67 replies to this topic

[woodman]

A similar solution....
 32fin2.jpg   86.11K   293 downloads

[Mike John]

I had a touch of bad luck. The guy I gave the Douglas fir to rip up went to cut it and it rained. He did not want that much dust in his shop. Then he went on holidays for a week. Then he cut two boards and his saw broke down and he has not the money to get another one for a while. Two weeks later and nothing. I am going to a Men's Shed http://www.mensshed.org to get it cut Monday. I got bored so I started another boat.

Mike John
I have a new website http://www.mikejohnsgreatoutdoors.com

[Mike John]

The floor is in and it is 1/2" thick plywood. http://flic.kr/p/cNTDUu

The Douglas Fir ended up hopeless because the knots were falling out left, right and centre as we were cutting it. I had too many holes to fill and it would have been ugly so I gave up on it.

The plywood while very strong has made a heavy boat and has kind of defeated the purpose of skin on frame. I am not really happy about it but it is the best I could do. It looks okay to me anyway in terms of overall effect. My next boat will have a ply bottom to avoid my floor problems again as I agonised long and hard over this floor. In the US you have better timber so my brother in law in the USA tells me so you would not have had such problems.

Just the seats to do and then over she goes after a coat of oil to put the skin on.

Mike John

[Mike John]

Seats in, boat oiled and skin on. I just have to do the skin ironing tomorrow because my wife was home today. The staples went in sort of okay. They went part way in with an electric stapler and I just had to tap them home with a peen hammer. I stapled the stems as well and I will cover them with an alum strip. I can smell the salt water now.

Mike John

[P Douglass (WA)]

Exciting!!! I'm really anxious to see pictures of the finished product and it in, er, on the water. How much do you think it well weigh?

[Mike John]

Currently she weighs 55lbs with the painting finished. Just the alum strip on the keel and the rubbing strip on the gunwhale to go. I imagine it will weight 60lbs. It's the floor that's heavy. Someone suggested, after I finished the floor, 6mm ply floor with a 1/2" strip of 6mm ply stuck underneath at right angles like an I beam. Too late though. I should have a photo next week of the finished boat.

Mike John

[Mike John]

Tangerine is finished http://www.flickr.co...N05/7813009914/

I'll launch when the paint has had time to cure. I'll put some pictures in Duckworks' Splash 25th September. I'll put a few photos in there and maybe some video too.

Mike John

[P Douglass (WA)]

Looks very nice, very anxious to see it on the water and get a report on how she handles.