How to check Spindrift hull for straightness?

[BrianM83]

I am at the point now where I have the hull and bulkheads wire tied together and about ready to install the gunwales. I have been thinking about this for a while now but I am not sure how to check the hull for straightness. I also want to make sure bulkheads are plum while I am still able to make adjustments. Any suggestions on the best way to do this?

[hokeyhydro]

"Winding." = lay two sticks a good deal wider than boat across the sheer - one near bow, one near stern, both perpendicular to center line. Then step back, kinda way back, and sight along center line at stick level. Sticks should line up. If not, twist (wind) the hull until they do.

After "winding" a hull I carefully, without disturbing the hull, tack weld the seams with goo w/filler. Once the goo cures you're good to go, pop wires and add fillets.

[Hirilonde]

I like the "winding" method hokeyhydro mentions, but I don't like tack welding.  I see it as another uneccessary step and more sanding.

 

If you look on the plans page labelled "Interior Construction Plan" you will see a side view that shows the DWL and measurements from it to the top of the bow and stern.  This is how you level the boat fore n' aft.  Once this is done getting bulkheads plum can be done with a level.

 

I blocked my hull on a bench and did the winding.  I then glued on the gunwales.  Immediately after clamping I repositioned the blocks and did the winding  again as everything moved in the process.  When it was time to do the bulkheads I blocked the boat to level fore n' aft by adding an offset to the DWL position so that the bow and stern were set relative to the bench top.  I then levelled it athwartship using the "winding" sticks.  Now it is positioned as it would sit in the water and a level can be used.

[Charlie Jones]

Nor do I use the tacking. Waste of time. Get it aligned, lay in the fillets, while still wet, lay in tape. Wires are very easy to pull afterwards, and several methods have been talked about on here.

[hokeyhydro]

I agree,tacking does waste time, but my latest builds are small boats and goobing fillets fat enough to clear the wires adds weight and creates a fillet way bigger than it needs to be, so I tack. Plus I have short time windows and I can wind & tack before dashing of to work and then proceed to add fillets & tape in stages later in the week.

[Hirilonde]

............... goobing fillets fat enough to clear the wires adds weight and creates a fillet way bigger than it needs to be............

 

If the wiring is done well and you press the wire to the hull on the inside this is not true.

[Charlie Jones]

I was gonna say that too. Push the wire down into the corner with a screw driver blade. Then you can use a small fillet.

[Chick Ludwig]

On small boats with small wire or cable ties, I can leave the wire/tie in and do the whole fillet and tape at once. But for bigger boats like the CS-20 Mk-2, I tack. If you do the tack fillets with a radius tool and clean up along the edge of the radius, this method works well. It's very neat and easy then to pull the wire ties, fill in the blank spaces, and tape.The heavy wire you need to pull stubborn panels together is tough to pull out if you force it with a screwdriver into the corner and putty over it. You need a pretty big radius to cover it too.

 

Find what works best for you. We often differ in our opinions. What works best for one of us is OUR best way to do it.

[Scott Dunsworth]

I personally like tacking. On my belhaven the hull was so deep that I could tack with a long stick, then I could climb around in the boat and do the the larger fillets without the fear of something moving. I still left the wires in also on that boat to help hold things together. After the boat was completely filleted I removed the wires the traditional way, with heat and pliers.