More Glue and Power Tools

So far the boat has been put together with PVA glue, various mixtures of epoxy and sheets of fiberglass. Today I pulled out the drill and screws!

During the week I snuck in a hour or so of filing, to trim the edges of the decking so that they are flush with the sides of the hull. On Saturday there finally was a break in the rain (got to love winter) and I took the hull on the drive to smooth the edges with the orbital sander, and prepare the hull to glue on the gunwales. To be able to access the area I needed to sand, I had to shorten the arms of the cradle she’s resting in. To do this I had to take the whole hull off and lay it on the grass. This was a special moment for me as it was kind of a proof of concept, that I could lift and maneuver the whole hull on my own. Then it was into the garage again and time to be social with friends that had come over to visit.

Later in the afternoon, I spent a quiet hour selecting and cutting the wood to use for the gunwales, then back to the kitchen to cook dinner.. Nachos!

Sunday and it’s back to gluing and clamping. I mixed up the glue and attached the port gunwale. Using clamps for the straight middle and screws in the curved bow and stern. I counter sunk the screw heads and covered them in epoxy, so that even though they are zinc coated, water won’t get to them. Also when the area is painted you won’t see them.

Since I had some glue left over, I filleted the last bulkhead and glued in the access port.

So end of week twenty and we have this:

Topside

Week nineteen ended in a busy productive weekend, with little boat building being done!

During the week I cut out the basic shape for the decking so that on Saturday I was able to glass the underside. While that was drying I smoothed out the sides of the hull where I’d cut some away for putting the decks down. I then gave all the exposed wood a coat of epoxy and glued in a wedge at the bow and stern. The theory is to use them as a firm base to attach cleats to.

Sunday was another trip to Bunnings with the family, to get extra tie downs of the gluing session that afternoon. As it happened the rest of the day was spent rolling out the pasta dough I made yesterday into fettuccine and sheets for ravioli. But I did squeeze in time to glue down both decks and bulkhead bungs before heading off to Mum’s for snacks with the family.

So at the end of week nineteen the canoe looks like this:

Glue, Glue Glorious Glue!

Monday was productive, I managed to glue in the wae’s and ring frame. During the week I marked out a line in the hull to cut out at the bow and stern for the decking to go and by Friday evening I’d even managed to cut the stern portion with a hand saw.

Saturday I wizened up and used my jigsaw to cut the bow. Then it was back to mixing up more epoxy, this time adding sawdust to make a strong filleting paste. This mix I used for the fillets that will bond the ring frame to the inside of the hull. The idea is that it will make a stronger bond than if I use fairing powder. Unfortunately I ran out of suitable sawdust so it was back to a conventional fillet for the bulkheads. That evening I was back in mixing epoxy to add strip of fiberglass to the fillets on the ring frame. Because the mast attaches here, it is a major stress point hence the extra reinforcements.

I’ve decided not to strip plank the decking and use the 4mm ply instead. This should speed things up, although I will glass both sides for extra strength. By the end of today I’d cut the deck blanks, drawn the outlines of the bow and stern and glassed the first side. Later tonight I will give it an extra coat of epoxy.

End of week eighteen and the wae’s, bulkheads and ring frame are in place, inching the hull ever so closer to completion:

Fixtures and Fittings

Week seventeen. On Monday I finally made it to Absolute Marine and picked up two hatches and two inspection ports (one 4 inch and one 6 inch). Unfortunately they were out of bungs so I had wait till Saturday before I got those. 

I plan to use one of the hatches for top access to the aft bulkhead and the other for a storage area I will to build under the centre seat although I am a little worried about the extra weight it will add.

That evening I laminated the timber for waes, saddles and ring frame. Wednesday morning I was traveling again, and when I got back on Friday evening the glue had completely set.  But I did email Gary and ask him to make me a set of sails.

Saturday morning was spent picking up Loki, getting the bungs and shaping the waes and saddles. In the afternoon I picked up Cecile, Nico, Eloise and Cecile’s mum from the airport. So that was the end of my work day.

Sunday I made another trip to the airport, then it was off to the pool with the family. Luckily Eloise is starting to get a liking for water as well, she even came for a swim. After lunch and putting the children to bed I finished off the saddles, ring frame and cut holes in the bulkheads for the bungs and inspection ports.

Tomorrow I’d like to glue everything in place, but the heater is being used in the spare room. I’ll see if I can find a cheap one to use, we need one for the spare room anyway.

The finished fittings: