Yep, here's another builder's log for the Merrimac. I'm a builder in Calgary trying to finish my Merrimac before the river freezes over. I'm only familiar with cardboard-and-duct-tape construction, so this will be my first stitch-and-glue boat. Hopefully it will last a little longer than those cardboard boats.
I've cut the boards and the epoxy finally arrived, so now I'm getting ready for the butt joints. I was going to just glass the joints, since this would seem to be lightest, but I noticed the instructions later say that ribs might be necessary on the bottom to reduce oilcanning. Would it make sense to use wooden butt blocks on the bottom panels only, so these ribs would not be necessary?
Mathematician's Merrimac
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Kevin
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:53 pm
- Type of boat I like: <-- Please read instructions to the left and delete this text. Then, tell us what type boat you like! :-)
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
- Contact:
Good, I guess for now I just have to worry about whether to use the butt blocks, and how many.
My bottom panels are a bit curved already, since I cut them out of a sheet that got left out in the rain a bit (oops). The curve is almost enough that I think it could result in the bottom of the hull having a smooth curve from side to side rather than an angle. I expect it to be safe to barge ahead, but could I be terribly wrong?
My bottom panels are a bit curved already, since I cut them out of a sheet that got left out in the rain a bit (oops). The curve is almost enough that I think it could result in the bottom of the hull having a smooth curve from side to side rather than an angle. I expect it to be safe to barge ahead, but could I be terribly wrong?
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Kevin
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:53 pm
- Type of boat I like: <-- Please read instructions to the left and delete this text. Then, tell us what type boat you like! :-)
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
- Contact:
Taking my time
I just did two of the butt joints first to try to get the idea of the thing.
This middle panel looks pretty good to me, I used the tape trick I saw in Hank's log. I could probably get closer to the seam, I suppose.
(click for bigger image)
This one looks worse to me. The wood panels are about 1/8" apart near the top, 1/16" near the bottom. How wide can these seams be and still be strong?
(click for bigger image)
Here's my warped bottom panels, I think I'll just use them as is.
(click for bigger image)
A couple people on the forum suggest doing the fiberglass bit immediately after the wood flour here. I suppose I could then still put weights on top of this to keep the joint flat?[/url]
This middle panel looks pretty good to me, I used the tape trick I saw in Hank's log. I could probably get closer to the seam, I suppose.
(click for bigger image)
This one looks worse to me. The wood panels are about 1/8" apart near the top, 1/16" near the bottom. How wide can these seams be and still be strong?
(click for bigger image)
Here's my warped bottom panels, I think I'll just use them as is.
(click for bigger image)
A couple people on the forum suggest doing the fiberglass bit immediately after the wood flour here. I suppose I could then still put weights on top of this to keep the joint flat?[/url]