Mold Help Needed

[keithleslie]

I'm looking for information on creating a mold for a small, one-man, fiberglass boat. I already have a boat and wish to make the mold or find someone to make it. I live in the south carolina area and would appreciate any help.

[goodwrch]

I may beable to help you, email me, goodwrch@bellsouth.net

[gonzo]

Stealing someone else's design is illegal and badly seen in this forum. Many of us make a living from designing or building boats from a design we paid for.

[JEM]

Yea you're running on a slipery slope doing that one.

I have a client and now good friend in Florida that wanted to do something like you're doing. He had the boat he wanted but didn't want to run into legal trouble. He did want something longer, a little wider, more freeboard, and geared toward kayak fishing more. So we took the basic concept of the hull, added a bunch of extra ideas and I designed one from scratch (no taking measurements from the original hull) for him. The new hull resembles the orginal but that's about it. So ethically I feel just fine.

We came to a simple agreement about selling from my design. He made the hull via stitch and glue, went to work with some bondo to make some nice round curves (he'll never float the original hull). He's now making a female mold for it and has a couple orders already. He'd probably help you but I'm not sure what he might charge.

I also know of someone local to me who could make you a mold for about $800-$1000 from a hull and does very nice work. He's out in the country and runs his operations out of a cinder block building. From the outside it looks like a fiberglass junkyard. Go inside his building and he's doing things that are just amazing. But he won't make it without permission from the designer or you'd have to have your own boat built.

So what I'd say is contact the designer and ask. You'll probably get a "no" but it doesn't hurt to ask.

I'll put you in contact with the guy in Florida or the guy local to me in NC if you have your own design or permission from the designer.

[keithleslie]

Well the boat was built in 1983 and now i cant find any information on it at all..I would never want to do anything illegal :( Or to even hurt anyone for that matter..I just want to take a design that i loved as a child and build it..if i could find the guy i would just try to buy the mold from him(That would just be awsome.. i was told i could make changes to the existing boat andan make a legal mold..maybe i heard wrong. But the boat itself hasnt been built in over 20 years.

[JEM]

Well the boat was built in 1983 and now i cant find any information on it at all..I would never want to do anything illegal :( Or to even hurt anyone for that matter..I just want to take a design that i loved as a child and build it..if i could find the guy i would just try to buy the mold from him(That would just be awsome.. i was told i could make changes to the existing boat andan make a legal mold..maybe i heard wrong. But the boat itself hasnt been built in over 20 years.

Well that is a new twist! ;) What brand/make is it? Drop me an e-mail if you'd like.

[gonzo]

If it is built in 83, the first three letters of the HIN identify the builder. NADA and the Blue Book list adresses and phone numbers of builders. If it has gone out of business, the design may not have an owner.

[keithleslie]

Thanks guys:) ill look into it.. MAybe the guy just feel off the face of the earth :)

[BOB KAEMPEN]

I am an expert mold builder keith. Please E-mail me if you still need some help.
crkaempen@yahoo.com

Bob Kaempen

[jeffkubu]

Did you ever get your mold built??

[magnum_7706]

when ya build the mold make 10% changes in the plug, its perfectly legal.

mail me back i can help magnum_7706@yahoo.com