Taped and seamed through cabin.
31 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Yesterday, Saturday, I got the after half of the cabin taped and seamed. Today, Sunday, I got all the rest done inside the cabin except where the temporary form is located.
Ready to fillet and tape.
As explained in the video, I was able to bring the bilge panels flat to the bulkhead using these 2×2′s.
The screw through the bilge panel in the middle of the 2×2 pulled the panel flat. This trick probably won’t work for the next bulkhead where the span is shorter and the curve more pronounced.
Still shot of fore-cabin all taped up.
I am hoping to get wales spliced up this PM if all goes well.
Un Abrazo,
Bill
Finally got something done!
10 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
After three weekends in a row on call, I finally got a weekend to work on the boat….not! Turns out I had to spend a day re-doing all the bathroom fixtures I had chosen a few years ago as a surprise for Rebecca. So I ripped out all the expensive brass fixtures and fittings and installed cheap chrome ones. I still don’t understand it….
Anyway, I did get a day to start working on the boat. This is this morning’s offering.
- Preping for aft compartment taping.
- Aft Compartment taped
Yeah, I know, not too impressive, but it has been a while since I did this work and it took time to get back into the swing of it; plus I got a late AM start. If it does not rain this PM I hope to get another compartment done, or more.
Un Abrazo,
Bill
Saturday Evening
12 Jun 2011 2 Comments
After the rain and a rest, I clipped wire ends and duct taped seams for flipping over. Only took 3 of us to do it fairly easily by rolling and sliding on a 2×6 then placing saw horses.
Upright, on the horses and oncoming water view! I love that flair Jim!!
Aft quarter view.
Front quarter.
High shot.
Just for fun!
Un Abrazo,
Bill
Saturday Rain break
12 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
Photos to follow are from this AM and till it started to rain. Poor lighting as I had everything under the tent.
After I marked and cut the port bilge panel, except for the front 3 feet or so, I had to figure out a way get the previously installed bilge
cut to the centerline of the “V” bow. I ended up clamping a straight wooden lathe to the bottom c/l mark and pulling it down to mark the panel. Seemed to do the trick.
Another view for clarification of method.
This is a shot of the totally stitched up hull as it began to rain.
In the previous photo and this one, you can see some of the methods I used to try and tame that 3/8″ ply. In the end, I have decided to add a thin crescent of ply to the Bulkhead 1.5 and allow the curve I showed in a previous post. I can’t see the harm, and the hull “looks” fair to me. In a photo to come you can see a slight split/de-lamination from the strain even with the curve.
I was able to finish marking the Port bilge after that and got it all fitted and stitched in. Note that the bow joint is actually a half-lap instead of a corner to corner/bevel. It just turned out that way and I decided ti keep it though a very slight distortion may be there.
The final product shown to it best advantage. That plate on the left is to force tht bilge to conform to the shape of the hull. Plastic to prevent it sticking as I tape up the inside. I have a wood post I added on the bulkhead where the 2 bilges and the bottom meet. I simply had to have screws to pull those bilges down to the shape. I won’t be able to tape up inside at that spot, but after the outside is done I will remove it and finish taping.
Un Abrazo,
Bill
June 11, 2011 ; even more bilge!
11 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
I marked the inside edges of the starboard bilge panel, removed it, cut on my marks, and reinstalled it. Not as good a fit as I would have liked, but never over 1/4″ gap, so no problem.
Lets start with the worst case. This gap is 1/4″ at most, so it will cost me some extra thickened epoxy, but that is OK. Note that there is also a thickness change from 3/8″ to 1/2″. It is not as bad as it looks. As with all my photos, you can click on them to see a larger version.
And here is as good as it gets. A nice long run of corner to corner. After looking at the original markings from Jim’s plans compared to my final marks, I think his numbers are pretty good, but if your hull has ANY twist/mis-alignment, that spoon/V bow looks like it would bite! So a little extra is probably better…
With the bow pulled in almost all the way, the 3/8″ bilge does not want to conform. The first two bulkheads have this type of space between them and the panel, about 1/2″ on this one. Twisted wire just won’t do it, even with a screw to help. See photo below.
Here you can see how hard I have tried to get that panel flat to the bulkhead. I think I may take a measurement and see if Jim wants to add the curve to the bulkhead drawings. The panel looks nice and fair from the outside with the curve. I MAY have to do this, but maybe the method in the next photo will work.
Peeled back to show what I am trying. First on the wood, a very damp thick cloth, then a layer of plastic sheeting, then a heating pad, then a doubled over dry towel. I am hoping that the hot wetness applied over a couple of hours will allow me to pull the bilge home. If not, I will add a ply arc to the edge of the bulkheads as needed and use tape/fillets to bond.
I also got the port bilge spliced last night, and got it fitted and cut except for the bow where the starboard bilge needs to be wired in before I can fit this one. It is a much better fit than the other one. Imagine that! I will continue tomorrow.
Obligatory long shot showing the starboard bilge panel wired in from a distance.
Un Abrazo,
Bill
June 10th 2011 “Progress”
11 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
OK, so I didn’t get too much done today! But it is my 64th birthday after all. And it was mostly a Boat Building Birthday, so it was an exceptionally good one! I had to play nice and go in to party with family for a while, and all that heat and work hit me (surly the bourbon had nothing to do with it!) and I went to bed early.
But on to the “progress” such as it was. Jim Michalak advises that you cut out the bilge panels 1″ oversize on his designs and adjust to fit as needed. I have never done this before on the several I have built and they have always fit just fine. But with the “V” bow on D’Arcy Bryn I thought I might compromise and did cut them out 1/4″ larger all around. Saturday AM I will crawl under and mark the starboard bilge panel and see how close it really was. A quick look from outside tells me Jim was pretty muck right on once again. I will report further Saturday PM.
As you can see from this and following photos, the fit is pretty much 1/4″ over size barring a couple on small exceptions; and I might have been able to reposition the panel to correct that.
I did make the “tail” out to the full sheet length as well-allows for a lot of “twittling”.
I haven’t pulled the tips of that spoon bow in all the way yet. That 3/8″ ply resists torturing stiffly. I may have to apply some wet and heat to persuade it to conform just right…
Thats a shadow, not a gap; though there are two short spots where I will not have to cut anything off at all.
The bilge panels are the hardest part of this whole build, though the “Barndoor” hatch I have devised for the slot-top may approach this level. We’ll see…
Un Abrazo,
Bill
OVER A YEAR GONE – BUT HERE WE GO AGAIN! June 9, 2011
09 Jun 2011 5 Comments
I have neglected to update this Blog so this post will cover several days over several weeks in an attempt to catch up. (As always, click on photos to see enlarged.)
Sides laid out, cut, and placed on ground; note helpers all around!
4 pieces of sides on ground; better view.
Splicing on the pool pong table again!
All frames and bulkheads out and ready to go 3D at last!
Step one: Attach sides to center Bulkhead.
This was all done by myself, so it took longer and a bit of thought to get done.
Some time later, all together and looking like a boat. A BIG boat!
Here is a shot of the bow anchor well. Funny looking anchor...
Flipped and 1st layer of 1/2" ply placed on top.
Note the Palace is back for the Atlanta heat. I have been warned by Stan (Family Skiff, Texas) that alignment is more critical than usual due to the “V” or spoon bow hull form. So before I glued those bulkheads in place (screwed in only at this point), I decided to put the bottom on and get all the parts centered on the bottom center line.
Detail showing copper wire "stitching".
1/2" ply bottom will be butt spliced when subsequent layers are put on, so for now I used two 1/4" splice plates top and bottom. More copper stitching visible.
Back upright so I can get all square and level, and proceed to glue it all up.
Screws taken out from stern to center bulkhead so glue can be applied and then screwed back up using previous holes as a guide so every thing remains lined up.
When all screws were taken out of both sides, I used this jig to hold rear bulkheads in proper position till I was done.
All glued up and drying. I hope to tape/epoxy the bulkheads to the bottom this afternoon.
Un Abrazo,
Bill
