Steve W

Four questions today. 1. I bought a couple of Armstrong hatches from B & B. I'm going to install them in the seat tank tops for easy access to the tanks. I'm thinking I should at least double up the 6mm plywood in the hatch areas. Any thoughts? 2. The plans for the seat don't seam to show if they are glassed in. I have them installed and filleted, but I can't decide if they should be glassed. The plans and construction pictures do not make it clear as to what should be done. 3. I'm at the point I need to start epoxy coating some stuff. I bought my epoxy from B & B. I read that the surfaces should have three coats. Do I put a coat on, and then wait until it kicks and recoat (I did this on the centerboard trunk interior and it is pretty rough)? should I let it fully harden, sand and then recoat? 4. In the areas I plan to fair, should I coat with clear first, and then add fairing compund, or should I just fair it first and add the three coats tot he finished fairing? I know I ask a lot of questions, but its my fist S & G. I've learnd so much already I'm already looking at plans for the next build. Take Care, Steve

Thanks for the responses so quickly. Based on what you wrote, I put the piece in a vice and hammerred it. It deformed just a bit, but it's soft enought I flattened it a bit with a file, and it looks nice. I radiused it and it is ready for holes. One thing I like about this process is learning new skills. As for the material choice, the plans call for aluminum or stainless, and I had a piece of aluminum. One really nice thing about aluminum is that you can cut it with a carbide blade on a tablesaw like butter. Take Care, Steve

I'm still fooling with my mast step, and the plans call for a 1 and 1/2 X 4" 3/16 plate stock bent a the 3/4 mark about 30 degrees. I know a brake is what I really need, but short of that, any ideas? I can beat it with a hammer, but I think thats a bad idea. Take Care, Steve

The plans call for that in mine. But the screws are shown coming only up into the base material, and not into the ply. I don't see any reasn not to put the screws coming up through into the plywood. I also match drilled the aluminum plate from the top. I realize all the force from the vang and halyard are in compression on the mast, but there is also the side pressure. I suppose the fillets reinforce the pressure. Thanks, Steve

I'm just about to glue i the mast step in my Spindrift 11n that I made out of Phillipian mahogony. This step gets glued and screwed to the bottom of the boat and forward bulkhead. It occurs to me that the stress on this will ge great. It is covered with three layers of plywood, but maybe I should remake it out of some other wood. What do you all think? Take Care, Steve

Good use of "frenchied". I like the simpler look. Take Care, Steve

I compromised. I just faired it with thickened epoxy and shaped it sharp, and then rounded it with a smaller radious. I come from a racing background. That gap just bugs me. I think it will be relatively durable, but in my case the boat won't spend all that muc time apart. Take Care, Steve

I just went on a vacation skiing in Quebec. Up there, the English speaking people will say "They Frenchied it up" when a cosmetic enhacement is done with a lot (IMHO too much) of the local style. That is what I thought of. I think the thing about a Core Sound is that it's a modern looking design and that looks something else. But if your wife likes it, perhaps that is most important. Take Care, Steve

In the plans, it says to radius and tape the exposed joints, which I plan to do. After that, it seems there would be a radius making for a groove around boat. I'm trying to think of a way to make the two halves fit together nicely, with a mice tight seam. Only thing I can think to do is to bolt a flat piece of plywood with wax paper on it to each half and fill the radious. Then remove the plywood, bolt the halves together and fair.Of course I'd have to radius it a bit to make the corner more durable. Am I over thinking this? I'm prone to doing that, and when I post the hours spent bulding, if I post the hours thinking, it won't look good. Take Care, Steve

This is a great warning. You get one body, usually starting with working ears, eyes, fingers, etc. Nothing in this world is as versatile and better designed. Unfortunately too many of us take it for granted. I can't tell you how many farmers I knew when I was younger who ran straight pipes on tractors. And playing in bands, guys who turned up there stage monitors to unbearable levels. Most of these guys have hearing aids now. And who needs sunscreen? I worked with a guy who had the buckles on his overalls burn his skin. He thought it was cool. Just heard he had melenoma. It goes on and on. I take risks for things that are exciting, but why take a risk on something as mundane as sanding or planing or handling epoxy? A respirator, safety glasses and hearing protection every time you turn on a machine, or at least a respirator when you are hand sanding is just common sense. Please be careful. Take Care, Steve

1. Any reason you have to sart at the bow. It sure would be easier for me to start in the stern. 2. Walnut shells? Grind my own? Take Care, Steve

All right.....a hole for the painter it is. I've never seen it before. I've learned a lot here. Also...microballoons on order. Take Care, Steve

Do you think that it will hold up to towing all day? I'm guessing a figure eight knot? Take care, Steve

All right, you epoxy coated thread highjackers......time for question number three or four. 1. In the plans for the nesting 11N, the plans show a painter attachment as a line through the stem. That seems kind of lame. Anyone ever do anything defferent, and if so, what? 2. Also, I'm going to start fairing the tape joints. I'm thinking that silica/epoxy isn't the best choice for lightness, and since impact resistance is all I'm after at this point, there must be a filler alternative. take Care, Steve

This thread is very informative. I have a question that I think I know the answer to, but I'll ask it any way. I there was a canoe I admired, build in fiberglass, but I wanted a stripper version of it, could I measure it carefully and produce my own copy? I'm guessing no, but I need the facts. Take Care, Steve

Thanks Peter. I'm thinking of making the first piece of white oak cover the top of the Plywood by making a lip on the top of the first strip that covers the ply. This would be white oak. I'd then use cedar for the next strip, followed by the last piece of white oak. I don't like the idea of having an exposed plywood edge on the gunnel top. what do you all think?

I'm about to put a laminated gunnle on my Spindrift 11 N. I'm hoping to cut the stock tonight in getting ready. I read in the archives that laminating is done to releave stress. sounds good to me. Here are some questions. 1. I have a piece of White Oak, 12 feet long that I will resaw to use. I was thinking of laminating in a piece of cedar between the two, except for a short section where the oarlocks are. It would be lighter, bt not much, but I think it would look nice. Any comments? 2. what glue to use? epoxy is the un-natural natural choice, but it's messy around all those clamps. any alternatives? 3. The profile of the gunnels is sort of a radiused trapezoid. I would need to hold it all together and then profile it with a router after attaching I think. Am I missing an easier way to preform it? Take Care, Steve

What species of wood for items like breasthooks? I used cedar for the transome stiffener, but it seems something stronger is in order for the breasthooks. Take Care, Steve

The devil is in the details they say. Upon further review, I forgot to do two things when I cut the panels last spring. I got the flu, and after sort of recovering, stitched it together. I forgot to bevel the bottom panels together and so when I stitched it it was impossible to get fair. I unwired it and in about 5 minutes fixed that. While I was at it, I remeasured everything and I realized I forgot to cut the end of the side panels off. duh! I cut them and re-wired it last night and it went together just beautifully. I've had my kids helping me on all the measuring, and of course I've benn checking it, but somehow these two misses got by us. I'm sure there will be more. But I'm excited to get gluing now that she is straight and fair. Take Care, Steve

She's 3-D. a couple of questions. 1. the side pnels extend about 1/4 of an inch past the stern panels. I measured three times. I'm assuming I trim the side panels a paralell amount. Anyone care to comment? 2. I'm assuming the panels are put together such that the bottom panels butt up to the sides. Of course, the sides coudl rest on the bottom, but I doubt that, and they could be beveled, but I saw no mention in the plans. 3. There is talk in the fine print (it's all fine, my eyes aren't what they used to be) that it's importnt to keep the panels fair. I can only imagine it would be possible to warp the bottom, but how is it possible to get ti all straight if I only have it wired together, and I can't flip it? That's all for now. Take Care, Steve

Brent....it was great to meet you out at Wye Island. I was hoping to get more of a look at your CS20, but you vanished into the morning! I put a little together of our trip, and you and your boat make a few appearances. I hope our paths cross again. I'm back at work on a spindrift 11N and I'm hoping to bring it next year along with Wildcat.take Care, Steve

I'm going, but I'm bringing my Sea Pearl 21 WildCat. I am building a Spindrift 11N and I'm going for inspiration! Hope to see you there. what kind of boat will you bring?

Great fun to watch someone elses work. I'm buiding a Spindrift 11N with my kids, but unfortunately I got a late start this spring and its only at the 3D stage. Once November rolls around I plan on getting serious for a spring launch. I'll be looking to this log for inspiration. I will add that I was going with scarfs, but caved to the ease of a butt joint. Take Care, Steve

I'm appalled at how many nitrile gloves, cups, paper towels I've been going through working on my 11N. any tips for economizing....I don't mind spending the money, its the amount of garbage I'm creating thats frightening. Take Care, Steve

Duh.....I need better reading glasses. As soon as I saw the posted plans (I do have that sheet) I noticed the seam glass covers the holes to give them strength. Now drilling later makes sense. Thank you, Steve