So once most of the parts were cut out and assembled, I assembled the building frame which is shown below. It doesn't look like much, but it is level in both directions and very sturdy and solid. Each one of the cross stations has a specific height which corresponds to the bottom curvature of the boat. Once the garboard plank is fastened on top, it will set up to the final curvature. Further additions of planks, keelson, stringers and bulkheads will end up holding the shape.
 |
| Building jig/frame. I see a nice bonfire in the future. :) |
In a previous post, I talked about cutting out the bottom plank. Below is a picture of what it looks like before fastening onto the frame. The plank will be held in place to its shape by a few temporary drywall screws that will be removed when the time comes to flip the boat.
 |
| Garboard (bottom plank) laid on top of the frame. |
 |
| Front view of the same thing. The curves look pretty fair. |
 |
| I tried taking a picture close to the edge. It's hard to get a feel for the sheer (curvature) of the board...but it looks nice. |
Once the plank is positioned and fastened on the frame, I spent some time lining off centerlines, bulkhead stations, and stringer positions. I also pre-drilled and counter-sank holes on the bottom of the plank for securing the keelson. The photo below shows the keelson being glued to the bottom plank. I used white oak...a wood that has a very pleasing heft and solid feel to it. It's also highly resistant to rot; not that that will be particularly important as it will be encased in epoxy by the time I'm done with it.
 |
| Further proof that you can never have too many clamps when building a boat. Work has stopped until the epoxy sets up because I don't have any more bar clamps! |
I had to crawl under the boat to drive all the stainless screws that hold the keel in place. At this point, I have to say, I'm pretty glad that I build the frame at table height. I have a feeling I'm going to spend some more time underneath there, so it's good that there's a little room to maneuver around. I ain't as spry as I used to be!
 |
| View from stern looking forward. |
 |
| Side view. Here you can get a better feel for the curvature of the bottom. |
Next up, fitting the seat bottom stringers, cutting the centerboard trunk slot, epoxying the entire bottom of the boat, and fitting the stem.
This is all bringing back some very fond memories for me. One suggestion (hope you don't mind): use your router to round over the sharp edges of pieces (like your keelson for example) before you glue them in place and can easily reach them, instead of after. Especially stringers. Saves a lot of time and frustration vs trying to round them later.
ReplyDeleteHey Thanks Joel. I was wondering about that. Not really sure which edges should be rounded over and which shouldn't. What's the "rule"?
ReplyDeleteI like to round over all edges (unless they're going to be buried in an epoxy fillet). Sharp edges get damaged very easily. The slightest bump will put a dent or nick in a sharp edge. Paint gets scraped off the sharp edges easily too, exposing the wood to moisture. Paint sticks to a rounded corner much better. Sharp edges are also uncomfortable, or even painful, against your skin. It's difficult to fiberglass over a sharp corner. My little handheld trim router and an assortment of different sized roundover bits was one of my most used tools.
ReplyDelete