Help with a baton for lofting

[geekygrappler]

Hi, I have started building a spindrift. This is my first attempt to build a boat. I have some basic questions.

 

I had a piece of plastic conduit about 1/4" thick which I tried lofting with. But I don’t think it’s bending uniformly so I want to try and find a better baton.
 

What makes a good baton for lofting? I am in Fiji so it’s not easy for me to get supplies. I thought a 1/4" thick by 1" piece of solid wood (not sure what wood) about 6ft long. The problem Is that I could not  find a piece like this in diy stores. I went to the lumberyard and they said they didn’t have a machine that could make something 1/4" thick. Part of the problem is I am not sure what specifically to ask for, or what will work, and the guys in the yard had no clue either. There are a lot of lumber yards in Fiji so I'm sure i can find one that has the capability if I ask for the right thing. Or is there another material that should be available?
 

Second question: when lofting, do i account for the baton thickness? If the mark is 11" do I put the nail at 11 and 1/4"?

 

Thanks,

 

Andy

 

 

[Hirilonde]

Hey geekygrappler,

 

Almost any wood with straght grain makes a good batten.  Some hard woods might be too rigid.  I used 1/4" x 1/4". I take it from your post you don't have a table saw? A batten really must have uniform thickness and width or it won't bend fair. You could actually use some of your 6mm (1/4") plywood, but again, it would need to be ripped uniformly.

 

The easiest way to bend the batten is to put the nails on the line and bend the batten around the outside of the curve. This will give you a fair line on the inside of the curve, and it will be the exact line. Just trace it lightly so as not to move the batten. Cut just outside of the line, and tweek or finesse to the line with a block plane or sanding block.

[geekygrappler]

Thanks, I just realised I can of course rip my own 1/4 inch baton out of a 1 inch pine plank. I do not have a table saw but I have a circular saw and I built my own 2m straight edge guide for it. The factory edge should be straight and the thickness should be even if I rip it well.

[Steve W]

It's been awhile (15 years) but I went into Home Depot back then and looked in the Vinyl siding section and found a piece of extruded trim that is about 3/4 x 1/2 and I think it's at least 10 feet long. It's pulled may fair curves in it's lifetime with hopefully many more to go. Hopefully yhey still have this. 

 

Pic:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMlU_1VC8tTkcQQrtwHpU0YSOjUznp0Kz2C0tbHR0uaWbor3cClQKHbcb_cIcCbGw/photo/AF1QipMZql8HiuNEpM8O0YrfTly7gplUzH0J_YIZfweV?key=Q3JhMGRjeHpOMjFOakR6VnNpbXd0bVFxTHUyVGNR