Building 417 from Plans

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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

Got a couple of hours in today so worked on the centerboard case. I am using white oak for the vertical posts. I had some left over from another project and white oak has very good rot resistance. I know that there are some concerns with epoxy adhering to white oak but I am thinking that it will also be screwed in on three sides so should be ok.

One of the funny things that happened is that as I was messing around with the vertical posts I noticed that was a limber hole on B6 right in the centerboard case! After a few moments of self recrimination I realized I had simply reversed B6 which resulted in the limber holes being misaligned. So, apart came everything so I could switch B6 around. After getting everything reassembled the limber holes were all in the correct position.

One of the challenges that I am facing is that the weigh of the centerboard case and the seat longitudinal is causing everything to sit down into the centerboard hole too far which is throwing off the alignment of B4. I think I will get something to prop it all up on under the bottom to hold it in the correct position until I get it screwed in.

I need to make some spacers to keep the centerboard case evenly aligned in the center. I will also need to get B6 clamped closer to the seat longitudianl -- you can see a gap there because it is not clamped up.
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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

So last Sunday I was working on dry fitting the bulkheads 4-7, the seat longitudinals and the centerboard case. I found it quite frustrating as every time I thought I had it set correctly, I would find something in error. When I would go to adjust one aspect, several more would move. When I finally got to pre-drill and screw the centerboard case post it was wrong! Arrgh! So, I stopped what I was doing and decided a break in the action and a review of where things were was in order.

What I decided was that several factors were conspiring against me. First, my "flying buttresses" set to support the wider parts of the bottom were not sufficient. When I installed them I had difficulty getting them to align with the bottom so I ended up shimming them. In the end, this shimming simply created more problems as the shims would move and it was difficult determining how much shimming was appropriate and how much would actually deflect the bottom.

Second, I was trying to get too much set at one time and not get what was necessary locked down when it came time to pre-drill the posts.

So, I ended up stripping everything back to the building jig. I re-installed the "flying buttresses." On the previous go, I had simply cut 2x4s at a 45 degree angle and screwed them to the jig. This time I used rectangle blocks of 3/4" plywood screwed in from the inside of the jig. This allowed me to ensure that they were flush with the top of the jig.

When it came to the posts for the centerboard, I needed to mill two new posts because the holes were incorrect and were actually about 1/16" too narrow.

I got everything set and double-checked all the joints to ensure that they were square and level where appropriate. I then double clamped the aft centerboard post to the seat longitudinal and then pre-drilled that. Once that was screwed I then moved on to B6 and the post. So in effect, I was getting everything lined up and then drilling and screwing one joint. I then ensured everything was lined up again and repeated for the next joint.
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You can see in the picture the holes already drilled from the previous attempt. I simply centered the drill in these holes when drilling the new post.

When it was all done the joints for the centerboard case were fairly tight and all the bulkheads/seat longintudinals were square and true.
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Tomorrow I will epoxy the face of the centerboard posts that will be inside the case, and cut the centerboard case doublers. My hope is to glue in bulkheads, seat longitudinals and centerboard case either tomorrow or Tuesday. I have to admit that I am somewhat apprehensive taking this next step as it is not one that can easily be fixed if something is incorrect.

In preparation, I have been trying to determine my order of worship (nod to George Smiley) for this undertaking. Seems to be a lot of parts that need to be glued all at the same time while getting them aligned and screwed or clamped before the epoxy goes off. The cooler shop should help somewhat...
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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

Moving forward. Today I pulled the centerboard casing -- side and longitudinal so that I could drill the hole for the centerboard bushing. It took a bit of fiddling to get the whole shebang set up on the drill press but once I got it all even and locked down the forstner bit did its job. With everything still dry fit together it ensured that the hole was straight and true. When all glued up it should still be correct. To be safe, I think I will have the bushing in the holes to help make sure everything is lined up while I glue.
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Once that was done I drilled the hole in the centerboard and then put it all together to make sure all was good.
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As far as I can tell the centerboard is straight and true.

Tomorrow, the plan is to glue in the bulkheads, seat longitudinals, etc. Fingers crossed....
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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

So Tuesday came and I found that I still had a number of smaller tasks that needed to be completed before I did the glue-up. By the time I completed those, and dealt with some life issues -- car, shopping, etc -- I decided it was too late to start the glue up. I wasn't sure how much time it would take and I did not want to be rushed in the job or have to stop half way through since I am back on the road for business. When I get back home I will get to the glue up.

One of the tasks that I had was cutting in the dado for the cabin top supports. I had been worried about this but it ended up being quite easy. After laying out the lines with pencil and followed up with a chisel, I then chiseled out the first layer. I then switched to the router plane and worked down to the desired 6mm depth.
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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

So today was glue up day. I started with gathering all the items that I would need and schlepping them out to the garage. Next came dusting and wiping every part down with alcohol to ensure a clean surface. I laid everything out in the order that I thought I would need them and mentally walked myself through the process. First would be building the centerboard case followed by glueing in the centerboard case along with B5, B6, and B7. After that would be the port seat longitudinal and finally B4. Well...that was the plan...

So I glued in the centerboard posts to the centerboard case without incident. I then flipped everything over, and started gluing up the seat starboard seat longitudinal to the centerboard posts. I thought I had everything lined up correctly but I didnt't. I noticed things were out of alignment after about three or four screws. No problem, I thought. Just back out the screws and start over. Three screws came out and the fourth stripped in place. CRAP! Now what!? I had to get it separated or else lose the entire structure. Grab a drill and start drilling out the offending screw. That worked fine until the drill slipped off the head of the screw and dug a hole in the wood. No time to worry so I just worked until I was able to free the seat longitudinal.

Now I had time to think, but not much as the glue was going to set up soon. After thinking it through for a few minutes I decided to clean off all the glue from the seat longitudinal side and start over.

So, I cleaned off the glue and took a break to go get the kids.

Returning to the scene of the crime a couple of hours later, I started again. I had to get a pair of pliers and get the screw out and then glued up the seat longitudinal to to the centerboard case. After that I laid down the glue for the centerboard case housing and B5-B7. A bit of juggling and I was able to get it all set in well. Next was the port seat longitudinal and then B4. I checked everything for alignment and it was mostly correct -- B4 ended up a bit to starboard but that should be fine.

When I checked my centerboard case doublers they were not correct so I decided to wait until the glue and fillets were set to come back and make corrections. Therefore I set about doing all the fillets except where the doublers would be installed.

The first round of fillets were challenging. I got the hole on the bag too big and ended up laying down too much epoxy for the fillets which resulted in lots of extra being pushed out to the sides. As the day progressed, I think I got better at the fillets. I will still need to go back and clean up but I am satisfied.

I feel that I have crossed a milestone that has been causing me anxiety for quite a while. I am thinking, though I might be wrong, that this was probably the largest single procedure that had to be completed all in one step. Lots more work but smaller steps. Am I wrong?
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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

Illness and work has kept me out of the Scampworks but I got back to it yesterday and today. I was able to glue in the centerboard case doublers and the other half of B5. My first round of fillet epoxy was too runny and ended up sagging on me last night. This morning I made the batch stiffer and it was much easier to use and I got much better fillets. I wasn't able to add the doublers with the original glue up because I had cut the bottom over long and thus the holes for the centerboard pin didn't line up. With a bit of cutting I was able to get everything to line up.
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Now, to my problem. I started dry-fitting the forward section and found that I have a significant gap between the stem and the bottom. I have rechecked the plans and they show a straight line along the bottom. Of course, this does not line up with the curved bottom.
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I am not sure where the mistake is. Did I miss instructions somewhere to create a curve along the bottom of the stem? Do I just have too much curve along the bottom?

Either way, what to do. As I see it, I have two main options. Cut a new stem with the appropriate curve along the bottom or sister in piece with the appropriate curve. I am leaning towards the second option as it seems simpler and less wastful of material. I believe I can cut a piece from solid lumber that would glue and screw to the side of the stem but also sit under the stem so that the stem sits on the sistered piece. This would create a strong bond.

Thoughts from others would be most welcome.
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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

So, I posted on the John Welsford page on Facebook and John said that my bow area looks a bit high creating an unfair curve. This seems to be an accurate assessment. If you look at the picture of the bow, you can see that the last station of the jig is lifting the bottom off the second to last section. When I lift the bottom at that section, the curve straightens out a bit and there is less of a gap. I am heading out on a business trip so can't do anything for the week but when I return, I plan on cutting out the first station below the bottom to lower it down a bit. I will also be offering up the bottom plank to check it for fairness.
jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

So this week has been a range of emotions from frustration to despair to determination. I was on the road for business so returned to working on the rope stropped blocks. I attempted to use Brion Toss's strategy for the grommet in which a form is used to help lay the line. I forgot the book at home so tried to do it by memory. Let's just say it was not pretty. After two unsuccessful attempts, I went back to creating the grommet without the form. That attempt was passable at least. On to seizing the grommet to the thimble and block. At least this time I got the sizing much better. That, however, was the end of my success. Both the seizing of the splice and the seizing of the grommet to the thimble and block came out unsightly. I know I was rushing and should have taken more time. But as you can see from the picture, it is not pretty. Nor would I trust it in a storm.
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After this, I have decided to put this aspect of the build on hold. I may return to it later but at the moment it not something that I will pursue as I want to use my time wisely and not chase too many different directions with new skills to learn.
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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

So from the frustration of the rope stropped block I returned home ready to tackle the difficulty of the stem-bottom connection. This morning I got out to the shop and cut out a bit of the building jig under the bow. Doing this reduced the gap between the stem and the bottom from 10 mm to 6mm. I then set about dry fitting the bottom plank to see how it lay (laid, lied...???). This is when the despair set in. My first attempt resulted in huge gaps between the plank and the bottom. Between the frustration of trying to get the plank clamped to the frames, having it fall off repeatedly, and trying to get everything to line up I have to admit I started thinking about throwing in the towel. Why did I choose to do this? Why didn't I buy the kit?

I had to take a break to drive my daughter to a friend's house. All the way there and back I went over my options. By the time I returned home I realized that worst case scenario would mean scrapping the plank(s) and use a spiling batten to draw new planks based upon the actual shape of the frames and bottom.

I have to admit that it was hard to go back in to the shop but I was determined to continue slogging on. I switched the planks from port to starboard and started over. Through lots of fiddling and closely examining why the plank was not sitting well, I was able to make adjustments which in the end got me close. Close enough that I think I will be ok. I believe that one or two of my frames are sitting just a bit proud of the bottom which is causing the gap. Primarily the gap is between B5 and B6. Funnily enough the joint between B4 and the bow seems to be good.

At this point I decided that it was good enough to proceed. I don't want to get caught up making too many fine adjustments at this point because I still have to install B3-Bow and the transom. Once those are done, then I will return to the plank and make final adjustments.

Determination won out and I proceeded to work on dry fitting B2, B3 and the stem. I still have a 6mm gap under the stem which I believe will be ok with a larger fillet.
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jhippe
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Re: Building 417 from Plans

Post by jhippe »

Today was taken up with more dry fitting of B2 and B3. I found that when I cut the slot for B3 in the stem I added the 9mm the wrong way so it ended up out of position. Not too big of a deal to recut the slot a bit wider. What had me going most of the day was the fact that the cabin top line was not straight. B3 seemed to be too short. In the end, I re-measured B2, B3 and B4 and found that B2 was a bit too tall. I re-struck the line and cut it down. That got things mostly ok. I then beveled B4 and then it all came into line.

One of the challenges of building from the plans is that the bulkheads don't have the nifty notches to line everything up. Small changes in alignment can have significant impact on how things line up. For instance, if B2 moves a little out of plumb it really changes how the cabin support beams line up; it can change up to an inch on B4 with seemingly small shifts in B2.

When I checked the side decks it all seemed wrong. Believe it or not, I spent an hour or more trying to figure out why the side decks were not lining up. B3 appeared to be too low. It was only after I decided not to worry about it for now that it dawned on me that there is a sheer in the line and therefore should not be straight!

I have also begun to measure out the mast trunk. I decided to follow Christine DeMerchant's suggestion of cutting templates out of cardboard. I am glad I did. It made it a lot easier to test fit and to find any measurement errors.
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