DwightM

Great job Labrat, Thank God for the internet, better than Ham radio, we get to see PICTURES.

A great idea, will take work to promote. I saw something like that on the net, they auction off a home made canoe for the school sports team.

Thanks Paul and Sparrow...the design has been changed a number of times....I hope it floats. It's a nice day today, so I've been working in the garden, must get those tomatoes out. Happy weekend. From Kentucky you have Dwight here.

Thanks GP....I'll tell my wife, No , no I pick up an iron at the Good Will. Have a good weekend.

Looking very Good Stick. I started my sewing today. Knocked off at 4:40 back at it in the AM. I understand about your hand pain pulling the skin. Do you think I use a heat gun to shrink my skin ?

The Day with the Needle......... Today is nice in the 40 . I had to take It outside to hot trim the nylon....smell. Got it ruff trimmed and will now start sewing...now where is that needle ?

That looks safe to me. ...................... You can't get into trouble by listening.

I do like your frame, gives me more ideas. I have changed my frame several times and looks like there are more changes coming. Dwight

Getting things in shape, sanding outside today (nice weather today). With all the woodworking I've haven't used a rasp that much, it's a great tool. Live and learn. I moved the second frame, from stern, to have more room for 'fishing stuff', I attached the stringers to the bow and stern with wood dowels instead of lashing them. Bow and stern are 3/4" pine with 5 dowels going from top stringer through the bottom. Thinking about the floor boards now, I have some very light 1/4" (some type of wood) and will fit it in soon. Mom wants the boat out of the house SOON. OK OK Put some extra supports for the floor. the total frame now weights 18 lbs. Dwight

Another Boo-Boo...For some reason I thought frame 6'6" should be cut out at the top, how wrong I was, am. As I was bending the Keel in place I heard a crack, stopping, everything looked OK. Upon further inspection I saw that I had broken the frame. Maybe I should have followed the planes ??? I will have to get more stitching lace, maybe I can find some around here ? Now where is my Beer ?

And here is my fix. Cut the frame out beside the keel and put a scab across, glued and clamped. ????

My 'Mess About is a little messed up. I got it lashed together and turned it over to find frame 8'6" was too big at it's bottom. It is 1/2" lower than then the other frames. I checked the offsets, the other stringers look great, just the one frame pushing the keel down. Another question, should the bow and stern be made of plywood or would it be OK to use a solid wood ?

Yes I started with the mid frames and cut the stringer slots the same. Only the two bottom stringers of the front and rear frames. OH here is a photo

Ran into a problem when I was fitting the stringers to the first and last frames, if I twisted the stringer to fit it would twist and not fit the other frames. Everything else fits OK. So I will cut two more frames to get things lined up. Humm can't find the load photo button

Thanks Jeff, the old man understands now, now what did I do with my beer ???

Couple of questions...In the Book 'More Fuselage Frame Boats', on page 62, I used the tables to cut the frames needed for the Mess About. No problem, but what are the two tables below giving X Z 'offsets' labeled stern and bow used for ??

About 16 years ago I cut my thumb ( my right thumb) on this table saw, the table tilts, not the blade, my thumb was hanging by the skin. A great Dr. put it back together, it still looks funny. I got a very smooth cut and they glued together very well. Thanks for the information. My Mess about well be put on hold for a few weeks, my wife said she wants to go to South Florida, so we may be leaving next week. Jeff you book is just what I needed to get inspired. Dwight

I'm a newbee, first boat, I'm a woodworker, gardener and mess about... I bought Jeff book 'More Fuselage Frame Boats and picked out the Mess About, I don't know why. I have the frames cut out and the strongback is in our sun room. Worked on the stringers today, cutting the Scarf joints. I will try and attached some pic I'm new at this so I hope all goes well. First pic is half way through a cut. It's an eleven inch cut. Second pic is pulling the sled back after the cut, I can leave the saw running with no kick back. Third is the sled off the saw. I may junk these stringers and cut some from different wood. These are simple pine. Dwight from Northern Kentucky