Jan’s Grandma used to say “A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.” I guess that could apply to a dog also, like Buck who would sit at the end of his chain beside the electric fence, as his head bobbed every current pulse. Sometimes, even a board has an “opinion,” with internal forces that show themselves when it is cut, springing apart or pinching together.
So when building furniture, parts are cut slightly over size, to discover any internal stress causing bend or twist. Then the edges can be straightened and the twist removed, before assembling it into the piece of furniture.
Boats, however, have so many curves that require different techniques to build and assemble. Laminating a straight piece to the curved chine stringer requires a bunch of clamps to persuade it to lay smoothly against the others.
Another example is in the machining of the tongue and groove planks. It is dangerous to have hands pushing small, thin parts near the cutter head. These angled feather boards are clamped with pressure downward, and inward against the feed stock, to allow hands farther away from the danger zone.
In the case below, the two ends of planks did not want to lay flat and made it difficult to fit the next piece. As the screw block is tightened up, it forces the edges together and the next grooved board will fit and hold them flat.
As the hull planks are assembled, some clamp pressure is needed to conform to the curves of the frame work.
Below, the angle block is shown which was temporarily screwed to the frame to hold the clamp securely. When the final assembly with epoxy was done, the clamp was replaced by screws to hold the planks in place.
Assembling the second side needed another temporary block to hold the clamp, and screws hold it together as the epoxy cures.
Where the planks come down meet the chine rail, the fit is more difficult. For a long curve, the cut can be done on the table saw to make an over sized plank.. It is a bit dangerous, but slow, steady cutting with gentle side pressure produces a good starter piece.
Below, the bottom plank was angled out too much, so the saw was used to cut through the contact point, so the wood block could push the bottom part inward. The clamp and screw with a large washer are used to hold it solid when the epoxy is added.
Temporary hammer blocks help to press another bottom piece in place, testing the fit. As it meets resistance, I mark the contact spot and continue sanding or cutting the high spots away.
At the end of many trial attempts, eventually the plank can be hammered by the “Persuader” fully into place with the plank fitting well to the rail. The pieces marked with green tape show which ones still need to be removed and epoxied.
Finally, only a few planks remain to be fitted on the second side. It breathes a sigh of relief, nearing the end of a great step of progress.
Next up, some fairing, a second layer of thinner plywood, and paint before turning the boat over for phase two!