SCAMP builds underway

[jnjclark96]

I have a few questions, no flames intended, only trying to understand your methods.

What is the benefit to "screw and glue" over "fillet and Tape"?

Have you had good luck with the plywood that you are using?

If I understand correctly, you are using paint for most of the inside of the boat, instead of epoxy?

Thanks in advance.

[Monies]

Hi, Mike actually took off three days from building to take the two 85 and 89 year old grandma's to see granddaughter for weekend, so sorry to be late answering!

Answers are as follow: "Epoxy is expensive and hard to get a smooth finish with, while still needing to have UV protections, even on the inside compartments of the hull."

"I prefer white high gloss paint on all insides of the boat hull- for visisibility inside the lockers especially. Epoxy tends to be dark, hard to see inside, will still require the UV protection, either in painting or in added pigment. Also, John Welsford recommends and suggest painting for all his boats."

"I know how to do tape and filleting, stitch and glue, as well as the screw and glue methods. I have built boats using all methods. In this particular boat I was using all 1/4 inch ply thoughout and had to use doublers on the edges of all the bulkheads to get them stiff enough. At that point you might as well use screw and glue. However, I will tape and fillet/glue all the side panel joints between the bulkheads, so I am combining both methods."

"Basically, I prefer working with wood over filleting and taping. It is a personal preference, not that one is better than the other."

"About the plywood I am using: I am happy with it for the cost per sheet. It is the best $20 plywood I have ever seen. If money were no object, which is is, I"d have used better ply such as meranti or okume but I would still paint!"

This is a note from Jackie: We are in central Oklahoma, in a small town. Like many others, we only have two large towns in our state and neither has a source of marine plywood. Houston is our only option to pickup marine ply or ship it here (quite expensive) and a little difficult. We moved here from Houston, where we had lots of marine sources. It was the inacessability of products and a lot less income that compelled us to start exploring less expensive boat building!

The UltraPlyXL that Mike is working with is an underlayment used by floor contractors. It is glued with marine glues and has passed boil tests. One side is perfect, the otherside is stamped all over with the company logo. It is 5 ply, the two outermost layers are thinner and hard woods (very hard), the inner layers are void free. It is manufactured by a company called Moreland Corporation and we have been buying from a distributor. You do not need to be reselling, just pay the taxes for personal use of product.

As Mike said, when it was easy to buy we built with marine plys and lovely hardwoods we got in Houston. We would do it again if we could!

Sawdust! I have to go hold the garboard plank while he screws it down!

Jackie and Mike Monies

[Monies]

Gosh, forgot to update everyone on where Mike is in build! He finished installing the cockpit sole completely and the cockpit seats front sides. To do this he had to finish the final three coats of high gloss enamel on all the interior spaces below the cockpit sole. There remains a lot of painting to complete but you can't move on with permanent installments until you finish what lies beneath what you are working on! Like building a boat from the inside outward!

He has gotten the first garboard plank permanently installed on starboard side and I am due out there with my blue rubber gloves to help install the port side garboard plank. This is a big moment in boat building, as you are beginning to enclose the sides. He did mention to me that he will have to tape and fillet the seams of the garboard plank and the bottom, so I imagine that is coming up fast or you can't reach it down there!

Mike would tell you that each and every boat can be built in more than one way, so long as you do not change the boat's design! In other words, you can change the construction methods but do NOT go changing the boat designer's design, like leaving out bulkheads or pieces of the boat, putting a pointy nose instead of a blunt nose, moving key elements, etc.

Just in case anyone should think he is altering the boat or the plans, the answer is NO!! He builds by plans and the hull and all elements of the boat are the same, once closed up you probably cannot see differences unless you are a most experienced builder.

What I am trying to say on my little platform here is that unless you are a most experienced builder, buy the kits and follow the instructions exactly or ask if you can vary them. If you buy the plans, follow them as well.
This is like the tv commercial when they say "This stunt was performed by a professional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt this at home!"

Again, differences in building methods certainly vary among professional builders and serious amateurs, but they all respect the design and plans.

Jackie Monies (for Mike)

[Monies]

It's Friday night here and Mike has finished installing the port and starboard garboard planks, including all the stitch and glueing, the taping and filleting, which includes not only the bottom joints but each rib of each bulkhead on both sides.

This morning we moved on to the second side planks and the starboard side is on, I am due back out to Boat Palace to hold the port side second plank on for its final screws. He is applying the epoxy right now, as we dry fitted it earlier. With two planks of the three on, she is looking much more like a boat here!

Tonight he will put the tape and epoxy on this planks joints so she can dry/set up overnight. The third plank should be ready by tomorrow to install, as the planks are all joined with Payson butt joints and the epoxy has to set/harden sufficiently before we handle them. I know in a shop as big as Mike's is that saying there is not enough counter or floor space to do it all at once sounds ridiculous, but it is true.

No matter how much space you have to work in, the work will fill the space and there will not be enough! Sometimes pieces have to take their turns, which makes planning well essential to staying constantly at work on a project like this with time constraints.

I am not sure if he will paint the two bottom side planks at this point or not. If it were me, it would have to be done now, as my arms and I are too short to reach down inside any further! This is a case of having to stop and paint before you keep adding pieces of the boat- I am talking about painting INSIDE the lockers created in the interior of the boat by the side planks, not the OUTSIDE of the hull. Proceeding further will make them inaccessible by a short person like myself with a paint brush.

This might be a good time to mention Duckworks boating supplies and Chuck Leinweber, who are furnishing the epoxy, fiberglass tape, fiberglass fabric and all the stainless steel screws. We became avid fans of Duckworks when we moved here to mid-America. We have no ships supply stores available and Chuck became our go to guy for everything we needed to build. They ship instantly and it gets here fast. Their quality is excellent and Mike says their products are sinfully inexpensive, not cheap!

Go to http://www.duckworksmagazine.com which will take you to their internet boating magazine and their boating supply on-line store. On a personal note I write a little monthly column about boating for them called "Notes From the Boat Palace." This week and for next two weeks will be columns dealing with building the Scamps and preparing and sailing the Everglades Challenge.

Duckworks and Small Craft Advisor are sponsoring Mike and Andrew Linn in the building of the two Scamps, as well as sailing them in the Everglades Challenge. We thank them!

Jackie Monies

[Monies]

This is where I admit it takes a second look for me to determine that the Payson butt joints I identified are actually a much faster way to join the pieces. Mike used a simple wood block to epoxy/laminate to the side plank pieces and join them.

I was out holding plank #2 on the port side while he glued and screwed it. Looked over on the counter and said, "Wait, that's not a Payson joint!"
He said a Payson would have worked equally well but this was faster and the joint was concealed in an interior locker, so appearance of the inside seams weren't an issue.

Of course I learn something everytime I walk out to the Boat Palace!

Jackie Monies

[Editors]

Photos from Jackie—Eds

[Monies]

Sunday afternoon here and Oklahoma got a sudden burst of snow today, much colder temperatures. Luckily we heated the Boat Palace this year with gas heater. Mike moved all the small pieces like the rudders and centerboards into the Annex (my sunroom/laundry room in past) to work on the fiberglassing and epoxying, keep them warmer and cleaner from any sawdust in the main Boat Palace.

He is trudging through the snow on our wooden walkways out to use the stationery saws, drills, etc. for some small miscellaneous pieces he is building, such as a boarding system. Peeked into the Annex a little bit ago and the glass seems to be coming along on the rudders.

Jackie Monies (for Mike)

[NickW]

Nice work Mike and Jackie - keep on going summer's not long away!

From what I can gather, you're building these SCAMPs entirely from 1/4 inch ply; is that correct since elsewhere on this forum the plywood requirements are mentioned as 5 sheets of 9mm (3/8 inch) and 4 sheets of 6mm (1/4 inch).

I've looked at the Moreland Corp's website and the UltraPlyXL does appear to be good - is it made of Birch?

Nick

[Monies]

Yes, Mike is building both Scamps entirely with 1/4 inch ply which is actually 5.2 mm thick. When he needs thicker, he laminates and produces his own layers of ply, as this product while manufactured in a thicker ply does not appear to be stocked anywhere in that thickness!

We are uncertain of what the exterior layer is other than a VERY hard hardwood. It has a beautiful appearance and grain, Mike says almost like a mahogany. The interior laminations are perfect and void free.

I will repeat here what I posted over on John Welsford's forum. We love marine plywood. If we could we would build only in marine ply and fine hardwoods. However, as is often the case we were on a tight budget and an even tighter time constraint to get the two Scamps built and sailing by March 1. So, Mike substituted ingenuity and hard work to achieve what we hope is an acceptable substitute for the marine ply.

One issue in the EC is always weight of the boat (light is better) so we hope the lighter ply will result in a lighter hull, since Mike and Andrew are single handing and cannot assist each other.

Jackie Monies

[keyhavenpotterer]

Yes, Mike is building both Scamps entirely with 1/4 inch ply which is actually 5.2 mm thick. When he needs thicker, he laminates and produces his own layers of ply,..Jackie Monies

My best option is also a locally available 6mm ply. I also need a lighter boat if possible. It would be really useful to know which areas Mike is doubling. thanks, Brian