Setup Milestone

Yesterday was a huge day. I didn't finish till late and so didn't have time to post, hence this brief description today.

I embarked on a mission to get all of the molds set up on the strongback. A number of the cleats needed modifying, to make the all important WL3s line up. This took up the first hour or so, but no major problems emerged.

Once done, I carried everything to the strongback & got sorted out. As a precaution, I checked the strongback levels and was less than impressed to find the feet loose again. Annoyed, I releveled the strongback and drove about 10, 000 screws into both feet. Seems pretty steady (again). Hopefully it'll stay that way now.

That little frustration behind me, I set about mounting each cleat into it's proper position. For this job, my weapon of choice was some big-arsed, hex drive, bugle headed, self tapping screws. I drilled a pilot hole as best I could first, trying to keep it as straight as possible. They drove well through into the vertical side panels of the strongbox, meaning that at least these bits shouldn't move unexpectedly.

Happy that all the cleats were as accurate as possible, I turned my attention to setting up a stringline, so as to align the top & bottom centerlines for each mold. Gary's book says to nail a bit of timer to the molds backing onto each stem mold, but I didn't want to start hammering stuff into these, so instead I fiddled around with clamps until I came up with the set up shown in the photo below.

This worked a treat, because I could change the angle of the line by simply sliding it up or down at one of the ends, meaning that I could get the line to meet up with the centerline precisely for each station. This also meant not messing around with a plumb bob, which I discovered I quite suck at using.

At last, all fitted. It's exciting to start to see her shape for real. What's even more exciting (and scary), is the fact that from now on, everything I do will become a very permanent part of the boat.

I then duly dragged my long suffering family out to the boat, and prompted them to "oooh & ahhh" at it whilst I enjoyed a nice cold glass of chardonay, with my nose in the air & my chest puffed out.

So there we are, all ready for inner stems & planking. There probably won't be much happening at this blog site for a little while now. I kind of didn't expect to get to this point so quickly and I've not got the planking sorted yet (not happy with the quotes so far & am trying to get it a bit cheaper). I also need to suss out what timber is going to be best to use for the inner stems.

Stem Molds All Set Up

Only had a few hours available this arvo, so got stuck in and worked on setting up both stem molds. Whilst I was getting started, I checked the level of the strongback again and was dismayed to find the whole assembly a bit unstable. I puzzled over it for a bit until I noticed slight movement at the points where the strongback legs attach to the feet. Looking closer, I was shocked to discover they were all a bit loose. I could have sworn I'd tightened them up, but obviously, I musn't have. I can assure you they're bloody tight now. I got a little carried away though, and sheared one of the bolts off completely. Anyway, it's all nice and steady now. Still very slightly out of level crosswise here & there but not so much that it'll be a problem (I hope).

I then proceeded to make 10, 000, 000 trips back and forward between the shed & strongback, carting all the bits and pieces as I needed them. Then fussed and obssessed over the bow stem mold.

All Done. Bloody good job too, if I do say so myslf. Seems pretty straight & level, WL3's are all exactly 200mm above the surface of the strongback (surprisingly). The only bit that didn't go perfectly to plan is a very slight twist in the stem mold, meaning that WL3 on station 1 for the side facing the camera in the below photo, is about 1 mm or so out (if that makes sense). But I'm not too worried, I've got a cunning plan to rectify it.

After that, it was on to the stern stem mold. Had to chop quite a bit off the cleat for station 16, but it all went on ok. It's also come up pretty well straight & level (agan, WL3's exactly 200mm above the surface). Same slight twist in this stem mold too.

Looking forward to getting a big day in on the project tomorrow. I hope to get all of the intermediate molds set up, ready for the inner permanent stems (prior to planking).

Can't wait until I've got something that actually looks kind of canoeish.

Assembly of Both Stem Molds

Another pretty productive day today I suppose, although frustrating again not to have gotten further.

Today I focussed on getting both stem molds assembled, ready to mount on the strongback. I'm paranoid about inaccuracies creeping in and the setting up of each mold is critical.
The first thing I did was to cut strips through the molds at stations 2 & 17, the exact width of the stem molds. I then transferred all of the stations & waterlines onto the reverse of each mold, to assisst in aligning everything up.



I also cecked the height of waterline 3 (WL3) on the stem molds, which must align exactly 200mm above the strongback's top surface (same as on all of the intermediate molds). It's a good thing I did too, because the bottom edge of the mold, as defined by the template, was from 2 to 5mm out & not completely level. I measured out 200mm from WL3 and marked it off, then used my trusty sanding station to get the edge down to the new line.



Once that was all done, it was a relatively simple matter to screw all the bits together. They seem reasonably stable & level. I'm going to sort out each cleat at each individual station as I go, to try and achieve acceptable accuracy. The photo below shows how much I'm going to have to cut/plane of the first cleat.



Below are the results of my day's efforts.

I had hoped to have these mounted on the strongback today as well, but I spent too much time being anal/fussy & ran out of time. I also don't think I'm managing my time very effectively. I didn't get started until 1030 this morning, then stopped for an hour for lunch and knocked off around 1515 (to take my daughter swimming, which got cancelled anyway). Now I won't get another chance to work on the boat until the weekend. In the words of Matchbox 20, "I wish the real world would just stop hassling me....".

Lots of Action, Not Much to See

Worked my tits off today. I feel tired but content, although it doesn't look like I've achieved very much in the end. This morning I got stuck right in and finished sanding the rest of the molds down to thier lines (I LOVE my sanding station).

Then I decided to get the mold extensions sorted out & (hopefully) attached to the molds, so I measured them up & cut them out. Keen to leave my childhood "RAG" brandname behind me for this project (refer previous post), I tried a couple of experimental production lines, striving to make each extension as accurate, square & straight as humanly possible.

Unfortunately, this approach was taking forever. Wanting to paddle this canoe before I'm 60 years old, I decided to just make sure that the top edge of each extension was straight. Then it was an easy matter to measure out the mid point and draw a centreline from that edge. Aligning the extension on each mold by eye & holding them together with both hands, I was able to put each assembly into my vice and tighten it up with my knee. Then I'd drill and fit the first two bolts, washers & nuts. Spin it over & do the same for the bottom two bolts and that's that station's mold/extension done.

It sounds pretty simple but it took me the rest of the day to get all of these done.

Anyway, this is the result of my day's (sweaty) labour. Doesn't look like much, does it? Oh well, now I've just got to adjust some of the cleat heights and I can finally start fitting these things to the strongback.

Outstanding Purchase

Finally, a day to work on the boat. It's been a fun day too, although I wish I'd gotten more done. First up was a trip to Gasweld at Gosford, to pick up my new sanding station, which had arrived at last. I unpacked & set it up as soon as I got home. After a quick lunch, I took it down the back & had a bit of a test sand on one of the first molds (it works like a cracker).

Then I went and sussed out the strongback after it's unplanned change of venue. It was slightly low at the uphill end, so I propped it up on a couple of sare bits of 19mm ply and it came up perfect. One thing that's worring me a bit though, is the fact that the top surface of the strongback now seems to be very slightly out of level crosswise at various points. After fiddling around for ages, I decided that there's not much I can do about it now. Even if I was to completely start again, the same thing might happen. Never mind, I resolved to try & make sure that each mold is properly vertical with a plumb bob and level with the spirit level at each station. Besides, it's not out by much.

Anyway, I was keen to get back to my molds (and my new toy). It's an absolute beauty and I was able to quickly and precisely sand each mold right down to the lines.

I managed to get through about half of the molds. Tomorrow I should be able to finish the rest & hopefully start getting some cleats attached to the strongback.

As for the anomally with the alignment of cleat/extension/mold assembly. I emailed Gary with my query and he immediately emailed me back to tell me that I was right and that a few of the cleats have to be a bit lower. Can't tell you how good it is to not have stuffed that bit up already.

Mold Cutting Time

Mold Cutting Time

Loads of rain yesterday but at least the strongback seemed to stay dry this time.

Wish I'd set up this way in the first place. Oh well, live & learn. I've still got to suss how far out of level the strongback is now, but I was anxious to make some sawdust today, so I launched straight into cutting out the molds instead.

I'm not going to be able to proceed with the project for the next few days (bloody work), so I wanted to get this bit out of the way today. I'm also still waiting for a sanding station that I ordered last Monday (said it'd only be two or three days). I want to it use to get the edges of the molds & mold extensions straight and accurate. In my next sessions, I intend to focus on getting everything perfect and then start mounting it all onto the strongback. I'm at the point where I need to become pretty anal with precision. It's so easy for inaccuracies to creep in (especially for a numpty like me), so I plan to slow right down and try to get everything as right as I can.

One bit that I think I might've stuffed up already is with the glueing of the templates to the ply. It didn't seem right to use heaps of the spray ashesive, so I was a bit girly with using it initially. Ironically, I was worried about the templates wrinkling up. Dissatisfied with the results, I got progressively more heavy handed as I went along, but I never truly applied lots of glue to the entire surfaces. Now, pretty much all of the templates are wrinkled to some degree and the photo below shows the worst of the templates (first one I applied glue to).

I stuck the remaining stern stem tempate down onto the last bit of ply today & absolutely drowned it before sticking it down. It seems ok and I was even able to cut it out straight away as well. It's too late to do anything about it now, except to measure out all of the waterlines on the really suspect molds to verify the outer edges before sanding down to the lines.

Be warned if you plan to do something like this: Use shitloads of glue with templates!

At least there didn't seem to be much waste once the molds were all cut out.

All done & ready for Mr Sander.

I also measured out & cut a mold extension (as accurately as I could). Wanting to avoid further cockups, I tentatively set up one of the stem molds to check alignment with the mold extension and strongback cleat.

Perhaps its a good thing I did because I'm not sure if there's a bit of an error somewhere. The cleats in the book/plans specify 50 x 50mm. Apparently this isn't a stock dimension & therefore needs to be milled. I was told this at the timber place (Walker Bros, Gosford) that it'll be closer to about 46 x 46mm in the end (which is pretty much what I got). The problem is that even this looks too big (by three or four mm). The result of this could mean that the rest of the molds would sit too low and the waterlines wouldn't line up properly. I'm about to email Gary Dierking to clarify this.

It could be that everything's ok and that the station molds are meant to sit slightly lower than the cleat's top surface. Oh well, see what Gary reckons.

On a totally separate note, over the years whist mentally working out how I'd go about building a boat, I was worried as to how I'd go with obtaining all the clamps that all decent boatsheds obviously require. On investigation the hardware stores' clamps looked rediculously overpriced, however, during my many cash dispersal expeditions to Bunnings, I found that there are often cheaper ones on offer. I grabbed a few each time I went to deposit large sums of cash on other items and now seem to possess enough clamps of various types and sizes,to last me a lifetime.

Plan B

Plan B

Another day, another Boatshop. Unperturbed after yesterday's fiasco, this morning I resolved to stike back by quickly developing an effective "Plan B". I reckon the rediculously inclement weather yesterday (thousands of homes blacked out & areas southwest of here got record rainfall) was a blessing in disguise. Obviously, I've been on the wrong track with the design of this first shelter, and I'm glad this was revealed to me before I'd made heaps of progress, which would've complicated taking remedial action greatly. I need to come up wth something a little more robust. More rain was predicted for this afternoon, so I had to pull my finger out. Below was the scene that greeted me when I went out this morning.

Mulling the situation over yesterday afternoon, there was one obvious course of action. We have a carport in front of our cabin (converted garage), where I have been storing my surfcat.

(see below)

I had initially rejected this as an option, because we are in the process of arranging finance for an extension to our house which runs right through this area. Not knowing how long this boat is going to take to build, I was (ironically) worried about having to set up an emergency shelter for it. The bank has been an absolute pain in the backside for most of last year (due to the "GFC") and, after a few phone calls with our mortgage broker, it seems we've probably got another couple of months messing around at least. It could work in my favour to have the boat in this spot because I'll really have to get my skates on & get it finished pretty pronto. With a distinct lack of options at this point in time, it was decision made.

Long story short, I went out and hacked into the large bush you can probably see in the above photo and spent the day swapping the cat & strongback around and rearranging the tarp accordingly. Half way through this, the predicted rain hit with a vengence but at least there wasn't any lightning.

The strongback doesn't seem to be getting wet any more, except for the legs which still cop some water running down the driveway. I'll have to come up with some way of diverting all this water, as well as setting up more tarps to protect from any driving wind and rain. For today though, I'm definately over it all.

Boatshop Malfunction

Was helping a good mate down on the Hawkesbury River yesterday, so no work done on the canoe except for stopping off at Bunnings on the way home, in order to add significantly to thier annual cashflow yet again (if they ever build another wing to thier showroom, I hope they name it after me).

Haven't made the sort of progress I'd hoped for today. In fact, it's about 1330 in the afternoon, I'm sitting here soaking wet & today's barely started work has been hastily thrown into the shed & shut away. Perhaps I should explain.

Today was to be the big mold cutting day. A bit tired from yesterday, I had a bit of a late start and enjoyed a liesurely morning. Eventually I made an effort and got everything set up under my shelter (it looked like it might rain). Once ready to roll, I had a quick lunch with my wife, then sauntered out to my "Boatshop". Initially unconcerned at the light drizzle that had begun to fall, I happily donned my personal protective equipment & began to jigsaw the molds out.

Unfortunately, the suspected inadequacies of my canoe's weather protection system quickly became apparent, when I felt my feet getting really wet. Looking down, I saw torrents of water cascading along the ground. With the earmuffs on and the jigsaw going, I didn't realise that the drizzle had grown in intensity to a thunderstorm and downpour. Vaguely aware that extension cord/power board combinations laying in puddles, whilst operating power tools and standing in ankle deep water is often considered uncool, I thought it might be time to beat a hasty retreat.

Expecting my whole boatshop floor to instantly become a constant supply of electricity looking for some place human to go, I hopped & jumped around to the powerpoint & shut it down. I proceeded to grab everything, race through the pouring rain & throw it all unceremoniously into the cramped haven of my shed. I then quickly shut the shed up & squelched back to the house with the sight & sound of lightning ringing in my ears. Could someone up there be trying to tell me something?

The photos below depict the calm before the storm (litterally).





So, that brings us back to the opening paragraph. Here I sit, still wet, lamenting what could've been today. It's still bucketing down outside & it doesn't look like letting up. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.


PS: Just as I was about to hit "Publish Post" for this posting, I heard a big "Rrrriiiiiiiiipppp!" sound. Looking out the window, I was greeted with the sight of my "shelter" all collapsed & my strongback sitting in the open & exposed to the elements. Back out in to the storm I went and, in the pouring rain & lightning, hurriedly untied the 100, 000, 000 ropes and jury rigged/wrapped the lot around the stongback.
So, I've not only lost a day's productivity, but I've also effectively gone backwards. My expensive heavy duty tarp, which I spent days working on, is in tatters. Ironically, the second I got back inside, the storm has suddenly dropped to a light drizzle again. On the radio, they reckon the traffic is an absolute mess now due to local flooding. Think I should call up the station and apologise to everyone?

Kick Off

Ok, so I've started this blog a bit late. Actual construction kicked off over a week ago (Monday 25th January 2010) and heaps of other work went into preparing for the big event during the weeks preceding that date but things have been going surprisingly well, despite lots of interruptions and distractions (main one being one of our regular overseas visitors having a major stoke whilst here......get well soon Bill).

So, to bring you up to date I'll try to be brief & fly through the last few week's activities.

The first step was to generate some cash for the project. I achieved this buy selling my poor little yacht (a 23ft monohull) that needed way too much work. Having learned by bitter experience that monos are not the go for me, my local waters or my wallet, I have decided that I must go for the multihull(s) anyway. As my work shed was full of junk, I also offloaded some of that & chucked out the rest (how I love you oh world of Ebay).

Ah, that's much more betterer. My Brother-in-Law was kind enough to pass on a bunch of tools (including lots of power tools) and another metal bench, which has proven to be really useful. The rudder that you might've noticed in the last photo belongs to my 14ft surfcat, which I've nearly finished doing up and will also be sold to bankroll my boating nonsense.

Next, I needed to clear out a long abandoned & overgrown jungle down the side of the house, where I could set up a temporary shelter for the build. This was a proper bastard of a job & I cleverly chose a couple of the hottest days possible for the task. The space isn't ideal and the ground is pretty broken up & sloping but it's about the best available option that I can see for now.

Next I stretched a 20ft x 10ft heavy duty tarp accross the area, to provide pretty basic shelter. It took some working out and I had to rework the setup a couple of times when we got some heavy rain but now it seems to drain ok, although it is still a bit exposed to the North & North Easterly winds so the rain can still blow in. Just have to wrap another tarp around the job & hope for the best I guess.

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Once this was all done, I was ready to actually make a start on the boat itself. The official commencement date for this build was Monday 25th January 2010 and what an exciting (& daunting) day it was. With some trepidation, I trotted off to Bunnings for my first bit of wood (19mm ply for the strongback) and some more tools.

As soon as I got home, I launched straight into measuring and cutting out the bits for the strongback.

Over the next week or so, I managed to sort out and assemble the strongback. When I was a kid and did Industrial Arts at school, I used to have my own brand called "RAG" (Rough As Guts). Let's just say that I hadn't yet understood the value of standarised educational environments, nor the concept of "Pride of Workmanship".

In any case, I didn't really spend a lot of time cleaning up the edges of my cuts with the strongback. Conscious, however, of the importance of a sound & accurate foundation for the build, I did at least try to ensure the top surface of the box section was as straight as possible.

When it came time to take the newly assembled strongback around to my "boatshed", I was really worried as to how I was going to get the setup straight and level, especially given the cracked, sloping concrete floor. I attached the uphill leg (carefully measured to provide the recommended ideal working height of the assembly), then my daughter & I carried it to it's new home. Once there, we temporarily propped the downhill end on a ratty old sawhorse, one of whose legs had rotted away so much that it didn't even touch the ground. To my amazement, when I ran the spirit level all over, everything was perfectly straight & level. What a fluke! I quickly measured off & fitted the other leg and removed the "calibration sawhorse".

Feeling very pleased with myself, I then happily say in my shed cutting out the templates for the station molds. I did have grand intentions of lofting all of these drawings myself but luckily sanity prevailed & I bought the propper plans instead. The hardest part was convincing myself that I really didn't need to have a beer whilst doing this activity (sheds are so cool for a bloke to hang out in).



Today I sussed out how to fit all of the templates into one sheet of 12mm ply. Once done, I used spay adhesive to stick them down. They didn't stick as well as I'd have liked (I was trempted to paint the whole sheet to provide a better surface), but hopefully it'll be good enough. The white triangle in the far corner is Stern Stem template, which will have to be glued to the other side of the ply.

So there you are. Up to date. I intend to post after each day's work from now on, so you won't have to wade through loads of stuff each time. Due to the usual commitments, I can't work on this project every day (unfortunately), but I will do so every chance I get. Hopefully the gaps between sessions won't be longer than a few days, but I guess we'll see how it all goes.