Saturday, March 27, 2010

Week 7

As the weather fluctuates, my contempt for the winter is growing. We had snow yesterday and ice in the puddles this morning! Anyway, a lot of work was completed this week, starting with the new carlin and clamp on the STBD side. Last week, I finished up by riveting the clamp on, then fastening the new carlin to that. Now, the STBD side is done, with much less destruction to the old frames then was seen on the Port Side. No fasteners seemed to lose their grip, and no new frames are needed on the STBD side. After the carlin was fastened to the clamp and cut to length, I continued on this project by shaping and installing the coaming band (as I call it). The piece of oak that is fastened to the carlin that extends the bend of the coaming inwards and forwards. Then, there are three coaming beams that extend to further give the shape inwards for the coaming. With these pieces in, on either side of the boat, I am able to use a long batten to find the final ending point of the coaming just aft of the mast step. This I marked out with magic marker and will eventually cut out with a jig saw.

But, before that, I need to take care of the most pressing issue found with the boat this whole project. Two loose frames on the port side farthest aft and planks up to the two forward more frames loosing their grip. I knew I needed to replace some frames, and decided that the last two would need replacing as well as the sistered frames on the next two stations forward. I started by removing all the fasteners I could, but in most cases, I needed to chip away the old frames and push them out from the inside (as I found I needed to do with the old frame heels already repaired). When this was done, to my surprise, the old repaired plank after fell off the boat. The last fasteners going into the transom let go. I had to remove all the cotton and putty in the seams of the planks in question, so that they would more easily be forced back to their correct fairness and shape. Then, I used the old plank that fell off, so shape a new one out of some Atlantic White Cedar that the boatyard had lying around. With this fit, I devised a way, with the guidance of Dave Kells and Brad Pease, of using strapping bolted to the boat and clamped at the top and a series of wedges to hold the planks in place while new frames were pushed against them from the inside and bent in. With this all in place, new frames were ready for milling.

Talking to Brad, I learned that the White Oak I bought from VT was kiln dried and would be no good for bending. Luckily, there is plenty of air dried White Oak at the yard, and I was able to get all I needed out of a piece they had inside. Four new frames were cut to length, and left wider then what was there to remove the gap that the previous boat builder left when installing the sisters and keeping the same screw holes. I dug out the old steam box, hooked up the propane tank and got the fire going this afternoon. After an hour in the steam, Drew Dunne came over and gave me a hand. He grabbed the frame out of the steam box, handed it to me in the boat, I bent it and wrestled it into position, and he fastened it in. The first frame gave us the most trouble, but after we learned a good technique, we managed to get them all in and secured. 80 new silicone bronze fasteners were put in today.

As a small side project between these big jobs this week, I was able to cut, fit, and install 4 vertical supports from White Oak for the inner bulkheads. Thanks for checking in. A little over a month left before Pompano is expected to be wet, regardless of any finish work that remains!

Week 7 Photos

Not sure how Herreshoff MGF co. made the bend in this sheer clamp.



To make it easier, I used the bend as my scarph joint for the new clamp.



One dutchment on the STBD side.



Another good fit.



Here is the clamp with all the rivets in. Peening these over didnt affect the fasteners as badly as it did on the Port side.



Shaping the carlin to match the clamp on the Port side.



Cutting the curve of the coaming band on the band saw.



The coaming band installed with fasteners and GFlex epoxy on Port.



STBD side was also installed. As well as the three coaming beams you can see before the deck starts. Notice here that I am using a batten to mark out where the coaming will go forward.



Here it is laid out on the old deck.



The last pieces of Pompano's former house burn to provide warmth on a snowy day at the end of March.



Two vertical supports of white oak are installed and glued in on either side for the inner bulkheads.



A frame pops off on Port side from peening the rivets. More loose frames were noticed after this, but action is taken...



First, the cotton in the seams of the problem area is removed.



An old repair, the plank you see missing, is removed and a new one will be made.



The space seen from the inside.



The new plank taking shape from Atlantic White Cedar.



All the planks are wedged together to take their original "shape" and to allow new steam bent frames to be pushed against the planking.



From the inside. Notice that the aftermost two frames are gone, as well as the sisters for the next two frames moving forward. Thats four new frames total.



The new frames take shape from some air dried white oak at the boatyard.



The steam box is set up and the fire lit.



Drew Dunne comes to help on a saturday, fastening the new frames as I bend them in.



Contemplating the job. Some frames took a couple tries.



Eventually, after a lot of sweat, we got them all in and 80 new silicone bronze fasteners in place.


Friday, March 19, 2010

Week 6

Last weekend I took advantage of an empty shop to make my new carlin and sheer clamp. I got out my 2x9 piece of Fir and laid it ontop of the old carlin and clamp. I traced the curve of the carlin onto the Fir and cut it out with a jigsaw. After fairing it to the eye, I traced over and inch and 3/8" to give me the width of the sheer clamp. After this was cut out with the jig saw and faired smooth and square, the shape left over in the Fir stock was perfect for cutting out my carlin, after once again fairing, and transferring this time to an inch and 7/8 for thickness. I went back to the boat to take some measurements for the scarph joint where the new clamp will meet the old one, and I slipped putting my foot down on the floor timbers and almost had a bad accident. Thats when I decided nothing else can happen without a solid floor to stand on.

So I got busy making new cabin sole beams from Herreshoff's pen out of 1" thick white oak. There were 7 new beams that were needed, each at a different length with different angles where they tie into the frames. This was an easy cut, though, since they sit ontop of the frames, I could leave them 1/2" long then lie them against the frames and cut them to exact length with the exact angles and get perfect fits every time. At the end of one day, I had all beams in place, level, fastened to the frames with 1 3/4" bronze fasteners, with bungs gluing. The next day I laid down some temporary plywood where teak will eventually go.

With the new floor down, I feel pretty limber in the boat. I removed the support braces on the transom as well as the butt block and began fairing the transom with a power planer, block plane, and belt sander in that order. It still needs some more work however. I made a new butt block and support braces with a little flare (see pictures) and sealed them up with the elixir mix. Then I brought the new clamp into the boat and laid out my scarph line, and cut it out with my japanese saw and chisels. The old clamp was cut away from the boat with a hack saw, the old rivets removed and the new clamp put in place. First I attached it at the stern with a fastener coming in from the outside to hold it aft, then at the scarph joing with g-flex and 4 stainless bolts. Then, after some words of advice from Brad Pease, I began the careful yet straining process of riveting. All the hammering from the rivets seemed to expose some loose fasteners and some even more loose frames. I got all but 3 rivets in before I needed to cut in some dutchmens to the top plank where the wood had ripped away when I removed the old deck. I had two new dutchmens with a very tight fit, and the three rivets the next day.

Then I was able to fit the new carlin, making little let-in holes with a 3/4" forsner bit where it touches with rivets. This ensures a flush fit. The carlin is attached to the clamp with six 1/4" stainless bolts every other frame space and two at the scarph joint. The stern knee was put in place with g-flex and fastened from the stern outside and from the top through the carlin. And by the end of the day, I began the same process of removed the old carlin and clamp to replace it with new on the STBD side. I hope to have this finished by sunday.

Week 6 Photos

The new stern support beam against the old. This will show above the after bench seat, so I made a nice little swoop at the end.






The 2x9 Fir stock used for the new sheer clamp and carlins. Here the clamp is getting sawn.



...And faired.



New carlin with old carlin.



After I slipped getting into the boat, I decided a floor was needed.



I installed these oak floor beams, tying them into the frames.



And in one day, I had all the cockpit sole beams in place, fastened, and bunged.



here is my temporary plywood sole. This gives you idea of the size of the cockpit. The bulkhead will start will this sole ends.



I installed the stem shoe with natural bedding compound.



All the stern "pieces", the support beams and backing block were removed and I began to fair the transom with a power planer.



Removal of the port sheer clamp. This is the scarph joint where the new clamp will fit.


Ah! The sheer clamp is gone. This made me pretty nervous.



But seeing those shining 1/4" bolts holding the new one on made me feel pretty good. The scarf is a nice fit.



Making my first copper rivets going through the planking, frame and into the new clamp.



Here it is fully installed minus 3 rivets that were done the next day pending dutchmens in the sheer plank.



This is one of the areas of the sheer plank in need of a dutchmen.



The junk is removed.



And a larger section removed forward.



The new piece is put in place with g-flex and two fasteners.



The larger got 4 fasteners.



Pretty nice fit.



The new carlin is in place for fitting and drilling.



I had to let-in the areas where the carlin will be touching the rivet heads from the clamp so it fits flush.



The carlin is held in place with size 1/4" stainless bolts and fastened from outside at the transom. Notice here the aft knee is installed under the carlin and the bolt holes are bunged.



Here you can see what the new side looks like versus the old.



At the end of the day friday, I managed to remove the old carlin on the STBD side. Here is one of the rotten iron fasteners that split out the wood.