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“It was my first welding project since I retired. I bought a welder for hobby jobs - I use to weld in a job I had when I was 16/17 years old. I always enjoyed it and decided to take up some metal fabrication as a hobby when I retired.”
When winter rolls around at the lakeside cabin, ice is a dock’s worst enemy. All that slow, crushing power Mother Nature dishes out can make a costly mess of things. That was reason enough for Kevin to build his dock buggys; these help remove his floating docks in the fall before the big freeze hits, and help re-install them in the spring once the ice is gone for good. Looks like it does the job exceptionally well!
Great project, Kevin. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Q: What is it?
A: Two 4-wheeled flatbed buggys that can travel up and down a marine rail using an AC power winch. I needed to find a way to get my floating docks out of the lake that has a rocky-sloped shoreline. The two 16-foot floating docks are hinged together (total of 32 feet long x 10 feet wide).
A: These allow me to float my cottage docks onto buggys, secure them in order to pull them out of the lake in the fall using a power winch, and lower them back into the lake in the spring. The buggys are chained together.
Q: What is the main power source for your project? (e.g. electric motor, gas engine etc.)
A: AC 3000 winch, with an electric barrel type switch.
Q: What design/build challenges did you face, and how were they solved?
A: The project went as planned. I didn’t have any problems. I purchased a used marine rail and boat cradle. I converted the boat cradle into a flatbed buggy and fabricated the second buggy from various metal and wood products I purchased.
A: I fabricated a mount and cover for a winch, and attached it to the end of the marine rail which I use to lower the flatbed buggys into the lake, float the docks over the buggys, fasten them to the buggys, and pull them out of the lake in the fall and lower them back into the lake in the spring.
A: I used a stick (arc) welder, grinders, drills, 1-1/2 inch square tubing, 1 inch square tubing, 1/4 inch plate steel, 3/8 inch round bar, heavy-duty eyebolts, marine rail wheels, and 2x6 cedar.
Q: If you had to build it again, what would you do differently?
A: Nothing. The system works great.
Q: Which Princess Auto location do you visit most?
A: Newmarket, Ontario