While the snow flies...

If you dig through Woodenboat's archives, there was an article ten or fifteen years ago (I think) about a gal who built a sailboat she named "Tall Cotton." It had a gorgeous wooden bathtub in it. Leave it to a woman....

 

"Weight ****"?

 

Gee, Manie, it could easily accommodate a centerboard trunk and mast step ... and a small head ...

 

Finally started with the goop. Filleted one side this morning (I DID manage to get the transom panel cut out and wired in between the last update and this one). I'll let it firm up and tack then lay in the glass. This is a bit different than my usual method of doing it all at once but I want the fillets to be a bit nicer than they usually are. I find that when I put the glass on top and wet it out they tend to get a little lumpy and ugly. I want to try it this way to see if I can get them neater.

 

For those who are new to building with stitch and glue...you stitch the panels together with wire or wire ties, lay in a fillet of thickened epoxy and then layer strips of glass cloth on top to spread the load trying to separate the panels over a larger area. The glass strips can be prefabricated tape or you can make your own. Why you would want to make your own is a matter of interest though. With prefabricated tapes the edges are kind of sewn or selvaged to keep them from fraying. This is OK but it leaves a ridge that you might wish to grind off along both edges and then you have to re-coat to cover the exposed glass edges...it is a pain in the glass sometimes. It is often difficult to get the tape to lay properly because the edges prevent the cloth from distorting and it buckles...requiring darts and possibly more grinding.
You can make your own strips from glass cloth but how to cut it without it going all to pieces and fraying on you and how to cut it straight. Well there is an easy way to do it. You will end up with strips that are the length of the width of your bulk cloth and at a width you decide.
How do you cut it straight though? The trick is to pull a thread from the edge of your cloth. Decide on the width of the strip you want to make and measure it along the long edge of your cloth. Firmly grasp the thread nearest your measurement and have someone hold the other side of the cloth and slowly withdraw the thread. It will leave a clear line in the cloth that you can carefully cut with a pair of scissors. You should do a sacrificial pull to get an even edge then start making your strips. Lay the cloth on a surface free from things that might make it catch and fray...like the kitchen floor or a smooth table top. Cut your strips and drape them out of the way...handle them as little as possible and make sure your hands or gloves aren't sticky with epoxy as this will surely start pulling threads out and make a mess. When laying the cloth strips over the fillets...butting them together or very slight overlap will suffice. There is sufficient strength added that you don't need to overlap more than a thread or so.

 

Firm enough and tacky so time to lay in the glass strips:




Being careful to set the middle into the fillet...gradually put them along the length. You might get a few fliers...just set them aside. I notched the cloth around the bottom of the butt block but notice I left enough room to fillet properly...and enough on top for the Inwales.



Overlap in the corners helps with the strength and tying things together.



Once the cloth is down...start wetting it out until it is clear. Don't skimp on the epoxy here...make sure there are no white spots. The trick is to have enough epoxy on the brush ( I use cheap chip brushes) to flow the epoxy without it dragging the cloth or pulling threads. This means you have to load the brush enough and often to keep it from getting sticky enough to distort the cloth or pull threads. Daub the epoxy into the cloth and gently mush it around...working it to the edge of the cloth and beyond a bit.







So I am done for today...I'll do the other side tomorrow when things have set.

 

One mistake I will acknowledge...I put the holes for the ties too far from the edge. You may notice the slight irregularities in the fillets about every 8-10"...and it even shows up in the glass a bit too. I was worried about tearing out the 3mm but with the ties only 3/32" wide...they are too soft and fragile to damage the wood. I could have gone in only 1/8" from the edge and been fine. Live and learn...it is the first time I have used such small ties to stitch a boat together.

 

I find some Japonese one, they are completly round, make of some kind of fir.
Realy beautiful. I would like to try one. Wood is softer than cas tiron

 

Yes, I remember those from my one and only trip to Japan. Very comfortable too, if it had only been a shade bigger - or I had been the size of an average Japanese I suppose. I also remember the strange car names, there was a neat one called the Cedric, possibly the forerunner of the Camry. This was back in the days when NA cars had names like Thunderbird and Cougar ... I little thought that the trend for bland car names would catch on. If he had survived a little longer Johnny Cash might have sung a song about the car named Sue.

 

Tother Side Today

Started on the other side today. Almost twisted up...was in such a hurry I mixed up the goo before masking off the fillet lines. Had to chuck the stuff into the freezer and lay out the tape. I was going to pick up a roll of 1" but forgot so I was stuck using the 2" again and obviously it didn't cut/peel very well. Anyways...I was going to tell you that yesterday I used a total of 21 teaspoons of epoxy to fillet and tape. Today I had a bit left over from the 9 used for the filleting (I think I used a bit more filler/thickener) so back into the freezer it goes. I have a 50/50 chance it will still be usable tomorrow.

 

76 degrees and BEAUTIFUL...I'm gonna pay for it tonight but I had to stay up and enjoy. Glued on one side of the inwale spacers (3/4" x 1 1/4" x 1/4") 2 3/4" spacing between. Took 13 all told with allowance for knees and breasthook. Moved to the front porch for a while as the next 3 days are supposed to be 70-80 degrees.

 

Did up the other side yesterday...



And I started on making the frame. I think it will be the only one I will need...



A close up of the frame joint...



I also started framing the transom... It took some shaping to get it to fit the shape of the fillet...hence the grinder with the flap disk in the first frame picture. Very easy to remove only what you need and easy to maneuver...like a paint brush.



I don't have clamps deep enough to get to it so I through screwed from outside...The pads ensure I only have little holes to fill instead of big dents AND little holes...Saved me from spitting the edge of the ply too (like one of the pads)

 

Ok...now that I have the wale strip bending dilemma sorted out (working on the real thing...test strip above)...on to the knees. I picked up a piece of mahogany...probably Meranti or Luan. It is a 4' 1x8" and weighs about 1/3 of the rest of the stock available...2 lbs maybe? I will be cutting the transom knees and other bits and pieces from it. I hope they will get more stock in so I can get something similar for a seat...otherwise I'll go for cedar. I am still looking at getting this in at under 25 lbs if I can...here's hoping!

 

I suppose it's a bit late to tell you now, but what I have been doing with 'wales on ply boats is to glue the inwale to the sheer plank while it is flat. I rabbet the inwale so it covers the ply edge. After the hull is formed I glue on the outwales, usually as 2 laminates. The inner laminate can be a contrasting wood, which makes a nice appearance. It is very easy to do, there's a pic you may have already seen at http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/at...d1207884616-challenge-100-boat-dora1small.jpg.

I haven't tried a scuppered 'wale yet; I find if I remember to bevel the inwale's lower edge before gluing it to the sheer, water does not collect when the boat is stored outside, upside down.

 

Well...this one went 50/50...one had too much grain run out and cracked across the outside face. I left it to dry but it doesn't have the shape I need. The curve is too much at the cracked area and the ends are too straight. I might just say Eff it and keep the test strip as one side and the other darker one as the other. I'll go check to see if there are anymore dark ones left at the store before gluing anything. The two problems I have with the test strip is that 1. it is significantly lighter than the other side and 2. It has slightly rounded corners on one side...go figure that that is the side that would have to be against the ply whereas the other strip has the rounded edges outside where they belong. Charlie Brown Syndrome strikes again...