Hi all,
I'm getting back into the new boat project after a couple weeks away on a paddling trip. Here are some more pix of what is going on.
SettingUp01.jpg: The bottom is laid across a low workbech and temporary side braces (scrap 3/4" plywood) are nailed to the bench to define the mid-section of the boat. Side panels are clamped to the temporary braces and wired together at the bow. The forward bulkhead is tacked in place, and transom wired onto the bottom. Shortly the sides will be pulled in and wired to the transom, and tbe aft bulkhead tacked in.
AllWiredUp01.jpg: And it looks like this. Here the chines have been wired together and everything adjusted & tightened up, and we are getting close to the final hull shape. Rocker and sheer curvature are determined by the pre-cut panels so no further support or temporary forms are needed.
AllWiredUp02.jpg: Another view. Note flat spots in sheer in way of fiberglass splices in these 2 pictures, disadvantage of the fiberglass butt splice. It will partially fair out once the sheer battens go in but looks like being a pain to get really smooth for gloss paint.
BowWiredUpDetail.jpg: Closeup of the temporary wire fastenings at bow & chine. I used 12-gauge copper wire left over from a house wiring project. Too heavy really, 16 ga would be fine if it was on hand. Tried some plastic wire ties in lightly loaded areas but don't like them, not as easy to tighten or adjust.
SternWiredUpDetail.jpg: Ditto for stern.
CuttingSheerBattens.jpg: Low tech shop. A short straightedge clamped to the circular saw's base and you can do as good a job as a table saw. These sheer battens are triangular in cross section to save weight and allow fiberglass to wrap over the inside easily.
SheerBattensGoIn.jpg: Here they are installed with epoxy, a few clamps & lots of temporary screws. Sheer looks nice & fair now, and the hull is fairly rigid. After this I syringed a bead of thickened epoxy into the inside of the chines & other joints to lock everything solid. Once hard and sanded a little to knock down any blobs or splinters, I can go ahead with glass taping the chines and bulkheads. This installment has covered the most fun and fastest-paced part of the whole project. After this it is going to be a while before anything exciting happens, but the work that follows will be important for the boat's strength & longevity, so can't be rushed.
More to follow in due time...
Matt