2003/04/14-2003/05/12: I wanted to start around mid April but we've had our coldest winter in a decade and the temperatures have been below 5C almost this entire time - far to cold to spend much time out in the shed.
2003/05/13 [ 4 hrs ]: Determined best way to trace out Hull Full Size Patterns onto 3/4" MDF sheets from which I'll cutout the form frames. Cutout form frames 1 and 2.
2003/05/15 [ 3 hrs ]: Cutout Forward bulkhead ( starboard and port ). Tried cutting the foam various ways, but found just using a sharp knife seems to be the best/easiest way.
2003/05/17 [ 6 hrs ]: Built strongback. Rented 2 man auger ( Home Depot had no 1 man auger's available - plus they gave me the wrong extension for the 2 man auger, so had to make another Home Depot run to exchange it ) and with Frank's help ( thanks Frank! ) drilled 8 holes for the strongback leg supports.
|
| Fig 1: Here you can see the strongback running down the centre of the shed. In the top right is the 8'x12' vacuum table. To the top left is the hot box that I kept the epoxy and foam in over the winter. Of course, every builder needs a nice comfy chair to relax in to contemplate the next build procedure and you can see the chair just below the hot box :) |
2003/05/18 [ 5 hrs ]: Mixed ~700lb of cement to secure the strongback's 4x4 legs into the holes I drilled yesterday. That strongback isn't moving anywhere now! I don't think I'll be doing any work tomorrow - I can barely move my arms... :(
2003/05/20 [ 3 hrs ]: Cutout form frames 3 and 4
2003/05/21 [ 2 hrs ]: Cutout form frame 5
2003/05/24 [ - hrs ]: Trip to Toronto to pick up a case of 3/4" CoreCell, fiberglass and other assorted stuff from Noahs. I think from now on I'm going to have all the heavy items ( CoreCell and epoxy drum ) shipped to me instead of renting a trailer and driving for 10 hours to pick them up - it'll probably be cheaper.
 |
| Fig 2: Here's Noahs in Toronto. Great place and great prices. I highly recommend them to any boat builder! |
2003/05/26 [3½ hrs]: Cutout form frames 6 and 7. Had to do form 7 twice since the first time I forgot to support the cutout and when I got close to completing the cut, it snapped and ruined the form - luckily, I have an extra sheet of 3/4" MDF.
2003/05/27 [ 2 hrs ]: Cutout form frame 8
2003/05/29 [2½ hrs]: Cutout form frames 9 and 10
2003/05/30 [ 3 hrs ]: Cutout form frames 11-13
2003/05/31 [ 4 hrs ]: Cutout form frames 14 and 15. All forms are now cutout! MDF dust is evil stuff - if I was to do it over again, I'd use 3/4" plywood instead. Also put in the centre string on the strongback. Did a Home Depot run for a bunch of 2x4x10s ( for the form frame cleats ) and boxes of bolts, washers and nuts.
 |
| Fig 3: Picture of form frames 1-14 stacked up. Note: forms 4 - 13 are just the inner half forms - the bolt on sections for the outer hull half are cutout but aren't in this picture. |
2003/06/01 [ 6 hrs ]: Installed form frame cleats on the strongback. Worked on best way to create support 'legs' for each of the form frames. Made legs for form 15 and installed it on the strongback. I haven't put the actual form frame on it let - I'll have to wait till I can get some help to hold it. I'm working backwards from form 15 down to form 1 since that's the way I stacked the forms as I cut them out - and I try and move the MDF as little as possible due to its weight.
All the form frames are being bolted together instead of screwed/glued. When I build the outer hull half, the support legs won't be used so they need to be easily removable.
2003/06/02 [ 3 hrs ]: Setup support legs for form frame 14 and bolted to strongback. Also started cleaning up the shed to prepare moving the 8'x12' vacuum table to the other side since it's in the spot where I plan on storing the starboard inner hull while I build the starboard outer hull. I am diverging from Ian Farrier's recommend sequence, but I want to get the starboard hull done first this summer and due to the limited space I have in the shed, and thinking about it all winter, building the inner hull half first makes best use of the space. Plus, I have more time to finish vacuum bagging the bulkheads while constructing both halfs. Started to disassemble the 'hot' box I used to keep the epoxy warm during the winter.
2003/06/03 [ 3 hrs ]: Most of the time was spent cleaning, organizing and rearranging supplies. I finished dismantling the hot box, moved the vacuum table from the port side to the starboard side and positioned the drum of epoxy to its ( hopefully ) final resting spot. Seems like I suddenly got a lot more space. Cutout support legs for form 13.
 |
| Fig 4: Here you can see the form cleats on the strongback, the repositioned vacuum table and the support legs for form 15 and 14 setup on the strongback. In the lower right is the disassembled hot box which I'll be moving out of the shed soon. |
2003/06/04 [ 4 hrs ]: Bolted together form 13 support and traced and cut out the inner hull leg. Went to put it on the strongback when I realized that I had messed up the centering of the support base. The form frame's centre line was to far from the keel end of the form frame that the support wouldn't fit on the strongback. Had to spend 30 mins adding an 'extension' to the base so it'd fit on the strongback. Note: from now on, make sure that the form frame centre line is near the centre of the base support! Built and installed form support 12.
 |
| Fig 5: A picture of the 'extension' I had to add to the form 13's support base. Who said 13 isn't unlucky... |
2003/06/05 [2½ hrs]: Made and installed form 11 support. Started on support for 10.
2003/06/06 [ 3 hrs ]: Finished form 10 support. Completed most of form 9 support but ran out of washers.
2003/06/07 [ 9 hrs ]: Finished and installed form supports 5-9. Only 4 more to go - I should be able to finish those up tomorrow.
 |
| Fig 6: Setting up the leg supports for one of the forms ( #6 I think ) |
2003/06/08 [5½ hrs]: Finished and installed form supports 4 and 3. Cutout all the pieces for form support 2. I've been trying to use all the remaining scraps of 3/4" MDF from the form cutouts, but it looks like I'm going to be one 3'x4' piece short.
2003/06/09 [ 3 hrs ]: Completed form supports 2 and 1. All form supports are now completed!
 |
| Fig 7: All the form supports set up on the strongback. All the actual forms are cutout but aren't on the form supports yet. I'll be putting those on this week as I start installing the battens at the same time. |
2003/06/10 [ 3 hrs ]: Did a 7am Home Depot run this morning to pick up some bolts and nuts and another sheet of 3/4" MDF for the 4 Bridgedeck Forms that go between forms 4 and 5. Cutout all 4 bridgedeck forms.
2003/06/11 [ 2 hrs ]: Started putting up forms 14 and 15, but for some reason, I kept having problems ( i.e. bad luck ) and after getting a fairly deep 4" gash on my hand while brushing away some MDF dust from the table, I decided that I'd call it a day and instead get an early start tomorrow morning.
2003/06/12 [ 1 hr ]: Reversed the inner leg support on form 5 since it's in the way for installing the bridgedeck forms. Fixed the batten notch template I'm using to notch the forms for the battens. Discovered after putting a notch into form 15 that the spinsaw easily cut through the template's thin steel plate! - so I put in a thicker plate. Had a deadline at work, so not much time for construction today.
2003/06/13 [ 2 hrs ]: Did some minor shed strengthening repair work. Erected forms 8 - 13 and started installing keel batten.
 |  |
2003/06/14 [ 6 hrs ]: Erected forms 1 - 7 and finished keel batten. All form frames are now installed. Started putting on the rest of the battens, however my day was cut short when the neighbours son who was cutting my grass ran over the two extension cords to the shed and severed both of them. Luckily he didn't electrocute himself, but it did take me about two hours to properly fix them and figure out which circuit breakers blew.
 |  |
2003/06/15 [5½ hrs]: Installed more battens. Cleaned out the garage and moved the disassembled hot box into it.
2003/06/16 [6½ hrs]: Installed more battens. Finally figured out a fast way to install them without a 2nd pair of hands to assist.
 |
| Fig 10: More battens installed. |
