It Begins...

   

 Today Jacob and I finished up the building platform and as of now the first 4 frames are temporarily set in place.   Each frame is held together with temporary slats lightly air-nailed in.   So far all the frames are true and level.   I can already tell there will be a bit of fairing to do.   Even though the degree of error is very small, a sixteenth of an inch here and there seems to cause a bit of irregularity.   The frames will be set by the end of the weekend, and then they will be renailed on the inside, so the outside slats can be removed to facilitate installation of the keel, chine logs, sheer clamps and battens.   There DEFINITELY is NOT enough room to build this in the garage.   My carcass cannot squeeze by the one side and I have no idea how the sheeting is going to go on.   I havent put wheels on the building platform yet because I wanted a sturdy, stable skeleton to get the frames assembled on.   On a brighter note, I think the overall size will be just fine.   LOA should end up being around 24 feet.  

Set up beams

The frames are now fitted with set up beams and ready to be placed on the building form.   The beams are simply 2x4's screwed to the frames exactly 2 feet above the waterline.    When The building form is constructed this week, the frames will be placed on it upside down.   At that point we should be able to see how the shape will look.   It may be necessary to fair the frames a bit to accomodate any small errors in frame construction.   Fairing involves hand planing and sanding away high spots that might cause an uneven shape in the keel, chines or battens.   If all goes well, the building form will be constructed Tuesday night.   The downside is that the garage has to be completely reorganized and the large power stations need to be relocated to accomodate the building of the hull.  

Milestone

 

Today Jacob and I finished up the last two frames!   This officially marks the end of stage two.   Stage one was one year of studying plans, reading books, taking notes, making phone calls, asking questions, researching wood, researching epoxy, and testing and comparing different glues and fasteners.   Now that the frames are completed, the real fun begins.   The next two weeks will be spent building a rolling structure for the hull to be assembled on.   The skeleton will actually be constructed upside down.   If anyone has spare 2x6's they dont need now is the time for a much appreciated donation!   Thanks to Andy for donating some 2x4's which will be used in hanging the frames.   The frames turned out better than expected.   They are much stronger than the plans call for, and will help in the overall structural integrity of the vessel.   The wood is quarter sawn 5/4 white oak heartwood, which is one of the strongest, most durable, stable woods available.   The framing is thicker and wider than necessary, adding over 50% more strength than the original specs.   When the building form is completed, the frames will be positioned upside down for allignment.   Finally, the project will begin to take shape.     

In need of free lumber

  
         Frame 5 is finished and ready to be stacked with his brothers.   Why I have decided that the frame members are male, while the boat of course is female may be an unsolved mystery for some time.    How does that work?    With only a couple frames to go I am to the point of needing a mass quantity of 2x4's, 2x6's, 2x8's and any other 2x whatever widths and lengths I can come into.   I need to build a platfom for the hull to be built on and I need as much lumber as possible.    I would be most grateful for any free lumber anyone out there feels like donating.    I will come pick it up and be very grateful!     

Small Milestone

I completed frame number 3 today.   To date I have frames 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 completed.   This marks the "over half way" milestone in frame construction.   After the frames are finished the real fun begins as the hull will be assembled..   Motivation will surely double when the next phase starts.   Three frames to go and then the transom.   Woohoo!

Hopeless Ambition

Once again I am behind on my frame construction.   I was scheduled to have the fifth frame completed this week and I came down with a stress fracture and am on crutches for weeks :(   I see my hopes of completing this vessel before I have to renew my captain's license vanishing before my eyes.   On a more hopeful note, I found a great dealer for epoxy and received a three gallon batch to try.   That should keep me stocked up for at least another month or two.   If anyone out there has time to kill I am offering homemade bread and beer for an extra hand in the next few weeks. :)

To frame, or not to frame

      This is frame number 8.   I got bored of making frames that all look basically the same, so to spice things up a bit I decided to construct the last frame.   This will be the foremost member near the bow.   The plans call for 4" frames, so naturally I am making mine 5".   The boat hull should be able to withstand any of the giant tree logs I will most definitely crash into in the middle of Lake Erie.  

Having the last word is important in my house

     After some frustrating cuts, I had to align the saw blade and the fence.   The device is call a last word indicator, and it is very touchy.   We are now making cuts as accurate to one thousandth of an inch.   Of course once you make one cut with the blade, the calibration is no longer as accurate :(  

New ship's wheel

         After a couple weeks of patient whittling, here is the new wheel!

Building the new ship's wheel

      

Blackbeard's Helm

       I came into a wheel from a member of the Glen-L Boatbuilders website forum and he shipped me this ancient ship's wheel that dates back to the very early 1900's.   Originally I had planned on rebuilding it, but as I began disassembling the pieces, they fell apart - completely dry rotten...   So I took the best pieces, made templates, and fashioned a new wheel out of Maple and Black Walnut.  

Aaaahhhh progress...

         Frame one completed.   This frame is over 8 feet wide and 4 feet tall.   This frame will be the first member forward of the transom.   The goal is to have all frames completed by the end of winter 2013 so the hull can be assembled when Spring breaks.   If all goes according to the all to optomistic plan, I want to have the hull built, sheathed, epoxied, fiberglassed and painted by the fall so it can be flipped before winter.  

Gussets? We don' need no steenking gussets!

       The gussets are glued to the frames with marine epoxy, then joined with #10 stainless steel wood screws.   The screws alone will provide enough strength to hold the frame members together.   The epoxy is even stronger.   Combine the two joining methods and this joint is stronger than if the wood had been one solid piece.   The holes must be pre-drilled with a tapered bit, so as to not split the Oak, as well as not break the screw head off.   The White Oak is so strong, that even with a #10 screw (rather heavy duty), it is necessary to bore a path for the screw to sink into.  

Frame #1

          This is frame number 1 in the beginning stages.   The frame members are being planed and cut from Quartersawn 5/4 white Oak heartwood.   This wood is one of the best, if not the best choice for boat frames.   It is rediculously hard, stable, and rot resistant.   The frames will be impregnated and completely encapsulated in high grade marine epoxy, so water will never even find the pores of the wood.   These frame members will be joined with gussets, which are plates cut from 1/2" marine plywood. 

Progress

        As of February 18th, I have 4 frames completed.   There will be a total of 9 frames in the build so I am about half way.   I will get some pictures up soon to prove that the insanity has indeed begun.   If y'all want to see a magic trick, come watch me build this 25 foot boat in a 20 foot garage.   Not quite sure how that's gonna work out yet.   Maybe I should have thought that through first...  

Row well, and live

    
    Join Noah on his journey of building a high performance tug boat from scratch!    The plans arrived on March 2nd, 2012 and progress is underway.    This is going to be a wooden semi-planing hull type vessel built for the Great Lakes and Ocean fishing as well as a weekend party boat.    If I remember to renew my captain's license, this will be the next charter vessel.     Structurally, it will be a brick fortress of unparalleled dimensions.    Aesthetically, it will be a luxurious fisherman's paradise. The overall length will be around 25 feet with an 8'6" beam.    She will be badged "The Laura-Ann", in devotion to my beautiful wife who although has no understanding of why one must embark upon foolishness of such great magnitude, has allowed me to follow my dream.    Stop in and have a beer as raw lumber is transformed into a glorious work of art!

                         Why build a boat you ask?    My wife would like the answer to that question as well.    Someone on the Glen-L boat builder's forum said that building your own boat is "A hole in the water in which you throw your money into".   Another said that "Boat building is a series of mistakes interspersed with an occasional stroke of genius".   Then again, "There can be no miracle recoveries without first screwing up".   Also, there is a ceiling on the quality you can get from professional builders.   A "professional" is someone who gets paid for their work; it doesn't necessarily mean they are good at it.   Out of the 13 boats I have owned and operated, I have spent countless hours rebuilding and repairing every single one of them.   At the time I was cursing my many days of dismay and bloody knuckles.   Today however, I am elated with the knowledge I have of how NOT to build a boat.   Ultimately, there is no greater satisfaction than years of enjoyment from something you created by hand.   This project will envelope family and friends for many years to come, both in the construction and the enjoyment of using her when she is finished.   So, Brunswick Noah, Jacob, (and soon Christian!) have hereby set out upon a lengthy journey into the realm of custom boat construction.   The vessel will be stronger than any others on water today, and will be unsinkable, even if severed in half.   Every single square inch will be custom made and hand crafted.   The proposed completion date is tentatively set to somewhere in 2016.   The appraised value should be $80,000 - $100,000, and the total cost of the build will optimistically be under $20,000.

            Log on once in a while and check in on the progress.   Sometimes a motivational sentiment or insult of ridicule can boost a builder's spirits!   This will be a long journey and certainly an arduous task to say the least.   There will be a hull flipping party hopefully in the fall of 2013.   For those of you who attended the last hull flipping party, you know what to expect.   There will be a need for excessive brawn and lifting power.   Thanks for visiting! "Row well, and live!"