beginner questions

I am in the military and deployed, I am Looking to start building boats when I get back. I just finished ordering all my tools and my wife set my work shed up to get started. I am looking to build a fiber glass mold for a 18 Ft boat, I want to design and build it all myself. Can any one give me advise on were to start, I cant find a good book to read on it our even a guide? please if you have any type of advise I would appreciate it.

P.S. I do have some knowledge I have built 3 plywood boats before, just looking for good advice.

 

I will be posting my progress thought the build on here I am so pumped.

 

Well mate, if you have built 3 boats already, you are well on your way. Just make another boat that you like then create a mold from it. Easy as that.

 

they were plywood dinghy's held together by epoxy nothing worth molding, I am trying to get into something bigger.

 

sorry should have specified that.

 

Are you thinking of this a business proposition, or just a recreational activity ?

 

leaning more toward the business proposition, but it is a side project I am full time employed for the next few years.

 

OK, a tough essay to make boats profitably I think, unless you can find a niche that isn't over-crowded with competition.

 

Make one boat over and over or every boat is different?

What kind of 18 ft boat? Sailboat, powerboat, rowboat,canoe?

What materials, wood, plywood, metal, fiberglass?

...........

OK I see you say fiberglass with a mold.

 

looking into a fiberglass, center console, bay fishing boat.

Were do I start?

 

With a design. Building it is a whole nother thing, probably the easier part. It will take you a pretty long time to learn design so you might as well concentrate on that for awhile.

Go here and you can see a bunch of available books. http://books.boatdesign.net/ That #7 one sounds handy, other people here can tell you other books you would want.

 

Ok, now that your tired of all that design ****, and you've figured out an aero and hydro dynamic design shape that is pleasing to the eye and billfold of the masses, plus the interior layout and all the built in seating, hatches, coolers, live wells, rod holders, consoles etc, then you need to make a plug first, then a mold from the plug, and then you can make boats. But before making a boat, you have to design the laminate schedule. So, then you'll have to go back to design engineering for awhile.

You have to be a bit of a hands on perfectionist to make boats that look good enough to sell, or at least that you can try and sell. Good luck with that part.

Making a plug is generally just regular building skills and a lot of automobile body repair type work. The body repair type work required is mostly being able to make a surface very fair and very shiny. Put one more 'very' in that last sentence. Somewhere there's got to be books that tell you how to do that. But a good idea might be to join an auto body repair forum and ask there how to get a plug/auto body very,very fair and very shiny.

Making the mold off the plug is when you get into the fiberglass laminate type work.