Small boats are on the backburner at the moment. I will announce it elsewhere when something starts to happen here. Maybe spring. Definitely summer when the big boat is in the water and on the mooring.
Recently the need for a semi-dory using my 5hp Honda is making itself felt.
So many boats, so little time...
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Silence in the shop
Its pretty quiet in the shop.
The weather changed and is finally decent. I have a fixed date for painting the Triton which I have been working towards full time.
I am also cash strapped with funds being held in reserve to cover the painting costs so I have had to ration my dwindling epoxy stockpiles. The next step with the Shellback is to laminate the frame and stem which is rather epoxy dependent.
Once the painting bill is secured and the job situation worked out I will refill my stocks and get back to work. I love my Triton project but I miss building from scratch and small boats in general.
Hopefully soon...
The weather changed and is finally decent. I have a fixed date for painting the Triton which I have been working towards full time.
I am also cash strapped with funds being held in reserve to cover the painting costs so I have had to ration my dwindling epoxy stockpiles. The next step with the Shellback is to laminate the frame and stem which is rather epoxy dependent.
Once the painting bill is secured and the job situation worked out I will refill my stocks and get back to work. I love my Triton project but I miss building from scratch and small boats in general.
Hopefully soon...
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Sweat
The high temps/ high humidity continued today. In between other chores I managed to put another four hours into the Shellback project. Because of the heat I had to take frequent breaks but I got to a good stopping point by evening.
The laminating jigs for the middle frame and stem are done. You can see those in the upper right of the photo. When I start laminating I will take more pictures so you can see how they work better. I didn't really have a plan for them. I cut out a pattern for the inside of the middle frame and then I started adding pieces until it looked like it would work. When I built my nutshell I had a flat board with short blocks every six inches and I didn't build it to last (so I broke it up at the end of the project). I didn't really like how it worked so this is, I hope, and improvement. If you go on the web you will see a dozen different ways of making the jig. As long as they work it is okay.
Then I cut out the pattern for the transom. I took this directly off the full-sized plans. The more I got looking the more I decided the full sized prints were "good enough" and my earlier opinion wasn't so accurate. I went back and forth measuring from different points to make sure I was happy. Note, the transom print shows the aft edge in bold print and the forward edge in dotted lines. The forward edge is BIGGER because of the hull shape tapering towards the transom. Don't cut to the bold print or you will be undersize. Maybe it won't matter and the boat will just be a little pinched when finished. Really, epoxy and thickening agents can cure a multitude of mistakes.
Finally, I cut out the molds that will attach to the building jig. These molds will give the boat its shape while gluing and screwing the planks together. They are not part of the finished boat.
I think I have about 8 hours into the project so far. I am a little faster than I thought I would but that might be because this boat is so much like the nutshell pram I built earlier. Or maybe I am just learning to not worry so much and fix my mistakes later... In any event, the next steps will be to build the 'strongback' or building fixture and laminate the middle frame and stem. To date, I have only been using scraps. I might need to purchase materials to go further.
Tomorrow the weather should be better and my mobile workshop will be done so I will be getting back to my Triton project. I also have to cater to a sick relative, driving her around and such. Progress has been good so far but I don't expect it to continue.
Sorry.
Now I really, REALLY need a shower. I am soaked and smelly.
The laminating jigs for the middle frame and stem are done. You can see those in the upper right of the photo. When I start laminating I will take more pictures so you can see how they work better. I didn't really have a plan for them. I cut out a pattern for the inside of the middle frame and then I started adding pieces until it looked like it would work. When I built my nutshell I had a flat board with short blocks every six inches and I didn't build it to last (so I broke it up at the end of the project). I didn't really like how it worked so this is, I hope, and improvement. If you go on the web you will see a dozen different ways of making the jig. As long as they work it is okay.
Then I cut out the pattern for the transom. I took this directly off the full-sized plans. The more I got looking the more I decided the full sized prints were "good enough" and my earlier opinion wasn't so accurate. I went back and forth measuring from different points to make sure I was happy. Note, the transom print shows the aft edge in bold print and the forward edge in dotted lines. The forward edge is BIGGER because of the hull shape tapering towards the transom. Don't cut to the bold print or you will be undersize. Maybe it won't matter and the boat will just be a little pinched when finished. Really, epoxy and thickening agents can cure a multitude of mistakes.
Finally, I cut out the molds that will attach to the building jig. These molds will give the boat its shape while gluing and screwing the planks together. They are not part of the finished boat.
I think I have about 8 hours into the project so far. I am a little faster than I thought I would but that might be because this boat is so much like the nutshell pram I built earlier. Or maybe I am just learning to not worry so much and fix my mistakes later... In any event, the next steps will be to build the 'strongback' or building fixture and laminate the middle frame and stem. To date, I have only been using scraps. I might need to purchase materials to go further.
Tomorrow the weather should be better and my mobile workshop will be done so I will be getting back to my Triton project. I also have to cater to a sick relative, driving her around and such. Progress has been good so far but I don't expect it to continue.
Sorry.
Now I really, REALLY need a shower. I am soaked and smelly.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Happiness is...
Happiness is a new set of plans.
In this case, Joel White's Shellback dinghy. A very simple 12 foot sailboat very similar to Joel's Nutshell pram I built a few years ago. Given my inability to get much done on the Triton I might be able to push ahead on this one. I checked the full sized plans against the table of offsets and noticed some small discrepencies. Nothing too big and you could just ignore them. I thought to check because there were a few minor oddities with the nutshell too. Expanding the drawings to full size tends to blur the edges and makes the lines thicker. This can lead to an extra eighth of an inch here and there. Not necessarily a big deal with the dory type of boat that this really is but I would like to improve over my last attempt.
Julie asked for this boat and I am building it for her. It is a pretty nice little boat and I might make an extra or two.
Next step will be to make a jig for laminating up the mid-frame and stem. Like the nutshell there is only one frame in the boat and it is made of eighth inch strips of fir laminated into a nice strong curve. A bit of a hassle maybe but since there is only one frame it isn't too bad. It makes for a very clean interior too. The other thing I could do is make up the temporary molds that will attach to the strongback (building framework) and give the planks their shape while they are being secured into position. After that I will have to spend money so I will have to see about that. Having no income has its challenges.
[Edit]
I found some more time so I did a little more today. I made the laminating jig just as the sun went down so I will post a picture next time. Using the full-sized plans as an overlay didn't work so well. The paper wouldn't lay flat or taut enough and where I tried nailing through the paper and stretching it tight, it just ripped when I tried to pull it taught. I wound up lofting out the middle frame to the dimensions on the table of offsets and cutting out a half section pattern of the frame. Making a half pattern was easier than making a full pattern that matched exactly on each side. I might go back and use the half pattern (flipped over) to make a full sized pattern but I am not sure it is really necessary.
In this case, Joel White's Shellback dinghy. A very simple 12 foot sailboat very similar to Joel's Nutshell pram I built a few years ago. Given my inability to get much done on the Triton I might be able to push ahead on this one. I checked the full sized plans against the table of offsets and noticed some small discrepencies. Nothing too big and you could just ignore them. I thought to check because there were a few minor oddities with the nutshell too. Expanding the drawings to full size tends to blur the edges and makes the lines thicker. This can lead to an extra eighth of an inch here and there. Not necessarily a big deal with the dory type of boat that this really is but I would like to improve over my last attempt.
Julie asked for this boat and I am building it for her. It is a pretty nice little boat and I might make an extra or two.
Next step will be to make a jig for laminating up the mid-frame and stem. Like the nutshell there is only one frame in the boat and it is made of eighth inch strips of fir laminated into a nice strong curve. A bit of a hassle maybe but since there is only one frame it isn't too bad. It makes for a very clean interior too. The other thing I could do is make up the temporary molds that will attach to the strongback (building framework) and give the planks their shape while they are being secured into position. After that I will have to spend money so I will have to see about that. Having no income has its challenges.
[Edit]
I found some more time so I did a little more today. I made the laminating jig just as the sun went down so I will post a picture next time. Using the full-sized plans as an overlay didn't work so well. The paper wouldn't lay flat or taut enough and where I tried nailing through the paper and stretching it tight, it just ripped when I tried to pull it taught. I wound up lofting out the middle frame to the dimensions on the table of offsets and cutting out a half section pattern of the frame. Making a half pattern was easier than making a full pattern that matched exactly on each side. I might go back and use the half pattern (flipped over) to make a full sized pattern but I am not sure it is really necessary.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Beginnings...
At the risk of giving some people a conniption fit, I have started some new projects and I thought I would blog about them since at least one of the projects is for someone else. Other people just might be interested. Or just like watching me descend further into boat madness.
My Triton rebuilding project still is the number one priority but the weather over the past two weeks has really stumped me (rain showers every day and hot humid too-hot-to-paint conditions) and with my worktruck being down temporarily I just can't get anything done there. Working outdoors without cover was a big mistake and really slows the Triton project down. To stay busy without going crazy I have decided to push forward on some low priority fun boat projects. That is what this blog is for. Don't expect updates every other day. I will only be working on this stuff as time allows.
Last week I decided to take a deeper look at some drawings for a Chamberlain Gunning Dory as shown in John Gardner's 'The Dory Book'. Oddly, there wasn't a table of offsets. Instead, John took lots of measurements of the pieces as he made the boat himself. To really confuse the reader there are drawings without the table for a traditional Chamberlain dory and several other drawings of a modified gunning dory that John build. The modified dory looks pretty interesting to me. To check for any errors in the measurements I started cutting out patterns of the major pieces and today I finished that up and roughly assembled them, creating a quarter section of the boat, and ran battens along the plank lines to see how the frames and stems lined up. Happily, John G. did a great job and everyhthing lined up quite well.
The next step will be to make the real parts. I am thinking of laminating the frames but I haven't decided. My girlfriend just asked me about building her a Joel White designed Shellback dinghy and since they are pretty nice looking boats and quite practical I think I will put the gunning dory on hold and loft it out. To really make you wonder I have also been thinking of lofting out John G.'s 12 foot semi-dory. I have a almost new 5hp Honda motor in the basement gathering dust and the semi-dory might be pretty useful. Yes. I am crazy. But at least I have lots of fun.
My Triton rebuilding project still is the number one priority but the weather over the past two weeks has really stumped me (rain showers every day and hot humid too-hot-to-paint conditions) and with my worktruck being down temporarily I just can't get anything done there. Working outdoors without cover was a big mistake and really slows the Triton project down. To stay busy without going crazy I have decided to push forward on some low priority fun boat projects. That is what this blog is for. Don't expect updates every other day. I will only be working on this stuff as time allows.
Last week I decided to take a deeper look at some drawings for a Chamberlain Gunning Dory as shown in John Gardner's 'The Dory Book'. Oddly, there wasn't a table of offsets. Instead, John took lots of measurements of the pieces as he made the boat himself. To really confuse the reader there are drawings without the table for a traditional Chamberlain dory and several other drawings of a modified gunning dory that John build. The modified dory looks pretty interesting to me. To check for any errors in the measurements I started cutting out patterns of the major pieces and today I finished that up and roughly assembled them, creating a quarter section of the boat, and ran battens along the plank lines to see how the frames and stems lined up. Happily, John G. did a great job and everyhthing lined up quite well.
The next step will be to make the real parts. I am thinking of laminating the frames but I haven't decided. My girlfriend just asked me about building her a Joel White designed Shellback dinghy and since they are pretty nice looking boats and quite practical I think I will put the gunning dory on hold and loft it out. To really make you wonder I have also been thinking of lofting out John G.'s 12 foot semi-dory. I have a almost new 5hp Honda motor in the basement gathering dust and the semi-dory might be pretty useful. Yes. I am crazy. But at least I have lots of fun.
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