Sunday, February 20, 2011

Post 8 update

I buggered up with a lot of the photos so will take some time to get it all settled down but the build continues so here is some of today's photos ...
OH and the auto lawn-mowers have returned but only 5 so we may have lost a few.
YES that is the sides on just need a day or so off .
If you get Tennis Elbow building and sanding a boat is that called Boatitis of D'a elbow ?

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Post 7 Start of strongback

As i said in the start all I am building this boat on is a bench so the next step has to put some strength into it so the ply will not flop all over the place.
So I start with a section of the 12mm ply sheet 400mm long by the width of the sheet 1200mm.
On to this I have glued and screwed a 1/4 round section (4 of these sections will produce a round pole that is 2in (50mm) across ) so that is the size when I put it on the sheet I allowed a bend into the center so that when it is in place on the bottom of the boat there is a small 1/4 in (6mm) concave.
The plan is that the boat becomes it's own strongback.



I also gave it a Tumblehome, This 1 is very pronounced as it is centered on the center of the bottom of the sheet, if you would like you can go straight up for the sides ( this may make the gunnel a bit weak as there is no strength in untorched ply) or if you like a less curve run your Tumblehome arc from the far side ..(again this may be weak).
OK the reason for the small concave in the bottom is that it is harder to lift the boat out of the water due to the suction of water until air gets in, (get a bucket ,dunk it in water turn it upside down and then lift it out of the water it will get heavy until it lets air in to replace the water)
It may not work on this boat (but it may help in a slight breeze when sailing to stop it tipping over as much) may be just a waist of time .
So now here is the next bit of may or may not work bit of dribble,...I am not putting the transom at the rear of the bottom sheet I am putting it with the 1/4 round section 1in (25mm) back from the end of the sheet that is the bottom.
Reason is that as a boat with a square to bottom transom moves along the water passing under the boat will jump up at the transom and hold the boat as it forms small eddies (in my theory that holds the boat back) so this trailing edge may just get rid of my perceived problem. (tell you when I get it in the water).
Blog is playing up so will post photos later if this saves...

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Post #6 the teardrop build

http://mikenchell.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32207&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

That project took a bit longer than this will (I HOPE)

post 5

You will notice from the last post that the sides of the sheet of ply were precut before I did the Bow stitch and glue.
I got the shape by using some of the Meranti (12 x 25mm) lengths that were to become the minor keels, I did clamp a length along the side of the bottom sheet for about 1/2 the distance from the Aft then bent it towards the center until it was about 300mm from the now cut section at (F), drew a line ( again some lofting ) cut this section off and just placed it on the other side and copied it and cut off the other side,.This is only a rough cut as the timber length will be later glued and screwed on to the bottom and then any overhang of ply can be removed.So now I will put on the Main keel

Saturday, February 12, 2011

post 4

So now , because of post 3 you know where I am aiming .
Now back to that bit of stitch and glue.
so when you have all the bits of copper twisted off ,cut off any excess copper wire, now get 2 hammers put one under each wire join and tap with the other on the top so that you flatten the wire into the wood a BIT then put some masking tape along the bottom of the joint and then I used this after wetting down the joint.I used a spray bottle to get the joint wet gave it a few seconds and then just ran the glue along the joint after a while it starts to foam up and even pushed the tape on the underside away from the joint.This will go off hard as nails but will cut and sand and paint.

post 3

Friday, February 11, 2011

2nd post

OK I put a few photos of this boat build on my Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1842760746879&set=a.1842753706703.135402.1176411887#!/profile.php?id=1176411887
Dam that's a big www.spot.Now there is no Strong back to build this boat on, the idea is that the bottom sheet of ply when cut and braced with the keels will hold the whole thing together .
I have a work bench to build on it is an 8ft x 4ft deck (bench) but it is only as high as my knuckles on a closed fist.
Let me explain.. A Blacksmith uses an anvil to work on and the height of his anvil top is equal to where his knuckles would be on a closed fist with his arm straight down his side, so stand up straight put your arm down the side of your body close your fist and where your knuckles are is the best working height for any bench you need to work on,..E.G. best height to place a bit of timber to hand saw at ( get a set of saw horses and they will be very close as they are made at an average mans height to his knuckles) Now you may be a bit shorter or even a bit taller than what some saw horse maker feels is average but you will be close.
Anyway enough dribble.
Take 1 of the 4mm sheets of ply and find the centre line lengthwise give or take a smidge and draw with a straight edge a line down the middle of the sheet. photo above is wrong as it should say 601mm to the side. (not sure where I got the 300 from)
Next find a spot next to the line and at 1 end write (F) now you have the Front end of the sheet or BOW.
Now from the (F) on the line mark a spot on the line 600mm back down the sheet.
Get out a saw and cut this line from(F) to the spot 600mm down the sheet.So I missed the photo of the saw cut (sorry).
next put a small nail into the point where the cut finished and then back at (F) put a nail 150mm either side of the line (that's where the 300mm came from) now take a thin bit of wood longer than the length between the nails at(F) and the nail at the end of the cut, (this bit of wood has to be flexible) draw a straight line from the nails find the center of the line from the centre point mark a point 12mm towards the center line of the sheet (where the saw cut is)then replace the bit of timber and push the center of the timber (where the center of the line is )and bow it until it touches the point 12mm out now run a pencil along what is a new line (giving you a small curve, do the same on the other side again drawing the new curve line.
Now cut along both of these new lines (jig saw or in my case a Japanese saw Very Flexable)).
Now as you can see in the above photo you cut off 150 mm right across the sheet at the (F) end.
next get some strong cable ties and drill 6 holes down what is left of the main sheet first is 50mm from (F) and the next 2 are 100mm apart.

Make the holes just big enough to take the zip ties.
Pull the sheet up so the two cuts meet, pull up the zip's and bingo you have a nice little curve up to the bow of your hull.
I then got some fine copper wire and drilled a series of holes next to each other either side of the join, cut the wire into small sections (lengths) and just put either end of the wire up through the holes and twist tight with a pair of pliers.
and it now looks like this..