Saturday, December 3, 2011

how to build a boat in 7 days !!!!





Here, I tell the tale of building my boat.  I now know that you too can build a boat.  Since everything takes 3 times longer and 3 times more money than you predicted, make it 3 weeks to be realistic, but, for me, it was a week.  But, they were 12 hour days, and alot of slop. You, of course, won't have that.

first, soak your plywood pieces in a homemade bathtub that you make with a tarp and 2x8's.  A borax solution, like boracare, or anything like that.  The theory is if, if, anything gets past the epoxy layer, then the soaking in borax while inhibit, or kill any wood rot then.
make your ribs from 1x4's


this part , as far as those angles, is where the art is at. But, I say, rough it out, and plunge in ! Plywood can be bent, or mouldeded to the ribs. We had to manhandle my plywood sides, but now it is both screwed and glued.






getting these wired together was a good feeling.

see that purple.  That is the resin, the hardener,and the purple mix in. Apparently, the purple mucilage type mix in is the strongest.  As is, for shaped pieced you would use glass beads as your mix in, but it isn't strong. This stuff is strong. Plus, I have stainless steel screws from the plywood into the the ribs.



having middle aged buddies really helps.

getting ready to seam 2 sections

2 sections done, one to go

finishing the final section


screwing in the bottom. Also note the use of white. That is the glass beads as filler.  Probably, "hence fillet" So, fillet is some kind of boat building terminology about filing in places with fillet.



next time, build the sides , the lay a piece of plywood on the top, and then cut.  Here I made the bottom of the boat at the same time as the sides, but undercut it on one piece and then overcut it on another. Oh well, that must be what glass beads are for.


Felt good right about now.

wet test.

Epoxy putty does not spread well, and is not the product for here.

please note the wood outriggers.  Braced to the bottom it is a tough set of outriggers.

By now everybody knows that rounded hull shapes give better performance, better water pressure resistance, and more payload than slab sided, flat bottom boats.  Occasionally the thought creeps up that if one builds just such a slab sided, hard chine, under performing boat, you can save time and money.

see those rails.  Sliding seats built out of rollerblades, plastic and plywood.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks a lot for sharing this. It does look easy to do but so it is actually so hard to organize in reality. With proper guidance though, it will be accomplished.
    - Adirondack-Guide-Boat.com

    ReplyDelete