Twisted hull help needed

[JeremyB]

I have a part built kit by Corel - Flying Fish. I started it several years ago and put it down, as the hull planking seemed a massive challenge with too many different ideas (keel up, bulwarks down etc) that put me off, and I like to know exactly what to do before I start things.

 

My problem is that now I have decided to just get stuck in and start planking, I find that the hull has developed a slight twist, resulting in the decks being out of horizontal alignment across their width by about 3mm. I can easily align the decks by gently twisting the hull to where it should be, but how can I do this permanently?

 

Can I use steam on the plywood to help me get it back to where it should be, as well as some clamping while it cools, or is this a lost cause, needing me to un-glue all the ribs, remove the decking ply etc.

 

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

[Stockholm tar]

Jeremy,

 

I'm not sure I can offer advice, but I think it would help if you posted pictures of the problem.

[Doreltomin]

Hello, as Kester says putting a picture will help a lot in figuring the exact problem.

 

Otherwise, like that "on the blind" it seems that you have a plank on bulkhead hull with a keel not stiff enough.

 

You may need first to take the deck out to have acces inside the hull, then you will need to devise a way, something like a cradle or a jig to fix the hull in the proper position. Even fixing the hull on your tabletop, provided it is stiff and perfectly flat will do the trick. Then you will need to insert some stiffeners inside the hull to keep it in the correct position even after it is removed from the previous fixture.

 

I believe you can try cutting two squares of plywood of the proper distance between each space between bulkheads and then securely glue two of them each side of the keel put so that they would form a "V" in transverse section touching the keel, the angle between the two sides of the V being roughly 90 degrees. After glued properly to each bulkhead they will be stiff enough to block any twist movement of the hull.

 

Good luck and show us what you did!

Best wishes,

[Q A's Revenge]

Twisting back into shape will be the trick. If you can hold it like that balsa blocks glued between the bulkheads should hold it there until the planking goes on. Lets see some pics though.

[JeremyB]

Hi guys,

 

Many thanks for your rapid responses.

 

I will as you all suggest take some photos to show the problem as best as I can. I like the idea of putting in some sort of diagonal bracing or blocks to bring it back into a straight line.

 

I will keep you posted. 

[bushman32]

Is it twistesd to the side along the keel?