BlockPlane

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I started this built sometime ago. Given the scope and difficulty, I decided to focus on deciphering the plans and determining a comfortable plan of attack before starting a build log. 
  I’m presently building and installing frames.  At first I didn’t trust the lines and found myself leaving things proud to give myself a little room to work with. A good idea initially, but means substantial amount of sanding later on. Patience......
Some pictures to bring things up to date. 

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

Druxey,
 Sorry for the confusion. I do have a build board and the keel is secure. I developed a problem with the keelson, which sits on top of the keel. Perhaps I’m premature in working on the keelson, but fitting it to each frame as I go seems easier then trying to fit it to all the frames at once. 

 

I’ve been MIA, but still making progress.  

Druxey,
 Sorry for the confusion. I do have a build board and the keel is secure. I developed a problem with the keelson, which sits on top of the keel. Perhaps I’m premature in working on the keelson, but fitting it to each frame as I go seems easier then trying to fit it to all the frames at once. 

 

Work continues. The amount of time and material associated with one frame is incredible. Since my last post, I’ve installed 5 frames and have glued up and rough cut another 9.
On another note, I noticed that the Keelson had developed a nice bow. To help relieve some on the stress, I made 2 cuts with a thin kerf handsaw then glued in small pieces to fill the void. After the initial two cuts were made the bend was pretty much gone. When fitting the pieces to be glued, I made sure not to have too tight a fit so as to not create additional stress in the opposite direction. One of my biggest challenges is to not create additional force when gluing pieces together. Meaning, if it doesn’t quite fit, don’t force it into place. 

 
 

I started this built sometime ago. Given the scope and difficulty, I decided to focus on deciphering the plans and determining a comfortable plan of attack before starting a build log. 
  I’m presently building and installing frames.  At first I didn’t trust the lines and found myself leaving things proud to give myself a little room to work with. A good idea initially, but means substantial amount of sanding later on. Patience......
Some pictures to bring things up to date. 

Druxey,
 Sorry for the confusion. I do have a build board and the keel is secure. I developed a problem with the keelson, which sits on top of the keel. Perhaps I’m premature in working on the keelson, but fitting it to each frame as I go seems easier then trying to fit it to all the frames at once. 

 

The main canon is in place and fully rigged. I also built the cradle that the boat will sit in. I initially did some reach to find an image of a period correct cradle, but in the end, I just designed my own. 
     Yesterday, i turned the four small 1lb. canons.  They came out ok. Turning pieces that small on a full size lathe and getting all the canons to look identical is a challenge. 
Practice makes perfect. 
 
Chris 

I'd definitely be interested in the bibliography.  It really is amazing the differences in designs from region to region, and the amount of Inuit culture wrapped up in each of them.

Over the past few days, I've been able to complete the qajaq's frame.

First step was to cut and add stem and stern boards.

With the ends in place, I added the keelson and chines.  Since these can be seen through the cockpit, I opted to tack them in place with glue at the ends, then used a needle and thread to lash them into place as they would be in the full scale construction.  Tan thread made a passable substitution for sinew.

Next up was to add stem and stern plates.  Cuts were made to create recesses in the gunwales and stem and stern boards.  Plates were cut, fit, then sanded to fit.  These pieces help to tie the construction together, and to smooth the transition from the decks to the ends.  In the full scale these are pegged and lashed into place.  Here they are simply glued.

The deck was finished by adding a curved masik, which is the deck beam closest to the paddler, then stringers fore and aft to support the paddler as they get into the qajaq, as well as equipment that is strapped to the deck.  At this point, some people opt to add floor boards to the seat area, but traditionally this wasn't done.  In my full scale craft, I sit right on the skin of the boat, with absolutely no trouble, other than occasionally dragging my butt over a rock in shallow water.

The final step to complete the frame was to build the coaming that surrounds the cockpit.  This piece I was able to wet in warm water, then bend around the top of an orange juice container, which happened to be the perfect size.  Once dry, I trimmed the ends, glued it up, then wrapped it with string to simulate the sinew lashing that would be used to hold the coaming together.


So, the next step is to skin the boat.  Traditionally this was done with seal skins.  Most people these days use some sort of nylon fabric.  For the model, I considered using tissue paper left over from an model airplane project, but after trying it I'm not happy with the result.  I also tried some fabric, but it was a bit too thick.  I'm going to head to the fabric store tomorrow and see if I can find some lightweight handkerchief fabric to try.

-Elroy

Druxey,
 Sorry for the confusion. I do have a build board and the keel is secure. I developed a problem with the keelson, which sits on top of the keel. Perhaps I’m premature in working on the keelson, but fitting it to each frame as I go seems easier then trying to fit it to all the frames at once. 

 

I too have attempted to use something similar to cut out gunports...   what I learned was that a drilled hole and sanding stick/file are far superior and cleaner (less error prone).   Further, I have learned that reading ahead and planning for those ports in your build can help you having to cut them out at all, that is to say...you can build them in ahead of time and save the headache.

Hi Michael - 
 
Beautiful work, as always.  Not just the metalwork, but the paneling as well.
 
I used a very similar method to build the hinges for the companionway on the yacht America.
To install them I used eyeglass screws, then filed down the heads. 
I like them because the threads can be bedded into epoxy for a really secure hold.
(Also because, unlike an expert like you, I can't make my own . . . )
 
I am truly enjoying following along with you.
 
Dan