The fender designed in this project appears to work much better than those currently available with the added benefit of taking up much less space. It is also easier to deploy and position onto the available dock poles. I intend to continue developing the design in the future and will be keeping some of them on the boat as a permanent addition to the fenders we have. Depending upon the amount of interest from other recreational boaters I may also make a few more to sell.
Month: March 2020
Update 2
Another prototype was created using a foam pool float with some 3D printed pass-throughs for the belt. The foam was cut to the same dimensions as done previously and 4 slits were cut vertically in each corner for the pass-throughs. The 3D printed parts were then installed and a belt with a buckle was threaded through two of them and sewn to the buckle.
Findings:
The upgraded design worked better than the first and was easier to secure to the test pole than the first. It held on tight and had the advantage of the stickiness of the thin rubberized coating to prevent it from sliding up and down the pole. Other findings:
- The rubberized coating is too thin on the outward-facing side and could be easily torn.
- The foam isn’t quite as tough as that used previously and probably won’t last as long under constant wear.
- The cut edges should be sealed to prevent waterlogging
- a different type of buckle should be used as the current one is challenging to tighten around small poles.
Next steps:
A few modifications could be made to the current fender to improve some of the issues shown such as applying a rubberized coating to the outside and replacing the buckles used.
Photos:
Cutaway design of inner and outer strap connectors:
3D printed pass-throughs (right) and bird guards for bow poles (left):
Raft foam used to make prototype:
4
Cutting raft foam to size:
Closeup of strap:
Testing of the finished fender on pole:
