Week of a 1000 splinters <img src="pic.gif" border=0 alt="*P

[Guest J Metzner - Fairbanks, AK]

I took a week off work to make some progress on the Weekender. I had hoped to get most, if not all, of the hull side panels on. Well, I made the goal by Wednesday and continued on with the cockpit seats and hatch box. It only cost me about a thousand splinters in various body parts.

Data point, be careful when supporting the cockpit panels while countersinking. That 7/64 drill bit will make a fine hole in your thumb. That's not that bad part though, it's the spontaneous giggles from the wife over the next few days that really hurts. Not to mention the "dolt" comments when she notices the bandage.

Updates at the web link below.

--John M.

"As You Wish"

woodchuck@gci.net

[Guest Russ Sylvester]

I can still remember pulling those shards of wood out of my fingers. It was take a deeeep breath, grit your teeth, grab that sucker with pliers and pull. Oh yeah, have a beer nearby to help kill the pain afterwards.

Boat's looking very good, just don't get in a hurry to finish. I notice you have four portholes on your cabin sides. How do you plan on finishing them out?

rksylves@rockwellcollins.com

[Guest J Metzner - Fairbanks, AK]

Russ,

I'm going with the clear, screw out deck plates. I'll have to use the 4 inch version. I would have liked to had the 6 inch, couldn't fit them in and didn't want to rebuild the cabin sides for the necessary height.

--John M.

woodchuck@gci.net

[Guest Rostoni]

I was just telling my dad yesterday..."If I had a nickel for every splinter I incurred so far, my boat would have been payed off already!"

The next step for me is to put sides on my weekender as well...and by myself. Just as a precaution (in case of poor measuring), I had a huge roll of 4' wide construction paper that I taped on the side of the boat as a pattern to go from. I could tell (at least with paper) that it was difficult to put sides on due to puckering etc...because of the verticle and horizontal curves. I'm hoping with wood, it will be easier. Are there and suggestions or pitfalls you can point out to me? I have already shaped the stringers etc...and am ready to rock-n-roll.

Also, as far as the subsequent posting about the port windows, I was thinking of looking for some camper or van windows that may work. Just a thought.

jrostoni@yahoo.com

[Guest J Metzner - Fairbanks, AK]

No, you won't have any problems with puckering. But you'll have your hands full.

Before mounting the panels, drill pilot holes from the inside where the forward and main bulkheads attach to the side panels. I didn't do that on the first panel I mounted (starboard forward) then I had to drill a couple of holes along the edge of the bulkhead through the panel as a reference. I just can't see through plywood.

If I was to do it over again, I think I'd do the final mount on the forward panels before cutting the leading edge of the aft panel. I dry fitted the forward side panel, marked the stringer locations on the panel and where the panel ended on the side stringers. Unmounted the forward panel and aligned the aft panel to the hull side stringers. I marked the angle to cut off of the leading edge of the aft panel (about and inch and quarter at the bottom) and the location of the hull stringers on the panel (for painting).

The problem came in when I did the final mounting. When you're trying to get that front panel mounted, it is a bit of a wrestling match, with all the weird geometry going on. The stem slanting forward, the bow widening out. I ended up laying the panel in what appeared to be a very strange direction to get the bow gusset all lined up with the front edge of the panel. It went on OK, but not EXACTLY where it was before. The small difference got amplified over the length of the panel and caused the angle to change for the mounting of the aft panel. If I matched the now cut aft panel to the end of the forward panel I ended up with quite a bit of hull bottom stringer showing. I ended up splitting the difference and I'll have yet more bondo to apply to fill in the gap at the panel joiner.

Like I said, do the final mount of the forward panel before marking and cutting the aft panel. It may take longer, but the fit will be better.

Oh yeah, clamps lots of clamps. Rope or strap clamps will be handy too, if you're going to single-hand it.

--John M.

woodchuck@gci.net

[Guest Mike Pennington]

John, It is good to hear you are hard at it. Your Weekender looks good, I like the four port holes, too. I found some six inch inserts at West Marine in Anch. But they only had three in stock. I passed, thinking I would just order them from the catalog. However since then I found some oblong ones at Overhead Door, they should be here soon, I have my fingers crossed they work as well as they look.

Keep on collecting splinters, and we will meet out at the lake this summer for a little sail off. Mike

jmpenn@mosquitonet.com

[Guest Rostoni]

John,

Thanks for the response, it is exactly what I was looking for. Looks easy, but as many of us know, there usually is many nuances. Anyway, I will read your response in greater detail later, but it seemed to make sense. I was planning on maybe putting two to three screws where the side panels meet the gussets, then wrap the remaining panel around to see if it lines up, if not, I would just yank the screw(s) and adjust accordingly. Not sure if that makes sense. It appears that the forward panel is the headache.

jrostoni@yahoo.com