Redneck...10 hours and $75.00 start to finish

[lewisboats]

Cheap Luan ply $10/sheet, 3/4"x3/4" chine logs ripped from a 1x8, 1/2" ply transom, Pine Ranch stop for wales, PL Premium, 3/4" screws and Rustoleum Paint. 10 ft long, 45" beam designed for a small no gas motor lake where I take the dog on a daily walk around. Really a dammed creek it runs to about 200 acres or so and winds up the creek to another small dam with a pond. I'll be using it with a trolling motor or oars but it is designed to take a 5 horse motor for bigger lakes. I probably won't use it that way but you never know...

I have about $65 into it now and 1 hour and 10 minutes building time...I expect to be done by Friday.

[Scott Dufour]

That's about as close to an instant boat as it gets.  :-D

[lewisboats]

Only got about 30 minutes in today...thunder storm rolled in and power has been spotty plus I am working outside. Got the other chine log on and got the stem cut and glued to one side panel. Unfortunately...I doubt I will get to go 3d today. No real time line to build it just a limit on the hours needed so I may not meet Friday's proposed done date if I can't find the time to get it done. Tomorrow I start working the second job and will be working both until Saturday so building hours will be curtailed to one or perhaps two hours if I stay up late. I was really hoping to get 2 or 3 hours in today and perhaps get the hull tacked together...or at least ready for the bottom panels.

[lewisboats]

Well...got another 3 hours work in...and this is the result.

Parts:

Stem:

Transom:

Chine Log:

1 1/2 D:

[lewisboats]

3D part 1:

Part 2:

Proper joint:

Improper Joint...I was going for accuracy (silly me) and decided to measure from the 1" line for the required distance (adding the extra inch of course) ...dropped the measure and re-did it...and screwed it up by not adding the extra inch.

Done for the day...I have been on the go since 5:25 last night so it is time for a (nother) brew and then some sack time before work tonight.

[lewisboats]

{Yesterday}

Man...I can't get nuthin' right. The "proper joint" side is the one I cut too short, the one that has half the stem nekid is actually the right angle. Unfortunately I glued the stem to the short side first...leaving the other. I am seriously considering doing it over...it also is messing with the flare at the bow and there isn't much holding it. Cutting the glue line shouldn't take more than 10 minutes, another 5 for redoing the lines and cutting and another 10 to glue and screw back together. It is raining now but hopefully it will dry up a bit later...at least enough to get that done.

Well...it quit raining about 2 minutes to 8 so out I went. Stem came off in the allotted 10 minutes but it took about 7 to mark and cut the sides...caught myself almost making the same mistake but I didn't. Took another 10 minutes to make a new stem piece...the old one didn't have enough bevel along with having loads of glue and veneer on it. Installed the front frame to help bend the bow and then installed the stem. Took a bit of trial and error to get it lined up right but it is in. Nipped off the excess from the bottom and now it is potty and beer time. Total...56 minutes. Gonna pee the pooch and walk the park...back later.

{Today}

Pictures...a bit later than promised but still. I also took 20 minutes and mounted the transom knees, put in a temp spreader and trimmed what was left of the transom ply for a seat. The wales are just clamped on for a fit check.

I am not going to use the $10 ply for the bottom. It is TigerPly and absolute crap...even worse than the other luan I got a few years ago. It has two longitudinal face veneers that rival onion skin for thinness, two transverse cores sandwiching a single structurally significant longitudinal ply in the middle. I can't bring myself to use it when even a scratch against a waterlogged lily would go through the outer veneer. I will sub one of my 5 (even) plied Plyfloor Baltic birch underlayment sheets at $25 per sheet for it and have a bottom that can withstand a few knocks. This will put me over by $5 but it will be worth it.

[lewisboats]

I WILL be done tomorrow...I found out this morning that I have an unexpected day off tomorrow and I won't have to be to work until Monday night. It will be tight but I still hope to come in at around 10 hours work.

Edit/Delete Message

[lewisboats]

Well...today was totally buggered up. Nothing done except over sleeping,  repair the kid's car, get roped into working my part time job for 4 hours and generally not being able to do a thing on what I wanted to work on exclusively. Tomorrow I will try again. I told everyone that I was going to be busy and not to bother me unless it involved blood or funeral arrangements.

[lewisboats]

Well here's news...some good... some not so good. Plenty of pics today but I didn't get done. I don't think...in fact I know...I won't manage the 10 hour mark. I have made too many mistakes and am too unorganized. I will wind up the build and list what should and shouldn't be done. I still have about 50 something minutes but I expect I have about 2 hours work to do, not including painting. If I had had help a couple of times I expect I would have been able to do it with a bit of time to spare but sometimes two hands just aren't quite enough.

Anyway...here are the pics.

I squared and leveled up the hull on a couple of tables and set to work.

I put the whole panel on and used one side as the edge...

This gave enough leftover to do the bow piece

Which was cut from the end of the scrap after cutting out the main bottom piece

Here it is positioned to mark for cutting

[lewisboats]

and here it is trimmed except for the tip

This is the ply I am using...nice even plies and no voids inside.

Starting to install the bottom: I spent a bunch of time on this as I kept knocking things out of square...time wasted.

No time for pics so here is the bottom done and screwed together, going over to install the block at the bow bottom joint.

Bottom Block of the same ply

Joint that needs blocking...before cleaning up

[lewisboats]

Here is the block installed. The pads are to keep the screw tips from penetrating thorough the bottom

Re-checking the wales...still not glued on though...the air got still, the humidity went zoom and the sky started to get darker...time to pack it up.

The bottom profile is just a little off from the drawing...mostly I didn't add quite enough flare to the bulkhead sides. This would have pulled the bow up just a tad more. No biggie.

I hoisted it as you see it onto the old shoulders...50lbs maybe? and carried it into the garage, cleaned up the shavings and put things away, grabbed the mower and knocked out the front yard to keep the city off my tail and about 10 minutes after I was done it was raining...still is in fact.

[Andrew_Butchart]

I noticed you put the chine logs on before you bent the sides.  I've always done it the other way - which is a bit of a pain.

Do you find that method works well for you or do you hear ominous cracking sounds?

[lewisboats]

I have done both ways...I find attaching them prior to bending to be marginally easier. Bending the panels can be a bit tricky if you don't have something to bend them around and getting the bow together is a bit of a juggling act with holding it together, holding the screw and lining things up and holding the drill/driver...all with 2 hands. If you can find a way to clamp it or have a second pair of hands then it is definitely easier. I don't usually hear cracking sounds...the log is actually less inclined to crack as it has the support of the side panel to spread the bending stresses. I have never had a log crack when it was already attached. These actually were in 2 parts per side (I didn't get them far enough back into the straight section)...and weren't bending right. I put a couple of metal braces across the butts but that only helped a little and prevented me from touching up the chines prior to attaching the bottom so I removed them and put on 2 temp braces that you can see in the pictures of the bottom going on. Once the bottom was on they weren't needed any more...the bottom and the logs mutually supported each other.

[lewisboats]

Yes...I know...no pictures! BUT I have another update. I have blown both the build cash ($85 now) and the time (about 11 hours) but I have the wales on, a bottom rub strip installed, a seat installed and the inside and outside caulked and filled. I have been dodging the weather and my jobs and working right up until I have to cover it and I haven't gotten any pictures taken. Not really exciting stuff...looks like it was a guest target at the St Valentines Day Massacre for all the holes and screws caulked but otherwise it is as you see it above. I expect it is about ready for painting when the caulk cures. I will probably exceed my target of 2 hours of actual painting but it should be water worthy by 15 hours of labor. I should have budgeted 15 hours and $100 for the build. I expect that with some help I could have come in at 10 hours or under but some things just take more than twice the time without that pair of helping hands. I would say the boat weighs in at about 60 lbs right now so with paint it should hit about 65 lbs. I'll weight it when I am done to see just how far of I am on that figure too.

[lewisboats]

Some more work this morning...finishing up the caulking the inside (I missed a couple of spots) and added a couple of smaller skids on the bottom. Here you see the seat installed. Most of the caulk I used cures clear so you can't really see all the stuff slathered in there. I used some stuff called PolySeamSeal. Claims it is a caulk and glue in one. With a couple of coats of paint over it I expect it to do fine...sure is a pain to get off the skin (don't go shirtless when caulking and if you do...shave first!!)

Here is the outside with the skids on it.

and a Profile shot:

I am planning on leaving the wales bright...and I have two choices of paint color. Which would go best do you think...opinions please.

Exterior        /        Interior

_________________________

Almond          /        Almond

Vermont Green    /  Almond

Vermont Green    /    Vermont Green

Almond          /        Vermont Green

Vermont green is slightly more olive than Forrest Green

You have until Tomorrow 10 am to voice your opinion

[lewisboats]

Well...She's primed and will see topcoat 1 tonight hopefully. Choice has been made...Green out and Almond in.

[lewisboats]

Aha...beat any responses! Got the first coat of paint on...looks good. Unfortunately...I will have to spring for a second can of paint...I don't have enough left over for the second coat. I shoulda used house paint... I have some leftovers that might have worked. Oh Well...it should keep things dry I hope.

[lewisboats]

Hmmm...don't think I'll get that second coat on today. Quite humid and there is a good chance of rain. The first coat is still tender...but it was fairly cool last night. Perhaps today as it warms up it will harden up a bit more. I might be able to get it on this evening but I won't hold my breath. What I might do is get a coat done on the inside if it doesn't rain.

[lewisboats]

Pure frustration!!!!...I was putting on the second coat on the bottom and knocked the can of paint over...spilled a cup and a half or so. Just enough so I couldn't finish the bottom. Oh...well says I...I needed to have some touch-up stuff anyways so I got another (third) can of paint. Since then it has been raining, misting, hugely humid or otherwise not conducive to painting. I wanted to splash it this weekend...but instead it sits on the table waiting for the finish of the bottom and a second coat inside to be done while upside down. That is so any drips and splashed don't land on the sole and I can get at all the stuff that is up and under when the boat is upright. Of course...the weekend is supposed to be gorgeous but I'll have to use it to paint instead of trying the boat out. Hopefully Monday I'll be able to get it into the water. I still have to generate an HIN and print up a certificate of origin...if I can remember which computer has the template... I haven't made one in a few years. I'll be unable to put it on any state lakes where DNR lurks until I get it's numbers on it. I'll post pics of the finished boat and when it gets wet...

[lewisboats]

Well...its done...mostly. I still have to permanently mount the motor pads, finish painting the corners by the knees and maybe cap off that front compartment... but for the most part it's done. Might splash it tomorrow to see how things go and I think I'll take a friend of mine fishing Monday. He's handicapped (has emphysema very bad...can barely breath) and can no longer use his Bass Buddy very easily as he can't usually get it up and down the bank. I might cover those paint oops on the inside bottom...but probably not. They'll get done when the boat gets a redo. One thing I learned (too late) is that if you are going to do the inside floor a different color than the sides...either go up the sides by an half inch to an inch and tape a nice line or do the same to the bottom. It is way to hard to try and cut in right at the joint...especially if there are caulking goobers right there too. Next paint job goes up the sides by an inch! Oh...and that 1x brace...needed to go about 1 inch higher...just to be able to paint in there without brushing against the bottom. I'll have to the tape bottom next time just to be safe.

The light wasn't right for this one so I'll try and get a better shot later in the day...before I go to work this evening.

Oh...and as for putting a more powerful motor on it...that would require a transom knee from the bottom of the pad to the floor...best done with a 2x. I would probably put 2 half inch ply doublers across the top of the transom too...instead of the pads.