easily, get to the lake without trouble and pootle around on the water for a few hours, getting us further that we could ever envison by paddling. We have some rather expensive electric bicycle lithium batteries which are going to do double duty for the kayak trolling motor.

I posted that dolly here mostly for inspiration. Obviously it could be used for other purposes as well. I would even post the vcarve file but unfortunately I used a new Vectric beta version and few people could open that.

Savannahdan
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by Savannahdan »

I'm almost like Scott regarding needing fatter tires. But, I can see where the wheels you use are fine, especially for access areas allowing their use. It also appears that if you needed to that you could change out the wheels to the fat boys. I really like the look of the bamboo plywood. My kayak weighs around 78 lbs. without gear and is probably weighing closer to 95 lbs. with all the stuff I put in it. It's a West Marine 13.5 Abaco and has room for 3 but I am sufficiently big enough to hog the entire thing for me and my gear. Happy Easter.

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scottp55
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by scottp55 »

Yep...Suits your needs, AND having picked up my Wilderness Systems Kevlar Tchaika in NC the last year they made them, and then strapping it to the Roadtrek210's ceiling,AND having to work my way around it for 6 weeks to AZ and back to Maine was a PITA!
Also that's about the weight of a kevlar Pamlico style boat, at 10% the price(IF you can find one now:(
Sounds perfect for what you're doing :)
One nice thing about a rigid boat for a wheelchair, was I could stick a 2 wheel(6"wheels) hull formed dolly onto the last 6" of the boat, hook the bow loop onto a carabiner on the wheelchair, and drag it around VERY easily(musta hit 20mph going down the boat ramp to the houseboats in Lake Powell:)
NICE compact design, AND the Bamboo ply looks great!! :D
Have fun with it G. ! Things DO look different, and you can see more things in detail from the water:)
scott
I've learned my lesson well. You can't please everyone,so you have to please yourself
R.N.

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mtylerfl
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by mtylerfl »

Tailmaker wrote:Some may have noticed that I usually do not post about decorative carvings but rather some mechanical and practical things. Here is another one...

So I designed a lightweight dolly that moves the boat but can be folded up and stowed in the kayak. It is made from bamboo plywood and weighs less than 2 pounds.
...
Fantastic design execution and functionality! You have a gift for creating such things!
Michael Tyler

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Tailmaker
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by Tailmaker »

Savannahdan wrote:......I'm almost like Scott regarding needing fatter tires. ...

Agree. But then it would not fold up as compact. So it is a compromise that works for paved surface, grass and hard dirt which is most of the required distances and good enough for my purpose. For sand and mud I will have to take the dolly off and drag it.

Savannahdan
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by Savannahdan »

Took another look at your design. I really like that it's foldable, compact. My dolly, with fat tires, takes a fair amount of space and there are times I feel uncomfortable putting them in the back of my truck. Not really ideal to take them with me on the kayak. Where did you get the bamboo plywood?

Tailmaker
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by Tailmaker »

Savannahdan wrote:.... Where did you get the bamboo plywood?
At a local lumber shop, Anderson Plywood in Culver City. But this dolly was made from some scrap pieces that I had left of a furniture project.
I like that it is strong and cuts extremely well, although I use it rarely nowadays since it is about 2-3 times the price of simple Baltic Birch plywood.

If it helps, I have attached the dxf outline of the components. The locking notch of the cross-bars is cut 2/10" deep. There are thin shims on top of the hinge barrels so that the 2 center bars are spaced sufficiently and the wheel arms can swivel freely. To prevent the 5/16" axle screws from breaking the plywood, there are four #8 screws to hold the ends of the wheel arms together.
KAYAKDOLLY.dxf
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Savannahdan
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Re: Lightweight Dolly

Post by Savannahdan »

Thank you for sharing the files. I might make a set of those and show them to some of the other kayakers. I really need to get out if only to try out my new fish-depth finder (Raymarine Dragonfly) and LiFePo Lithium battery.

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