Mahogany Runabout by Phil Main - BlueJacket Shipcrafters

[Phil Main]

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Phil Main
Add additional pictures

[Mike Collier]

Looks like it’s going to be pretty big. Also it’s looking good!

[MrBlueJacket]

You're the first to post our Mahogany Runabout!

 

Nic

[Phil Main]

On 10/10/2022 at 6:08 PM, Phil Main said:

The First Week

 

On 10/11/2022 at 8:10 AM, MrBlueJacket said:

You're the first to post our Mahogany Runabout!

 

Nic

 

The scale is 1” to the foot, so the 30’ model will be 30” long. Once I understood that the legs of the bulkheads which rested on the building board needed to be CA’d to the building board, everything  went as planned. The biggest challenge was locating the longitudinal pieces on the stem. I solved this by photocopying the plan and using this as the template directly on the stem. Next week I’ll begin the first planking layer in which the bottom strakes are glued at a 45 degree angle to the keel.

 

On 10/10/2022 at 6:08 PM, Phil Main said:

The First Week

 

[Phil Main]

On 10/10/2022 at 6:08 PM, Phil Main said:

The First Week

 

[Phil Main]

Just now, Phil Main said:

 

Note that just as on the original Chris Craft boat, there were two layers of planksOnce the legs on the bulkheads had been cut off, the boat was flipped to continue from the topside. 

[Phil Main]

Just now, Phil Main said:

Note that just as on the original Chris Craft boat, there are two layers of planks with the first angled at 45 degrees to the keel.  I spent several hours using Lepages wood filler and sanding to ensure there would be a glass smooth base on which to attach the mahogany planks. Finally,  the legs on the bulkheads were cut off and the boat flipped to continue on the topside. 

I began planking the foredeck again with planks at a 45 degree angle to the keel, then realized I had jumped the gun and work needed to be completed in the two cockpits and engine compartment, before the planking on the top deck is completed. The most recent pics show progress on the fore cockpit with the floor and seatback glued in place and installation of the sidewalls underway. 
Note that the mahogany parts in the cockpits will be finished prior to installation. Over the years, I have used tung oil on my models as it brings out the grain of the wood and the gloss can be controlled by the number of coats I apply. i.e. The more coats, the shinier the finish. 

[Phil Main]

On 11/21/2022 at 4:50 PM, Phil Main said:

I began planking the foredeck again with planks at a 45 degree angle to the keel, then realized I had jumped the gun and work needed to be completed in the two cockpits and engine compartment, before the planking on the top deck is completed. The most recent pics show progress on the fore cockpit with the floor and seatback glued in place and installation of the sidewalls underway. 
Note that the mahogany parts in the cockpits will be finished prior to installation. Over the years, I have used tung oil on my models as it brings out the grain of the wood and the gloss can be controlled by the number of coats I apply. i.e. The more coats, the shinier the finish. 

Once the cockpits had been completed, it appeared that I would have to create framing and rip the 1/2” basswood planks on my Preac, to continue planking at 45 degrees. This seemed like a lot of extra work for something that would not been seen on the finished boat so I have chosen to bend the planks from at 90 degrees to the keel. It’s not difficult to heat the basswood in a kettle to 180*, shape it with a simple attachment to a small soldering iron, then tape it in place to cool and dry. Since the heat softens the cellulose in the wood to make it pliable, and not the water sometimes I heat the wood for a few seconds in the microwave.

The downside of using the planking at 90* is the possibility of losing some of the subtle curves as the deck narrows and changes shape as I work aft. I will try to avoid this pitfall.

 

 

[yvesvidal]

We all love a nice mahogany runabout. My favorites are of course the Chris Craft and the Italian RIVA.

 

Yves