how to DIY Custom Fit Box Anchor

[CrankyGypsy]

wanted to give the box anchor a try on my 2005 AR230 but also wanted to be able to store it in the anchor compartment without folding or banging around. i ordered (www.metalsdepot.com has always been good to me) the following supplies:

*4-ft of 1/4" x 3" hot rolled flat steel
*2-ft of 1/4" x 5" hot rolled flat steel
*2-ft of 3/8" diameter round steel bar
*few inches of 3/8" of quality rubber fuel line

you might want to scale your box lengths back a 1/4" to 1/2" from mine to make it easier to get in and out of the compartment. mine fits a little too perfectly into the compartment - i have to mind it not to scrape the gel coat getting it in and out.

i cut two pieces of the 3" flat steel into 12" and two more into 11.75":


butt them together and weld them so the box ends up being 12" square:

i have a 120v Lincoln Flux-Core welder - it doesn't produce the prettiest welds, but they will hold just fine for this purpose. i was also having a bit of trouble with a bad wind on my wire spool that caused it to feed poorly at times, adding to the ugliness of the welds. i replaced the spool when it ran out and things were fine again.

take the 5" flat bar and measure 1" from a corner on the long side. draw a line from this point to the opposite corner - this line is going to be the base of the first tooth (mark the base). from this second corner you just connected to, measure 4.5" along the length of the steel. connect this new point to the very first point you made - this should get you a scalene triangle. cut this triangle out and use it as a pattern for the next seven teeth. remember to mark the bases as you go to save guesswork:


once your triangles are done, measure a little over an 1" from the corner that is opposite the base. connect the two points with a line (it will be fairly parallel with the base). cut this small triangle off the top and round the tooth out. once attached, 4 teeth go one way and 4 teeth go the other way: bevel one edge of the base of each tooth a little bit (doesn't have to be a lot) so it is angled. this will leave a better edge for butting up to the box sides. again, be mindful that 4 go one way and 4 go the other way.

using a welding magnet, butt each tooth against the box at a 45* angle. place the tooth so that it sits at least 3/4" from the corner of the box (note pics). if you build it to be 11.5" x 11.5" you will only need to measure in 1/2". tack each tooth in and then check boat fitment before making the final welds. note in the last few pictures where the round bar goes to mount into the boat. do not finish these welds yet or you'll have to grind them back out.


to make the bracket for attaching the rope, i bent the round bar using a torch, sledge, and anvil (or vise). measure 1" and heat the bar to a crimson color - bend this to 45*. measure 2.5" and bend to 90*. measure another 2.5" and bend to 45*. then cut it 1" from this third bend. i used a corner of cardboard as a pattern to check my bends quickly. find the center line of the box side for this bracket and mark where the two 1" ends will go through. center punch and drill. i'm all about overkill, so i threaded the ends and added a nut before welding:


cut 2 pieces of the remaining round bar between 4.5" and 5" long. the interior edge of my boat brackets measure 14.5" - place the bar into the unfinished corners of the anchor and tack them in so they measure 14.5" from outer edge to outer edge. check for fitment in the boat. the anchor should hang inside the compartment without touching the hull. finish all of the welds:



i sealed the anchor with galvanized spray paint and it has been holding up pretty well:

i'm thinking of taking it to a local Line-X dealer for a more durable finish (the local galvanizer wants a $350 minimum order and i'm not going to bother calling around in an attempt to piggy-back another order). cut a couple lengths of the fuel line and slide them over the round bar ends. this will make them sit snugly and softly inside the boat brackets. i also padded the hull with four small pieces of hydroturf at the points where the teeth can make contact.

with a sandy/muddy bottom in fairly smooth water, it set fast and held sturdy. i got in the shallow water and gave it the line a tug while keeping my foot on the anchor to see how easy it was to lift ...it was in there nice and solid. very happy so far.

WEIGHT: 18 pounds

 

[jetboater4life]

Nice looking anchor you have there and thanks for the write up!

 

[Scottintexas]

glad to have you on board, thanks for adding this,

 

[woodard1983]

Did the same thing a couple of years go, didn't even think to do a write up though....great job!!!

 

[96Pirate]

Nice writeup! I might try adding the roundbar to my existing box anchor so it can hang and free up my ski locker.

 

[sysinu]

I've been thinking of doing the same thing for my 242LS since my dad is pretty good at welding... haven't gotten around to it yet though. Just a thought on galvanized vs Stainless Steel... would it be much more difficult to do this with stainless steel in your opinion? I just think that the smooth SS surface would clean off much easier.

 

[woodard1983]

Nice writeup! I might try adding the roundbar to my existing box anchor so it can hang and free up my ski locker.

box anchors won't fit, you have to modify the size to make it work for our anchor lockers

@sysinu, stainless is going to increase the cost substantially and you will have a lot more finish time getting the stainless "pretty"...it's very much doable, but i'm not sure necessary unless your in salt....I've had mine for a couple of years and there are no signs of rust whatsoever, used steel and then 2coats of rustoleum

 

[96Pirate]

box anchors won't fit, you have to modify the size to make it work for our anchor lockers

@sysinu, stainless is going to increase the cost substantially and you will have a lot more finish time getting the stainless "pretty"...it's very much doable, but i'm not sure necessary unless your in salt....I've had mine for a couple of years and there are no signs of rust whatsoever, used steel and then 2coats of rustoleum

Ok, Thanks @woodard1983 Was going to measure but I guess that's out of the question now. Mine folds, so I will need to rig something up with it folded. I removed it from the anchor locker because I have spider cracks like some others have had. Assuming those are from it bouncing in the locker.

 

[woodard1983]

do you have room to add padding inside the locker?? I put some gym mat down in mine to make sure I didn't have any issues...it's cheap and can be found anywhere from walmart to sports stores

 

[96Pirate]

do you have room to add padding inside the locker?? I put some gym mat down in mine to make sure I didn't have any issues...it's cheap and can be found anywhere from walmart to sports stores

When I bought the boat the box anchor was folded and laying in the locker. My initial thought was to put padding down and let it lay there. But for the time being I store it in the ski locker. (I dont use it much as the river anchor works well for me where I boat and is easier to use) I was really looking for a way to hang it first and if that didn't work i would lay the mat in or a combination of both.

Have you had any issues with the matting? Did you use the heavy gym mat or the foam type? I wasn't sure if there would still be issues with just using that.

Thanks

 

[Wayloncle]

Ok, Thanks @woodard1983 Was going to measure but I guess that's out of the question now. Mine folds, so I will need to rig something up with it folded. I removed it from the anchor locker because I have spider cracks like some others have had. Assuming those are from it bouncing in the locker.

I'd check to see if it fits before assuming it won't. I ordered one thinking it wouldn't fit but it slides into my '09 230 anchor locker perfectly while locked open.

 

[txav8r]

Let me give you guys a few hints. If your going to go to all the trouble of making this anchor, at least use the dimensions and sizes that are used in the box anchor. It is the way it is for a reason...mass. Your not going to hold the boat well with 1/4 plate. That is the reason that the box anchor uses 3/8" plate on the side pieces and 1/4" on the ends with the flukes. They don't weld all those flukes the setup takes way too long. They bend them. Also, notice how this sits in his locker...no way that the arm fits on the anchor and the door closes. And the arm...it is 5/8" round. You need all this mass to control the anchor and replace a chain, and you need the thicker side plates to produce mass. I suggest you reverse the holding pins to the opposite end of the anchor and allow it to hang upside down, that way the control arm is out of the way and doesn't have to be detached each time. Good luck on this, I have built a few of these...many are still in business. And yes, @sysinu a ss box anchor will set you back over $300 easily. Also, like @CrankyGypsy says, you can't make a pretty weld with 120 amps...you can't even weld that thick of metal with it and know it is 100%. But it will tack for sure...just can't fill the voids and make it permanent.

 

[sysinu]

Not asking so much what a SS anchor will set you back I know it will be expensive... just wondering if it will clean off easier than galvanized. Right now, that's my biggest issue with anchors overall is what I have to do with them after I pull them up.

 

[CrankyGypsy]

@txav8r, i don't use the control arm. but you're right, if someone wants to, they would have to move the hangers or make the arm removable. i personally like the bracket on top for lowering it in. i also realize there's certainly been some serious R&D in these things - i didn't set out to make a replica (i'm not that good of a fabricator. haha). i just wanted something that worked that would hang in the locker, and this is exactly that. i'll make it a point to buy a scale today and post the weight. i believe the Small Box Anchor is about 11" square, weighs 19 pounds, and will hold a 30' sport boat.

unfortunately, when i decided to buy this welder 10years+ ago (it still looks/works like new), 120v was my only option as i lived in an apartment. upgrading is on my list, but not at the top since it still does the jobs i have for it.
as for 120v only being able to "tack" 1/4" and leaves voids: i disagree. the welds aren't pretty because it doesn't have gas. using the word "consistent" in my original post was a poor choice (i deleted it). my welder can run either MIG or Flux-Core. i choose Flux-Core because Flux-Core can do 1/4" at 120v where MIG cannot. the downside is that it splatters and can get ugly sometimes. this has nothing to do with thickness, just the nature of the beast. besides, the way my anchor is done, every edge gets welded on both sides. i've used this welder to mount shock-shifters to the axle on my Rubicon (among other things) and ran it over some nasty rock gardens - the brackets have taken direct hits and not budged. this anchor will hold together just fine and there are no welding voids. had i not had that bad spool in my welder, the welds would have been much nicer.

 

[jetboater4life]

@txav8r, i don't use the control arm. but you're right, if someone wants to, they would have to move the hangers or make the arm removable. i personally like the bracket on top for lowering it in. i also realize there's certainly been some serious R&D in these things - i didn't set out to make a replica (i'm not that good of a fabricator. haha). i just wanted something that worked that would hang in the locker, and this is exactly that. i'll make it a point to buy a scale today and post the weight. i believe the Small Box Anchor is about 11" square, weighs 19 pounds, and will hold a 30' sport boat.

unfortunately, when i decided to buy this welder 10years+ ago (it still looks/works like new), 120v was my only option as i lived in an apartment. upgrading is on my list, but not at the top since it still does the jobs i have for it.
as for 120v only being able to "tack" 1/4" and leaves voids: i disagree. the welds aren't pretty because it doesn't have gas. using the word "consistent" in my original post was a poor choice (i deleted it). my welder can run either MIG or Flux-Core. i choose Flux-Core because Flux-Core can do 1/4" at 120v where MIG cannot. the downside is that it splatters and can get ugly sometimes. this has nothing to do with thickness, just the nature of the beast. besides, the way my anchor is done, every edge gets welded on both sides. i've used this welder to mount shock-shifters to the axle on my Rubicon (among other things) and ran it over some nasty rock gardens - the brackets have taken direct hits and not budged. this anchor will hold together just fine and there are no welding voids. had i not had that bad spool in my welder, the welds would have been much nicer.

It's an anchor who cares about looks! I'm sure it functions well too assuming it has the right weight to it.

 

[woodard1983]

It's an anchor who cares about looks! I'm sure it functions well too assuming it has the right weight to it.

agreed, the most daylight my anchor has ever seen is the day we made it...since then it sees no more than a minute of sunlight each time we try to use it....it's solid and holds us in place...that's all that I need

also, to the OP...we used 1/4" all the way around on ours and it more than holds our boat and many others when we are tied up w/no issues, you already said it above, but I will second it...you really don't need to be concerned about not using 3/8" on the sides

 

[Julian]

Not asking so much what a SS anchor will set you back I know it will be expensive... just wondering if it will clean off easier than galvanized. Right now, that's my biggest issue with anchors overall is what I have to do with them after I pull them up.

If/when I pull up my anchor and it is totally coated in clay, I will lower it back in the water 3-4 feet down and put the boat in drive and let the anchor wash itself. A minute or two like this and its nice and clean! Just don't go too fast, you don't want it hitting the boat....

 

[txav8r]

That's what I do @Julian. But I dangle mine about 10' deep and run in the first no wake mode setting. 2-3 minutes it's clean.

 

[CrankyGypsy]

got around to weighing my anchor today: 18 pounds (no arm or chain)

 

[txav8r]

I'm not doubting you here, but you might want to check the scale for accuracy at that weight. I have built over 40 of these and mine weighs just under that with a 13"x5/8" control bar, 3/8" sides, and 1/4" ends and flukes...same size.