I have a large canoe (approx 17 feet long and 4 feet wide at the middle) and more often than not I am the only one physically able to move it (at least until the wee ones get bigger MUH HAHAhahahaha).
It probably weighs close to 100 lbs empty. I can pick it up and carry it but it is really awkward due to its size. add in the paddles, trolling motor and battery, fishing gear, etc etc. and it gets tough to portage without risking damage to the bottom.
This instructable is geared towards making a cart to handle my canoe. For a Kayak or smaller canoe you could scale it back to 3/4 inch PVC to make it lighter and smaller.
It probably weighs close to 100 lbs empty. I can pick it up and carry it but it is really awkward due to its size. add in the paddles, trolling motor and battery, fishing gear, etc etc. and it gets tough to portage without risking damage to the bottom.
This instructable is geared towards making a cart to handle my canoe. For a Kayak or smaller canoe you could scale it back to 3/4 inch PVC to make it lighter and smaller.
Step 1: Tools needed
-fine toothed saw, or PVC pipe cutter
I originally started with the Hacksaw but it was taking forever. I switched to the miter saw and it made the cuts drastically faster and the cleanup of the cut ends was not to bad.
I Do not recommend using any type of powered saw to cut the pipe
-utility knife or file to remove any burrs from the PVC after cutting it
-Drill and assorted bits ranging up to a 1/2 inch bit
-PVC Primer
-PVC cement
-rubber Mallet (not pictured)
-Hot glue gun and glue sticks
-Fine grit Sand Paper or 00 Steel wool to rough up the PVC surface before painting
-Spray paint designed for plastic
I originally started with the Hacksaw but it was taking forever. I switched to the miter saw and it made the cuts drastically faster and the cleanup of the cut ends was not to bad.
I Do not recommend using any type of powered saw to cut the pipe
-utility knife or file to remove any burrs from the PVC after cutting it
-Drill and assorted bits ranging up to a 1/2 inch bit
-PVC Primer
-PVC cement
-rubber Mallet (not pictured)
-Hot glue gun and glue sticks
-Fine grit Sand Paper or 00 Steel wool to rough up the PVC surface before painting
-Spray paint designed for plastic
Step 2: Gathering parts
- (2) 10 inch solid tires
- (1) 10 foot section of 1.5 inch PVC pipe
- (4) 1.5 inch Tee connector
- (2) 1.5 inch clean-out plug
- (2) 1.5 inch female adapter
- (4) 1.5 inch end cap
- (2) 1/2-13 x 4 Hex cap screw
- (4) 1/2-13 hex nut
- (6) 1/2 hardened flat washer
- (1) 10 foot section of 1.5 inch PVC pipe
- (4) 1.5 inch Tee connector
- (2) 1.5 inch clean-out plug
- (2) 1.5 inch female adapter
- (4) 1.5 inch end cap
- (2) 1/2-13 x 4 Hex cap screw
- (4) 1/2-13 hex nut
- (6) 1/2 hardened flat washer
Step 3: Measure twice, Cut once
If you are using a ratcheting PVC pipe cutter realize that the cut is not going to be straight so you will need to square the cut for maximum hold when you cement it
decide what the dimensions of your cart are going to be before you start cutting.
remember to take into account not only the length of the adapters you are using but also the amount of the pipe that fits inside the adapter when you cut you pipes to length.
A good rule of thumb is that whatever the diameter of your pipe is, that is roughly how deep the pipe will seat into the adapter. But that is not always the case. The female adapter will only seat .75 inch of pipe, not 1.5 inches.
decide what the dimensions of your cart are going to be before you start cutting.
remember to take into account not only the length of the adapters you are using but also the amount of the pipe that fits inside the adapter when you cut you pipes to length.
A good rule of thumb is that whatever the diameter of your pipe is, that is roughly how deep the pipe will seat into the adapter. But that is not always the case. The female adapter will only seat .75 inch of pipe, not 1.5 inches.
Step 4: Wheel Assembly
Originally the reason I chose to assemble the wheels this way instead of using a single axle through the body of the cart is that the home improvement store i went to did not have a threaded rod shorter than 5 feet.
A nice side effect of building it this way is that if I need to use a different set of wheels (for instance: Fat pneumatic tire for crossing sand ), I can take off the entire assembly and screw on a new set of wheels to the cart.
Use a straight edge and draw lines from corner to corner diagonally. Where the lines intersect is the center of the square.
Start with a small bit and work your way up progressively until you Drill a 1/2 inch hole into the square of each of the clean-out plugs.
The smaller the increments you increase the bits by the smoother the drilling process will be. If you try to jump up too much at once you will gouge out too big of a piece and it will jam up possibly shattering your clean-out plug
Assemble the Wheel assembly
Bolt
Washer
Wheel (apply grease to the bolt at this point if you opt to use it)
Washer
Clean-out plug
Hot glue filler ( to help waterproof the assembly)
Washer
Nut
Nut
I added teflon tape to the threads for smoother mounting.
A nice side effect of building it this way is that if I need to use a different set of wheels (for instance: Fat pneumatic tire for crossing sand ), I can take off the entire assembly and screw on a new set of wheels to the cart.
Use a straight edge and draw lines from corner to corner diagonally. Where the lines intersect is the center of the square.
Start with a small bit and work your way up progressively until you Drill a 1/2 inch hole into the square of each of the clean-out plugs.
The smaller the increments you increase the bits by the smoother the drilling process will be. If you try to jump up too much at once you will gouge out too big of a piece and it will jam up possibly shattering your clean-out plug
Assemble the Wheel assembly
Bolt
Washer
Wheel (apply grease to the bolt at this point if you opt to use it)
Washer
Clean-out plug
Hot glue filler ( to help waterproof the assembly)
Washer
Nut
Nut
I added teflon tape to the threads for smoother mounting.
Step 5: Body Assembly
Dry fit all parts to make sure no adjustments need to be made.
once you are satisfied pull it all apart and start to prime and cement it together.
When working with smaller length parts it Helps to have a rubber mallet to get the part fully seated before the cement fuses the parts together.
(yes that is a tub buried in my back yard ... no I didn't put it there)
once you are satisfied pull it all apart and start to prime and cement it together.
When working with smaller length parts it Helps to have a rubber mallet to get the part fully seated before the cement fuses the parts together.
(yes that is a tub buried in my back yard ... no I didn't put it there)
Step 6: Time to make it puuuuuurty
rough up the PVC with the steel wool or sandpaper
apply paint.
another perk of the detachable wheels .. easy to hang up the assembled parts for painting.
apply paint.
another perk of the detachable wheels .. easy to hang up the assembled parts for painting.
Step 7: Finishing touches
A pool noodle added to the construction serves two purposes.
1) it makes a nice padding
2) it offers an added degree of floatation should your cart find a way out of the boat (thanks kids)
I was fortunate to find a pool noodle with and 1.5 inch inner bore so i didn't have to cut it to attach it to the cart.
A few bungee cords ( not pictured) to keep the cart firmly attached to the bottom of you canoe or kayak and you are good to go.
1) it makes a nice padding
2) it offers an added degree of floatation should your cart find a way out of the boat (thanks kids)
I was fortunate to find a pool noodle with and 1.5 inch inner bore so i didn't have to cut it to attach it to the cart.
A few bungee cords ( not pictured) to keep the cart firmly attached to the bottom of you canoe or kayak and you are good to go.
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I actually saw a guy who built one of these from copying one from a retail store but his wheels were wonky. If I see him again I'll let him know about your Instructable.
Congratulations on winning the contest, and thanks so much for posting!
One of the really nice things about this project is that it can be assembled in a single afternoon (even less time if you don't have to run all over town for parts and take pics to post up online hehe)
If anyone knows where to get the pool noodles from, I would really appreciate it. I have googled for 'Super Wacky Noodle' and can not find retailers.
Thanks - enjoyed your instructable!
Hope this was helpful :-)
I found the noodle at dollar general, but I have seen them at other discount retail stores as well.
I love the kickstand idea.
Awesome job!!
The kayak I was designing around is about 13 feet long and 35 pounds, based on this tutorial [http://tinyurl.com/334poz] But I also have a bamboo one that I might want to try and stack on the same cart. It's about the same length, but a few pounds lighter.
So, I should go with 3/4" pipe for the single cart, and larger for the harebrained stacking idea?
I don't know how well it will do for the two stacked ... you might need to step up to 1 inch pipe for that.
The 1.5" that I used is able to handle the canoe that I have (approx 100 lbs) and all the gear (including a trolling motor and a deep cycle battery to run the motor) that I take on a trip no problem.
I'm guessing with all 3 boats and gear, we're about 125lbs load. The only change I made was the axle.
I ran a piece of all-thread all the way through the axle pipe and caps, then used nyloc nuts to secure it. Washers, wheels, more washers, and more nyloc nuts secure the wheels with just enough tension to not wobble but still roll freely.
I haven't noticed any deflection in the axle from the load.
Also, as an alternative to the foam noodles, I used bicycle handlebar grip tape. It seems to "grab" the bottom of the boat nicely and still give a bit of protection.
look forward to seeing pics when you finish your cart.
I will be adding a larger piece of pipe to stiffen up the bottom cross member. Have to find one that fits reasonably well over the 1-1/2" sch 40 connectors.
Other tricks for cutting would be flexible hacksaw blades or a 14" chopsaw; which cuts up to 6" pipe with ease.
Good instructable overall!
I just set the cart under one end, secure it with a tie down, and pick up the other end and roll along on my way.
For now I an still using my 40lb thrust trolling motor with my canoe. I am still on the lookout for a small (somewhere between 3-7hp) reasonably priced outboard.
I still can't figure out how the justify charging more for a 5hp motor than they do for a 25hp motor.
thanks, i am very proud of this ible (it was my first one)
Will add an image or details later on what I find for the proper pipe size to stiffen things up.
For your motor needs, watch craigslist for your local area; or craiglook.com to search multiple locations. I've seen canoe motors go for about the same price as electric motors in my area. Good luck!
I tried checking craiglook and it appears that criagslist took it down :(
no worries .. I will eventually find what I need. good things come to those who wait :)
Attached are two pictures of the finished cart. I found that the 1-1/2" fittings don't fit well inside of 2" pipe without major sanding of the fittings, so I had to utilize 2-1/2" service entrance pipe. I did not want to reduce the strength of the fitting. There is a gap that still needs to be filled, I think I will go with expansion foam to add to the buoyancy. I also have not put on any foam insulation or floater sticks, yet.
Another thing that I did, although I didn't get any pictures of the process or end result was to take a piece of 1-1/4" pipe and my belt sander to get another singular piece of pipe that fits inside of the 1-1/2" pipe snugly along the entire length (hub to hub). It took about 15 minutes with some 50 grit paper to get the outer diameter of the 1-1/4" pipe to fit within the 1-1/2" pipe properly.
I have put the canoe back on the cart with the same load that I mentioned above and there is little to no deflection noticeable compared to how it was before. Increasing the cross sectional area has really helped.
Have you thought of using golf bag trolley wheels? They are very lightweight and have a wide "footprint" which helps in loose sand and soft soils.
let me know what you think .. just right? ... too much?
I have used a Skil saw to cut larger PVC Works great up to about 4 inch diameter.
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