The first garboard plank gets glued onto the hog - planking is underway!
Yesterday we got the laminated stems and hog faired to the moulds and each other to ensure smooth fair curves for planking.
Boat builders and owners need something to worry about; my worries today all concern temperature and glue strength. We can get the workshop warm for a couple of hours after applying the epoxy but it is not practical to keep this up overnight for the full cure time. The first cold snap of the season has arrived so in future, I think glue jobs will need to be limited to the morning.
Anyway the last 3 or 4 days has seen some progress and canoes must wait for a week now as I head to the coast, for hopefully a couple of days of winter sailing (not to mention an engine service in the ‘other boat’). Then back to work, to pay for it all!
9 comments:
Hi Jonathan,
Good to see you have started the planking, The next garboard is the tricky one then it becomes easy – till you get overconfident and slip up – always happens to me! One little trick with the glue I can recommend is to keep the resin warm. If the poxy is warm as it goes on to the wood it will kick off OK, I am still epoxying in a shed where the overnight temp is getting down to 4C, it works because the resin and hardener are stored in the house which is normally above 15C. I have found that when it is chilly it helps to warm the wood before applying the glue by playing a hot air gun, hair dryer or something similar over the joint area, helps make the epoxy a little runnier and penetrate better.
Can’t quite make out if you are building the original Mac or if it’s the recent revised version with fewer planks and fuller ends.
Chris
... of course our house is always far above 15C...!! ;o)
Thanks for the advice Chris; I will do my best to follow this.
I hadn’t realised there were different versions of the MacGregor other than the original and the re-worked drawings by Iain Oughtred designs. The latter which I purchased through Wooden Boat with six planks per side.
Jonathan
I was referring to the two versions drawn by Iain O, sorry if I confused things. The six plank version is the better sea boat and will rise to a chop better so good choice. I built the original 7 plank version and find that she tends to punch through waves giving a damper ride. At the risk of becoming a pain might I make another suggestion? It is usually suggested that the bilge runners go on after the hull is completed – I have found it easier to put them on as soon as their supporting plank is in place, you can then get clamps to them and have a glued joint without the need for screws penetrating the hull. Another area that you might care to think about at this early stage is the attachment of the lee board. Iain suggests a bit of rope tied off at the hog – I find this a pain in the neck, it wobbles about like a giant fishing lure until you have a bit of speed up and the rope tends to cut across your leg. A better system is a bracket attached to the deck, the Americans are good at devising these. Look forward to watching your progress.
Chris
Well Chris, now I have to admit to being unable to count. I now realise I’m building the seven plank version! (I must have just been very tired when I replied to your post).
Worse still, I have noted your comments of improvement in the modified design. I can see some further research was needed. Anyway this version is still the one being distributed in the US (through WoodenBoat).
Hi Jonathan,
Not so good then, this is the second build I have heard of where Woodenboat have passed on the old version. I think they just take the easy option. With hindsight you would have done better to contact Iain direct (I got an envelope from him this week with the revised Wee Rob - V nice) or buy from Classic Marine over on the east coast (did you know that they have a line in rudder gear for this one? SS with some kind of coating to look like bronze - not advertised) Don't be too put off by my comments - it is still a gorgeous boat. Have you found the Oughtred forum yet, helpful bunch if you get stuck, some albums of snaps of other Mac's. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oughtred) it's a membership only one so you have to sign up to see what's there. Another usefull one is the UK homebuilt Boat Rally Group - a rather anarchic group of individuals but again helpful and v friendly. Website at http://ukhbbr.wordpress.com/
Looking good, bet it feels like you are really making progress now. Keep it up
Chris
Thanks for the links Chris (have also enjoyed reading Bumble of Lochdubh). Like you, I received mail direct from Iain O last week (in my case these included details of the later MacGregor version). I’m still working out the probability of linking my home mailing address, with what appears to be very appropriately targeted design info! (can only think this came through WoodenBoat records).
Anyway design catalogue purchased (ready for the next project – Autumn 2009) and in the meantime I better concentrate on getting on with the first one.
Hi Jonathan!
I realize it's been about 3-4 years since you've started work on this, but I was wondering if you could help me out with a small query I have as a very amateur boatbuilder. As of right now I have the stations on a building frame with the stems attached and the hog epoxied to the stems after I tapered them athwartships to the stems from station 2 (to the forward stem) and 11 (to the aft stem) and "vertically", all I've done is shape the hog to the stems as I see it in the plans with the stem molds, so it can accept to the outer stems. I did not do any lofting. Do I need to shape the hog any further? It sits about 12 mm above the topmost part of station 2 and an a few mm above the rest of the stems, and I haven't beveled the sides at all. Do I need to shape it further or will the athwartship taper at the ends be enough and will the planks come up over the hog on their own accord and show just enough of it (ideally .25 inches on each side of the centerline) for the keel to be accepted there. Thanks!
Jon
Apologies John, I have clearly been neglecting my emails since July. I suspect I am now too late to help and you have sorted out your query and are well on with planking. If this is not the case, let me know and I will see what I can do. By the way, are you taking pictures and posting your build on-line, I would be interested to follow progress. Good luck with the build. Jonathan
Post a Comment