I'm thinking of building a cat frame using Speed rail fittings. I have read a lot of the post on MB but haven't seen anybody talk about where they buy them. Any advice on where to purchase? Any unexpected things people ran into when building a frame with these? Thanks
Speed-rail
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
Joined
·
1,954 Posts
speed rails
I built a cataraft frame for my 18 Aire.
This was my second frame.
I looked at a bunch of options including speed rail.
Ended up spending a bunch of calls to Clyde at NRS over several months.
Finally agreed on the exact setup and Clyde delivered all the parts from NRS stock, some he custom fit. Used it for a number of years with zero issues.
I could have done a lot of research on my own and saved a bit more money. It was super easy to do the entire deal with NRS.
I built a cataraft frame for my 18 Aire.
This was my second frame.
I looked at a bunch of options including speed rail.
Ended up spending a bunch of calls to Clyde at NRS over several months.
Finally agreed on the exact setup and Clyde delivered all the parts from NRS stock, some he custom fit. Used it for a number of years with zero issues.
I could have done a lot of research on my own and saved a bit more money. It was super easy to do the entire deal with NRS.
You can get them from DRE and Riverboat Works here in Colorado for basic t fittings and elbows. The guy at rowframe.com makes his own T-fittings and they are half the price. The best place on the web I have found for all speedrail fittings is here BuyRailings - Hollaender Speed Railings
Joined
·
556 Posts
You can call/email Todd at Star Inflatables..
864-836-2800
www.starinflatables.com
![]()
F1 knuckle $10.95
They have a vew different styles. I have some on the way for a cat frame I'm building. Haven't used them before, but I wanted to try them because they are predrilled for a pin & I wanted to build a small frame I can take apart/put together quickly & easily.
864-836-2800
www.starinflatables.com
They have a vew different styles. I have some on the way for a cat frame I'm building. Haven't used them before, but I wanted to try them because they are predrilled for a pin & I wanted to build a small frame I can take apart/put together quickly & easily.
Joined
·
2,191 Posts
You can buy them from hollaender just $100 min order. If you know what you want you can piece together all the misc parts as they stock them all
I dont care much for the divots they leave in your pipe so you might want to only use them in fixed parts of your frame
I would do a dual rail frame. Add some Nrs yokes, but not at the ends just one bay in from the ends. That will give you stiff enough drops without worrying about the speedrail grenading.
The inner rail will need to be inside enough to clear the bend in the yoke (maybe 12"). but this will give you a nice deck surface.
Use a few smaller crossbars on the inner rails that are nrs crossbars so you can slide them easily as you make mods to your frame. These crossbars will be 48" so you might want to just order the lopros
I dont care much for the divots they leave in your pipe so you might want to only use them in fixed parts of your frame
I would do a dual rail frame. Add some Nrs yokes, but not at the ends just one bay in from the ends. That will give you stiff enough drops without worrying about the speedrail grenading.
The inner rail will need to be inside enough to clear the bend in the yoke (maybe 12"). but this will give you a nice deck surface.
Use a few smaller crossbars on the inner rails that are nrs crossbars so you can slide them easily as you make mods to your frame. These crossbars will be 48" so you might want to just order the lopros
Joined
·
554 Posts
They work good, really good, just be sure to drill and put a long bolt through the inside of the outside four corners - - that way you're not relying on allen scews to keep the frame from "spreading out" side to side. If you secure it side-to-side that way, then it won't come apart front-to-back either, coz the "90 degree L" at each corner keeps it all together. Then your cross bars - - and I'd go with 3 of those, to make a 4-bay frame out of it, i.e., 1 bay rower sits on, and put anything you want there, drybox, cooler, drop-bag with lid, 1 bay for rower's legs, and don't make this any bigger than it needs to be, 2 more bays for anything you want, i.e., dry, cooler, drop bag, in any order, although drybox in the middle seems to work good, yadayadayada!
Yeah! I like the Holleander Speed-Rail frames! Totally "customizable!"
Yeah! I like the Holleander Speed-Rail frames! Totally "customizable!"
Joined
·
146 Posts
Yeah they are cheap and adjustable, and the NRS are expensive, adjustable, and heavy but I'd still go with the NRS especially if you're just figuring out your set up. Like mentioned before the speed rail will mare up your frame, but if you ever wanted to.. say have one less bay in front of the rowers bay and move it to the back you would have to take a lot of things apart instead of just the two ends of a cross bar like with the nrs fittings. If you do go with the speed rail don't crank em down unless you're pretty sure that's where you want them. FWIW
Joined
·
554 Posts
Gumbydamnit! I love you man! but here's what I'll say about the ol' worry bout' leavin' marks on your framey tubes - - who cares!!!!! 90%of folks out there I run into have a frame, and they have a frame, and they have a frame, and if they set up how they like, it stays that way . . . . . the ol' "adjustable" concept is OK, but not as useful as it sounds! Whooooeeeeee!!!! Let's drink some whiskey and talk about river gear! Yeeeehaaaaaaa!!!!
Joined
·
1,954 Posts
For what it is worth, I have had "custom" welded frame and two self designed NRS material based frames. The NRS setups have been the most used and custom setups by far.
Went thru all the discussions we are having here IE on NRS, the Down River type setups and what ever.
As mentioned above I ended up going with NRS stock parts. Number one being they are one stop and quality. They are adjustable out the yeng yang. Again, for what it is worth the ability to make adjustments with the turn of a socket wrench is awesome. You can take a basic NRS frame and make it longer with a special fitting. I did and it was bomber. I have a bud with a sotar cat and a little gas saver vehicle. He did his NRS frame and along with marking the bar locations with tape and a battery powered drill motor with socket attachment will put his frame together in a matter of minutes. Rolling up the parts after the trip and putting them inside his little gas saving micro truck. On one of my frames I did gear hauling and also set it up for day trips with rowers. Same basic frame I would just swap out parts.
The thing about boat frames is most all of us have ideas and will debate pro and con endlessly. Bottom line tho, the adjustability, strength, quality and variety of frame parts NRS offers (yup, there is a price you pay for this, but the parts last decades) makes them a good deal for those of us without work shops or buds with welding setups.
Went thru all the discussions we are having here IE on NRS, the Down River type setups and what ever.
As mentioned above I ended up going with NRS stock parts. Number one being they are one stop and quality. They are adjustable out the yeng yang. Again, for what it is worth the ability to make adjustments with the turn of a socket wrench is awesome. You can take a basic NRS frame and make it longer with a special fitting. I did and it was bomber. I have a bud with a sotar cat and a little gas saver vehicle. He did his NRS frame and along with marking the bar locations with tape and a battery powered drill motor with socket attachment will put his frame together in a matter of minutes. Rolling up the parts after the trip and putting them inside his little gas saving micro truck. On one of my frames I did gear hauling and also set it up for day trips with rowers. Same basic frame I would just swap out parts.
The thing about boat frames is most all of us have ideas and will debate pro and con endlessly. Bottom line tho, the adjustability, strength, quality and variety of frame parts NRS offers (yup, there is a price you pay for this, but the parts last decades) makes them a good deal for those of us without work shops or buds with welding setups.
Joined
·
146 Posts
I would at least pin the four corners.
Joined
·
2,191 Posts
Pins help and the hollaender setscrews bite pretty good into the aluminum. Other setscrews not so much.
I'd only run the 6061-t6 temper for pipe as the t-1 will deform from the setscrews requiring you to retighten frequently and ovalizing the tube. If you pin i'd seriously consider reinforcing the inside of the pipe with some 6061-t6 tubing whose OD matches the ID of the pipe
I made a couple of 10' paddle cat frames using the 3/4" fittings and they have held up well. Of course this doesnt support much weight or the stress of an oar tower
I'd only run the 6061-t6 temper for pipe as the t-1 will deform from the setscrews requiring you to retighten frequently and ovalizing the tube. If you pin i'd seriously consider reinforcing the inside of the pipe with some 6061-t6 tubing whose OD matches the ID of the pipe
I made a couple of 10' paddle cat frames using the 3/4" fittings and they have held up well. Of course this doesnt support much weight or the stress of an oar tower
Joined
·
520 Posts
NRS all the way. I have both speedrail and NRS on my frame. there is no comparison. End of story.
Speedrail fittings are essentially unadjustable. If you loosen them and want to slide the bar/rail to a new position you need 2 people and a sledgehammer. They come loose every few trips....i tighten my NRS fitting every few YEARS.
Blah Blah Blah....NRS may suck....Blah Blah...but definitely not their fittings.
Speedrail fittings are essentially unadjustable. If you loosen them and want to slide the bar/rail to a new position you need 2 people and a sledgehammer. They come loose every few trips....i tighten my NRS fitting every few YEARS.
Blah Blah Blah....NRS may suck....Blah Blah...but definitely not their fittings.
Whatever happened to creating your own design. I think building something with your own hands and building it reasonably is a fair way to go. Not everyone is made of money especially these days and they have to start somewhere.Avatard said:
Joined
·
482 Posts
The guy in Greeley has tees for $5.50 and they are way better than the NRS tees that spin when stressed. Thats 1/3 the price of NRS
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!