Dunbrody by Mahuna - FINISHED - 1:48 - Cross-Section - Irish Famine Ship

[GuntherMT]

Looking forward to seeing the ones you consider 'acceptable' on Saturday, given how good the ones you tossed in the scrap bin were!

[Mahuna]

ok Brian - we'll see how acceptable when I start erecting the frames. Hopefully I'll have a few in place by Saturday. See you then.

[druxey]

I do hope that you are taking all precautions when using acetone. It's nasty stuff. Your frames look beautifully done.

[Mahuna]

I do hope that you are taking all precautions when using acetone. It's nasty stuff. Your frames look beautifully done.

 

Thanks Druxey.  Yes - my shop is well-ventilated and I use the acetone in front of an open window.  

[captainbob]

I was wondering how you were going to hide all those pin holes.  Well done, and a fine frame.

 

Bob

[Mahuna]

Part 10 – Installing the Frames

 

The frames of the sectional model are numbered 19 through 44, with 19 being the aftmost frame of the model.  Frames 27 through 37 are identical, and these are the frames I made first (almost all are completed).  Installation of the frames will start with Frame 27 and go forward.  19 through 26 will be finished later.

 

Well, I reached a milestone today – I started installing the frames!

 

I am using cross-spalls on each frame for centering, and as suggested earlier will leave them in place until the hull becomes more secure via the installation of ribbands.  The installation of the frames will be as discussed earlier – clamping the frame to the framing fixture that is located at the line indicating the forward edge of the frame.  Here’s the first frame in place:

 

                        

 

                        

 

After about 4 hours of drying time I removed the fixture and left the frame standing by itself.

 

                        

 

                        

 

I was very pleased with my first frame.  Now for a few more.  The next frame, being an even-numbered frame, has bulwark stanchions on the forward face.

 

                        

 

I immediately noticed that the spall on this new frame almost touched the uprights of the framing fixture. 

 

                        

 

So before glueing this frame in place I removed the fixture and reduced the height of the uprights – they don’t serve any purpose other than to hold the flat board that is used for alignment.

 

                        

 

After this second frame was glued and allowed to dry (again about 4 hours) I installed the third frame and learned another lesson!  Some of the spalls I’m using are 1/16 thick, and some of them are 1/32 (this is stock I had milled a while back, thinking I would use them for a build that has been postponed).  I wasn’t paying too much attention to the thickness I was using for each frame.  The spall I used on the frame with the stanchions is 1/16 thick, and this brought the spall very far forward, almost touching the frame in front of it.

 

                        

 

So from now on I’ll be using the 1/16 spalls on the odd-numbered frames, and the 1/32 spalls on the even-numbered frames with stanchions.  These were good lessons, and fortunately no harm was done.

 

                        

 

The next task is to determine how to make appropriate sized filler blocks that I can temporarily install between the frames for added strength.  Then I’ll continue with the installation.

 

So going forward I’ll be alternating between making frames and installing them.  At this point I have 3 frames installed, another 8 almost ready for installation, and 15 more waiting to be built and installed.  The remaining 15 frames will also require some drafting for each one, so that might slow things down a little.

 

Thanks, everyone!

[Omega1234]

Hi Frank

 

Congratulations on reaching the milestone.  Tis a good feeling, for sure!

 

The frames look awesome, as well.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[Mahuna]

Thanks Patrick. You're right - it's always great to see progress in our work.

[GuntherMT]

Frank,

 

It looks like the first frame you installed is canted away from the other two frames.  Is that just something from the camera angles?  How are you ensuring that the frames are vertical relative to the keel so that they are all equally spaced at the top?  It looks like your clamping arrangement should take care of that, but the apparent difference in the gap between frames 27 ~ 28 vs. 28 ~ 29 makes me wonder if you should have something farther up on the side of the frame ensuring a 90 degree angle to the keel?

 

Great progress, and beautiful work.  Really looking forward to seeing this.

[Mahuna]

Frank,

 

It looks like the first frame you installed is canted away from the other two frames.  Is that just something from the camera angles?  How are you ensuring that the frames are vertical relative to the keel so that they are all equally spaced at the top?  It looks like your clamping arrangement should take care of that, but the apparent difference in the gap between frames 27 ~ 28 vs. 28 ~ 29 makes me wonder if you should have something farther up on the side of the frame ensuring a 90 degree angle to the keel?

 

Great progress, and beautiful work.  Really looking forward to seeing this.

 

 

 

Hi Brian:

 

I saw the same thing, and decided to leave it overnight before checking where the issue might be.  I'm inclined to think it's the middle frame of the the three, but won't know until I get a square on the frames to check them out.  

 

I also noticed that when centering the frame being added, it sometimes causes the already installed frames to move left and/or right - probably due to slight flexing of the keel assembly.  This tells me that the notch in the frames needs to be widened slightly.  I had made them pretty snug to ensure that the frame stays centered on the keel, but this doesn't give me much leeway for adjusting the frame.  I think the answer may be that the notch needs to flare out slightly at the bottom - this would allow me to slightly rock the frame while staying centered on the keel.

 

I'll be adding filler pieces between the frames today, and I hope I can use them to fix any alignment issues.  I'll also be adding a fixture to stabilize the frames already installed so that any movement in a new frame won't affect the rest of the hull.

 

This is continuing to be a real learning experience.

[captainbob]

As close as the frames are, how will you remove the pins holding the spalls?

 

Bob

[Mahuna]

As close as the frames are, how will you remove the pins holding the spalls?

 

Bob

 

Hi Bob:

 

In Post #55 I changed the plan from pinning the spalls to glueing them.  Since the face is already finished with Poly, they come off very easily (sometimes too easily!).

[Mahuna]

Part 11 – Installing the Frames – cont’d

 

Well, I looked closely at the frames and checked them out with a square.  Unfortunately, Brian was correct – frame 27 leaned badly aft, and frame 29 leaned forward.  Frame 28 wasn’t too bad, but I decided to remove all three frames and start over.  I injected isopropyl into the mounting holes in the center of each frame, and brushed some hot water on them as well.  They all came out fairly easily.

 

                        

 

I decided to use another fixture (one on each side) that would allow me to keep the frame positioned vertically perpendicular to the shipway.  The edge of the fixture is lined up with the joint line between the two sister frames (sorry about the out-of focus photo).

 

                        

 

A key in being able to see the joint is to have enough light!  I have a couple of small lamps from Ikea that I find extremely useful, and I positioned these on each side of the frame – worked great!

 

                        

 

I dry-fit a frame using the new clamping arrangement and it worked fine.

 

                        

 

So I went ahead and installed frome 27, followed a few hours later by 28.

 

                        

 

When everything was clamped well, I then installed filler pieces between the frames.  These fillers, as in the spalls, are of poplar.  The cam clamps are homemade clamps from an article in an old magazine on miniature woodworking - they're a miniaturized version of a luthier's clamp.

 

                        

 

                        

 

After a couple of hours to set, I removed the clamps and the frames look good – and they check out with a square as vertical.  Another lesson learned, and another step along the way.

 

                        

 

 

[GuntherMT]

That system looks good Frank, seems like it should keep everything very nicely square.

 

Are the filler pieces just temporary for added strength during assembly?

Edited April 14, 2016 by GuntherMT

[AON]

I hesitate to say.... but possibly the very low support should be taller to assist in keeping the frame perpendicular and square... not speaking from experience as I have yet to do this.  Just seems natural that the tall frame needs a tall support.

 

Now, having said it, you have still taught me quite a bit in a short time.

Thank you.

[Mahuna]

That system looks good Frank, seems like it should keep everything very nicely square.

 

Are the filler pieces just temporary for added strength during assembly?

Yes, Brian - the filler pieces are temporary. I'll probably remove the spalls fairly early in the process, but the fillers will remain until I get ribbands installed.

[Mahuna]

I hesitate to say.... but possibly the very low support should be taller to assist in keeping the frame perpendicular and square... not speaking from experience as I have yet to do this.  Just seems natural that the tall frame needs a tall support.

 

Now, having said it, you have still taught me quite a bit in a short time.

Thank you.

Thanks Alan.

 

I agree that taller supports would normally be better, but the sided dimension decreases at the higher points of the frame, so that wouldn't work. Similarly, there is only a small part of the frame that is at maximum width, so clamping to the new fixture needs to be at the correct location. This has been a real learning experience for me, and I'm happy if this log helps others as well.

[AON]

Sometimes the obvious is the most difficult to see.

 

As you had said earlier... you have double frames and the "flush" sides are "cheek to cheek".

 

I have been looking at single frames (my build plans) for so long and imagining what I should do that it clearly escaped me.

 

You just taught me something else!

Edited April 15, 2016 by AON

[druxey]

Nice re-do, Frank. Those mini-cam clamps are a useful aid. Must make a few myself....

[Elijah]

The framing is looking good Frank! Nice fix!

[Mahuna]

Nice re-do, Frank. Those mini-cam clamps are a useful aid. Must make a few myself....

 

Thanks Druxey.  The clamps are especially useful to hold something in place with minimal pressure.

 

 

The framing is looking good Frank! Nice fix!

 

 

Thanks Elijah.  Fixing is always part of it (for me, anyway) 

[Mahuna]

Part 12 – Installing the Frames – cont’d

 

I was able to get a lot of work done this weekend.  I had already constructed the middle 11 frames – frames 27 – 37.  These are the frames that are identical, so it made things go fairly quickly.

 

As I was installing the frames, I started to notice that some of the frames were not lining up laterally, even though I’m using cross-spalls for centering the frames.  I decided to add a fixture that would keep the frames in line – essentially a straight wooden bar that will press against each side to keep the frames in line.  This also strengthens the entire assembly when I need to adjust the frame being installed.  Without this fixture the keel seems to flex, causing all of the frames to move, not just the one being adjusted.  This fixture seems to solve that issue also.

 

                        

 

The cam clamps are coming in very handy.  I use a machinist’s square to check the vertical alignment of the frame being installed.  Then I prepare a filler block to the correct size for maintaining that alignment.  When the filler block is glued in I use the cam clamp to gently keep the frame in place.  (I needed to reduce the depth of one of the jaws so that it would fit between the frames – but this is one of the benefits of making your own clamps, they’re easily modified.

 

                        

 

So we now have 11 frames mounted.  3 more are ready or in the final stages of construction.  After that I’m afraid things will slow down, since it takes the equivalent of a 6-hour day to prepare one frame.  With 15 still to go I estimate another 3 weeks before I can move on to the next work.

 

                        

 

                        

 

                        

 

I'll post progress reports periodically.  Thanks for following along.

 

[Omega1234]

Hi Frank

 

Impressive! I reckon she's looking great. I wouldn't worry too much about the time taken to install the frames, because before you know it, another challenge will pop up as soon as you finish what you're currently doing.

 

Keep the updates flowing!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[GuntherMT]

Top notch work, and looks even better in person!

 

I ordered some of those clamps from Lee Valley today.  Visits to see your stuff are expensive.  

[Canute]

Nicely done, Frank. And a nice catch on that wood bar to keep the frames in line.

[druxey]

Those frames look terrific, Frank. As for keel flex, once the keelson is in and there are longitudinal such as deck clamps, the structure will be much more stable. As far as time goes to construct frames, your results are worth it.

[Mahuna]

Hi Frank

 

Impressive! I reckon she's looking great. I wouldn't worry too much about the time taken to install the frames, because before you know it, another challenge will pop up as soon as you finish what you're currently doing.

 

Keep the updates flowing!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

 

Thanks Patrick.  Lots of challenges already, but I'm learning a lot from this build.

 

 

Top notch work, and looks even better in person!

 

I ordered some of those clamps from Lee Valley today.  Visits to see your stuff are expensive.  

 

 

Hi Brian - they have lots of nice tools.  Every time I look I discover something else I 'need'. 

[Mahuna]

Those frames look terrific, Frank. As for keel flex, once the keelson is in and there are longitudinal such as deck clamps, the structure will be much more stable. As far as time goes to construct frames, your results are worth it.

 

Thanks Druxey.  The flex I'm concerned with is lateral, due I think to the height of the keel and false keel, so I don't think the keelsons or any other longitudinal timbers will reduce that.  I'm concerned this might be a problem when I start fairing the inside of the frames.  I'm thinking of adding some supports on the shipway under the turn of the bilge to form a sort of cradle for the hull so that it doesn't rock side to side. 

[druxey]

Ah, I misunderstood. Yes, the framing will need lateral stability when you come to fair. Even wedges of dense styrofoam should do the trick, I would think.

[captainbob]

Coming along nicely, Frank.  Well done.

 

Bob