Building a Traditional Wooden Boat

Bruce · Oct 18, 2009

mattd said:
Stem to Keel and Lining Off

Just a few more steps left before I can start putting the planking on the sides.

Cutting in the Rabbet Between Stem and Keel

The next crucial step is cutting in the rabbet between the Stem and Keel. This was done entirely by hand with a few sharp chisels. I used a small piece of wood (3"x1"x3/8") as a template, representing the plank, to ensure a smooth transition as I cut away the rabbet. Here is the before picture:

And the after picture. This was done on both sides of course. Took about 3 hours.

Lining Off

According to Walter Simmons, the architect of Sunshine (the model I'm building), Lining off is the "process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull". This needs to be done to determine the shapes for the planks, which are actually quite curvy. However, if I do it right, the planks will have an effect that they look straight on the hull.

Of course, you only have to line off one half of the hull. The other half is exactly the same, just flipped, so your measurements are the same on each side.

The first step for me was to measure the length of each station from keel to sheer (bottom to top) and divide by the number of planks I'll be putting on (seven). I then marked off the location for each plank edge for each station.

Once this is done, the next step is to run a batten along these marks to make sure the curve is fair. It's more important that the curves are fair, rather than the planks being of equal width at each station.

To do the lining off, Mr. Simmons recommends a single batten method, in which you determine the position and curve of each plank as you go along, for each plank. Another method is to line off all of your planks at once using battens for each plank. I decided to try lining off all planks at once so that I could get a better feeling for how the planking would look. Of course, I can still use the single batten method later on.

And here is the final result with all battens. I still have to make some adjustments at the stem.

And that's it for now! Next step will be spiling and getting out the planks!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

5/29/09 - 6/8/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

6/14/09 - 6/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

6/25/09 - 6/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

6/30/09 - 7/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

7/14/09 - 7/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

7/22/09 - 7/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

7/30/09 - 8/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

8/16/09 - 9/5/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

9/28/09 - 9/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

9/30/09 - 10/4/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 74.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 142 days (4 months 19 days)

I see that the spacing of the planks on the stem is not equal. Will they be later adjusted or if not how did you arrive at their current locations?
AWESOME blog, I check every day to see how it is coming. I will also print out all of your entries so that when I start my Sunshine I will reference what you wrote. Keep up the great work!!
Bruce

stefang · Oct 18, 2009

mattd said:
Stem to Keel and Lining Off

Just a few more steps left before I can start putting the planking on the sides.

Cutting in the Rabbet Between Stem and Keel

The next crucial step is cutting in the rabbet between the Stem and Keel. This was done entirely by hand with a few sharp chisels. I used a small piece of wood (3"x1"x3/8") as a template, representing the plank, to ensure a smooth transition as I cut away the rabbet. Here is the before picture:

And the after picture. This was done on both sides of course. Took about 3 hours.

Lining Off

According to Walter Simmons, the architect of Sunshine (the model I'm building), Lining off is the "process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull". This needs to be done to determine the shapes for the planks, which are actually quite curvy. However, if I do it right, the planks will have an effect that they look straight on the hull.

Of course, you only have to line off one half of the hull. The other half is exactly the same, just flipped, so your measurements are the same on each side.

The first step for me was to measure the length of each station from keel to sheer (bottom to top) and divide by the number of planks I'll be putting on (seven). I then marked off the location for each plank edge for each station.

Once this is done, the next step is to run a batten along these marks to make sure the curve is fair. It's more important that the curves are fair, rather than the planks being of equal width at each station.

To do the lining off, Mr. Simmons recommends a single batten method, in which you determine the position and curve of each plank as you go along, for each plank. Another method is to line off all of your planks at once using battens for each plank. I decided to try lining off all planks at once so that I could get a better feeling for how the planking would look. Of course, I can still use the single batten method later on.

And here is the final result with all battens. I still have to make some adjustments at the stem.

And that's it for now! Next step will be spiling and getting out the planks!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

5/29/09 - 6/8/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

6/14/09 - 6/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

6/25/09 - 6/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

6/30/09 - 7/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

7/14/09 - 7/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

7/22/09 - 7/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

7/30/09 - 8/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

8/16/09 - 9/5/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

9/28/09 - 9/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

9/30/09 - 10/4/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 74.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 142 days (4 months 19 days)

I always wanted to build a boat, but never did and never will, but it sure is fun to watch you do it. It looks great. Can't wait to see the finished product. Thanks for taking us along.

mattd · Oct 18, 2009

mattd said:
Stem to Keel and Lining Off

Just a few more steps left before I can start putting the planking on the sides.

Cutting in the Rabbet Between Stem and Keel

The next crucial step is cutting in the rabbet between the Stem and Keel. This was done entirely by hand with a few sharp chisels. I used a small piece of wood (3"x1"x3/8") as a template, representing the plank, to ensure a smooth transition as I cut away the rabbet. Here is the before picture:

And the after picture. This was done on both sides of course. Took about 3 hours.

Lining Off

According to Walter Simmons, the architect of Sunshine (the model I'm building), Lining off is the "process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull". This needs to be done to determine the shapes for the planks, which are actually quite curvy. However, if I do it right, the planks will have an effect that they look straight on the hull.

Of course, you only have to line off one half of the hull. The other half is exactly the same, just flipped, so your measurements are the same on each side.

The first step for me was to measure the length of each station from keel to sheer (bottom to top) and divide by the number of planks I'll be putting on (seven). I then marked off the location for each plank edge for each station.

Once this is done, the next step is to run a batten along these marks to make sure the curve is fair. It's more important that the curves are fair, rather than the planks being of equal width at each station.

To do the lining off, Mr. Simmons recommends a single batten method, in which you determine the position and curve of each plank as you go along, for each plank. Another method is to line off all of your planks at once using battens for each plank. I decided to try lining off all planks at once so that I could get a better feeling for how the planking would look. Of course, I can still use the single batten method later on.

And here is the final result with all battens. I still have to make some adjustments at the stem.

And that's it for now! Next step will be spiling and getting out the planks!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

5/29/09 - 6/8/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

6/14/09 - 6/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

6/25/09 - 6/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

6/30/09 - 7/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

7/14/09 - 7/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

7/22/09 - 7/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

7/30/09 - 8/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

8/16/09 - 9/5/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

9/28/09 - 9/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

9/30/09 - 10/4/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 74.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 142 days (4 months 19 days)

Bruce - Actually, since posting this entry, I've been thinking a lot about the uneven spacing of the planks on the stem. More or less, the odd spacing is a natural result of the battens following a fair curve along the entire length of the boat. The battens are perfectly spaced at each stations, but I allowed the battens to follow a fair curve until they terminated into the stem, wherever they "felt" like it. If I force them into even spacing along them stem, the planks would sort of bend out of curve and look sloppy towards the stem.

There is obviously a solution to this. I've looked at a lot of lapstrakes with even planking at the stem. Although some have wider garboards and sheer planks, the widths -appear- even from stem to stern.

The solution I think is some acceptable variation in plank widths so that the transom and stem plank widths are spaced evenly AND the plank edges follow fair curves. Mr. Simmons has a good article on it that I'm still trying to fully understand:

http://www.duck-trap.com/building.html

mattd · Oct 18, 2009

mattd said:
Stem to Keel and Lining Off

Just a few more steps left before I can start putting the planking on the sides.

Cutting in the Rabbet Between Stem and Keel

The next crucial step is cutting in the rabbet between the Stem and Keel. This was done entirely by hand with a few sharp chisels. I used a small piece of wood (3"x1"x3/8") as a template, representing the plank, to ensure a smooth transition as I cut away the rabbet. Here is the before picture:

And the after picture. This was done on both sides of course. Took about 3 hours.

Lining Off

According to Walter Simmons, the architect of Sunshine (the model I'm building), Lining off is the "process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull". This needs to be done to determine the shapes for the planks, which are actually quite curvy. However, if I do it right, the planks will have an effect that they look straight on the hull.

Of course, you only have to line off one half of the hull. The other half is exactly the same, just flipped, so your measurements are the same on each side.

The first step for me was to measure the length of each station from keel to sheer (bottom to top) and divide by the number of planks I'll be putting on (seven). I then marked off the location for each plank edge for each station.

Once this is done, the next step is to run a batten along these marks to make sure the curve is fair. It's more important that the curves are fair, rather than the planks being of equal width at each station.

To do the lining off, Mr. Simmons recommends a single batten method, in which you determine the position and curve of each plank as you go along, for each plank. Another method is to line off all of your planks at once using battens for each plank. I decided to try lining off all planks at once so that I could get a better feeling for how the planking would look. Of course, I can still use the single batten method later on.

And here is the final result with all battens. I still have to make some adjustments at the stem.

And that's it for now! Next step will be spiling and getting out the planks!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

5/29/09 - 6/8/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

6/14/09 - 6/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

6/25/09 - 6/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

6/30/09 - 7/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

7/14/09 - 7/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

7/22/09 - 7/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

7/30/09 - 8/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

8/16/09 - 9/5/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

9/28/09 - 9/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

9/30/09 - 10/4/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 74.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 142 days (4 months 19 days)

DaveR - Great suggestion. I ordered this book. Thanks.

rustedknuckles · Oct 18, 2009

mattd said:
Stem to Keel and Lining Off

Just a few more steps left before I can start putting the planking on the sides.

Cutting in the Rabbet Between Stem and Keel

The next crucial step is cutting in the rabbet between the Stem and Keel. This was done entirely by hand with a few sharp chisels. I used a small piece of wood (3"x1"x3/8") as a template, representing the plank, to ensure a smooth transition as I cut away the rabbet. Here is the before picture:

And the after picture. This was done on both sides of course. Took about 3 hours.

Lining Off

According to Walter Simmons, the architect of Sunshine (the model I'm building), Lining off is the "process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull". This needs to be done to determine the shapes for the planks, which are actually quite curvy. However, if I do it right, the planks will have an effect that they look straight on the hull.

Of course, you only have to line off one half of the hull. The other half is exactly the same, just flipped, so your measurements are the same on each side.

The first step for me was to measure the length of each station from keel to sheer (bottom to top) and divide by the number of planks I'll be putting on (seven). I then marked off the location for each plank edge for each station.

Once this is done, the next step is to run a batten along these marks to make sure the curve is fair. It's more important that the curves are fair, rather than the planks being of equal width at each station.

To do the lining off, Mr. Simmons recommends a single batten method, in which you determine the position and curve of each plank as you go along, for each plank. Another method is to line off all of your planks at once using battens for each plank. I decided to try lining off all planks at once so that I could get a better feeling for how the planking would look. Of course, I can still use the single batten method later on.

And here is the final result with all battens. I still have to make some adjustments at the stem.

And that's it for now! Next step will be spiling and getting out the planks!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

5/29/09 - 6/8/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

6/14/09 - 6/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

6/25/09 - 6/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

6/30/09 - 7/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

7/14/09 - 7/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

7/22/09 - 7/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

7/30/09 - 8/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

8/16/09 - 9/5/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

9/28/09 - 9/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

9/30/09 - 10/4/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 74.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 142 days (4 months 19 days)

One note of caution when laying in your battens, try to do both sides of the boat at the same time. What can happen if you don't is you can actually twist the frames. I've built many traditional boats and have seen it happen. Great Blog by the way!

mattd · Nov 15, 2009

Lining Off - Second Attempt

I finished lining off the planks today. Lining off is the process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull. My first attempt at this didn't go so well. Thanks to some suggestions from some fellow lumberjocks, I took the time to learn more about the process and I'm much happier with the results. The book, Building Small Boats by Greg Rossel, as recommended by DaveR, is an exceptional resource and I basically used the process in the lining off chapter.

Results

First, here are my final results of the lining off. The temporary battens running down the hull are the outlines for each of the 7 planks.

What makes a good lapstrake

It turns out there are many considerations that go into making a lapstrake hull a nice thing to look at. Of course, the shapes and edges of the planks are high on the list. After a lot of research, I settled on 4 key aesthetic qualities that I want in the planking. It wasn't until I had a handle on these "rules" that I felt that I could do this properly. In order of importance:

Perfectly even plank widths along the transom and stem, except for the sheer (top) plank which will be made 1.5" wider.
The effect of the rubrail (outwale) on the sheer plank will make the sheer plank appear thinner, so I've added the width of the rubrail to the sheer plank.
All plank edges should follow a smooth fair curve with no dips or fishtails, etc.
The variation of the average widths of the planks above the garboard along the entire length of the boat should be minimized as much as reasonably possible. This is accomplished by making the garboard wider in the middle.

The Process

The process starts with marking out the plank widths at even intervals along the transom and stem, keeping in mind that the sheer plank will be 1.5" wider to compensate for the rubrail.

Next, the bottom most plank, the garboard, is lined off using a long batten to shape a curve between the fixed marks on the transom and sterm. The curve is made by eye. I tried to create a nice flowing curve along the length while maximizing the width of the garboard (within reason) at the center stations. The width in the center will help make the planks above the garboard narrower.

Once the garboard is lined off, it's position is marked on all stations and a long temporary batten is tacked on to represent the plank edge. This leaves 6 remaining planks. The next step is to mark out the 6 remaining intervals on the stations. Greg Rossel suggests using a paper tape and a diminishing device to mark out the intervals. First, the paper is wrapped around a station mold starting from the top of the garboard. A mark is placed on the paper strip where the bottom of the rubrail will go. So, this gives me a measurement on the paper strip that represents the top of garboard and bottom of rubrail. Next, I just need to mark out even intervals between these points. Sure.. it would be possible to just divide the measurement by 6 and mark off the intervals on the tape/station mould, but a cooler way to do it is with a diminishing device, a technique that is certainly not confined to just boatbuilding.

Diminishing Device

The diminishing device is just a drawing of an isosceles triangle. The base is divided at evenly spaced intervals and lines are drawn from those divisions to the apex. It can be used to perfectly mark out evenly spaced intervals along any length without the use of any math. So, this is helpful to mark out even intervals at each station (especially helpful as I had to do this process 3 times). The paper strip (with the length of the station marked on it) is fitted to a diminishing device and marks are transferred to the strip. The strip taken back to the station mold and the marks are transferred to the station mold. There are 2 devices overlapping below, one for 7 planks (for the stem and transom) and the shorter one for 6 planks (for the stations).

Planks at the stem

After all the stations are marked, battens are tacked onto the marks. The battens are sighted to make sure they follow a nice fair curve.

I think I've got it this time. Nice evenly spaced lines that flow into the stem.

Final Results

Does the photo below look a little odd? Well. It's a picture I took looking up from the floor upside down. This is what the boat will look like when it's flipped over. It was helpful to do this and get a confirmation on the layout. I'm very happy with this. Nice evenly spaced planks. Easy flow into the stem. Did the sheer plank right. I found so many ways to do this wrong, so it's great that it looks -right- finally! (at least to me and in my shop)

And that's it for now!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60
Lofting Supplies: $47.88
Mold Supplies: $36
Strongback Lumber: $33
Transom Materials: $22
Stem and Knee: $47
Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97
Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225
Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours
06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours
06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours
06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours
07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours
07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours
07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours
08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours
09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours
09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours
11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 80.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 170 days (5 months 17 days)

matt1970 · Nov 15, 2009

mattd said:
Lining Off - Second Attempt

I finished lining off the planks today. Lining off is the process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull. My first attempt at this didn't go so well. Thanks to some suggestions from some fellow lumberjocks, I took the time to learn more about the process and I'm much happier with the results. The book, Building Small Boats by Greg Rossel, as recommended by DaveR, is an exceptional resource and I basically used the process in the lining off chapter.

Results

First, here are my final results of the lining off. The temporary battens running down the hull are the outlines for each of the 7 planks.

What makes a good lapstrake

It turns out there are many considerations that go into making a lapstrake hull a nice thing to look at. Of course, the shapes and edges of the planks are high on the list. After a lot of research, I settled on 4 key aesthetic qualities that I want in the planking. It wasn't until I had a handle on these "rules" that I felt that I could do this properly. In order of importance:

Perfectly even plank widths along the transom and stem, except for the sheer (top) plank which will be made 1.5" wider.

The effect of the rubrail (outwale) on the sheer plank will make the sheer plank appear thinner, so I've added the width of the rubrail to the sheer plank.

All plank edges should follow a smooth fair curve with no dips or fishtails, etc.

The variation of the average widths of the planks above the garboard along the entire length of the boat should be minimized as much as reasonably possible. This is accomplished by making the garboard wider in the middle.

The Process

The process starts with marking out the plank widths at even intervals along the transom and stem, keeping in mind that the sheer plank will be 1.5" wider to compensate for the rubrail.

Next, the bottom most plank, the garboard, is lined off using a long batten to shape a curve between the fixed marks on the transom and sterm. The curve is made by eye. I tried to create a nice flowing curve along the length while maximizing the width of the garboard (within reason) at the center stations. The width in the center will help make the planks above the garboard narrower.

Once the garboard is lined off, it's position is marked on all stations and a long temporary batten is tacked on to represent the plank edge. This leaves 6 remaining planks. The next step is to mark out the 6 remaining intervals on the stations. Greg Rossel suggests using a paper tape and a diminishing device to mark out the intervals. First, the paper is wrapped around a station mold starting from the top of the garboard. A mark is placed on the paper strip where the bottom of the rubrail will go. So, this gives me a measurement on the paper strip that represents the top of garboard and bottom of rubrail. Next, I just need to mark out even intervals between these points. Sure.. it would be possible to just divide the measurement by 6 and mark off the intervals on the tape/station mould, but a cooler way to do it is with a diminishing device, a technique that is certainly not confined to just boatbuilding.

Diminishing Device

The diminishing device is just a drawing of an isosceles triangle. The base is divided at evenly spaced intervals and lines are drawn from those divisions to the apex. It can be used to perfectly mark out evenly spaced intervals along any length without the use of any math. So, this is helpful to mark out even intervals at each station (especially helpful as I had to do this process 3 times). The paper strip (with the length of the station marked on it) is fitted to a diminishing device and marks are transferred to the strip. The strip taken back to the station mold and the marks are transferred to the station mold. There are 2 devices overlapping below, one for 7 planks (for the stem and transom) and the shorter one for 6 planks (for the stations).

Planks at the stem

After all the stations are marked, battens are tacked onto the marks. The battens are sighted to make sure they follow a nice fair curve.

I think I've got it this time. Nice evenly spaced lines that flow into the stem.

Final Results

Does the photo below look a little odd? Well. It's a picture I took looking up from the floor upside down. This is what the boat will look like when it's flipped over. It was helpful to do this and get a confirmation on the layout. I'm very happy with this. Nice evenly spaced planks. Easy flow into the stem. Did the sheer plank right. I found so many ways to do this wrong, so it's great that it looks -right- finally! (at least to me and in my shop)

And that's it for now!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 80.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 170 days (5 months 17 days)

that last picture is really cool…it is really coming along MATT!!! awesome!!!

patron · Nov 15, 2009

mattd said:
Lining Off - Second Attempt

I finished lining off the planks today. Lining off is the process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull. My first attempt at this didn't go so well. Thanks to some suggestions from some fellow lumberjocks, I took the time to learn more about the process and I'm much happier with the results. The book, Building Small Boats by Greg Rossel, as recommended by DaveR, is an exceptional resource and I basically used the process in the lining off chapter.

Results

First, here are my final results of the lining off. The temporary battens running down the hull are the outlines for each of the 7 planks.

What makes a good lapstrake

It turns out there are many considerations that go into making a lapstrake hull a nice thing to look at. Of course, the shapes and edges of the planks are high on the list. After a lot of research, I settled on 4 key aesthetic qualities that I want in the planking. It wasn't until I had a handle on these "rules" that I felt that I could do this properly. In order of importance:

Perfectly even plank widths along the transom and stem, except for the sheer (top) plank which will be made 1.5" wider.

The effect of the rubrail (outwale) on the sheer plank will make the sheer plank appear thinner, so I've added the width of the rubrail to the sheer plank.

All plank edges should follow a smooth fair curve with no dips or fishtails, etc.

The variation of the average widths of the planks above the garboard along the entire length of the boat should be minimized as much as reasonably possible. This is accomplished by making the garboard wider in the middle.

The Process

The process starts with marking out the plank widths at even intervals along the transom and stem, keeping in mind that the sheer plank will be 1.5" wider to compensate for the rubrail.

Next, the bottom most plank, the garboard, is lined off using a long batten to shape a curve between the fixed marks on the transom and sterm. The curve is made by eye. I tried to create a nice flowing curve along the length while maximizing the width of the garboard (within reason) at the center stations. The width in the center will help make the planks above the garboard narrower.

Once the garboard is lined off, it's position is marked on all stations and a long temporary batten is tacked on to represent the plank edge. This leaves 6 remaining planks. The next step is to mark out the 6 remaining intervals on the stations. Greg Rossel suggests using a paper tape and a diminishing device to mark out the intervals. First, the paper is wrapped around a station mold starting from the top of the garboard. A mark is placed on the paper strip where the bottom of the rubrail will go. So, this gives me a measurement on the paper strip that represents the top of garboard and bottom of rubrail. Next, I just need to mark out even intervals between these points. Sure.. it would be possible to just divide the measurement by 6 and mark off the intervals on the tape/station mould, but a cooler way to do it is with a diminishing device, a technique that is certainly not confined to just boatbuilding.

Diminishing Device

The diminishing device is just a drawing of an isosceles triangle. The base is divided at evenly spaced intervals and lines are drawn from those divisions to the apex. It can be used to perfectly mark out evenly spaced intervals along any length without the use of any math. So, this is helpful to mark out even intervals at each station (especially helpful as I had to do this process 3 times). The paper strip (with the length of the station marked on it) is fitted to a diminishing device and marks are transferred to the strip. The strip taken back to the station mold and the marks are transferred to the station mold. There are 2 devices overlapping below, one for 7 planks (for the stem and transom) and the shorter one for 6 planks (for the stations).

Planks at the stem

After all the stations are marked, battens are tacked onto the marks. The battens are sighted to make sure they follow a nice fair curve.

I think I've got it this time. Nice evenly spaced lines that flow into the stem.

Final Results

Does the photo below look a little odd? Well. It's a picture I took looking up from the floor upside down. This is what the boat will look like when it's flipped over. It was helpful to do this and get a confirmation on the layout. I'm very happy with this. Nice evenly spaced planks. Easy flow into the stem. Did the sheer plank right. I found so many ways to do this wrong, so it's great that it looks -right- finally! (at least to me and in my shop)

And that's it for now!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 80.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 170 days (5 months 17 days)

looks real gwood !

exelent tutorial
and event sheet ,

i can't wait to see your smile !

douginaz · Nov 15, 2009

mattd said:
Lining Off - Second Attempt

I finished lining off the planks today. Lining off is the process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull. My first attempt at this didn't go so well. Thanks to some suggestions from some fellow lumberjocks, I took the time to learn more about the process and I'm much happier with the results. The book, Building Small Boats by Greg Rossel, as recommended by DaveR, is an exceptional resource and I basically used the process in the lining off chapter.

Results

First, here are my final results of the lining off. The temporary battens running down the hull are the outlines for each of the 7 planks.

What makes a good lapstrake

It turns out there are many considerations that go into making a lapstrake hull a nice thing to look at. Of course, the shapes and edges of the planks are high on the list. After a lot of research, I settled on 4 key aesthetic qualities that I want in the planking. It wasn't until I had a handle on these "rules" that I felt that I could do this properly. In order of importance:

Perfectly even plank widths along the transom and stem, except for the sheer (top) plank which will be made 1.5" wider.

The effect of the rubrail (outwale) on the sheer plank will make the sheer plank appear thinner, so I've added the width of the rubrail to the sheer plank.

All plank edges should follow a smooth fair curve with no dips or fishtails, etc.

The variation of the average widths of the planks above the garboard along the entire length of the boat should be minimized as much as reasonably possible. This is accomplished by making the garboard wider in the middle.

The Process

The process starts with marking out the plank widths at even intervals along the transom and stem, keeping in mind that the sheer plank will be 1.5" wider to compensate for the rubrail.

Next, the bottom most plank, the garboard, is lined off using a long batten to shape a curve between the fixed marks on the transom and sterm. The curve is made by eye. I tried to create a nice flowing curve along the length while maximizing the width of the garboard (within reason) at the center stations. The width in the center will help make the planks above the garboard narrower.

Once the garboard is lined off, it's position is marked on all stations and a long temporary batten is tacked on to represent the plank edge. This leaves 6 remaining planks. The next step is to mark out the 6 remaining intervals on the stations. Greg Rossel suggests using a paper tape and a diminishing device to mark out the intervals. First, the paper is wrapped around a station mold starting from the top of the garboard. A mark is placed on the paper strip where the bottom of the rubrail will go. So, this gives me a measurement on the paper strip that represents the top of garboard and bottom of rubrail. Next, I just need to mark out even intervals between these points. Sure.. it would be possible to just divide the measurement by 6 and mark off the intervals on the tape/station mould, but a cooler way to do it is with a diminishing device, a technique that is certainly not confined to just boatbuilding.

Diminishing Device

The diminishing device is just a drawing of an isosceles triangle. The base is divided at evenly spaced intervals and lines are drawn from those divisions to the apex. It can be used to perfectly mark out evenly spaced intervals along any length without the use of any math. So, this is helpful to mark out even intervals at each station (especially helpful as I had to do this process 3 times). The paper strip (with the length of the station marked on it) is fitted to a diminishing device and marks are transferred to the strip. The strip taken back to the station mold and the marks are transferred to the station mold. There are 2 devices overlapping below, one for 7 planks (for the stem and transom) and the shorter one for 6 planks (for the stations).

Planks at the stem

After all the stations are marked, battens are tacked onto the marks. The battens are sighted to make sure they follow a nice fair curve.

I think I've got it this time. Nice evenly spaced lines that flow into the stem.

Final Results

Does the photo below look a little odd? Well. It's a picture I took looking up from the floor upside down. This is what the boat will look like when it's flipped over. It was helpful to do this and get a confirmation on the layout. I'm very happy with this. Nice evenly spaced planks. Easy flow into the stem. Did the sheer plank right. I found so many ways to do this wrong, so it's great that it looks -right- finally! (at least to me and in my shop)

And that's it for now!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 80.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 170 days (5 months 17 days)

Thanks Matt - I can't tell you how much I look forward to your posts. I don't think I would ever tackle a project like this but it sure is fun following you. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into the presentation to help us mere mortals follow along. Next summer is just around the corner - are you going to get it wet then?
Later,
Doug in AZ.

GaryK · Nov 15, 2009

mattd said:
Lining Off - Second Attempt

I finished lining off the planks today. Lining off is the process with which you project the final plank layout onto the hull. My first attempt at this didn't go so well. Thanks to some suggestions from some fellow lumberjocks, I took the time to learn more about the process and I'm much happier with the results. The book, Building Small Boats by Greg Rossel, as recommended by DaveR, is an exceptional resource and I basically used the process in the lining off chapter.

Results

First, here are my final results of the lining off. The temporary battens running down the hull are the outlines for each of the 7 planks.

What makes a good lapstrake

It turns out there are many considerations that go into making a lapstrake hull a nice thing to look at. Of course, the shapes and edges of the planks are high on the list. After a lot of research, I settled on 4 key aesthetic qualities that I want in the planking. It wasn't until I had a handle on these "rules" that I felt that I could do this properly. In order of importance:

Perfectly even plank widths along the transom and stem, except for the sheer (top) plank which will be made 1.5" wider.

The effect of the rubrail (outwale) on the sheer plank will make the sheer plank appear thinner, so I've added the width of the rubrail to the sheer plank.

All plank edges should follow a smooth fair curve with no dips or fishtails, etc.

The variation of the average widths of the planks above the garboard along the entire length of the boat should be minimized as much as reasonably possible. This is accomplished by making the garboard wider in the middle.

The Process

The process starts with marking out the plank widths at even intervals along the transom and stem, keeping in mind that the sheer plank will be 1.5" wider to compensate for the rubrail.

Next, the bottom most plank, the garboard, is lined off using a long batten to shape a curve between the fixed marks on the transom and sterm. The curve is made by eye. I tried to create a nice flowing curve along the length while maximizing the width of the garboard (within reason) at the center stations. The width in the center will help make the planks above the garboard narrower.

Once the garboard is lined off, it's position is marked on all stations and a long temporary batten is tacked on to represent the plank edge. This leaves 6 remaining planks. The next step is to mark out the 6 remaining intervals on the stations. Greg Rossel suggests using a paper tape and a diminishing device to mark out the intervals. First, the paper is wrapped around a station mold starting from the top of the garboard. A mark is placed on the paper strip where the bottom of the rubrail will go. So, this gives me a measurement on the paper strip that represents the top of garboard and bottom of rubrail. Next, I just need to mark out even intervals between these points. Sure.. it would be possible to just divide the measurement by 6 and mark off the intervals on the tape/station mould, but a cooler way to do it is with a diminishing device, a technique that is certainly not confined to just boatbuilding.

Diminishing Device

The diminishing device is just a drawing of an isosceles triangle. The base is divided at evenly spaced intervals and lines are drawn from those divisions to the apex. It can be used to perfectly mark out evenly spaced intervals along any length without the use of any math. So, this is helpful to mark out even intervals at each station (especially helpful as I had to do this process 3 times). The paper strip (with the length of the station marked on it) is fitted to a diminishing device and marks are transferred to the strip. The strip taken back to the station mold and the marks are transferred to the station mold. There are 2 devices overlapping below, one for 7 planks (for the stem and transom) and the shorter one for 6 planks (for the stations).

Planks at the stem

After all the stations are marked, battens are tacked onto the marks. The battens are sighted to make sure they follow a nice fair curve.

I think I've got it this time. Nice evenly spaced lines that flow into the stem.

Final Results

Does the photo below look a little odd? Well. It's a picture I took looking up from the floor upside down. This is what the boat will look like when it's flipped over. It was helpful to do this and get a confirmation on the layout. I'm very happy with this. Nice evenly spaced planks. Easy flow into the stem. Did the sheer plank right. I found so many ways to do this wrong, so it's great that it looks -right- finally! (at least to me and in my shop)

And that's it for now!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 80.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 170 days (5 months 17 days)

I imagine you are taking some time off from your boat during Christmas.

Great job so far. Looking forward to more!

mattd · Feb 4, 2010

The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60
Lofting Supplies: $47.88
Mold Supplies: $36
Strongback Lumber: $33
Transom Materials: $22
Stem and Knee: $47
Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97
Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225
Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours
06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours
06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours
06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours
07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours
07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours
07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours
08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours
09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours
09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours
11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours
11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

matt1970 · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

wow…that sounds really tough!!!! will the other planks be as tough???

I am going sailing saturday--for the first time!!! (weather permitting)

mattd · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

Hey Matt!

I think the rest of the planks will be much easier. It was fitting into the rabbet which was tough. Now the planks overlap each other and the edges are smooth curves.

Have a great time sailing! It will be at least a few more months before the ice melts on the lakes here!

BTW - Looks like you're getting set up to start your build! I'm looking forward to it!

GaryC · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

That's something I've always dreamed about building but will likely never try

a1Jim · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

Looks very interesting.

Ecocandle · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

That is a scary and cool project. I am a decade away from trying something like that, plus or minus 2 hours. Thanks for sharing the project with us.

OutPutter · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

When I think of the Vikings making boats to cross oceans, I'm in awe of the skill required. When I see how difficult it is even to this day to build a boat, it just increases my respect for those that came before and those who carry on that tradition. Thanks for the glimpse Matt.

Best,

hunter71 · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

Looks like fun. How big is your door leading outside?

JAGWAH · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

That's a mean thought Hunter, but a very important one.

mattd · Feb 4, 2010

mattd said:
The First Plank

The First Garboard Plank

The first plank is on! It has been the most difficult part of the build so far. I've gone through 4 planks to get it right. For my fellow LJers who may be wondering, I've put in a few hours here and there, but I've taken quite a bit of time away from the project since the holidays. I'm exciting to be focused again.

The challenge with this is getting the plank flush and tight into the rabbit along the keel. It's a tough plank because it bends almost 80 degrees to fit into the stem in the front and has to be steam bent. I cracked 2 of them and the others weren't right. To get it right, I first made a 1/8" template plank (so that it would bend easily without steaming it), so that I could trace the template onto real plank stock.

Once secured in place, I scribed the template plank using a washer and a pencil.

To make the template, I used a technique called spiling which uses a compass to transfer the basic shape of the keel rabbit to the template. I then got a better fit by scribing the template against the rabbit. Normally, you wouldn't need to bother with templates and scribing. Long story short, my keel is not entirely a fair curve (where it meets the skeg). Fair curves are required for good spiling results. However, the TOP of the first plank IS a fair curve, so I should be able to build the remaining planks by spiling only (no templates). I'll document spiling in my next blog.

The template was then used to trace the plank shape onto 3/8" planking stock which was cut out on the bandsaw. Then, gains were then cut into the ends of the plank. I used a Stanley #90 rabbet plane and a straight edge. The gains allow the planks to overlap and fit into each other at the ends so that they have a flush appearance at each end.

The plank has to "cool" overnight to keep it's form. Next, I'll screw the plank down and do the plank on the other side. From there, I have 6 more planks to go!

Materials List:

None for this step!

Project Materials Summary:

Plans and Book: $60

Lofting Supplies: $47.88

Mold Supplies: $36

Strongback Lumber: $33

Transom Materials: $22

Stem and Knee: $47

Keelson, Keel, Skeg and Sternpost: $97

Silicon Bronze Hardware: $225

Larch Planking and Copper Rivets: $325

- Total Project Expenses so far: $892.88

Labor Hours Summary:

05/29/09 - 06/08/09: Lofting - 12 Hours

06/14/09 - 06/20/09: Building Molds: 5 Hours

06/25/09 - 06/27/09: Building Strongback: 7.5 Hours

06/30/09 - 07/13/09: Building Transom: 6 Hours

07/14/09 - 07/20/09: Stem Lofting Detail: 3 Hours

07/22/09 - 07/29/09: Stem and Knee Cutout: 4 Hours

07/30/09 - 08/16/09: Keel, Keelson, Skeg and Sternpost: 21 Hours

08/16/09 - 09/05/09: Attaching Transom: 3 Hours

09/28/09 - 09/29/09: Cutting Stem and Keel Rabbet, 9 Hours

09/30/09 - 10/04/09: Stem to Keel and Lining Off, 4 Hours

11/14/09 - 11/15/09: Lining Off, 6 Hours

11/16/09 - 02/04/10: Garboard Plank, 20 hours

- Total Project Labor Hours so far: 100.5 Hours
- Time since starting project: 251 days (8 months, 6 days)

Hunter - Did you mean to ask how big will the door leading outside be? Thankfully.. and unusually.. it did occur to me to take some measurements before I choose my plans. Door=~34", max height=~30".

Building a Traditional Wooden Boat

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