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SUKIE

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I feel like the new kid on the block. My name is Sukie and I'm a boat building-aholic. Actually, I've built only small boats, 3 kayaks and a pulling boat, but I have the bug and now I'm all excited about starting a Core Sound 17 and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of a kit from Graham. Of course I'm aware of the Watertribe event starting next week, so I suppose I have to tack on a few more days (weeks??) to the expected delivery date. In the mean time, I'm trying to organize my shop to be the most efficient when the kit does arrive, and am looking for any suggestions about what you've all learned and ideas you may pass along. I've been watching this forum and know there's much wisdom here - so, what's your shop hint? Thanks!

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  A climate controlled space would be great.  I built outdoors on a screened porch and I found that I had conflicting priorities - The weather was either too hot, too cold, or just right for epoxy work but it turns out that the perfect weather for epoxy work is also the perfect weather for fishing from my kayak  ;D  If you don't have climate control you should still build the boat - Just remember you'll take longer and you'll be boared in the winter months and panicked in the summer months (because of the epoxy cure rate).

  I think the thermostat might be the best tool for shortening the build time.  Don't ask me to give up my table saw though  :)

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Rarely does it get too HOT for epoxy work - I've glassed in 100 degree temps. Ya just gotta learn to MOVE your booty :o

One thing- get a GOOD shop vac. In fact, I have two - ( well four actually) a small one for inside the boat and a large one out on the floor. Both are wet/drys and I've used both in the wet mode inside boats.

Next, I highly recommend the Porter-Cable 7335 Random orbit sander, with stickit discs, not the hook and loops

The one stationary machine  I would not try building a boat without would be a bandsaw. I have a table saw but I could live without that- not a band saw though. I have two band-saws, a 12 incher and a 14 incher. I'd love a larger one, but I can work fine with just the 12 if needed. That machine is my workhorse and sits just two steps away from my workbench.

Those are the three most used tools in my shop, other than hand tools.

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Charlie and Ray make me feel like an amateur... duh, I AM an amateur. And I'm sure my work shows it when compared to theirs. But everything has floated so far. Rosebud came out pretty fine but I put way too much money and time into building her. http://www.pbase.com/sailrosita/rosebud

I have worked on and around boats for a number of years and have never really had a "shop" of my own to work in. In the early 80s I built a garage specifically as a shop and built one dinghy there before I moved. I did get to work in the boatbuilder's shop when I finished Rosebud from a hull and deck in the mid-80s, mostly because his business was going in the toilet from competition like Hunter.

A lot of my work has been in boatyards. I built a nesting Spindrift in the Rec. room of a rented house. I'm building a Birder 2 kayak now in the garage but I have to share it with laundry and miscellaneous storage.

My two favorite and most used power tools are a good saber saw and a belt sander. I like a belt sander that will run steadily upside down. I can use it to shape small parts by hand that way.

My third favorite tool is a good paint scraper with a carbide blade. These are great for taking down errant epoxy bumps and drips and for smoothing the raised edges of fiberglass tape. Its best to go after the epoxy after its has set up but before it gets too hard.

I do have a Shopsmith which comes in handy sometimes but really gets only moderate use. There are lots of other good tools: pad sanders, routers, power saws, etc.

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Garry, I enjoyed your Rosebud link, the story, and the pics.  It is very inspiring.  Where is Eleuthera, by the way?  Google shows it in the middle of England, but that cannot be the right place.

Ray, your visit to Leigh Nielson and subsequent sharpening experiences intrigue me.  So as not to hijack Sukie's thread too much, would you like to post a more detailed thread about what you have learned and methods.  I am thinking of the excellent postings by Bob Smasher as an example.  Sharpening is a very key skill for wood working and one I have yet to master well.

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Where is Eleuthera, by the way?  Google shows it in the middle of England, but that cannot be the right place.

Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas, east of Nassau if I remember correctly.

That was my guess, based on some of the other pics.  Thanks, Garry. :)

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Excellent Ideas, thankyou all!

I do have a thermostat, luckily, since I'm here in New Hampshire where we've had >100" of snow so far and not done yet. I'll start the boat inside, then hopefully move it outside to do the bulk of the sanding in fresh air, most likely warm weather by then. I was thinking about building a cradle now, with wheels as suggested by the photos I've seen. Does anyone know the dimensions of the base I should use for a CS17? I assume that I need to wait for the plans to get the hull dimensions for the cradle, but maybe I could get started on the frame?

And Yes, I have a Lie-Nielsen plane that I absolutely love and won't even let my husband use(you KNOW how men are with tools.). I'm interested in the continuing thread about sharpening and will stay tuned. Thanks all again!

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Sukie,

You need to have a good shop vac, if you do not already have one.  I have two, one is a 6 amp that I use for the big jobs, but mostly use the smaller one with the 1-1/2 inch hose.  It is quieter and does most of the jobs I need cleaning up the saw and sanding dust.

Good luck and welcome to the crew! :)

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I just looked at some of the Lie Nielson at Woodcraft.  Invest is the right term, Ray.  Is that gold plating on them?  They are sure pretty looking.  I need to actually handle one before spending that sort of money.  You went to some training or a visit at Lie-Nielson to check them out first?  I wonder where there might be some in my area...the search is on.

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And Yes, I have a Lie-Nielsen plane that I absolutely love and won't even let my husband use(you KNOW how men are with tools.). I'm interested in the continuing thread about sharpening and will stay tuned. Thanks all again!

SUkIE- that's hilarious. I showed it to Laura

I kinda like planes myself by the way. Most of these are Baileys, some Stanleys, and a couple of KeenKutters. I don't use the wooden bodied ones too much, but occasionally I do. I've resoled all three of them.

post-36-129497666327_thumb.jpg

post-36-129497666333_thumb.jpg

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ahh, the proverbial tool talk! must participate!!

the list of tools, gadgets and machines in the average (boat)shop, whether it is for part time work or pro use, is off course ridiculously long. most folks collect such an immense inventory over long years of learning and experiencing what's essential, just nice to have or a complete waste of money. therefore, it would be risky to rush out and purchase everything recommended on this thread in an afternoon.

boats, especially our stitch and glue specimens here, goes nicely together without the huge and expensive spread of stationary power tools required to make cabinets or other similarly boring, industrial projects.

sukie, the pro's here on this forum, particularly the ray-charles duo, probably knows more about what's good and bad than most. interestingly too, their approaches appear to diverge somewhat, or maybe it is the veiled competition among them that often spurs a fun debate..

my personal take on boat building is a little different. i'm an amateur, meaning not in a rush. also i work off-the-grid, which in itself slows things down since the lack of reliable mega-amps makes me grab hand tools before machines.

here's some self-indulgent images from this unproductive boat builder, wasting his time in front of the screen on an otherwise perfectly good sunday:

tools1.jpg

classic copper rivets are not necessary on the cs17, but will look classy if applied here and there, like attaching the tiller cheeks to the tiller or whatnot.

tools2.jpg

this spread of handtools is a familiar sight. nothing here is overly fancy or expensive. the one tool that sees most use in this collection is the lowly Shinto rasp in the foreground...

tools3.jpg

clamps and saws. the many homemade wooden clamps are primarily for lapstrake boats, but works just fine for clamping down a 17' long gunwale in lieu of regular clamps, which always are in short supply. (someone, maybe Bud Macintosh once wrote that 'the principal difference between a pro and amateur boatbuilder is not the quality of her work, but the amount of clamps in the shop')

the saws are all of the japanese variety. i started woodworking not too long ago, and the folks that taught me said i should use these. ergo, i've never made a cut with a regular push saw, which definitely makes me kinda yuppie-like.

tools4.jpg

this mess of stuff is the layout, marking and drawing implements i use on a regular basis.

tools5.jpg

power tools.finally! this one really shines in epoxy-fillet-cleanup work. highly recommended.

tools6.jpg

ray mentioned long boards. here's my collection. i use beltsander belts cut open. they outlast all other sandpaper i've tried. coarse and medium seems adequate. the white crepe block shown in the previous image is an essential accessory to all sanding tools. it will clean up even the most epoxy clogged paper in no time, literally multiplying the life span.

tools7.jpg

i like to make my own bolts in bronze. much cheaper, less waste and often better.

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Jan, those are awesome photos of your tools, thanks so much for taking the time. One question: you mentioned the white crepe block you use for clearing your sandpaper of buildup. Is this sold for this purpose or did you just discover it? And, where would I buy (or scavenge) one?

I'm so pleased with all the feedback I've gotten, thanks to you all. It seems like I have the basic tools, but I'll be getting a good shop vac, building some long boards, and looking into a sharpening system. Now, if I could just get Graham to cut out and ship my kit. . .

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Sukie- you can get a belt cleaning block like that at Sears, in the tool department.

I have GOT to get myself one of those rasps. I've seen them in use, ALMOST got one as a door prize last Texas Kayak Builders Bash, but got aced out by a buddy :D Great tools.

Jan- from what I see in your pics, you may not get paid for building, but you AREN'T an amateur. I see VERY nice work.

Ray and I differ on some things, but we've found we wind up pretty much alike overall. I too use many hand tools. I like them. Frequently you can grab a hand tool and finish a small one of job faster than you can set up a machine. Machines are great for repetitive things, like ripping staves and cutting the birdsmouth for masts and spars, but for single use, I often just grab a hand saw, plane, etc. I also use my hand drills quite a bit. But for driving screws all I can say is than goodness for battery drill drivers ;D Same when it comes to sanding. I use scrapers when I possibly can for that too.

Mike ( Oyster) is another real pro in this area. Don't disregard what he says either.

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