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Rick Reid Pictures Page 3

The Hidden Cooler

Isn't it nice to have a cold can of soda or a couple sandwiches in the boat? But, having that big cooler in the way stinks. I cut the top of the front seat off and removed the styrofoam. Leaving a good-sized lip around the seat, it made for a nice 13"x 28" hole. I made a box out of thin aluminum sheeting that fits into the hole. It has a 1" lip around the top, so the box won't drop into the hole. I didn't screw the box to the seat, this will allow you to remove the box, to load, unload or clean it. The Heat

You can never have too much heat when wearing waders. I don't know what that 1000 grams of Thinsulate means, but it sure is expensive. I put the propane tank out on the rack off the back of the blind and ran a flexible hose into the motor compartment. The hose is connected to a piece of copper tubing that runs down the side of the boat through the support spar. There is a "T" fitting behind the rear seat, in front of the rear seat and in front of the middle seat. The "T" fitting has an adapter that is threaded to accommodate a Paulin heater head. There are three of them all-together, and they are all tilted slightly to the floor. This will warm your feet, and as they say, "heat rises."

The Covering

I shopped around and found some 026 Aluminum sheeting for $30 per 4'x10' sheet. This stuff is super thin and very light weight. I sprayed my frame and the backside of the sheeting with rubberized undercoating before fastening the sheeting. This will eliminate vibration, keep the sheeting from sweating and serve as a sealer. After applying the undercoating, I painted over it with lighter colors to break it up a bit. The sheeting is covered with "Fast Grass," which is attached with bungee cords and screwed to the sheeting wherever possible. And to break it up a bit, I added a few Willow trees.

As you can see, I have done everything I could to utilize space, save weight and make this blind as comfortable as possible. I hope you enjoy this blind as much as I do. Feel free to use my design for your own. If you need exact dimensions, feel free to contact me.(515) 264-1284 (home)
(515) 256-8370 (work)
E-mail: rreid1@earthlink.net