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Curlew Also


P Doug (WA)

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Just thought I start a thread of my Curlew build. This is my first boat of this type so I'm going a lot slower that you other guys.

I have my frames, stern and bow drawn out using the offsets in the book

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I spent several days building a strongback. I'm trying to do this as cheaply as possible so I made the strongback out of some old 3/4" plywood I took off of an old trailer. I slapped some paint on it to help keep from getting slivers. It is the latter type construction and made so I can take it apart for storage.

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Monday I took a 300 mile trip (round trip) to pick up plywood. I found a a Windsor Plywood store. It was pretty nice, lots of wood and it appeared cheaper than some places I have visited. I bought 2 sheets of the Baltic Birch. Wanted to make sure I didn't get home and find out I didn't have enough. I have enough to make frames for 4 Curlews!

Today I rough cut out the patterns for the frames and glued them to plywood. I an in the processing of going back over them with a Sharpie to have darker lines to cut by.

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Maybe tomorrow I will get to cut some frame out. I've got to break away and get after the leaves in my yard.

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Well the heck with the leaves, it snowed to day! I have all my frames cut out except I decided to redo the first one from the stern. I made the top curved like the rest of the frames to give room the covering. I think it should be flat to mate up with the stern plate.

Well the heck with the leaves, it snowed to day! I have all my frames cut out except I decided to redo the first one from the stern. I made the top curved like the rest of the frames to give room the covering. I think it should be flat to mate up with the stern plate.

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Now that is the way my forms should have looked, you're 3rd. one up looks like mine should have ....

You do have tight quarters their..I take it you have all tools on casters..

That stern form, when flat on top gives more area to attach to the top stern pc.

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Been kind of slow lately. I did get all my frames sanded and the edges rounded over. Cut out the brackets and bases to mount them to. Getting everything level and square is going to be a little bit of a challenge I think, my strongback is not the best. On my quest to keep this cheap, I've been looking for something to make my coaming form out of. All I could come up with is a 1/2 sheet of 1/2" hard board I had in storage. Just enough to cut three forms out. I wil glue them together for a 1 1/2" thick form. Anyone know of a reason why this won't work please speak up. Well it is a little late, they are aready cut out and will be glued shortly.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been working in the coaming. It requires some wood bending, which has always been a problem for me in the past. I just removed my first attempt yesterday and use it for kindling to start my evening fire! It wasn't the bending though, I tried to cut the thin pieces of wood on my little band saw and they just weren't consistent enough in thickness. Today I cut some cut some more using my big table saw. I wrapped the first piece around and all went pretty well. I think I may have wished I put painters tape around my mold. I'm afraid I may get some glue slopped on to the mold and that well make it pretty difficult to remove the coaming when done. I also wondering about heating the wood to make the sharp bends with glue applied. What affect does the heat have on the glue? Guess you bend, let cool, release and than put glue on and put it back in place?! Or do I need to worry about it?

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I found that the heat did mess with the glue a bit. On the next lap around the form, as I approached the sharp bend section, I stopped applying glue to the newest piece and instead applied the glue to the piece on the form. I worked great! The gun helped the new piece fall right into place and didn't bother the glue at all.

Steve

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Well, I just finished gluing the last strip around my coaming. I still have to cut the pieces for the lip and glue them on but I am getting the hang of it. I wish I had enough wood to make another one now that I have some practice, but this one well do. I think it well look pretty decent when all sanded and finished. Some things I did that may help another novice that tries this. I found it was much easier to put the glue on and get a good coverage by pouring the glue in a cup and spread it with a 1" chip brush with the bristles cut so they are only about 3/4" long. I put glue on the strip going on and the previous strip. I put the strips on without glue first, bent all the way around and let them sit that way a while. Then took the strip off and put it back on with glue. Slower, yes but I knew I wasn't going to break a strip while worrying about bending, gluing and clamping all at once. I did buy a heat gun, cheapie from Harbor Freight for $13.99. It worked well. I don't know how it well last.

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I put glue on the strip going on and the previous strip.

That is a very sound practice. It assures a much better bond by assuring that you have no voids and a proper bond to both pieces along the entire mated surface.

I put the strips on without glue first, bent all the way around and let them sit that way a while. Then took the strip off and put it back on with glue. Slower, yes but I knew I wasn't going to break a strip while worrying about bending, gluing and clamping all at once.

A "dry fit" before gluing is always a good idea, mostly for the reason you stated but also to get a feel for what you will be going through before you have glue smeared on and get it all over you and other surfaces in proximity.

The coaming takes longer than any other part of the process, and becomes a bottle-neck at skinning if it is not completely finished. I don't think you can start it too early. I started it first and I am still varnishing to get ready for skinning.

Almost time for more pictures? ;)

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Moving along, slow and sorta sure. I have to fit the bow piece in which I'm sure will take me a little time. I'm glad I have lots of time until Summer!! I'm wondering if it is okay to tie a few pieces together before putting the bow in place, to keep thing from moving? I haven't had any problem so far, but am a little worried about movement when cutting the gun whale and stringers to get the bow piece in.

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I had mine all tied except the keel before I cut and tied the bow and stern pieces in. First it fit the keel and top stringer to the b&s pcs and tied them in place. That way I could keep it in the proper position and straight. Next, strap the gunwales and chines tight against the bow and be sure to leave them about an inch or so longer than the plywood. Now start the cutting process. I was a bit apprehensive at first but followed others advise and it wasn't any problem at all.

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By tying off all the pieces before cutting and lashing to the bow like the others are describing you know you have the length correct for cutting. That and nothing will move while doing it. I lashed off the keel to the frames that were not on brackets before the bow as well.

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