usedtosail

So this is a supplement to the build log which is a build log of the case for this beast. I was going to wait until Spring to build this, so that I could run the table saw outside, but I managed to arrange the shop so that I can make the case inside and still have room for the table saw. I ordered the plexiglas panels for the four sides and the top back in December. These are 1/8" thick. I will be making frames for the front, back, sides and top panel, but first I worked on the display board. This needs to be 24" wide, so I could have made it up from a few wide boards, but at Lowes I found this made up board that is already 24" wide. I started by adding the guide boards that the front, back and side panels will be attached to at the bottom. These are just 1x2 poplar boards that I split down the middle. I used a battery powered nail gun to attach them to the display board, which I have to say I was pretty impressed with. The nail heads are very small and not very noticeable. I will also be using a pretty dark stain for the case which will make them even less noticeable. With the base done, I then started making the front and back panels. I stared with these because if I screw up any of the frames I can cut them down for the sides. First I cut all the frame boards to length. Those blue panels behind the bench are the plexiglas panels. I had a pretty crappy old small Craftsman table saw that I knew wouldn't be up to this task, so while at Lowes to get the wood I was going to buy a small portable table saw that looked pretty good. Right next to that one they had this Hitachi portable saw that was much beefier and precise. It was originally about twice what I was going to pay for the smaller one, but it was marked down to only about $30 more than the smaller one, so after a bit of thought in the store I bought it. I am really happy with it. I had that small shop vac that is perfect to stick underneath it, but the hose was too small for the fitting on the saw. After searching online there was no adapter that would work, even though there were a bunch that claim to but when you look at the dimensions the outside diameters were too large to fit in the hole. So I chucked a square piece of 1x4 into my lathe and made one, which works great. I also bought a switch that you plug the saw and the vacuum into so that the vacuum goes on automatically whenever the saw starts up. So far that is also working great but there is some question on the longevity of these switches, so we will see how long it lasts. I can also use this set up with my other power tools, like the router table. I am in the process of cutting lap joints into the ends of all the frame boards for the front and back. Once that is done, I will then use a router table to cut the slots in the boards for the plexiglas panels to fit into, then assemble the frames around the plexi. Stay tuned for pictures of that step next.

I have completed the first sanding of the first planking, both with rough and medium grade sandpaper. There are a few spots that need a bit more filler, so that is the next step.

Been there, done that Rich. It is a wonderful feeling when it all set back up just the way you like it.

That is an impressive and scary looking forecastle. Great work.

Thanks Popeye. That is good advice which I will use on the second planking.

Thanks guys. I feel better now.

Is it the Beagle?

Here is where it gets a bit ugly, as I can not for the life of me do a good planking job without clinker planks and gaps. So the first step is to add wood filler on those area that need it, which in my case is much of the hull. Here is another hack that I have been doing. Even though I cut a rabbet at the bow and stern posts, the first planking strips were too thick to be bent enough to fit into it completely, so I just got the ends close while planking, knowing I could use wood filler to get them to curve into the posts better than trying to bend them. So first I used a Dremel with a sanding disk to roughly sand down the plank ends. Then I filled in the gaps with the wood filler. Today I used a flat scraper to scrape down the filler along the posts but don't have a picture of that yet. Stay tuned and the next post will hopefully have a better looking hull as I continue to sand and scrape it down.

Welcome to all those that are now following along. I have spent the last week or so trying to get the last couple of planks right, especially at the bow. I wanted to make sure I had a nice curve from the first frame into the keel. I ended up removing that section a few times and finally was able to make a nice spieled piece that fit well after I curved it with a planking iron. Here are some pics of that process. And the results. So now the first planking is on and I am ready to start getting it smooth for the second planking, which I will show in the next post.

Nice planking job K. It is coming along very well.

She is beautiful Dave. Try to keep the dust off her though.

As promised here are the photos of the drop planks in place. (I have another photo but it doesn't want to upload). You can see I will be adding another drop plank at the top planks. You can also see a spot where the clamps I used forced a plank to bend in too far. I will add some filler there to fix it after the initial sanding of the first planking layer. Here I have soaked the next top plank and clamped it to the frames. I am using a keel clamp to hold the hull when it is right side up. I still have to put in the drop planks at the top and I also have to make and add two spieled planks at the bow, as a single plank all the way across at the very top can't be bent enough to fit right.

Nice save on that tire. This is a beautiful job you have done.

Thanks Fernando and for the likes. I am getting close to finishing the first planking. I have the bottom band done, which did not require any dropped or added planks. The middle band is almost done, but there are 4 drop planks to be added, one on each side at the bow and stern. Here you can see how I am doing the drop planks. I am finishing two planks on a frame with 45 degree angles, then filling the remaining gap with a single plank the goes to the bow or stern. Normally I would surround a single dropped plank with two full length planks, going from 3 planks to 2 planks, but to do that on this model the two planks would have to be made from very wide stock. Even with the method used here I had to make two of the single planks from wider stock than the 6mm wide planks supplied with the kit, but they are short pieces so I didn't need much. I have made those single planks and was able to soak them and clamp them to the hull to shape them. I though I might need to use heat with them after soaking because of their length, but that was not needed. I'll add pictures of the completed drop planks in a future post. As you can see I haven't done any scraping or sanding to the hull yet. Once I have the top planks glued on then I will be cleaning everything up in preparation for the second planking.

Congratulations on getting your daughter onto her independent life. Both mine are on there own now and I am so proud, but still miss them a bunch.

Great coppering job!

Thanks Popeye and the likes. Planking is coming along as I am down to just a few planks left in each band. I am going to drop a few planks near the stem and stern in the middle and top bands as the remaining gaps are pretty small there. As usual I am using a variety of different clamps, but as the gaps get smaller the choices get more limited.

Beautiful, clean work Vossie.

Those are nice details to add Jay.

Thanks Anthony. I am just glad this model will have a second planking. This one is just the base. Here is a nice planking process picture. I have a plank in the middle band clamped after soaking to get it to shape, another in the bottom band drying after being glued to the keel and frames, and in the background there are two wood strips that have the frame positions marked on them ready to be trimmed for the top band. The supplied wood strips for the first planking are 1.5mm thick and 6 mm wide, and I have found that they only require soaking for a couple of hours and can be manipulated very well after that. I have not had to resort to any kind of heating for these strips. Those clothes pins between the frames reduce most of the clinkering since they clamp the wet plank to the previous one. For the top planks I have flipped the frame over so I can work from the top. You can start to see the shape of the hull coming out. Just more of the same for a while...

Great job on that ladder Dave. A jig of some kind is an absolute must when building them.

Thanks Fernando. Its good to know that will work.

Thanks Fernando, Popeye, and EJ. Fernando, I am a bit concerned about the planks that make up the outside of the bulwarks. Did you glue these to the parts of the frames that are to be cut away? I am leaning in that direction and then will clean then up inside when I remove those sections. I guess the second planking will help hold these together but just edge gluing them seems too flimsy to me.

Planking continues with a few planks per day. I trim them to width given the distances between the two first planks, then soak them for a few hours and clamp them to the hull to dry overnight. I then glue them in place again planking them to the frames and to to planks already in place. Here are the two planks that define the three bands after gluing them on. Here the garboard strakes and the first of the top band planks are clamped on to dry after soaking. And here the second middle band planks on each side are being glued in place. While waiting for planks to dry, I measure and trim the next planks to be added. While this is a slow process, I am really trying to keep the amount of sanding after planking to a minimum so I am taking my time. So far so good.

Ken, she looks great in that case. You family looks good too.