67 replies to this topic

[Mike John]

Stongback built today. Here's a video because pictures never really show me these things because they are so long.:



It's 16' and I just have enough room to move around it with the horses angled. It is screwed to the end saw horses and levelled. They belonged to my deceased father-in-law (well I wasn't drilling into my own). I just tied the strongback to my saw horse in the middle. I used a 3/8" bolt at the end with a screw which was most likely not necessary. It won't pull apart.

The stringers are now 1/4" rounded all round. I worked out I did about 650' of rounding at the rate of about 238' per hour. I am not sure what made my brain numb - rounding or working out how much rounding. The stringers are still fuzzy and need a sand. When scarfing make sure you run the grain the same way in both lengths. Hand electric planing thin Paulowina is not easy and I really needed a thicknesser but the worst faces will go towards the skin. The fuzzy bits do sand out.

Tomorrow the frames go on. I can only work on this half days as I spend the other half preparing articles for Duckworks http://www.duckworksmagazine.com - if you have not seen it.

Mike John

[Kudzu]

I used this style of strongback for the second time now and I REALLY like it! I like the fact I can make it lay flat and store it on top of the cabinets till I need it again.

[Hirilonde]

I am concluding that even the truest strongback twists with time, humidity, storage method, etc.. That design looks like it can be made true again each time it is set up. Next time I make one that way.

[P Douglass (WA)]

Is there a place with more info on that type of strongback? Like, does it work on other size boats? I've never seen that type before and you are correct, looks good, for storing and such.

[woodman]

Looks a lot lighter than my plywood box beam....

[Kudzu]

Bjorn Thommason (check spelling) is credited with this idea. If you search you might find some more info but it is pretty simple. (This will be in my new book.) Screw two boards together on the ends, make sure they have straight edges and spread them apart with a spacer.

I used 4 shorter pine boards I had and screwed and glued two together to make the length I needed and then screwed the ends together and it worked just fine.

[Mike John]

Here's a progress pic. Sorry about the quality. I just don't have enough room to get further back to take the photo but it kinda shows you the shape of Tangerine.

I made the slot in the mounting brackets a bit deeper in relation to each other so I could clamp the frames easier and I put a bracket at every frame. I did not consult with Jeff on this. I have bothered him enough for now.

The problem I have is that my stringer slots in the frames vary slightly in size as do my stringers due to cutting them with a circular saw. I will have to check the fit of every stringer at every slot. Cutting a small piece of stringer will not work accurately enough. I just imagined the difficulty I would have trying to fit the frames without brackets into the stringers so I made the frames solid and I will bring the stringers to it frame by frame. It's a bit more traditional lapstrake in setting up method. Worse case scenario I just take the bracket away again.

I have to screw the frames to the brackets next and then shorten the top braces so I can move around the boat a bit easier.

Mike John

Attached Files

•  Frames_Up.jpg   58.6K   18 downloads

[P Douglass (WA)]

This is pretty exciting. Keep at it and posting pictures. Much appriceated. Must be tough cutting stringers with cirular saw. Did you see the site Woodman posted for a circular saw jig for cutting strips? This is it. wold work for stringers. http://www.home.eart...&target=tlx_new

[Kudzu]

...... I just imagined the difficulty I would have trying to fit the frames without brackets into the stringers so I made the frames solid and I will bring the stringers to it frame by frame.....

Looking at the photo you are going to need to trim the corners off you bracket or you will not be able to insert that stringer.

Not saying what you are doing will not work. I have picked up some of my tricks from other people and their ways of doing things. But for anyone new, what I describe in the assembly manual is installing the 3 or 4 mounted frames, installing a few (not necessarily all) of the stringers and once those are secured with bungee cords, install the rest of the frames.

[Mike John]

Here's a pic. I have more scaffolding on it than the Sydney Opera House would have had but I am having fun and as my mother would have said, "leave him alone he is happy". The top stringers are on. see pic. The stringers so far are not too bad and just a little rasping on the slots and they fit.

This seems to me to be real craft and great fun with hand rasps and Japanese pulls saws http://www.duckworks...hinto/index.htm and http://www.duckworks...lsaws/index.htm I am sharing these links because I don't use hand tools much and I would be making a horrible job without these. I was surprised how easy I cut the bevels. It's starting to look like a boat and nice shape Jeff.

Mike John

Attached Files

•  Stringer_One.jpg   72.37K   18 downloads

[Kudzu]

I am always amazed at the different ways people come up with build my boats. I have never seen anyone use 'girders' down the center like that. Makes sense though. But as long as it works for you!

I use standard rasps but have been interested in the Shinto Rasp but never ordered one. I need to order supplies for rowing boat and might just add one to my order.

[P Douglass (WA)]

Looks like more progress is being made. I have 4 or 5 different Japanese pull saws. They are my "go to" saws. I even bought one while I visited Japan. It was the only thing I brought back as a souvenir other than pictures. So you sold me on the rasp, just ordered one. Been looking as rasps to buy, so it was great timing.

[Mike John]

I started lashing today although some stringers and gunnels still have to go in. I do wish I had help with the lashing to hurry it along. I must see who I can talk into that.

In the plans Jeff has stringer slots inside the frames to take seat stringers to rest the seats on. I cut that slot on all the frames except the middle frame. It did not suit my tastes to have that stinger in the end. It kind of look liked the seat stringer had a reverse sheer which in the end I decided not to opt for because I thought it upset the other curves. So I made the 1st frame and last frame slots into a little shelves under the deck for dry gear like a camera. I ran a short stringer between the 2nd and 3rd frame to rest seats on. When I put the seats in I will put a curve on that seat stringer. I thought of lashing it to the outside stringer but it of course curved the outside stringer in.

The middle frame will have seat as a thwart which I will rest on the frame and outside stringers.

Unless someone else has a better idea of what to do with the empty slots inside the frames?

Mike John

Attached Files

•  SDC10772-s.JPG   146.3K   21 downloads
•  SDC10773-s.JPG   151.56K   24 downloads
•  SDC10774-s.JPG   141.95K   20 downloads

[woodman]

Why not run full length stringers on the inside...and make some kind of removable seat mount....I was thinking of attaching removable floor boards using velcro on this project...
http://www.southernp....php?f=3&t=8901

Lashing is fun isn't it....on my first one I couldn't help wondering what other projects could be lashed together...
Showing Stonefly last weekend a guy came up to me and was interested in me building a tandem canoe...time will tell...
Looking real good.....

[Hirilonde]

I would think a full length stringer on the inside adds significant rigidity to the hull. Do the plans call for this?

[Kudzu]

The stringer Mike is talking about was just for the seats to rest on. It runs from one end to the other for versatility. If I remember correctly it is the same height from the waterline all the way through the boat, so it may look a little odd against the curve of the other stringers. Traditionally in canoe's you hang the seat from the Gunwales. I didn't want to do and the stringer allows the owner to install seats temporarily and find the right position for them.

[Mike John]

I have been beavering away at about 2-3 hours per day. All the stringers are lashed except for the bottom three because the first bracket is in the way. I will remove that bracket when the gunnels are on and do the bottom two stringers and what I can of the keel stringer. I will finish the keel stringer when I remove the boat from the stongback but it was easy to glue it in so I did.

I'm stuck.

Here's the thing, I just don't know what to do with the outwhale at the bow? Assistance please.

The pink sheet hung on the window was done by somebody's wife sometime and I am not responsible.

The drawing is a rough sketch by me.

Mike John

Attached Files

•  SDC10775-s.JPG   147.87K   16 downloads
•  SDC10776-s.JPG   147.83K   24 downloads
•  SDC10777-s.JPG   137.38K   25 downloads
•  gunnels.jpg   16.46K   15 downloads

[woodman]

Looks like you are going to have to cut new end pcs....

[Hirilonde]

Looks like you are going to have to cut new end pcs....

Hopefully the end pieces are the problem. If not something else very major is. Definitely start by checking if your bow piece is correct.

[Kudzu]

Something is wrong for sure. I will take a look latter this morning. Since I am sure you can follow the pattern my first impression is that I did something wrong.

FOLLOW-UP: I checked my drawing and everything looks right.

Next thing to check is to make sure the rocker in the keel is right. If the keel hasn't assumed the shape that could force the bow out of position.Rather than hash this out on the board I will be emailing you some things to check. Once we figure it out we can post what happened.