Tiller Slot

I felt like I needed to cut out that tiller slot before painting, so I tackled that last night. I used a 2” hole saw, jig saw and some sandpaper. Dumb me did some poor math in my head (remember your math teacher insisting you check your work?). My first two holes were an inch too close. So to cut another two holes. I made a guide to hold my hole saw in place, since I was only cutting out part of a hole. Worked pretty well. 

I also tacked down a guide when I did my jig cut. 

After an hour and a half it turned out reasonably well. 

I also took the belt sander to my daggerboard where I had added that epoxy. It squared off the top end. Not sure how I will paint that though??? I was thinking I would paint the board and leave the keeper boards bright. The top edge might look funny. Ummm?

Hoping to get the skeg done later this week and begin the 6-7 coats on the hull next week.

Christmas

I didn't try to do much over Christmas week. Tiffany and the grands were here and just overall busy. I did slip downstairs for about 40 minutes and tried to finish off the outer stem. I did some planing and sanding. I think she's close to ready.

I may try to sand her a bit more on the left side. I didn't bevel that side quite as much as the right. It doesn't look bad. Doubt anyone would ever notice. 

 

Outer Stem is On

I cut out the outer stem today and glued it to the bow. The fit wasn't perfect and I'm afraid I messed it up more trying to "fine tune" it. Some thickened epoxy should solve the issue though as it does in other situations. 

The first thing I did was transfer the pattern to the stock which I had glued up earlier and which turned out just the right size and shape.

Then I cut out the stem with the band saw. There were a couple gaps which I tried to close by cutting out some "high" spots. Didn't work too well, but the epoxy should take care of it. 

Then I planed a bevel on the stem. The two sides don't match up perfectly but I'll try and dress it up a little once the epoxy cures.

The leading edge of the bow was not completely uniform. I cut the width of the outer stem to cover the widest part. The rest I'll fill in with thickened epoxy. I think it will do just fine. 

Here are two pics of the stem glued up.

Overall, I'm reasonably pleased. 

Update: went down this morning and added some epoxy to the joint. I came up with a pretty good transition.

I took the left over epoxy and added it to my daggerboard. When I made the board, I rounded the upper edge. I shouldn't have done that. The "keeper" boards will cover that top part, so I decided to build it up to square again. The board will be painted so no problem.

 

Stem Etc

I've been able to spend a little time on the boat this week. With Christmas coming it's difficult to make time - an hour here... an hour there.

After making my plywood pattern, I have cut out and glued up the rough timber for the outer stem. I tried to get pieces without knots. My resawing went ok. I'm trying to save myself from unnecessary planing though that shouldn't be too tough with the power planer. You can see the pattern in the second picture. It's rough. I plan on adding some more tickler sticks to the form and trying to get a more exact cut when I actually cut out the stem from my stock. 

I also fiberglassed my transom. Not sure it was necessary, but I will feel better doing it. Just not sure about that glue in the Lowes glued up board. I used the old epoxy (11 years old!). Some of the old epoxy has crystalized. The hardener seems ok though it may have turned a little darker. I did use the old once earlier in this build for something small and it seemed to work fine. I know I'm going to need more than the 3 gallon pack of epoxy that I ordered for this build, so I thought I could use the old on non-structural things. From what I've read, age shouldn't hurt it except maybe weakening it a small bit. If this works on the transom, I'll probably use the old to coat the hull. 

I used my extra epoxy to do some filling.

300 Hours

I passed another milestone this week; I passed 300 hours on the build. Am I half way? Who knows?

This week I worked on filling holes (covered in the previous post) and later some sanding and working on the outer stem.

I did not laminate the outer stem over the inner stem when I made it. Many do that. Others laminate it strip by strip over the inner stem once it is in place which I thought I might do. I have decided to craft a solid stem from 2 pieces. Larchmont Jim did that in his build as have others.

Here's a pic of my form that I'll use to get the shape correct. These are called tickler sticks.

I cut out the shape in a scrap piece of ply so that I could use it to cut out the stem from a 2x6 that I have. It's not exactly exotic wood, but it'll have to do. It's going to take some work to get it right. Once it's cut out, I have to plane it down and bevel it a little bit. 

I did some sanding. I went over the entire hull with some coarse sand paper paying special attention to the holes that I filled. It's going to take some more work filling in a couple of those holes and the countersunk  screws in the bow. I may try to find some shorter screws to put into the transom as well. Once that's all done, I'll go over the hull again with 120 or 150 sand paper.

I also went over the transom after doing some filling the other day.

Last night I finished my work with a little cleanup. Cleared off the work bench and vacuumed the floor.

I'm going to need that work bench, especially when I turn the hull over.

 

Filling Holes

Now that the planking is done, it's time to prep for painting: that means I have to fill dozens of holes. I have a lot of nail holes that were made when I tacked down the batten when I was cutting out the planks. I also have holes from the screws that went through the batten when I glued up the planks. 

It came to me one night (a lot of ideas can come in your sleep - ever heard of "I've go to sleep on it"?) that I could fill the holes with dowels and toothpicks coated in epoxy. I pondered that for quite some time - a couple of weeks at least. Which would be better, this method or just trying to fill the holes with thickened epoxy? I decided on the former method.

I measured the screw holes with a toothpick, since it would fit all the way through and each hole had its own depth. Then I cut the 1/8" dowel with a coping saw which has very fine teeth. I drilled out the holes with a 1/8" bit, dipped the dowels in epoxy and then tapped them into the holes nearly flush with the hull's surface.

One thing I'm concerned about - as I measured the depth of the screw holes, I was feeling the inside of the hole with my finger. It feels like the screws split the plywood a bit. That may requite some "repair" work when I get to the inside. We'll see how much of an issue that is. 

With the nail holes, I simply dipped the tip of a round toothpick into epoxy, pushed it into the nail holes as far as it would go and broke it off. Any protruding bits will be easy to sand off. 

Most of the toothpicks broke off closer to the surface. 

I also countersunk some screws into the planks at the stem. This was recommended for added strength.

I tried to fill in over the screws with epoxy but I had it too thin. I'll have to sand it down and add some more epoxy, next time with a little thicker epoxy.

Here's a pic of the one side of the hull that I've worked on so far.

Now I have to do the other side of the hull. Oh, yeah - I also touched up the scarf joints in the planks. Some of them were a little rough. I want to make sure they are smooth before painting.

I worked on the transom a little. The transom is two pieces epoxied together. The joint needed a little filling, as did a couple small places at the plank/transom joints. As you can see, when I glued up the planks, some of the joints needed a lot of epoxy. Guess I won't be leaving the transom bright! I hadn't planned to anyway. 

I do plan on putting a layer of fiberglass over the transom. I want to make doubly sure it's sealed very well. I'm not sure how that glue that was used by Lowes to make the board would hold up to moisture.

Now it's on to the other side.

Planking Complete!!!!

 I glued up my last plank this morning!!!! 

It was not without some difficulty however. After doing the front half of the plank, I looked back at the aft portion and it wasn't hitting right. Ugh! Why? Why? Why? It sat very nicely on the "arms" beforehand. Anyway, I took it loose and redid it.

One issue I had with this one that was exactly the same as the other plank #5 is that it didn't hit the midship frame. It was 1/2" inch off. Since both were identical, I guess this should have been expected. In the end, I'll fill the gap with epoxy and try to forget it. It will be ok. 

Now on to filling a zillion holes, sanding, sanding, and a little more sanding, then primer and finally a couple coats of finish paint. I think I'm going to roll and tip like I did Little Bit. I've given some thought to spraying. We'll see. 

Friday: after giving the epoxy a little time to cure (I'm using slow hardener), I went out and removed the batten, trimmed the bow and hit the rough edges with the the sander. Here ya go:

I have a boat! It surely doesn't qualify as the GOAT, so I have no rights to gloat; but I do believe that she'll float!

Last Plank!

Last night I cut out the last plank! 

 The two #5 planks are identical. I was able to cut out the one and then copy it for the other. I figured this would work. This means my sheer planks and sheer line will match exactly. Here are the two sitting and ready for glue up.

Here's the first #5 glued up.

I should be able to glue up the final plank on Thursday. 

And my planking table is empty!!

The only thing left from my scarfed plywood is scraps; some of which I'm sure I'll use.

Getting Close!

I cut out the first plank #5 and glued up the second #4 this evening. #4 went on very nicely. A good fit!

This means just one more plank and half to go before planking is done! That will be a huge milestone in the project.

I'm eager to check and see if I can copy this plank #5 for the other side. It should fit. That will make the final plank symmetrical. If it doesn't fit, I don't expect it to be far off, at least enough to make any real difference. I do want the line to meet at the bow. So far I've been able to do that. 

I might set a new goal for myself: Have the hull painted and ready to turn by my birthday! That'd be a great present to myself. 

 

Second Plank #4

Here’s a pic of the boat as she sits right now. 

I spent about 4 hours today cutting out and planing the second plank #4. All went well. The only think is that I came up too narrow at the bow again. I'm not sure why this is happening. The rest of the plank is probably the best I've done yet. It is very good. When it comes to the sheer plank, I need to get that right. 

It does look like the mistakes with the #3 plank above it are going to be smoothed over. The 1/2" gaps at the molds do not seems to be a problem. I'm going to be able to catch 1/2" lap at the bow where I was too narrow. The lap will match up the opposite side. Not too worried.

The only pic I have for this post is the little jig I made when I started planking. Thought I'd post this for the record. This is what I use to mark my 3/4" line for the bevel on the edge of the plank that accepts the lap. Simple but effective. Note the hole for the pencil. I just slide this along the edge and I've got my line.

Hopefully will get the glue up this plank one of the next two mornings. It's beveled and the gains are cut. Fit looks great (except that bow - ugh). 

I do plan on making that thickened epoxy a bit thicker. Was still a little runny last plank. Makes a mess. 

Planking Continues

I spent 5 hours yesterday and today doing the first plank #4. This plank has a downward curve which is opposite the others - a little surprising. 

The process when pretty well. Here's a pic of the connection in my spiling batten. I changed it from hot glue. I didn't trust that since my glue gun is so small. I just can't get enough glue on the board fast enough for a good hold.

Here's a pic of my ply before the first cut. Since I have to cut on the outside curve of the batten, and since that puts the batten off the ply with the 2.25" offset, I have to add some material to make the cut. Every piece has to be tacked together so there's no movement, but it works very well. The whole process of using a batten is great. It just means I'll have a pile of holes to fill before painting. 

Here's my dry-fit. I made sure this time that I put the extra "arms" at a 90 degree angel so that when the plank is away from the hull, it doesn't change its location - in other words, it's in the same position as when it's pressed down on the hull. Previously, my arms were angled up and that threw everything off. I believe that's one reason my second plank #3 came out a little skewed.

Here's the plank glued up. One little stretch of it toward the stern only caught about 3/8" of the upper plank. Hopefully the interior setup will add some strength to it. 

All in all, I'm satisfied.

 

Plank #3 Second Verse

I got the second plank #3 glued up today. I thought I was going to get better with the planking as it went along. Had a rough day today with it.

It all started when I spiled the plank. I changed the way I fastened the two spiling battens together. Instead of gluing them, I bolted them. They were very snug. The spiling went well... except for one "little" thing: The bow end was 1/2" too narrow. How did that happen? The rest of the plank looked better than any previous ones. What to do? I decided to make the part of the plank that is seen on the outside of the boat even with the other side. That means the other edge will only catch the next plank with 1/4" of mating or so. I figure I'll have to reinforce it on the inside with some thickened epoxy and probably fiberglass tape. Of course, it's near the stem, so there is plenty of holding force there.

Otherwise the plank fit very nicely. So how did it not not glue down as nicely? My method of putting a screw into the midship frame and working out, first to the bow and then the stern somehow got messed up. The forepart of the plank fit well but when I went to batten down the aft portion, it was lying right. I made it fit, but at a price: the plank sits out about 1/2" from the molds. I think I can make that up when I lay the next plank, but it shouldn't have happened. It going to throw off the interior measurements by that much. Not only that, but it had a much larger gap to fill under the overlapping plank than the other #3 plank. 

Here's the gap between the plank and the mold. It looks bigger than what it is, though it's certainly big enough.

Here's the filled gap between the plank #2 and #3. For perspective, the plank is 1/4" thick, so that's a pretty thick fillet. I had to use a lot more epoxy than the other #3.

Here's what I think is happening. My "fingers" (remember the fingers?) hold the plank away from the above plank which in turn holds it away from the mold. My extra "arms" are angled up which changes the way the plank lines up. I've got to straighten out those "arms". 

But here's the result.

Looks like a pretty fair curve. I hope so.

Time will tell how much of a difference this second #3 plank will make. I'm thinking, once the boat is completed, it will be all but forgotten. 

Plank #3

Yesterday and today I finished the prep and glued up my first #3 plank. I had to cut the gains, bevel the stem a little more, bevel the lower edge of the plank and double check the positioning. 

I shaved a little too much off the plank #2 at the stem. I tried to leave some extra on plank #3 but didn't succeed. I gooped the gain up with extra epoxy. Should be ok. 

All went pretty well, I guess. I'm getting a little better with the sandwich bag method of applying epoxy. My consistency was good today. When I began screwing down the batten, it seems my alignment got off. I had to undo/redo a couple screws or so. I guess that just means I'll have a few more holes to fill. As I neared the transom, it seemed low. A little pressure seemed to do the trick. 

Here she is:

I got two planks hung this week. That's not going to happen every week. Christmas will still be my goal to finish planking. 

It Takes Time

Planking takes time - a good bit of it too. Today is a pretty day with colder weather coming Saturday, so I took the morning to cut out another plank, first of the #3 planks. You'd think I'd be getting a little faster at this, but it took me 3 hours 45 minutes to spile and cut the plank. 

Where does the time go? Setting up the spiling batten, plotting points, had to plane the stem a bit, uncovering the planking table, bringing the ply from the garage to the back, transferring points to the  ply, measuring for the batten, tacking the batten down, etc. Today it took a bit of extra time to set up the cutting batten for the second cut. The reason? Using the 3.5" Porter Cable saw requires that I cut on the outside curve of the batten. The batten has to be placed 2.25" off the line to allow for the width of the base of the saw. There's not enough ply for that so I had to "add" to the one side with 2x's and scrap ply. That, along with everything else, takes time. 

I was a little concerned about the plywood as well. This is the first plank cut from a piece that has already had a plank cut out of it, the garboards. When I cut them, I was not too careful about where the  plank started in relation to the end of the plywood. Turns out I had plenty of room for the second plank (sigh).

I did goof on the second cut. The saw wants to go in a straight line but you are following a gentle curve along the batten. I let the saw wander just a little bit. Had to back it up. Oops! I think a little epoxy will fill it. LOL.

I did make an adjustment to the cutting batten also. Someone said that a fair line beats any measurements. After tacking down the batten on the first cut, it just didn't look quite fair; so I adjusted it. After cutting out the plank and a quick trial fit, it looks ok. Pic to follow.

Again, the plank is not perfect. I'll look at it a little more before actually gluing it down, but I think it will be fine.