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wagonmaker

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Everything posted by wagonmaker

  1. Hello Mike & Peter and welcome to Texas. It seems you'll be building in my neck of the woods. If you are setting up in Boerne ......which is just north of San Antonio you are within 25 miles of me. I live just west of San Antonio. I am about 25 hours into a skipjack build & have the vac plans. If I can be of any help in any way please give me a shout.....actually love to see the super sjkipjack ;D. Again welcome to Texas.....Wayne
  2. Good evening all..............there has to be a reasonable explanation for not recieving your plans. I ordered vacationer plans by paypal on june 26. I recieved them by mail on july 5th.I would say nine days isn't bad. Last july I ordered skipjack plans by mail & it took about 4 weeks. Four months just isn't acceptable but something must have interrupted the normal ordering process. I hope you get your plans soon....wayne
  3. Good afternoon all, I was in a Lowe's store yesterday picking up some 2x6's & wandered over to the glue /caulking aisle.Clearance priced was quart bottles of Gorilla glue. The normal retail was $36.............reduced to $11.Anyone out there used the stuff? I know it is polyurethane & said to be waterproof. I don't really need anymore regular woodworking glue in my shop but was wondering about this stuff . Is it suiable for boatmaking? I asked the clerk in the store & he said it was not old stock or anything wrong with it. He says it just doesn't sell good because of the high price of it so it has been reduced. If it is of use for boatbuilding I am going back & scarf another 2 or 3 quarts. Thanks, ..............Wayne
  4. Hello all....... It's been awhile since I have posted. The skipjack is coming along slowly. I have put up a pic or two concerning adding floatation. I have added some details to this little boat not called for in the plans, but I suppose our own preferences is one of the many reasons we choose to build.The stock plans didn't call for a forward hatch or any deck beam supports. I have added both. Since this is my first build I wasn't sure about adding foam for floatation or exactly how to install it.As you can see I added 3/4" polystyrene extruded foam board to the underside of the forward deck area.It was glued between the one by deck beams I made of 3/4" stock with a 1/4 " length of plywood dadoed into the stock. The foam was cut to fit tightly ,then edge sealed & I started the priming & painting of it. My question is this............Should the exposed bottom side of the foam be covered with anything to prevent deterioration or crumbling in time. This foam board is very strong & dense unlike the cheaper styrofoam type stuff. I was thinking of using maybe some 1/8" door skin if needed.I am just wondering if it will start coming apart at some time if left exposed on the underside of the deck.Any comments or suggestions appreciated. I am just wondering how much flotation this will add & should I take the time to add to the underside of the side deck areas as well. This being a small daysailer I am obviously not planning a transatlantic crossing. I plan to stay close enough to shore to just swim out if the ship goes down ;D. I am just curious what is actually needed here. Thanks ..
  5. Good morning builders , My question is wood choices for the top sides bright work on my skipjack. I know teak is always a choice , but price & availability to me without ordering is one thing to consider. The other is that I don't really care for it's look much. I am thinking maybe between mahogany, white oak or even cedar. I want to use it on the small forward deck area, rub rails, & around & on a forward hatch. Another question is attaching it to the boat. I know it can be attached in many ways, no problem..................but the possibility of having to replace at some point because of breakage , wear etc. Should I use screws, brads , marine sealant , or a combination ?? Should it be bedded into a sealant or not? I just want to avoid a maintenance, replacement problem in the future. Thanks for any help.....Wayne
  6. HI Mike, not sure if this helps or not either. I just went through the same thing on my skipjack if they are similar. I used a 2 by 4 with the outer 2 by edges ripped on a 45 degree angle on my table saw. The rest was planed & rasped by hand to get a good fit using a 1/4 piece of plywood to similate the sides & check the angle & fit at the top & bottom stringers & on the gusset itself. This pic does not show, but I also notched the top end of the gusset to allow placement of the two top deck stringers to lay along either side.
  7. Thanks again guys..........it is a fun project. Maybe the next pics will be a little better quality. It was my first attempt with my new digital camera & also at posting them. I had thought I was posting them chronologically & with some descriptions, don't know what I did with that. I am not sure of the differences between the skipjack & the stevenson's designs other boats, other than size. They all seem to be of the same basic construction. Actually I came close to building the vacationer to start with but decided it made more sense to start with a smaller boat. I read advice from most designers encouraging just that. This site as well as all its builders are a great resource for a beginner such as myself. I have been building since I graduated from high school about 32 years ago :shock: , but never a boat. An uncle got me into carpentry at age 18 & sponsored me into the local union as an apprentice carpenter after a summer of " paying my dues" as a laborer on a jobsite with some journeymen carpenters. I learned alot that summer for sure & it wasn't necessarily all about building trades :shock: . Anyway, hopefully I will have a few more pics soon & learn the posting process better.All the comments are appreciated & Laura's skipjack looks real nice....... Oh by the way. I am using some less than traditional methods of construction for some aspects of the boat. I won't elaborate until I have a bit more progress & take some more pics. It may have be already used or have been tried by some , I just haven't read of it anywhere. It's just something I believe will work nicely for me & this boat anyway. I haven't changed any thing in the design at all other than adding a forward deck hatch, it wasn't called for in the design plans......just thought it might be handy. I guess that is one of the many good things of building yourself a boat, you can make it yours... . Merry Christmas to all... Wayne
  8. Good evening all.............It's been a slow go but here are a few. We have been busy caring for aged & ill parents & I haven't put many hours into the boat yet, but hopefully that will change. Everyone thanks for all your input in answering questions I have posted. Hopefully this works..........if it doesn't have a blade & make sawdust it is more challenging for me. :shock:
  9. Good evening to all........Progress goes a bit slow on my mini skipjack. I have most of the major pieces cut and loosely joined so I could make my dagger board/mast box fit into the space between the hull & topside. This is my second attempt on the dagger board box...........the first attempt I simply made to exact dimensions as called for on the plans and it didn't fit. I won't do that again. Anyway...............the question?? While reading Sam Devlin's book he suggested laminating formica to the insides of the box for waterproofing. I didn't have any formica but had alot of aluminum trim coil. The type used to cover exterior trim boards on homes, door & window casings as well as fascia. Since I have done tons of this stuff for Sears & had a brake & lots of the coil stock, I laminated all the interior surfaces with the aluminum & it seems to work great, it is about the same thickness as roof flashing & very malleable. The plans call for siliconing the interior joins, however I don't feel comfortable with silicone here, especially since it won't be a serviceable area once it is closed up & installed. I tried a test piece using marine tex epoxy had left over from a fiberglass boat repair a while back & it works good. I don't think I have enough marine tex for the complete job & at $30 for 12 ounces not sure I'll buy more anytime soon. I also have not purchased any epoxy for my exterior glassing. Is the 3m 5200 suitable for sealing the interior joins of the dagger board box? Once again guys , thanks for your help. By the way I ordered a digital camera a couple days ago, maybe i can post a pic or two soon......Wayne
  10. I started my first boat project a couple months ago..........a stevensons projects skipjack. It is a 13' plus foot open daysailer. All has gone well & it is now 3d with my keel , deck & hull together. Here is the question.... I am on my second attempt at making the mast/daggerboard box. The first time I just cut all pieces to the exact measurements specified by the plans, put it together & it didn't fit. Nothing major, a half inch or so here & there, but definitely didn't fit. My second building of it looks good, I test fit each piece as I made it. Should have known better the first time. Anyway........daggerboard section , no problem. I ripped the 3/4" stock to 2 5/8" on my table saw as the plans specify. The mast section of the box is of course 2 5/8" in width. The other dimension will be when assembled 3 1/8". The plans say to use a 2 1/4" to 2 3/8" mast or aluminum tube. A 2 5/8" width in the mast box for a 2 3/8" mast sounds reasonable to even this inexperienced non-sailing newcomer. Is the 3 1/8" measurement the other way a problem?...........................The plans are not real clear on the mast portion.........The 3 1/8" is not specified , it is simply what is left after using all the other exact dimensions. Any help or suggestions are appreciated. With a 2 3/8" mast we are only talking only 1/2" play fore & aft in the mastbox. Just a little gun shy now, I don't want to make this a third time. Wayne
  11. Good morning gentlemen, thanks again for all your suggestions with the boat , it has helped very much. I haven't had lots of time yet , but the hull & decks are lofted & cut & ripped some stringers . Anyway, my question.........When joining the ply for hull & decks my plans say to use 1 by 2 stock as a buttblock , however seems a 1 1/2" wide block is hardly sufficient, doesn't leave much wood to screw into ? I have also read of using plywood for the blocks as well. that way I can rip to whatever width I need on my table saw. Still yet other info says to glass the joint without a block at all. Please let me know the best method for my boat, a 12 ft daysailer , it has 3/8 hull & 1/4 deck. Wayne
  12. Good evening gentlemen, Well I have started my small 12 ft skipjack day sailer. I lofted & cut out the hull, went very well. I was holding off on ply for the deck, bulkheads, & topsides while conversing with the members here on the possibilities. The plans call for 1/4 inch acx, however I opted for 1/4 luan underlayment instead & purchased what I needed yesterday. All day today it worried me because that stuff just doesn't seem right to me. True it is glued with exterior glue ,& I have read on here of some builders using it with success. As for me I am not going to use it. I knew it was wrong for me when I strapped onto my truck & the nylon ratcheting tie downs rubbed off the face veneer, that outer veneer is "paper thin". I am a first time boat builder , but life long carpenter & that stuff is just not quality, for underlayment, yes. Boats? ....not for me. I appreciate everyone's help & input. Wayne
  13. Good evening.....Thanks again for everyones input on my questions regarding plywood. It seems everyone has a slightly different perspective. Choices that are based on sound knowledge helped me decide. My skipjack plans call for acx plywood & that is what I bought on saturday. I spent a good amount of time friday searching for any marine grade.....okhoume, meranti or otherwise locally here in San Antonio Tx. I found none at all & nobody was willing to order such a small amount, said & needed to be closer to the gulf to find on hand. Anyway , I agree my next boat will be only marine grade. This is my first boat project & I don't want to invest that much into this little day sailer. This is a learning experience for me. I actually had my sights on starting with a trailerable boat in the 20' foot range................but the the value of doing this smaller project first makes good sense to me. I actually saw the wife get involved & even excited about helping me loft & cut the hull on saturday afternoon, so all is well there. Although I have been in the carpentry/builder business all my life, I have to say I can't remember when I had so much fun cutting wood, it has been years. When it comes to cutting some wood for me it is usually work related for money or at home for maintenance & no compensation...........something you gotta do. This boat project is going to be alot of fun. I can see where it gets into your blood maybe. More later...... Wayne
  14. Good evening.....Thanks again for everyones input on my questions regarding plywood. It seems everyone has a slightly different perspective. Choices that are based on sound knowledge helped me decide. My skipjack plans call for acx plywood & that is what I bought on saturday. I spent a good amount of time friday searching for any marine grade.....okhoume, meranti or otherwise locally here in San Antonio Tx. I found none at all & nobody was willing to order such a small amount, said & needed to be closer to the gulf to find on hand. Anyway , I agree my next boat will be only marine grade. This is my first boat project & I don't want to invest that much into this little day sailer. This is a learning experience for me. I actually had my sights on starting with a trailerable boat in the 20' foot range................but the the value of doing this smaller project first makes good sense to me. I actually saw the wife get involved & even excited about helping me loft & cut the hull on saturday afternoon, so all is well there. Although I have been in the carpentry/builder business all my life, I have to say I can't remember when I had so much fun cutting wood, it has been years. When it comes to cutting some wood for me it is usually work related for money or at home for maintenance & no compensation...........something you gotta do. This boat project is going to be alot of fun. I can see where it gets into your blood maybe. More later...... Wayne
  15. Thanks again Barry, Charlie & Frank...........I appreciate the info Barry, makes sense to me. This is my first boat building project, except for a 12 ft catamaran I started in high school about 30 yrs ago. I remember lofting the ply & stiching up the seams & using the water mixed glue. I never got the boat finished, my mom threw me & it out of the garage after a few months to get her car back inside...........Frank , the materials list says 2 sheets of 3/8 & 4 sheets of 1/4 ply, so wouldn't be that expensive regardless of a higher quality I suppose. Charlie I do appreciate the offer & would love to visit you on the coast. It just might excite the wife a little, although she is coming around to sailing..... thanks again guys, Wayne
  16. Ok guys here goes.......my skip jack plans call for ac exterior ply. is the stuff I have been using forever from the box stores what I want, or something else?.....It also specifies waterproof glue, tight bond 2 or 3 ok, suppose to be weatherproof & waterproof respectively, or maybe the polyurethane gorilla stuff ?, what do I need to use?..........lastly, the screws, does it matter that much? I know the bronze are maybe overkill. I was thinking maybe the deck mate type, have used them with great success on decks & remodeling jobs, or can I use a really cheap screw such as a drywall screw & remove them before filling? Thanks , I'll stop at this for now, don't wanna wear out my welcome.....W
  17. Hello, fellow sailors.......I just received stevensons plans for the skip jack today, it looks like fun. It is nice to know where I can get my questions answered, sure I will have many in the weeks to come.
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