April 2015

April 15,

April has brought warmer weather and a lot of rain to Alabama.  It's a good thing I'm building the boat indoors.  I did manage to get the garden in on one sunny weekend so the rain has been welcome.   As for the boat, I've made it to a major mile stone for me.  Exactly half the hull planking is installed.  I have one layer on the port side and 3 layers on the starboard side.  I'll post a few pictures soon.

One issue that I had to deal with is warped plywood.  It seems that there are a few sheets of poorer quality plywood in the middle of stack.  When I use the  machine to cut the scarf joint, the warping would cause a corner to lift resulting in a crooked cut.  I mitigated this a bit by lengthening the hand clamp so that it helps hold that corner down.  This helped.  Hopefully, I used up all the warped plywood and I can get back to the nice straight pieces I had before.

The next step is to build the scaffolding for the port side and start laying down the next two layers.  Money is short right now so that might have to wait a bit.  I can safely start the fourth layer on the starboard side at the aft end of the boat.  It is the bow that will have to wait until both sides are even.  This will keep me working until I can through a few hundred bucks at the scaffolding.

This is an older photo just to remind people what we are doing here.  Right now, it's difficult to take nice pictures.

April 19,

Sanding, sanding, more sanding and trimming.  Getting that starboard side 3rd layer complete.  I also spent most of Sunday building scaffolding for the port side.  I scavenged quite a bit of lumber from all over my shop and was quite surprised to find out how much I have.  I was able to build about half of what I needed and even have the first walk board in place.  I have 2X6's dropped down from the ceiling trusses and anchored to the boat jig by a 2X4 or strip of plywood.  The anchor wood will keep the 2X6s from kicking out.  See the picture below.

Picture showing the scaffolding being built on the port side of the boat.  The blue of the RGB is not operating in my phone camera at the moment and the batteries in my other camera were dead.  I thought the image was kinda cool anyway.

The starboard side of the boat having just finished the third layer of  hull strips.

The filler keel strake temporarily laid in place.

These customized clamps have proven invaluable for temporarily holding the strips in place while marking them to fit as well as the final installation.

Scaffolding on the port side being installed.  The first walk board is in.

March 2015

March 8, 2015.  

We are still having cold weather in Huntsville Alabama in March.  Instead of gluing more strips on the hull which is difficult in the cold weather, I decided to start tackling the keel filler strake.  On this boat the keel filler strake is just 3/4" plywood filling the gap where the hull panels meet at the keel.   I will have to cut and fit plywood into this pocket.  The following images detail how I will do this with the first short (4 foot) section.

This is an image of the keel pocket that we will need to fit the 3/4" filler strake into.  This image is facing the stern.  I have hammered nails along the edge of the pocket.  I then clipped off the heads of the nails so that they are all around the same height but more importantly the top of the nails are now sharp/

I then place a the piece of plywood that I want to cut to size on top of the nails.    The piece of plywood is rough cut to size.  This particular one came out of my waste pile and was about the right size.

I then take a wooden mallet and tap the wood pushing the cut nail heads into the wood.

I removed the cut nails and nailed them lightly into the piece of plywood where they previously made indentations in the wood.  A wooden batten can then be held against the nails and a pencil mark is scribed along the batten.  I use a spring clamp holding the wooden batten against the nail.  This gives me an extra hand.

I use drywall screws to hold the marked piece of plywood in place  since there is not enough room to use clamps.  The piece can be cut using a jigsaw or circular saw if the curve is slight enough.  In this case it was but I had to clean it up a bit using a sander. 

Drill a hole where the bolt and nut are and tap the piece in place.  Vola!   it fits.  There is a bit of waste on the left that will have to be trimmed.  

This technique will work very well in this situation.  I will wait until most of the hull is finished before installing the filler strake but it's nice to know I have worked out the details needed to get the job done.

And, here are the next two pieces loosely fitted into place.  I'll label these and store them until the at least all three layers are installed on the entire hull.

I also managed to take care of some things that I have put off such as trimming out the bow planking where it meets the sheer clamp.  I needed to make sure that there was enough bulwark to work with and the bow sprit will still work.  It was also a bit difficult to trim the planking because it was so near the floor of the shop.  The sawzall with a fine blade came in handy here.

Bow port side.  

bow starboard side.

March 15

The first nice weekend we have had in quite a while.  Temperatures reached 70 F.  As with any first nice day for a while there were a lot of things that needed to be done around the house.  I did manage to put in some solid hours on the boat however.  Three more strips on the hull and getting pretty near the transom.  This is the third of four layers on the starboard side if you've lost count.

An image of the stern showing the transom (right).  A few more strips will finish this  although I still have to run out the  bow.  Notice the 'Orbs' in this and the next image.  People like to attribute these to supernatural phenomenon.  In reality they are dust particles near the lens of the camera illuminated by the flash.  I had just finished quite a bit of power sanding only a few minutes before this photo.

A slightly different shot of the above image.

March 28

Well the weather has very nice here in Huntsville Alabama for a few weeks but it has gotten cold again this weekend.  Temperatures are dropping into the 20s (F) tonight and did not get far into the 40s (F).  Nevertheless progress on the boat has been made.  I have finished the third layer of the hull strips from where I started on this side all the way to the transom.  I started as far forward as I could manage for this layer because it is much easier to progress in the direction that the next strip lays on top of the previous one as opposed to pushing the strip up to meet the previous one.  So I still have the bow area to finish but I have made some progress on that as well.  Being that it is so cold this weekend (for using epoxy at least), I have kept busy performing a back log of sanding and trimming.

The third layer is complete for the port (right in the picture) side of the hull.   I also have done quite a bit of sanding;  taking ridges and bumps out.  This is evident from the darker areas around the seams.  Sometimes it is necessary to cut past the first layer of ply and the second layer is always a different color.  This does not concern me too much since this plywood has seven layers and is 1/4" thick.  One layer of ply is therefore only 0.036".  You need to be careful because some plywood is made up of different thicknesses of veneer, this plywood is suppose to be composed of identical thicknesses of veneer.  This, in actuality, is only true to a point.   I've actually found quite a difference in the quality as well as thickness in this marine grade ply I purchased.  Dealing with these difference is just another joy in the process.

I used the technique above to make two more pieces of the filler keel strake as well.  I put pictures of that work up where the others were so as to make a complete story.  I made one mistake with the nail technique which cost me a small piece of plywood (probably can use it elsewhere - waste not want not).  Be careful when you place the blank on top of the cut-off nails.  One of my nails was bent in resulting in a dimple in the finished piece so I had to remake a piece.  It was, thankfully, a short piece and I was able to use the bad piece as a template rather than go through the entire process again.

One not about mistakes.  Mistakes happen.  Sometimes they happen a lot.  On days like that, it's best to put your work up for the day and try again.  But when you do make a mistake, fix the mistake and don't make work arounds if at all possible.  I've learned from experience that it is always better in the long run to stick with the plan and remove the mistake even if it initially costs you a lot of time.

January-February 2015

It's a new year and I'm ready to make some progress on the boat.  The weather is the only thing keeping me back.   I have competed two layers on one side and half way through the second layer of the other side.  Finishing this layer will mark the half way point in this phase of the project which started July 1, 2013.  By this account, I should finish the lamination of the hull by July 2016.  A good goal and plenty of time to save for the next phase which is fiberglassing and painting the hull.  Never pays to get too far ahead in this kind of project though.

January 11, 2015

It's now January and mostly too cold to work with the epoxy.  I have determined that 50F is the minimum working temperature although the epoxy requires 40F in order to cure properly.  Below 50F, the epoxy is just too thick to spread efficiently and metering out of the container takes a long time.  Being that I'm located in Alabama, there are opportunities to work during the winter, so I work when I can (See January 2016 where I have figured out a way to make this a little easier).

February 28, 2015

I've found a little time to work on the boat while the temperature is barely above 50F.  Actually there is no way I could do any major work on the hull because the epoxy is still very cold.  I did, however, do a bit of catch-up sanding on the hull and was able to scarf together some more strips in anticipation of warmer weather.  Things are going to get spring-like in Huntsville Alabama very soon in spite of the 10 inches of snow that fell a few days ago.  Here are some pictures to bring you up to date on the build.

This is a slightly skewed image but I was trying to get a picture of the scaffolding that I work off of on the starboard side. These are 10 inch boards about 10-12 feet long.  I will need to build scaffolding for the port side as well and this is on the do very soon list.  

Just another view of the bow from the top of the bottom of the boat.  Notice the scaffolding on the left side of the image.

The latest work looking toward the stern.  This is layer 3 of 4 on the starboard side.  I've just given the last three strips a good sanding today.  There is no need for the nail boards or nail pads anymore since the hull is now thick enough to fully bury 5/8" long staples.  I do not need to remove them from the work as long as they are stainless steel.

Another view but further back.  The new layers are on the right.  I'm trimming the pocket for the keel filler strake as I go.  

A view of strips being scarf joined together from the top of the bottom of the boat.

November 2014

Work continues on the hull.  I now have two complete layers on one side and one layer on the other.  I have stainless steal staples on order and need to build scaffolding for the other side (port) of the boat.  In the mean time I have been doing a lot of finishing touches such as making sure that the planking meets the keel just right so the filler strake will fit.  I have also trimmed the planking along the starboard gunnel.  There was faring that needed to be performed along the bow and I managed to get that to a point where I was happy with the results.  Other minor efforts included filling open spaces where the planking met at the bow.

The starboard side that I just almost finished is on the left (boat is upside down).   In this photo I had not completed the sanding of the second layer.

January 11, 2015

It's now January and mostly too cold to work with the epoxy.  I have determined that 50F is the minimum working temperature although the epoxy requires 40F in order to cure properly.  Below 50F, the epoxy is just too thick to spread efficiently and metering out of the container takes a long time.  Being that I'm located in Alabama, there are opportunities to work during the winter, so I work when I can.  One third of the starboard 3rd layer has been installed.  

May/June 2014

May has seen the first layer of the hull completed.  Only 3 more layers to go.  I need to take some time off from the boat construction to build some scaffolding around the hull so that I can get to all of the surface.  Those longitudinal battens where great to climb on but now they are covered.

I have a few places that will need to be faired and some light sanding to do.  But, there is no changing the hull now, it's fixed.  The subsequent layers will pose new challenges, no doubt, but it feels good to have the difficulties of laying the first layer behind me.  No more edge gluing.  No more making sure the plywood edges line up and are fair.  No  more blocks of wood screwed and stapled across strips (well there will be different blocks of wood, probably scrap plywood squares around 2").

A view from the keel.

The last few pieces are put into place.

April 2014

Hull construction continues as I finish up the rear half of the port side first layer.  I have decided to start a tool section of this blog since I know people are curious about the tools I use and how well they hold up.  Hopefully I'll get something started in the next few weeks.  More pictures of a few more strips on the hull seem kinda boring to me.  I'll continue posting pictures of mile stone events and difficult sections.

February/March 2014

This month I tackled installing the keel bolts.  These are stainless steel threaded rod with nuts on both ends that run through the keel and floor boards.  They are to be installed on all floor boards that are not getting bolts for the ballast keel.  The ballast keel will be installed latter and it will have its own bolts.  Drilling a straight and true hole 20 inches deep is tricky.  You can not rely on your ability to hold the drill at the correct angle.  To get this right I made a jig at every hole to help me drill straight.  The following images will give you an idea of the procedure.

The first thing I needed was a vertical reference.  I clamped this square stock in place and made sure it was vertical with a level.  Make sure to check two orthogonal sides.  This requires an iterative approach because when you adjust one angle, the other invariably is effected.   

I then take two small pieces of wood, one shown above, and place one end on the centerline of where the hole will be.   I then mark where it intersects with the vertical square stock shown on the left.  I make two of these.

I, then, clamp the small pieces of wood to the vertical square stock, one a few inches above  where the hole will be and the other 6-8 inches further up.  Make sure that the pieces are clamped so the mark aligned with the vertical square stock.

With the drill bit in the drill, I can align the bit with the small pieces of wood.  The pieces of wood do not actually touch the drill bit but I can site along them keeping a constant distance between the wood and the drill bit.  You will have to check at an angle so you can keep the space between the bit and the wood constant at the same time you keep the two spaces the same.

Carefully start drilling.  Take your time and clear your bit often.  What I mean by clearing your bit is lifting the bit out of the hole so the wood chips are removed.  If you do not clear the hole as you drill, the bit will bind and will not cut clean.   It will also be harder to keep your alignment.

I also finished the first layer of the cold molded process on the port side.  The following images detail the final stages.

Here, I am getting excited about finishing this side.  The changing hull shape in the last section makes fitting the strips a little tricky at times but the ready access (no ladder or climbing) makes the work go quickly.  I've started marking the strips where they end at the stem and precutting them.  I get a much better result this way.  I lay a pencil flat against the opposite side of the stem and make a mark across the strip after it is clamped in place.  This way I cut the strips where they would meet when the other side is installed.  This will actually result in too sharp of a point at the step bit it gives me the liberty later to decide how to shape the underside of the stem.   I also put a few lines across the previously installed strip onto the clamped strip to ensue that I can easily and quickly align the strip once I lay the epoxy down.

Working on the bow has other challenges as well.  The longitudinal baton twist and change shape radically at this point.  They do not necessarily have the same shape on both sides due to the fact that the lumber cut from different logs with different grain have different properties.  Having two batons laminated does mediate this a little since you end up getting contribution from both although the first baton seems to dominate since it is fixed.  This has required me to laminate thin pieces of wood onto the batons where they do not quite match from port to starboard as well as perform some radical sanding of the batons.  It won't be perfect but it should not be noticeable or affect performance.

I've used quite a few blocks to make sure the hull is fare in the bow.  I also resorted to a few other tricks to ensure the hull is fare such as screwing temporary blocks to the underside to take out bulges and dips in the strips.  I've left the last few strips uncut because they were awkward to place.  This allowed me some freedom in the installation.  Notice how the strips get narrower as the curves get more aggressive.  

Blocks removed, stem cut to shape and some rough sanding performed.

And I've started to make progress on the starboard side of the boat.

Well, I have made some progress on the starboard side of the boat.  Unfortunately there is a wall a few feet away from the gunwales  that prevents me from getting good pictures but I'll try to keep the readers updated.