SCAMP builds underway

The place to discuss SCAMP (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project), our 11' 11" micro minicruiser.

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Monies
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

Post by Monies »

I also own a bandsaw but it will not work for the SCAMP patterns and pieces.

The plywood is too big to fit in it. I have used my bandsaw to cut out some of the curved dimensional lumber.

The jigsaw is the only saw that will cut all the curving pieces and the intricate close together pieces.

Mike Monies
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

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Mike has been cleaning the Boat Palace of some serious amounts of sawdust, even with a collection system, it has generated a lot of dust. He got the first of the centerboard blanks laminated today. Tomorrow he will build the other half of the building jig/frame to start assembling the parts.

When I left him out in Boat Palace he was getting ready to draft and cut the patterns in luann of the side pieces for the hull sides.

I did not get the photos posted here last night, so I hope I remember how to do that! Here goes photos of milling lumber and pouring lead in rudders.

Sawdust, for real!

Jackie Monies (for Mike)
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

Post by Editors »

Here are more pictures from Jackie and Mike Monies as they build two SCAMPs at once. —Eds
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

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It's Thursday night and Mike is doing his absolutely favorite thing, cutting wood. His WaterTribe name is WoodCutter, a name I gave him, as it describes him so well! He likes nothing better than ripping lumber, making sawdust.

Today he started by drafting all the side panels, there are three per side for two sides, six per boat for two boats, so 12 panels total to cut. Next he cut patterns out of luann before tracing them onto his plywood and beginning to cut. It is 8 p.m. here and he has gone to the Boat Palace to finish the cutting of the panels.

I asked how far he'd gotten and he said eight of the twelve were completed.

I might add that he cuts metriculously that to be cut by hand, there are no errors.

When I was cutting the Kiwi PDR by Welsford I slipped and made a tiny off-the-line cut (which we fixed with epoxy later) but he had a fit about the imperfection and that John Welsford was going to see the boat when he came to Oklahoma to visit us!

So, you can imagine how he is about these two!

Sawdust, Jackie Monies (for Mike)
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

Post by Monies »

Oops, I forgot to say he stacks his plywood by twos, so when he cuts out a panel or any piece, he is actually cutting two identical pieces. When he planes, he does same thing, clamp the pieces together and planes both identically, at same time.

Pretty much, if he is doing anything that the pieces need to be identical he will clamp them together and do both at once.

Jackie Monies
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

Post by David2249 »

Monies wrote:Here are a few photos from the start of the build. If anyone has questions or wants a specific photo taken, let us know.

Jackie Monies
Hi Jackie & Mike

I’m wondering what are the dimensions of the building frame?

David
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

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I asked Mike for a sort of step-by-step recap of construction so far. He was kind enough to send the following.—Eds

Step One: The Building Jig. Because I am building more of a glue-and-screw boat I decided I could not use the jig as shown on the plans. I need to get under the boat to screw into the bulkhead doublers. However, I liked the way the plans Jig used a long for and aft curve to support the bottom. This would be a big help in gluing up the two sheets of ply I am using on the bottom. So I decided to use the top 12" of the plans Jig on top of a John W. type ladder frame.

I have used ladder frames in the past and knew how well they work as a platform for cutting out plywood parts. I cut two 2 x 6 boards 3227mm long and four cross pieces giving the ladder a finished with of 750mm. This frame was put on 460mm tall legs. This gave me a 320mm space between the floor and the bottom of the frame to crawl under. This whole thing was lifted up on saw horses which gave me the ideal height for using my Jig saw to cut parts.

I had a nice piece of 3' X 8' sanded 3/4" plywood to cut the curved part of the jig out of but before cutting it I used it as a table to glue up the Stems, Centerboards and rudders. I have now cut up the plywood and added the curves to the top of the frame so I can glue up the first bottom. I had to be careful to make sure that none of the cross braces I installed between the two curved sides would be in the way of a bulkhead location.

Step Two: Cut up plywood into parts. Lots of plywood. I made patterns out of cheep ply of most of the main parts including all 8 bulkheads, the stem, centerboard, rudder and all the side panels. These patterns allowed me to make the best use of my ply because I could move the patterns around until I have the least amount of waste. I stacked two sheets of ply on top of each other so I was always cutting out two parts at a time. Take the cut out parts to the work bench and use the low angle block plane to cut down to the line and then sand all the edges.

Step Three: Add doublers to all Bulkheads. Cut the parts on the tablesaw and then use SS screws and epoxy to attach to bulkheads. Lay flat and fill all screw holes.

Step Four: Glue up stems, centerboards and rudders. Build lead in to the centerboards and rudders.

This brings me up to date. I glued up the first bottom today.

Mike Monies
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

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I am back from Louisiana with my 89 year old mom to keep her warm and dry from a relapse with pneumonia. Mike lost a few days while she was in the hospital, so he is hot on building his Scamps.

I got back and he had the bulkheads clamped up to bottoms, so it actually was looking like a boat! He was dreading doing all the routing and beveling on the bulkheads to fit the bottoms, side panels, etc. Instead it went really fast and pretty easily I think. He got both boats done in one long day.

He now has finished the bevels on all eight bulkheads for two boats, sixteen bulkheads in all, has bottoms beveled and the side panels beveled. Ready to attach things I am sure, as when I went out to check just now he had the bulkheads back clamped on, it was looking boat-y again. They were cleaning the shop of all the sawdust that had escaped the collection dust vacumn, taking photos and doing the plywood layout estimates for all the people over on the John Welsford builders forum who were asking for information on the build.

We will have more photos tonight to send to Josh to post here. It seems to be moving along steadily and speedily to me, but looking at the school's build from the kits, that looks even speedier! For those needing to save time and get a boat together in a rapid period, the kits can't be beat!

Sawdust!

Jackie Monies for Mike
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

Post by Monies »

Tonight was a real Kodak moment. I went out to the Boat Palace and low and behold, there was a boat!

Mike had dry fitted all the bulkheads, the supports for the cockpit sole, the cabin top and the fore deck supports. There were no side panels yet, but it looked like a boat. Very exciting.

He has to bullnose all the sharp edges off the supports and then permanently install it all, but you can really see a boat.

We have sent a lot of photos in to Josh to post, but one of the things Mike did was lay out the patterns onto plywood to show suggested layouts to maximize the cutting of the plywood without too much waste.

We will be happy to take photos of any steps and reply to individual requests as well. Mike will be writing up another more detailed report for Josh as well, if he slows down soon!

Best, Jackie Monies for Mike Monies
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Re: SCAMP builds underway

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Another photo update from Mike and Jackie. Two SCAMPs being built from plans and looking good!—Eds
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