The current specifications have been both been set by dad and the aesthetics of the project.
Specifications:
- The goal is to match the general construction aesthetics of Georgian homes. The patio of my parents house has matte black steel roofing mounted at a low angle. I plan on using the same roofing as the house, and match the angle of the patio.
- My parents are unsure if they will stay in there current home for an extended period of time so the plan is to make the make the structure removable from the concrete foundation we will use for the posts. We will most likely recess a sleeve into the concrete that the posts will slide into and be fixed with bolts.
- To make the project somewhat dynamic the arms will be removable for the boat holders and able to slot in at various heights along the boat. Different configurations are going to be important given the various equipment being mounted to the rack.
Constraints
- The goal was to get the structure to fit within the two windows shown in the image below. This lead to a lot of the governing dimensions for the project.
- Another major constraint is the dimensions of a sheet of ply. To mount the roofing we plan on using a stock 4’x8′ sheet so the width of the roof can be no longer than 8′
- The general amount of wood being used on the design is a constraint given that we will be using scrap from other wood working projects. 6″x6″ posts
- There are series of governing dimensional constraints on the kayak’s and canoe we plan to mount on to the rack. Notes from a design consultation with my dad are shown below.
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Hey Peter, what a great and practical project! I think it is a great idea to make sure that this Kayak Rack matches you parents house. With the distinct light and dark colors of the house, something that didn’t match would stick out a lot. As far as your specifications and constraints go, I think they are all reasonable and wont stop you from completing this project.
This is a cool project! It’ll be interesting to see how you end up making the structure removable from the concrete structure so you can potentially take it with you if your parents move in the future. How many kayaks are you planning on storing on the rack? This is likely another spec of your project. You mentioned that a constraint is the amount of wood you can use for construction because you’re using scrap wood – why are you opposed to purchasing additional material? Is cost a constraint as well? It’ll be cool to see how the final thing turns out based on these specs and constraints.