Renewed focus

Well here we are again, back in the garage/boat shop. I did a lot of thinking in the last couple of days about my approach to this project and why it seems so disjointed. I still don't have an exact answer but I realize that I am quite inexorably the reason but I just can't explain it other than lack of focus. So with renewed focus I started by listing the individual actions that needed to be accomplished in the appropriate order they needed to be completed.

Like so many other builders I am big on enthusiasm but small on space. To that end I am having to rethink when each piece will be needed to be completed in timing with construction. Space being limited I have set aside the bottom panel and keelson for this moment and moved to the next piece to get installed. The centerboard case is the next item to be installed so it is the next item to get worked on to completion along with the centerboard itself.

So three days ago I epoxied the center board, still a rough piece at this point but at least it is available for fitting/clearance checking of the case.

Just rough planing to knock off epoxy globs and such.

  So far the only thing since gluing the board up was to knock off the excess epoxy and any undesirables that might have tried to insert themselves into this build. Then on to the case sides and the rest of the fiddely bits, packers, doublers and supports.

Packers at the bottom of the case get piloted for screwing from the inside of the case sides.

Plans call for the seat risers and packers and doublers need to be screwed from the inside of the case as well as epoxied from the outside. Here are the packers, they double the case sides along the bottom of the sides where they meet the keelson. Visible also are the pilot holes for the seat risers already.

Here now are the doublers which also get screwed and glued.

Also the doublers are piloted for the #10 screws and also the 1/4" thru bolts.

Fitting the case end logs.

Next I worked on fitting the case end logs. At this point it is easy to lay the centerboard into the space and see just how much clearance is available. I noticed that there is very little room side to side for the board and if glassed it might not swing smoothly if at all. I am hoping that planing the board to clean it up and size it should reap the benefit of some more room without over sizing the case at all. I don't anticipate any trouble with the blade end of the board due to the extensive shaping needed. I may even gain some room by glassing the inside of the case before attaching the case end logs but I haven't decided if I will need to do that.

Enough pieces to fit one side of the case dry fitted.

Laying out the pieces for the case sides, gives a chance for visual inspection. The stainless thru bolts, washers, locking nuts and stainless screws need to be purchased. Also need some of Russell Brown's recommended unwaxed paper mixing cups which are mysteriously unavailable locally so might need to order them from Duckworks. There are plenty of scrap pieces of wood laying around to make chisel sticks, fillet sticks and stirring sticks (straight sides and bottom edges for mixing properly).

Well the first of the month is only a few days away so there will soon be supplies to properly mix and apply epoxy. Finishing the shape of the center board itself remains. Still quite a bit of work ahead.

Until next time,

Geoff