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Five Reasons Premier Pontoons are the Best Made Pontoons on the Market

Premier Marine is one of the boat industries top pontoon manufacturers. And the reason is simple, Premier's philosophy is "building a better boat starts at the bottom." Here are 5 reasons why Premier makes one of the best pontoon boats on the market today.

Heavy Duty Tubes and Nosecones - Premier starts with heavy-duty 0.90 gauge aluminum multi-chambered 23" to 27" tubes as well as.100 gauge aluminum two-piece hydrodynamic nosecones. And their splash deflectors are integrated into the tube, not welded on. This ensures the strongest possible structure. In addition, oversized heavy-duty M-brackets attach the pontoon to the boat deck which offers greater strength and stability. A feature I found interesting is the tube vents prevent the pontoon tubes from filling up with water if they get punctured.

Crossmembers - Premier uses 16-inch on-center Z-channel crossmembers on it's tubes which are bolted to the M-brackets with stainless steel fasteners. While the industry standard is 24-inch, Premier Marine uses 16-inch on-center crossmembers to dramatically increase stability by preventing racking and twisting of the frame. They also use extra Z-channel crossmembers to support the strongest all-aluminum transom in the industry.

Superior Rails and Gates - The railing and gates systems are secured to the deck using patented rail spacers to allow for faster drying of the deck and carpet. An industrial-strength silicone caulk is applied to each panel to ensure a quiet ride. Two heavy-duty hinges, with a similar design and strength as a heavy-duty home door hinge, keeping the pinch-free gates stable and strong. Premier also as released a new color scheme in 2010 featuring black colored doors and siding that looks great. Look for other pontoon manufactures to release a similar look after following Premier's lead.

Decking - Premier attaches a 7-ply, 3/4-inch pressure treated marine grade plywood to the frame using an average of 10 stainless steel Tekfasteners per crossmember. That's more than 300 on a 25 foot pontoon. Unlike pre-drilled decks that are bolted, which allows water to leak through the frame, Premier's Tekfasteners are attached with high-speed drills directly into the Z-channels, generating enough heat to sonic-weld the fastener to the frame. The decks are then sanded, filled and leveled for a smooth surface to adhere the high-quality marine grade carpeting.

100% Wood-Free Furniture - Premier's lifetime warrantied rotocast furniture has been covered with a stain-resistant NANO Block vinyl since 2008. The seat bases are built with a rotocast that's lighter and stronger than wood for increased durability. They use an integrated drainage system to allow water to easily flow off the seats. Most importantly all of the furniture including our captain's seats, couches and fishing chairs is guaranteed 100% wood-free. While most other pontoon manufacturers claim to use wood-free furniture, it's not uncommon to find wood hidden in their seats, backs and bases.

Here are just 5 reasons Premier Marine makes a great pontoon. Check out my next article which will highlight all of the fun features and options on a Premier pontoon boat.

About the Author

Learn more about Premier Pontoon boats from my favorite dealer - Riverview Sports in Elk River, Minnesota. You can reach Les at 612-236-8402 or email him at riverviewsports at aol dot com. I have bought two pontoons from Les over the years and his prices are unbeatable on premier pontoons.

Using rivets to join pieces of metal in jewellery making is a great alternative to soldering as it can be done by anyone with the most basic of set ups. Formally termed cold connecting because of the lack of heat involved, all you need to rivet a piece is the metals involved, and either some wire or tubing, and some basic silversmithing tools.

Wire Riveting

To wire rivet you will need to following:

Your pieces of metal you wish to join

A drill with fine drill bits

Wire of the same diameter of your drill bits

Asteel block or anvil

A chasing hammer

Step 1

Drill a hole through both pieces where you with to join them. Its easiest to do this if you dimple them first so the drill bit doesn't slide around during drilling. Use a pointed punch to tap in the dimple.

Step 2

Cut a length of the wire to about 2mm longer then the combined thicknesses of the metal pieces you are joining. Sand the ends with 400 grit paper to remove any burrs. Pass it through the holes you have just drilled, and set the piece onto the steel block.

Step 3

Gently tap the rivet with the flat end of the chasing hammer until the end starts to splay out. Be careful not to do this too hard or too much, as this will cause the rivet to bend. Turn the piece regularly and keep tapping the rivet until it is securely fixed in place.

Thats it, your first rivet. As with any new silversmithing technique, its best to practise this on scrap base metals until you are happy with your skills.

Tube Riveting

To tube rivet you will need to following:

Your pieces of metal you wish to join

A drill with fine drill bits

Tube of the same diameter of your drill bits

A steel block or anvil

A chasing hammer

A flaring tool

NB - a flaring tool is a metal tool like a punch, which is tapered at one end and flat at the other.

Step 1

Drill a hole through both pieces where you with to join them. Its easiest to do this if you dimple them first so the drill bit doesn't slide around during drilling. Use a pointed punch to tap in the dimple.

Step 2

Cut a length of the tube to about 2mm longer then the combined thicknesses of the metal pieces you are joining. Sand the ends with 400 grit paper to remove any burrs. Pass it through the holes you have just drilled, and set the piece onto the steel block.

Step 3

Gently tap the tube rivet with the flaring tool until the end starts to flare out. Be careful not to do this too hard or too much, as this will cause the rivet to bend. Turn the piece and repeat on the reverse until both ends have flared.

Step 4

Using the ball end of the chasing hammer, tap the rivet until it lies flat against the metals you are joining. Again, you need to keep turning the pieces and working evenly on both sides until the rivet is smooth and flat.

And that's how to tube rivet. Simple really. The main difference between a wire rivet and a tube rivet is that a wire rivet is solid, whereas a tube rivet has the hole from the tube down its centre. In can create an interesting industrial look, and you can combine sections of tubing with wire rivets, using the tubing as a spacer to create depth and texture in your work. All that you need is a little imagination, and some practise. Enjoy!

Magpie Jewellery is a great website with a huge range of beads findings and jewellery. We import all our stock direct from the manufacturers to get you the best prices. Magpie Jewellery is a great resource site for jewellery designers, beaders, hobbyists and beginners, with free beading patterns, great beading articles and loads of great products.

Visit us now at http://www.magpiejewellery.net

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