Jan 5: 2 flavors of glue

started gluing today. 

used more silicone than i thought i would need.

made two flavors:  one, epoxy mixed with wood flour and silicone, about the consistency of peanut butter.  the other, like thick hot glue using only silicone and epoxy. 

the dark brown stuff is the thicker. used it for the floor panel attacent to the garboard. 

the other was more clear and white, like elmers glue.  used it for the other long joints and the stems. 

within a few hours they were starting ro get tacky. 

had the heat blasting so the epoxy  would hopefully cure faster. 

so far so good. tomorrow i will cut out the wires. hopefully she wont fall apart!

happy birthday to my wonderful, patient wife. 

  hate to get sidetracked, but heres the gumbo i made for dinner.....

mmm good!

Jan 4. flippit

quick post today:

we squared and flipped the boat today.

couldnt have done it without uncle scott and pawpaw. 

after we flipped her we used a plumb bob (homemade ofcourse) to make sure she was straight, square, and in line. 

then we tightened up some more wires, broke a few, and leveled her out. its 40 degrees outside today so i hope to start gluing tomorrow with warmer weather. 

January 3: off today, more stitching

after hospital rounds and some errands, im back at work. 

stitched on the last panels. pretty easy work. 

shes really taking shape now

its a cold (30 degree) friday afternoon so all of my buddies stopped by to take a peek. rhett, coble, chris, frank, and clint were all here. 

after finishing up the hull, i had to measure the distances from bow to cross-beams, then mark, and stitch those in. stitching in the beams was no fun. 

my little helper likes hanging out with the boys. he calls this thing the 'piyate ship'. 

he even said 'its the biggest piyate ship' he's ever seen!!!

now she really looks legit

ive read about others running out of wire and i can easily see how it happens. this is all i had left!

got a lot done today. she is measured up and ready for epoxy. the kit has really come together nicely thus far

as O says (about copper wire)

'it cut you!'

epoxy is next!!!

New Years Day stitching

started stitching on the side panels tonight. 

getting started wasnt easy but after 10 or so stitches it got easier

i started with the cross beams

they didnt want to go in but using a little bit of force helped

she got a lot more sturdy with the cross beams in place

another 40 or so stitches on each side and she really looks like a boat

my helper is starting to like the way she looks

i have some sore fingers after twisting all of that wire!!!

 hopefully top panels on tomorrow night then a lot measuring before starting the epoxy gluing

Dec 30: stitching

started stitching tonight

copper wire came in 4 rolls

i cut it into 3 inch pieces as above. 

then started twisting

my two little helpers watched and helped

charlie boy likes watching daddy stitch. 

it was a fun night in the garage!

and when we were done......

we got something that actually looks like a boat!!!!!!

Dec 29: sand, measure, measure again, then drill baby drill

been away at moms for Christmas. glad to get home and back to work. 

well this is what the finger scarfs look like when dry.  they are surprisingly strong but not perfect (as you can see above). 

after some sanding they turned out pretty nice. 

look at the strength. epoxy is amazing stuff. thats my hand under there holding up the middle with both ends off the floor.

the next part, cutting the rabbet reliefs, was a nightmare. instructions say to use a box planer, but i butchered the first edge with the planer. the reason i ordered a 'kit' was so i wouldnt have to do much woodworking!  

i ended up cutting these by hand. hope it works out. after 2 or three (of the 8) edges, i got pretty good at it. 

now the hole-drilling. 

measure measure measure then drill drill drill

holes are every 4 inches. 

stitching will hopefully start tomorrow night!!!!

now, take a look at this precious baby eating supper

   

Dec 27: home from work and right down to business

opened up the kit today

lots of cool stuff in there

got right to work on the scarf/finger joints

they are a tight fit. 

i used wax paper in between, hopefully ill be able to get them apart tomorrow after this epoxy cures 

the instructions are clear that each section needs to match (exactly) the corresponding section on the other side of the boat so i was careful to stack them and be sure they were flush (see below)

all done for the night. will sand off excess later this weekend after the epoxy cures.