[DustyMark]

Sealing the Hull Interior

Objective

This boat is going to get wet and stay wet for days at a time. I plan to seal the interior with epoxy to give it at least some protection from the elements. My main concern was with the plywood. That is sealed well with the fiberglass cloth. The keel, gunnels, and ribs will be sealed by caulking the seams where they meet the plywood with thickened epoxy and coating the rest with unthickened epoxy.

Caulking

I imagine a builder could use silicone caulk to seal the joints, but I'm using epoxy since it will last just as long as the rest of the boat.

Start with epoxy that is thickened like this.

Plop the epoxy into a 1 quart bag that has the corner nipped off. I use a smooth plastic scraper to move the epoxy into the corner of the bag with the hole.

Squeeze the bag to lay a bead of epoxy on your seams. You need to squirt that epoxy in a timely manner since 3 ounces of epoxy in such a thick blob could cook off pretty quick and it's too expensive to waste.

I cut the edge of a scraper to make a custom scraper of a small radius to spread the epoxy evenly. These beads of epoxy will help prevent water from getting under the keel and the ribs. I applied thickened epoxy to the ribs prior to applying the plywood, so the underside of the ribs are protected.

Painting on the Epoxy

The plywood is already coated with fiberglass and the seams inside are caulked. Next, the rest of the interior is coated with epoxy that is applied with a chip brush. There's nothing special about this and it's pretty much a drudge task. However, timing is something to consider. If you brush epoxy on your caulk seams before they are cured enough, they could run. If you paint the epoxy on at just the right time, it may smooth out any rough areas along the caulk line.

It looks like I'm obtaining satisfactory coverage with two coats of epoxy. Some would advise more, but I own a well-used kayak that I built in 1996 that is doing just fine with two coats. Hopefully I'll be too "smart" to duck hunt 20 years from now!

I'm not neat at this paint work. I got lots of epoxy on my sleeves and some on my pants. Here they are curing before I can bring them upstairs!

Next

In the next installment, I'll show how to keep the anchor pole holes from leaking through the hull.

Ha! Ha! I picked up the technique during a Chesapeake Light Craft build. It definitely beats stuffing epoxy into the top end of a syringe.

 

[English]

Sealing the Hull Interior

Objective

This boat is going to get wet and stay wet for days at a time. I plan to seal the interior with epoxy to give it at least some protection from the elements. My main concern was with the plywood. That is sealed well with the fiberglass cloth. The keel, gunnels, and ribs will be sealed by caulking the seams where they meet the plywood with thickened epoxy and coating the rest with unthickened epoxy.

Caulking

I imagine a builder could use silicone caulk to seal the joints, but I'm using epoxy since it will last just as long as the rest of the boat.

Start with epoxy that is thickened like this.

Plop the epoxy into a 1 quart bag that has the corner nipped off. I use a smooth plastic scraper to move the epoxy into the corner of the bag with the hole.

Squeeze the bag to lay a bead of epoxy on your seams. You need to squirt that epoxy in a timely manner since 3 ounces of epoxy in such a thick blob could cook off pretty quick and it's too expensive to waste.

I cut the edge of a scraper to make a custom scraper of a small radius to spread the epoxy evenly. These beads of epoxy will help prevent water from getting under the keel and the ribs. I applied thickened epoxy to the ribs prior to applying the plywood, so the underside of the ribs are protected.

Painting on the Epoxy

The plywood is already coated with fiberglass and the seams inside are caulked. Next, the rest of the interior is coated with epoxy that is applied with a chip brush. There's nothing special about this and it's pretty much a drudge task. However, timing is something to consider. If you brush epoxy on your caulk seams before they are cured enough, they could run. If you paint the epoxy on at just the right time, it may smooth out any rough areas along the caulk line.

It looks like I'm obtaining satisfactory coverage with two coats of epoxy. Some would advise more, but I own a well-used kayak that I built in 1996 that is doing just fine with two coats. Hopefully I'll be too "smart" to duck hunt 20 years from now!

I'm not neat at this paint work. I got lots of epoxy on my sleeves and some on my pants. Here they are curing before I can bring them upstairs!

Next

In the next installment, I'll show how to keep the anchor pole holes from leaking through the hull.

Mark, Just found your blog, Your work looks great. I've gone back and read all your entries. Looking forward to your next blog entry. Finishing the outside is lots of fun, sand, sand, and then sand some more.

I've been working on a large power boat for 6 months now, so I have done most the tasks you have on my boat. I probably have 100 hours in sanding on my boat. I've been blogging it here on Lumberjocks.

 

[DustyMark]

Sealing the Hull Interior

Objective

This boat is going to get wet and stay wet for days at a time. I plan to seal the interior with epoxy to give it at least some protection from the elements. My main concern was with the plywood. That is sealed well with the fiberglass cloth. The keel, gunnels, and ribs will be sealed by caulking the seams where they meet the plywood with thickened epoxy and coating the rest with unthickened epoxy.

Caulking

I imagine a builder could use silicone caulk to seal the joints, but I'm using epoxy since it will last just as long as the rest of the boat.

Start with epoxy that is thickened like this.

Plop the epoxy into a 1 quart bag that has the corner nipped off. I use a smooth plastic scraper to move the epoxy into the corner of the bag with the hole.

Squeeze the bag to lay a bead of epoxy on your seams. You need to squirt that epoxy in a timely manner since 3 ounces of epoxy in such a thick blob could cook off pretty quick and it's too expensive to waste.

I cut the edge of a scraper to make a custom scraper of a small radius to spread the epoxy evenly. These beads of epoxy will help prevent water from getting under the keel and the ribs. I applied thickened epoxy to the ribs prior to applying the plywood, so the underside of the ribs are protected.

Painting on the Epoxy

The plywood is already coated with fiberglass and the seams inside are caulked. Next, the rest of the interior is coated with epoxy that is applied with a chip brush. There's nothing special about this and it's pretty much a drudge task. However, timing is something to consider. If you brush epoxy on your caulk seams before they are cured enough, they could run. If you paint the epoxy on at just the right time, it may smooth out any rough areas along the caulk line.

It looks like I'm obtaining satisfactory coverage with two coats of epoxy. Some would advise more, but I own a well-used kayak that I built in 1996 that is doing just fine with two coats. Hopefully I'll be too "smart" to duck hunt 20 years from now!

I'm not neat at this paint work. I got lots of epoxy on my sleeves and some on my pants. Here they are curing before I can bring them upstairs!

Next

In the next installment, I'll show how to keep the anchor pole holes from leaking through the hull.

John, the scope and quality of your build is amazing! Launch day will be a significant event for you…

 

[DustyMark]

Anchor Pole Through-Hull Hole and Collar

Overview

We mostly hunt shallow water and the anchor pole sleeve will simplify maintaining position in the decoys with an anchor pole. I opted to install one in the bow and the stern. These go through the hull and I was concerned about water leaking through the sleeve into the hull. Instead of making the sleeve flush with the exterior bottom of the hull, I decided to make the sleeve fit flush on the inside bottom of the hull, surround it with a collar, and seal it in a bed of marine caulk.

View of the sleeve and collar before gluing the collar to the floor.

Making the Sleeve Collar

I used 1/4" marine plywood scraps to make the sleeves.

I produced the collars in a batch.

Drilling Through the Hull

I figured a way to make a very clean through-hull hole by using a flush trimming bit in the router. I began by clamping the sleeve in place and tracing around the outside.

A right angle attachment made the hole easy to drill the reference hole.

View of hole through the hull.

With the sleeve clamped in place, the inside of the sleeve (PVC pipe) provides the perfect template for the flush trimming bit. The through-hull hole is perfectly aligned and very clean.

Gluing the Sleeve Collar

We flipped the boat upright to glue the sleeve collar.

I taped some spacer material to center the sleeve in the collar. Notice the wax paper to avoid gluing the sleeve in the collar.

The hull is curved in this area and the collar had some spring to it when pushed against the floor. I took advantage of this and cut scraps of wood to wedge between the collar and the sleeve clamp. This worked great to clamp the sleeve in place while the epoxy cured.

The collar aligned well. Unfortunately, I glued the collar before going to bed and decided I would scrape any excess glue in the morning….MISTAKE! The epoxy got underneath the sleeve and was green cured by morning. I had to spend a bit of time with a bent mortise chisel to chisel out the glue from the lip of the hole.

I will seal the hole and collar with epoxy to protect the wood. After I'm done fiberglassing the exterior of the boat, I'll apply marine caulk on the lip of the hole, push the sleeve into the caulk, and clamp it in place. This will produce a waterproof seal that will give me great confidence.

Next

In the next installment we'll install the deck plywood.

 

[DustyMark]

Applying the Plywood Deck Panels

Overview

This is the stage where it really starts to look like a boat! With the the interior sealed and the final fitting of the anchor pole hole, collar, and sleeve complete, the deck can be installed. The sequence is similar to installing the hull panels with the added step of lining up the the through-deck hole for the anchor pole sleeve.

Fitting the Bow and Stern Deck Panels

The bow and stern deck panels are fastened around a curved rib and this causes the seams along the cockpit and where the panel lays across the forward rib to be thrown off of 90 degrees. It also causes the distance between the tabs over the side decks to be greater than the width of the cockpit.

My wife helped me bend the plywood around the cockpit support deck rib and we were able to mark the cuts we needed to make to adjust for the curve and the width between the tabs. The cut for the seam along the cockpit edge results in a curve. I made this as a series of straight cuts with my track saw. It may seem picky to cut this curve, but the rib is only 3/4" thick and if you don't make the adjustment, the panel will be 1/4" from the cockpit in spots and that doesn't give a good purchase for the nail into the rib.

After achieving a good fit along the cockpit edge, I drove screws in the deck rib and the bow to hold the deck plywood in place. Next, I marked the cuts that would center the side deck tabs over the outer ribs.

This photo shows the affect of the curve on the side deck tab that centers over the cockpit support deck rib.

While the deck panel was temporarily screwed in place, I traced the location of the deck support rib, anchor pole sleeve, and the gunnels along the perimeter. I used the location of the deck support rib to drill small holes that would ensure I drove the nails into the center of the rib. I cut the deck panel outside the line to make the panel easier to handle and ensure I could use my nail alignment tool.

Preparing to bore the hole for the anchor pole sleeve.

Hole alignment was good. It required slight filing on one side since it is on a curve and is no longer a perfect circle.

View of the dry fit panel. The screws are holding the panel in place at the cockpit edge and at the bow. NOTE: See if the first panel fits well on the other end. If so, trace it and save yourself a bunch of time on the other panel.

Fiberglassing Under the Deck Panels

I used 2.3 ounce fiberglass cloth to seal the underside of the deck panels. I applied the epoxy and waited about 8 hours for it to achieve a green cure. I applied a second coat of resin shortly before applying the panels.

View of the deck panels and the cockpit floor with the lightweight fiberglass cloth applied.

Applying the Deck Panels

The curves on the bow and stern deck panels were less severe than the hull panels. This made it easier to fasten these panels. NOTE: I continue to use thickened epoxy before fastening anything to the boat. I applied this mixture to the top of the frame parts before applying the plywood panel.

Driving the silicon bronze ring shank nails into the centers of the gunnels was much easier using this alignment tool. I only blew through slightly with one nail this time and that was just bad nailing as the nail ran crooked on me.

I applied the bow and stern deck panels first. I then fitted and made the final cuts for the side deck panels. NOTE: Wait to apply the second coat of epoxy on the side deck panels until after you've made these cuts!

View with all plywood panels applied, the main ribs cut to final depth, and the floor laid in place. NOTE: Don't cut the main ribs to final depth for the floor until after you've applied the deck panels. The ribs will crack from the stress of the hull plywood trying to straighten itself out. The deck panels counter this stress.

Another view.

This is one low-profile, duck-ambush vessel!

Flush Trimming the Deck Panels

I decided that flush trimming the deck panels to within only 1/4" of the gunnel like I did with the hull panels left me with way too much hand work. This time I removed the final 1/4" by extending the bit to full depth and holding the router level with the ground. This gave the bearing a good surface to follow and removed all of the excess plywood. However, the danger is that if the router is leaned too far toward the center of the boat, you will begin to remove the gunnel. Take your time…the risk is worth it.

Rounding the Deck Panel Edge

The deck panel edge needs to be rounded to about a 1/4" radius so that the fiberglass for both the deck and the hull can wrap around it to the other side. Fiberglass won't lay over a sharp angle. I used my rasp to round over the deck edge in the same way I rounded the edges of the hull panels.

Next

In the next installment I'll discuss fiberglassing the hull.

 

[English]

Applying the Plywood Deck Panels

Overview

This is the stage where it really starts to look like a boat! With the the interior sealed and the final fitting of the anchor pole hole, collar, and sleeve complete, the deck can be installed. The sequence is similar to installing the hull panels with the added step of lining up the the through-deck hole for the anchor pole sleeve.

Fitting the Bow and Stern Deck Panels

The bow and stern deck panels are fastened around a curved rib and this causes the seams along the cockpit and where the panel lays across the forward rib to be thrown off of 90 degrees. It also causes the distance between the tabs over the side decks to be greater than the width of the cockpit.

My wife helped me bend the plywood around the cockpit support deck rib and we were able to mark the cuts we needed to make to adjust for the curve and the width between the tabs. The cut for the seam along the cockpit edge results in a curve. I made this as a series of straight cuts with my track saw. It may seem picky to cut this curve, but the rib is only 3/4" thick and if you don't make the adjustment, the panel will be 1/4" from the cockpit in spots and that doesn't give a good purchase for the nail into the rib.

After achieving a good fit along the cockpit edge, I drove screws in the deck rib and the bow to hold the deck plywood in place. Next, I marked the cuts that would center the side deck tabs over the outer ribs.

This photo shows the affect of the curve on the side deck tab that centers over the cockpit support deck rib.

While the deck panel was temporarily screwed in place, I traced the location of the deck support rib, anchor pole sleeve, and the gunnels along the perimeter. I used the location of the deck support rib to drill small holes that would ensure I drove the nails into the center of the rib. I cut the deck panel outside the line to make the panel easier to handle and ensure I could use my nail alignment tool.

Preparing to bore the hole for the anchor pole sleeve.

Hole alignment was good. It required slight filing on one side since it is on a curve and is no longer a perfect circle.

View of the dry fit panel. The screws are holding the panel in place at the cockpit edge and at the bow. NOTE: See if the first panel fits well on the other end. If so, trace it and save yourself a bunch of time on the other panel.

Fiberglassing Under the Deck Panels

I used 2.3 ounce fiberglass cloth to seal the underside of the deck panels. I applied the epoxy and waited about 8 hours for it to achieve a green cure. I applied a second coat of resin shortly before applying the panels.

View of the deck panels and the cockpit floor with the lightweight fiberglass cloth applied.

Applying the Deck Panels

The curves on the bow and stern deck panels were less severe than the hull panels. This made it easier to fasten these panels. NOTE: I continue to use thickened epoxy before fastening anything to the boat. I applied this mixture to the top of the frame parts before applying the plywood panel.

Driving the silicon bronze ring shank nails into the centers of the gunnels was much easier using this alignment tool. I only blew through slightly with one nail this time and that was just bad nailing as the nail ran crooked on me.

I applied the bow and stern deck panels first. I then fitted and made the final cuts for the side deck panels. NOTE: Wait to apply the second coat of epoxy on the side deck panels until after you've made these cuts!

View with all plywood panels applied, the main ribs cut to final depth, and the floor laid in place. NOTE: Don't cut the main ribs to final depth for the floor until after you've applied the deck panels. The ribs will crack from the stress of the hull plywood trying to straighten itself out. The deck panels counter this stress.

Another view.

This is one low-profile, duck-ambush vessel!

Flush Trimming the Deck Panels

I decided that flush trimming the deck panels to within only 1/4" of the gunnel like I did with the hull panels left me with way too much hand work. This time I removed the final 1/4" by extending the bit to full depth and holding the router level with the ground. This gave the bearing a good surface to follow and removed all of the excess plywood. However, the danger is that if the router is leaned too far toward the center of the boat, you will begin to remove the gunnel. Take your time…the risk is worth it.

Rounding the Deck Panel Edge

The deck panel edge needs to be rounded to about a 1/4" radius so that the fiberglass for both the deck and the hull can wrap around it to the other side. Fiberglass won't lay over a sharp angle. I used my rasp to round over the deck edge in the same way I rounded the edges of the hull panels.

Next

In the next installment I'll discuss fiberglassing the hull.

Mark,

Looking Good!! I bet That 2.3 oz cloth wets out easy. Great Idea for waterproofing the inside.

 

[DustyMark]

Applying the Plywood Deck Panels

Overview

This is the stage where it really starts to look like a boat! With the the interior sealed and the final fitting of the anchor pole hole, collar, and sleeve complete, the deck can be installed. The sequence is similar to installing the hull panels with the added step of lining up the the through-deck hole for the anchor pole sleeve.

Fitting the Bow and Stern Deck Panels

The bow and stern deck panels are fastened around a curved rib and this causes the seams along the cockpit and where the panel lays across the forward rib to be thrown off of 90 degrees. It also causes the distance between the tabs over the side decks to be greater than the width of the cockpit.

My wife helped me bend the plywood around the cockpit support deck rib and we were able to mark the cuts we needed to make to adjust for the curve and the width between the tabs. The cut for the seam along the cockpit edge results in a curve. I made this as a series of straight cuts with my track saw. It may seem picky to cut this curve, but the rib is only 3/4" thick and if you don't make the adjustment, the panel will be 1/4" from the cockpit in spots and that doesn't give a good purchase for the nail into the rib.

After achieving a good fit along the cockpit edge, I drove screws in the deck rib and the bow to hold the deck plywood in place. Next, I marked the cuts that would center the side deck tabs over the outer ribs.

This photo shows the affect of the curve on the side deck tab that centers over the cockpit support deck rib.

While the deck panel was temporarily screwed in place, I traced the location of the deck support rib, anchor pole sleeve, and the gunnels along the perimeter. I used the location of the deck support rib to drill small holes that would ensure I drove the nails into the center of the rib. I cut the deck panel outside the line to make the panel easier to handle and ensure I could use my nail alignment tool.

Preparing to bore the hole for the anchor pole sleeve.

Hole alignment was good. It required slight filing on one side since it is on a curve and is no longer a perfect circle.

View of the dry fit panel. The screws are holding the panel in place at the cockpit edge and at the bow. NOTE: See if the first panel fits well on the other end. If so, trace it and save yourself a bunch of time on the other panel.

Fiberglassing Under the Deck Panels

I used 2.3 ounce fiberglass cloth to seal the underside of the deck panels. I applied the epoxy and waited about 8 hours for it to achieve a green cure. I applied a second coat of resin shortly before applying the panels.

View of the deck panels and the cockpit floor with the lightweight fiberglass cloth applied.

Applying the Deck Panels

The curves on the bow and stern deck panels were less severe than the hull panels. This made it easier to fasten these panels. NOTE: I continue to use thickened epoxy before fastening anything to the boat. I applied this mixture to the top of the frame parts before applying the plywood panel.

Driving the silicon bronze ring shank nails into the centers of the gunnels was much easier using this alignment tool. I only blew through slightly with one nail this time and that was just bad nailing as the nail ran crooked on me.

I applied the bow and stern deck panels first. I then fitted and made the final cuts for the side deck panels. NOTE: Wait to apply the second coat of epoxy on the side deck panels until after you've made these cuts!

View with all plywood panels applied, the main ribs cut to final depth, and the floor laid in place. NOTE: Don't cut the main ribs to final depth for the floor until after you've applied the deck panels. The ribs will crack from the stress of the hull plywood trying to straighten itself out. The deck panels counter this stress.

Another view.

This is one low-profile, duck-ambush vessel!

Flush Trimming the Deck Panels

I decided that flush trimming the deck panels to within only 1/4" of the gunnel like I did with the hull panels left me with way too much hand work. This time I removed the final 1/4" by extending the bit to full depth and holding the router level with the ground. This gave the bearing a good surface to follow and removed all of the excess plywood. However, the danger is that if the router is leaned too far toward the center of the boat, you will begin to remove the gunnel. Take your time…the risk is worth it.

Rounding the Deck Panel Edge

The deck panel edge needs to be rounded to about a 1/4" radius so that the fiberglass for both the deck and the hull can wrap around it to the other side. Fiberglass won't lay over a sharp angle. I used my rasp to round over the deck edge in the same way I rounded the edges of the hull panels.

Next

In the next installment I'll discuss fiberglassing the hull.

John,

Thanks! I think I used less epoxy with that light cloth than if I had brushed it on or spread it with a scraper straight. None of those areas are exposed to any traffic, so I thought it was a good choice. I glassed the hull today and will put each coat of resin on before it requires sanding. This is where the utility duck boat is a treat…less sanding.

 

[DustyMark]

Fiberglassing the Hull

Overview

Fiberglassing the hull involves prep work, fitting the fiberglass cloth, applying several coats of epoxy, and sanding.

Prep Work

Whatever condition the hull is when you fiberglass it, is the condition it will stay, since you don't want to sand through the fiberglass. All the corners of the boat must be rounded to a minimum of 1/4" radius because fiberglass won't lay well across a corner that it is tighter. Outside corners can be routered or filed. Inside corners must be filleted with a mix of thickened epoxy similar to the method I used to seal the hull interior seams.

Gaps and dips must be filled with a mix of thickened epoxy.

Nail heads that stick up or are set too deep can be adjusted with thickened epoxy.

This boat will receive flat green paint, so I only sanded the hull to 80 grit.

Fitting the Fiberglass Cloth

It helps to have a second person unfold the fiberglass.

I cut the cloth for the hull so that 2" folded over onto the deck. This double protects the gunnel.

I mixed 12 ounces of epoxy for the first two batches and poured it directly to the flat portion of the hull and spread it with a flexible scraper.

Spreading the epoxy with a scraper. NOTE: Marine Douglas Fir plywood is very thirsty for epoxy on the first coat. Another technique is to prime it with a thin coat of resin ahead of time. I guess you could let it dry a bit and then lay on the cloth. That seems like too much of a bother, so I was generous with the first coat and squeegeed it in thoroughly.

Stretching out wrinkles and rolling onto the deck.

Mary cutting some darts to get the fiberglass to fold at the stern. Removing little wedge-shaped sections of fiberglass at the ends helps it to lay down better. Those areas can be sanded later.

Mary's work.

First coat applied. I applied three coats and was careful to squeegee each coat to avoid excessive build-up and wasting expensive epoxy. Remember, the objective is to just fill the weave of the cloth. NOTE: I was careful to apply subsequent coats before 24 hours. If I had waited longer, I would have had to sand between coats.

Sanding

No matter how careful you apply the epoxy, there will be imperfections that require sanding.

Deck before sanding.

Same area of deck after sanding.

Hull before sanding.

Same area of hull after sanding. NOTE: You need to be very careful around the nail heads to not sand through the fiberglass.

One last bit to sand. NOTE: Epoxy and fiberglass dust are not items you want to breathe in or get all over your bare skin. I always wear long sleeves and use a dust mask. The danger is that, with overexposure, you could become "sensitized" to them and it would become very difficult to use epoxy or fiberglass in future projects.

Hull completely sanded to 80 grit. I may sand it smoother since I may use bright paint on the bottom of the hull.

I puttied a couple of screw heads that I missed on the cockpit corners. Once those spots are cured and sanded, the deck will be ready for fiberglass.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss fiberglassing the deck.

 

[Edwin]

Fiberglassing the Hull

Overview

Fiberglassing the hull involves prep work, fitting the fiberglass cloth, applying several coats of epoxy, and sanding.

Prep Work

Whatever condition the hull is when you fiberglass it, is the condition it will stay, since you don't want to sand through the fiberglass. All the corners of the boat must be rounded to a minimum of 1/4" radius because fiberglass won't lay well across a corner that it is tighter. Outside corners can be routered or filed. Inside corners must be filleted with a mix of thickened epoxy similar to the method I used to seal the hull interior seams.

Gaps and dips must be filled with a mix of thickened epoxy.

Nail heads that stick up or are set too deep can be adjusted with thickened epoxy.

This boat will receive flat green paint, so I only sanded the hull to 80 grit.

Fitting the Fiberglass Cloth

It helps to have a second person unfold the fiberglass.

I cut the cloth for the hull so that 2" folded over onto the deck. This double protects the gunnel.

I mixed 12 ounces of epoxy for the first two batches and poured it directly to the flat portion of the hull and spread it with a flexible scraper.

Spreading the epoxy with a scraper. NOTE: Marine Douglas Fir plywood is very thirsty for epoxy on the first coat. Another technique is to prime it with a thin coat of resin ahead of time. I guess you could let it dry a bit and then lay on the cloth. That seems like too much of a bother, so I was generous with the first coat and squeegeed it in thoroughly.

Stretching out wrinkles and rolling onto the deck.

Mary cutting some darts to get the fiberglass to fold at the stern. Removing little wedge-shaped sections of fiberglass at the ends helps it to lay down better. Those areas can be sanded later.

Mary's work.

First coat applied. I applied three coats and was careful to squeegee each coat to avoid excessive build-up and wasting expensive epoxy. Remember, the objective is to just fill the weave of the cloth. NOTE: I was careful to apply subsequent coats before 24 hours. If I had waited longer, I would have had to sand between coats.

Sanding

No matter how careful you apply the epoxy, there will be imperfections that require sanding.

Deck before sanding.

Same area of deck after sanding.

Hull before sanding.

Same area of hull after sanding. NOTE: You need to be very careful around the nail heads to not sand through the fiberglass.

One last bit to sand. NOTE: Epoxy and fiberglass dust are not items you want to breathe in or get all over your bare skin. I always wear long sleeves and use a dust mask. The danger is that, with overexposure, you could become "sensitized" to them and it would become very difficult to use epoxy or fiberglass in future projects.

Hull completely sanded to 80 grit. I may sand it smoother since I may use bright paint on the bottom of the hull.

I puttied a couple of screw heads that I missed on the cockpit corners. Once those spots are cured and sanded, the deck will be ready for fiberglass.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss fiberglassing the deck.

Coming along nicely Mark. Ed

 

[SPalm]

Fiberglassing the Hull

Overview

Fiberglassing the hull involves prep work, fitting the fiberglass cloth, applying several coats of epoxy, and sanding.

Prep Work

Whatever condition the hull is when you fiberglass it, is the condition it will stay, since you don't want to sand through the fiberglass. All the corners of the boat must be rounded to a minimum of 1/4" radius because fiberglass won't lay well across a corner that it is tighter. Outside corners can be routered or filed. Inside corners must be filleted with a mix of thickened epoxy similar to the method I used to seal the hull interior seams.

Gaps and dips must be filled with a mix of thickened epoxy.

Nail heads that stick up or are set too deep can be adjusted with thickened epoxy.

This boat will receive flat green paint, so I only sanded the hull to 80 grit.

Fitting the Fiberglass Cloth

It helps to have a second person unfold the fiberglass.

I cut the cloth for the hull so that 2" folded over onto the deck. This double protects the gunnel.

I mixed 12 ounces of epoxy for the first two batches and poured it directly to the flat portion of the hull and spread it with a flexible scraper.

Spreading the epoxy with a scraper. NOTE: Marine Douglas Fir plywood is very thirsty for epoxy on the first coat. Another technique is to prime it with a thin coat of resin ahead of time. I guess you could let it dry a bit and then lay on the cloth. That seems like too much of a bother, so I was generous with the first coat and squeegeed it in thoroughly.

Stretching out wrinkles and rolling onto the deck.

Mary cutting some darts to get the fiberglass to fold at the stern. Removing little wedge-shaped sections of fiberglass at the ends helps it to lay down better. Those areas can be sanded later.

Mary's work.

First coat applied. I applied three coats and was careful to squeegee each coat to avoid excessive build-up and wasting expensive epoxy. Remember, the objective is to just fill the weave of the cloth. NOTE: I was careful to apply subsequent coats before 24 hours. If I had waited longer, I would have had to sand between coats.

Sanding

No matter how careful you apply the epoxy, there will be imperfections that require sanding.

Deck before sanding.

Same area of deck after sanding.

Hull before sanding.

Same area of hull after sanding. NOTE: You need to be very careful around the nail heads to not sand through the fiberglass.

One last bit to sand. NOTE: Epoxy and fiberglass dust are not items you want to breathe in or get all over your bare skin. I always wear long sleeves and use a dust mask. The danger is that, with overexposure, you could become "sensitized" to them and it would become very difficult to use epoxy or fiberglass in future projects.

Hull completely sanded to 80 grit. I may sand it smoother since I may use bright paint on the bottom of the hull.

I puttied a couple of screw heads that I missed on the cockpit corners. Once those spots are cured and sanded, the deck will be ready for fiberglass.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss fiberglassing the deck.

Sweet. Now it really is looking like a boat.

Steve

 

[English]

Fiberglassing the Hull

Overview

Fiberglassing the hull involves prep work, fitting the fiberglass cloth, applying several coats of epoxy, and sanding.

Prep Work

Whatever condition the hull is when you fiberglass it, is the condition it will stay, since you don't want to sand through the fiberglass. All the corners of the boat must be rounded to a minimum of 1/4" radius because fiberglass won't lay well across a corner that it is tighter. Outside corners can be routered or filed. Inside corners must be filleted with a mix of thickened epoxy similar to the method I used to seal the hull interior seams.

Gaps and dips must be filled with a mix of thickened epoxy.

Nail heads that stick up or are set too deep can be adjusted with thickened epoxy.

This boat will receive flat green paint, so I only sanded the hull to 80 grit.

Fitting the Fiberglass Cloth

It helps to have a second person unfold the fiberglass.

I cut the cloth for the hull so that 2" folded over onto the deck. This double protects the gunnel.

I mixed 12 ounces of epoxy for the first two batches and poured it directly to the flat portion of the hull and spread it with a flexible scraper.

Spreading the epoxy with a scraper. NOTE: Marine Douglas Fir plywood is very thirsty for epoxy on the first coat. Another technique is to prime it with a thin coat of resin ahead of time. I guess you could let it dry a bit and then lay on the cloth. That seems like too much of a bother, so I was generous with the first coat and squeegeed it in thoroughly.

Stretching out wrinkles and rolling onto the deck.

Mary cutting some darts to get the fiberglass to fold at the stern. Removing little wedge-shaped sections of fiberglass at the ends helps it to lay down better. Those areas can be sanded later.

Mary's work.

First coat applied. I applied three coats and was careful to squeegee each coat to avoid excessive build-up and wasting expensive epoxy. Remember, the objective is to just fill the weave of the cloth. NOTE: I was careful to apply subsequent coats before 24 hours. If I had waited longer, I would have had to sand between coats.

Sanding

No matter how careful you apply the epoxy, there will be imperfections that require sanding.

Deck before sanding.

Same area of deck after sanding.

Hull before sanding.

Same area of hull after sanding. NOTE: You need to be very careful around the nail heads to not sand through the fiberglass.

One last bit to sand. NOTE: Epoxy and fiberglass dust are not items you want to breathe in or get all over your bare skin. I always wear long sleeves and use a dust mask. The danger is that, with overexposure, you could become "sensitized" to them and it would become very difficult to use epoxy or fiberglass in future projects.

Hull completely sanded to 80 grit. I may sand it smoother since I may use bright paint on the bottom of the hull.

I puttied a couple of screw heads that I missed on the cockpit corners. Once those spots are cured and sanded, the deck will be ready for fiberglass.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss fiberglassing the deck.

Mark,

Wetting out glass is a messy job, Looks good!!.

When I did my boat I was told that the epoxy had to go on wet on wet on wet. I had to put two layers of fiberglass on my boat. Over thirty yards per layer. I called and talked to the tech support guy at the epoxy company I was using ( Aeromarine). He said that for a structural joint wet on wet on wet is the only way to go to get the strenth of a chemical bond, but for laminating a fiberglass on a boat it was not necessary. He said that the epoxy wills stick to it's self with a mechanical bond ten times the strength needed for laminating fiberglass no sanding between coats needed. So he told me to take may time. One coat today, one tomorrow, one next week.

 

[DustyMark]

Fiberglassing the Hull

Overview

Fiberglassing the hull involves prep work, fitting the fiberglass cloth, applying several coats of epoxy, and sanding.

Prep Work

Whatever condition the hull is when you fiberglass it, is the condition it will stay, since you don't want to sand through the fiberglass. All the corners of the boat must be rounded to a minimum of 1/4" radius because fiberglass won't lay well across a corner that it is tighter. Outside corners can be routered or filed. Inside corners must be filleted with a mix of thickened epoxy similar to the method I used to seal the hull interior seams.

Gaps and dips must be filled with a mix of thickened epoxy.

Nail heads that stick up or are set too deep can be adjusted with thickened epoxy.

This boat will receive flat green paint, so I only sanded the hull to 80 grit.

Fitting the Fiberglass Cloth

It helps to have a second person unfold the fiberglass.

I cut the cloth for the hull so that 2" folded over onto the deck. This double protects the gunnel.

I mixed 12 ounces of epoxy for the first two batches and poured it directly to the flat portion of the hull and spread it with a flexible scraper.

Spreading the epoxy with a scraper. NOTE: Marine Douglas Fir plywood is very thirsty for epoxy on the first coat. Another technique is to prime it with a thin coat of resin ahead of time. I guess you could let it dry a bit and then lay on the cloth. That seems like too much of a bother, so I was generous with the first coat and squeegeed it in thoroughly.

Stretching out wrinkles and rolling onto the deck.

Mary cutting some darts to get the fiberglass to fold at the stern. Removing little wedge-shaped sections of fiberglass at the ends helps it to lay down better. Those areas can be sanded later.

Mary's work.

First coat applied. I applied three coats and was careful to squeegee each coat to avoid excessive build-up and wasting expensive epoxy. Remember, the objective is to just fill the weave of the cloth. NOTE: I was careful to apply subsequent coats before 24 hours. If I had waited longer, I would have had to sand between coats.

Sanding

No matter how careful you apply the epoxy, there will be imperfections that require sanding.

Deck before sanding.

Same area of deck after sanding.

Hull before sanding.

Same area of hull after sanding. NOTE: You need to be very careful around the nail heads to not sand through the fiberglass.

One last bit to sand. NOTE: Epoxy and fiberglass dust are not items you want to breathe in or get all over your bare skin. I always wear long sleeves and use a dust mask. The danger is that, with overexposure, you could become "sensitized" to them and it would become very difficult to use epoxy or fiberglass in future projects.

Hull completely sanded to 80 grit. I may sand it smoother since I may use bright paint on the bottom of the hull.

I puttied a couple of screw heads that I missed on the cockpit corners. Once those spots are cured and sanded, the deck will be ready for fiberglass.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss fiberglassing the deck.

Thanks! The blog is caught up, so I'll be fiberglassing the deck tonight. She'll be ready for paint by next week.

 

[DustyMark]

Fiberglassing the Deck

Overview

Fiberglassing the deck is more complicated than the hull since the cockpit meets the deck at such a sharp angle. I completed the prep work for the deck at the same time I worked on the hull. The remaining steps to fiberglass the deck include fitting the cloth, applying epoxy, sanding, and fixing mistakes.

Fitting the Cloth

I chose to fiberglass the deck using only four pieces of cloth. I'm not sure I will use this technique on the next two boats. It was a challenge to not get voids at the seam where the cockpit and deck meet.

Here the cloth is laid over one of the cockpit sides. This is before trimming for the corner. The piece for the bow is folded out of the way.

Applying Epoxy

Most of the epoxy is applied with a roller and leveled out with a scraper. I used only two coats of epoxy for the deck. I achieved decent filling of the weave in two coats and didn't sand into the weave too much when preparing for paint.

View showing the inside face of the cockpit. The closest cockpit side has already been coated with epoxy.

View of inside cockpit face. The excess cloth is trimmed with a razor blade while the epoxy is still in the green cure stage.

Corner of deck and cockpit after all fiberglass applied. I overlapped the bow and stern piece with the cockpit piece while the epoxy was still wet. The overlapping edge is easily feathered out with a random orbit sander once the epoxy is cured.

View of deck fiberglass wrapped at bow wrapped around to the hull side. These overlapped areas were later feathered successfully with a sander.

Trimming the anchor pole sleeve hole.

6 ounce fiberglass isn't very thick.

Sanding

Sanding the deck is similar to sanding the hull. The cockpit seam makes sanding a little more complicated.

I wrapped the deck fiberglass around to the hull. Here is what that overlap looks like on the bottom of the hull after fiberglassing.

View of same area after sanding. The edge must be feathered with caution to avoid cutting through your previous layer of hull fiberglass.

Fixing Mistakes

I wasn't completely successful wrapping the cloth around the cockpit edge onto the deck. There were a few voids along the edge.

Voids along the cockpit edge. Perhaps the fillet wasn't thick enough here and the radius was too tight for the fiberglass to lay down.

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18

Show Content

I trimmed the voids with a razor to expose the area.

Voids were filled with thickened epoxy. After paint, it won't even be noticed.

Thoughts

The boat currently weighs 115 pounds without the floor installed. Fiberglassing both faces of the plywood, sealing the interior seams, and installing two anchor pole sleeves is going to put me over the planned 120 pounds. I'm more interested in durability since I'm building a cart to roll the boat around and should not have to lift it very often.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss installing the protective skids to the hull.

 

[shipwright]

Fiberglassing the Deck

Overview

Fiberglassing the deck is more complicated than the hull since the cockpit meets the deck at such a sharp angle. I completed the prep work for the deck at the same time I worked on the hull. The remaining steps to fiberglass the deck include fitting the cloth, applying epoxy, sanding, and fixing mistakes.

Fitting the Cloth

I chose to fiberglass the deck using only four pieces of cloth. I'm not sure I will use this technique on the next two boats. It was a challenge to not get voids at the seam where the cockpit and deck meet.

Here the cloth is laid over one of the cockpit sides. This is before trimming for the corner. The piece for the bow is folded out of the way.

Applying Epoxy

Most of the epoxy is applied with a roller and leveled out with a scraper. I used only two coats of epoxy for the deck. I achieved decent filling of the weave in two coats and didn't sand into the weave too much when preparing for paint.

View showing the inside face of the cockpit. The closest cockpit side has already been coated with epoxy.

View of inside cockpit face. The excess cloth is trimmed with a razor blade while the epoxy is still in the green cure stage.

Corner of deck and cockpit after all fiberglass applied. I overlapped the bow and stern piece with the cockpit piece while the epoxy was still wet. The overlapping edge is easily feathered out with a random orbit sander once the epoxy is cured.

View of deck fiberglass wrapped at bow wrapped around to the hull side. These overlapped areas were later feathered successfully with a sander.

Trimming the anchor pole sleeve hole.

6 ounce fiberglass isn't very thick.

Sanding

Sanding the deck is similar to sanding the hull. The cockpit seam makes sanding a little more complicated.

I wrapped the deck fiberglass around to the hull. Here is what that overlap looks like on the bottom of the hull after fiberglassing.

View of same area after sanding. The edge must be feathered with caution to avoid cutting through your previous layer of hull fiberglass.

Fixing Mistakes

I wasn't completely successful wrapping the cloth around the cockpit edge onto the deck. There were a few voids along the edge.

Voids along the cockpit edge. Perhaps the fillet wasn't thick enough here and the radius was too tight for the fiberglass to lay down.

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18

Show Content

I trimmed the voids with a razor to expose the area.

Voids were filled with thickened epoxy. After paint, it won't even be noticed.

Thoughts

The boat currently weighs 115 pounds without the floor installed. Fiberglassing both faces of the plywood, sealing the interior seams, and installing two anchor pole sleeves is going to put me over the planned 120 pounds. I'm more interested in durability since I'm building a cart to roll the boat around and should not have to lift it very often.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss installing the protective skids to the hull.

Nicely done.

 

[English]

Fiberglassing the Deck

Overview

Fiberglassing the deck is more complicated than the hull since the cockpit meets the deck at such a sharp angle. I completed the prep work for the deck at the same time I worked on the hull. The remaining steps to fiberglass the deck include fitting the cloth, applying epoxy, sanding, and fixing mistakes.

Fitting the Cloth

I chose to fiberglass the deck using only four pieces of cloth. I'm not sure I will use this technique on the next two boats. It was a challenge to not get voids at the seam where the cockpit and deck meet.

Here the cloth is laid over one of the cockpit sides. This is before trimming for the corner. The piece for the bow is folded out of the way.

Applying Epoxy

Most of the epoxy is applied with a roller and leveled out with a scraper. I used only two coats of epoxy for the deck. I achieved decent filling of the weave in two coats and didn't sand into the weave too much when preparing for paint.

View showing the inside face of the cockpit. The closest cockpit side has already been coated with epoxy.

View of inside cockpit face. The excess cloth is trimmed with a razor blade while the epoxy is still in the green cure stage.

Corner of deck and cockpit after all fiberglass applied. I overlapped the bow and stern piece with the cockpit piece while the epoxy was still wet. The overlapping edge is easily feathered out with a random orbit sander once the epoxy is cured.

View of deck fiberglass wrapped at bow wrapped around to the hull side. These overlapped areas were later feathered successfully with a sander.

Trimming the anchor pole sleeve hole.

6 ounce fiberglass isn't very thick.

Sanding

Sanding the deck is similar to sanding the hull. The cockpit seam makes sanding a little more complicated.

I wrapped the deck fiberglass around to the hull. Here is what that overlap looks like on the bottom of the hull after fiberglassing.

View of same area after sanding. The edge must be feathered with caution to avoid cutting through your previous layer of hull fiberglass.

Fixing Mistakes

I wasn't completely successful wrapping the cloth around the cockpit edge onto the deck. There were a few voids along the edge.

Voids along the cockpit edge. Perhaps the fillet wasn't thick enough here and the radius was too tight for the fiberglass to lay down.

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18

Show Content

I trimmed the voids with a razor to expose the area.

Voids were filled with thickened epoxy. After paint, it won't even be noticed.

Thoughts

The boat currently weighs 115 pounds without the floor installed. Fiberglassing both faces of the plywood, sealing the interior seams, and installing two anchor pole sleeves is going to put me over the planned 120 pounds. I'm more interested in durability since I'm building a cart to roll the boat around and should not have to lift it very often.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss installing the protective skids to the hull.

Mark,

Real nice job!!. That boat should be water proof.

 

[DustyMark]

Fiberglassing the Deck

Overview

Fiberglassing the deck is more complicated than the hull since the cockpit meets the deck at such a sharp angle. I completed the prep work for the deck at the same time I worked on the hull. The remaining steps to fiberglass the deck include fitting the cloth, applying epoxy, sanding, and fixing mistakes.

Fitting the Cloth

I chose to fiberglass the deck using only four pieces of cloth. I'm not sure I will use this technique on the next two boats. It was a challenge to not get voids at the seam where the cockpit and deck meet.

Here the cloth is laid over one of the cockpit sides. This is before trimming for the corner. The piece for the bow is folded out of the way.

Applying Epoxy

Most of the epoxy is applied with a roller and leveled out with a scraper. I used only two coats of epoxy for the deck. I achieved decent filling of the weave in two coats and didn't sand into the weave too much when preparing for paint.

View showing the inside face of the cockpit. The closest cockpit side has already been coated with epoxy.

View of inside cockpit face. The excess cloth is trimmed with a razor blade while the epoxy is still in the green cure stage.

Corner of deck and cockpit after all fiberglass applied. I overlapped the bow and stern piece with the cockpit piece while the epoxy was still wet. The overlapping edge is easily feathered out with a random orbit sander once the epoxy is cured.

View of deck fiberglass wrapped at bow wrapped around to the hull side. These overlapped areas were later feathered successfully with a sander.

Trimming the anchor pole sleeve hole.

6 ounce fiberglass isn't very thick.

Sanding

Sanding the deck is similar to sanding the hull. The cockpit seam makes sanding a little more complicated.

I wrapped the deck fiberglass around to the hull. Here is what that overlap looks like on the bottom of the hull after fiberglassing.

View of same area after sanding. The edge must be feathered with caution to avoid cutting through your previous layer of hull fiberglass.

Fixing Mistakes

I wasn't completely successful wrapping the cloth around the cockpit edge onto the deck. There were a few voids along the edge.

Voids along the cockpit edge. Perhaps the fillet wasn't thick enough here and the radius was too tight for the fiberglass to lay down.

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18

Show Content

I trimmed the voids with a razor to expose the area.

Voids were filled with thickened epoxy. After paint, it won't even be noticed.

Thoughts

The boat currently weighs 115 pounds without the floor installed. Fiberglassing both faces of the plywood, sealing the interior seams, and installing two anchor pole sleeves is going to put me over the planned 120 pounds. I'm more interested in durability since I'm building a cart to roll the boat around and should not have to lift it very often.

Next

In the next installment, I'll discuss installing the protective skids to the hull.

Thanks! I'm hoping this boat lasts the rest of my duck hunting years. That's why I'm being so diligent at sealing it well.

 

[DustyMark]

Attaching the Runners

Overview

The plan calls for solid wood runners with a layer of metal applied so that the boat tracks better and also is protected for the inevitable dragging that will occur. I used white oak and 1/8" thick by 1" wide aluminum.

Making the Runner

My runners are 59 1/2" long, 1" wide, and 1 1/4" tall. White oak is incredibly tough and rot resistant. There is a 6" long taper cut at each end so they don't get hung up. The plan calls for 1/4" galvanized bolts. However, the galvanized coating on threads that small don't leave much purchase between the nut and bolt threads and they stripped under minimal torque. I switched over to regular grade bolts…too cheap to buy stainless.

Determining spacing of holes in relation to ribs. Note the white oak washers.

Drilling the 3/4" counterbore to receive the flat washer.

Drilling the 1/4" hole to receive the bolt.

Installing the Runner

Drill one end hole for each runner and bolt the runner at that end. That hole registers the runner. Align the runners and use the runner holes as a guide to drill through the hull. Insert each bolt before drilling the next hole. This is a lot easier than having to mark each hole location perfectly.

Marking the first hole at end.

Drilling through the hull.

Aligning runners parallel to hull.

Drilling hole at opposite end.

Close-up of bolted runner.

Mary held the wrench inside the hull during tightening. I applied silicon sealant under the runner and in the bolt holes to prevent water intrusion. Here Mary is wiping off excess sealant. NOTE: I tried GOOP Marine sealant and it sets up too fast. Save yourself the hassle and use RTV silicon sealant that is rated for outdoor use.

Bending the Aluminum

Aluminum is easy to bend, but you still have to align the bends with the runner.

Mark the pivot point, clamp it in a vice, and hammer with your well-calibrated hammer arm!

The scrap wedge from cutting the runner is a perfect reference tool to measure your bend.

Copper approved of the results.

Installing the Aluminum

Use 3/4" #8 screws and silicon to apply the runners. Be sure to fill the runner bolt holes with silicon as well.

The runner was aligned to terminate at the inside edge of each outer rib. This allows the aluminum to be screwed securely to the outer rib. You'd hate to have that peel up when going over an obstacle.

View before filleting.

An added precaution is to use thickened epoxy at the of each runner to protect the leading edge from being caught. I also used thickened epoxy to fillet around the perimeter of the runner to slow water intrusion.

Next

In the next installment I'll discuss installing the floor.

 

[Racer2007]

Attaching the Runners

Overview

The plan calls for solid wood runners with a layer of metal applied so that the boat tracks better and also is protected for the inevitable dragging that will occur. I used white oak and 1/8" thick by 1" wide aluminum.

Making the Runner

My runners are 59 1/2" long, 1" wide, and 1 1/4" tall. White oak is incredibly tough and rot resistant. There is a 6" long taper cut at each end so they don't get hung up. The plan calls for 1/4" galvanized bolts. However, the galvanized coating on threads that small don't leave much purchase between the nut and bolt threads and they stripped under minimal torque. I switched over to regular grade bolts…too cheap to buy stainless.

Determining spacing of holes in relation to ribs. Note the white oak washers.

Drilling the 3/4" counterbore to receive the flat washer.

Drilling the 1/4" hole to receive the bolt.

Installing the Runner

Drill one end hole for each runner and bolt the runner at that end. That hole registers the runner. Align the runners and use the runner holes as a guide to drill through the hull. Insert each bolt before drilling the next hole. This is a lot easier than having to mark each hole location perfectly.

Marking the first hole at end.

Drilling through the hull.

Aligning runners parallel to hull.

Drilling hole at opposite end.

Close-up of bolted runner.

Mary held the wrench inside the hull during tightening. I applied silicon sealant under the runner and in the bolt holes to prevent water intrusion. Here Mary is wiping off excess sealant. NOTE: I tried GOOP Marine sealant and it sets up too fast. Save yourself the hassle and use RTV silicon sealant that is rated for outdoor use.

Bending the Aluminum

Aluminum is easy to bend, but you still have to align the bends with the runner.

Mark the pivot point, clamp it in a vice, and hammer with your well-calibrated hammer arm!

The scrap wedge from cutting the runner is a perfect reference tool to measure your bend.

Copper approved of the results.

Installing the Aluminum

Use 3/4" #8 screws and silicon to apply the runners. Be sure to fill the runner bolt holes with silicon as well.

The runner was aligned to terminate at the inside edge of each outer rib. This allows the aluminum to be screwed securely to the outer rib. You'd hate to have that peel up when going over an obstacle.

View before filleting.

An added precaution is to use thickened epoxy at the of each runner to protect the leading edge from being caught. I also used thickened epoxy to fillet around the perimeter of the runner to slow water intrusion.

Next

In the next installment I'll discuss installing the floor.

Looks like Copper is a pretty good QC Inspector. Nice looking boat so far.

 

[DustyMark]

Attaching the Runners

Overview

The plan calls for solid wood runners with a layer of metal applied so that the boat tracks better and also is protected for the inevitable dragging that will occur. I used white oak and 1/8" thick by 1" wide aluminum.

Making the Runner

My runners are 59 1/2" long, 1" wide, and 1 1/4" tall. White oak is incredibly tough and rot resistant. There is a 6" long taper cut at each end so they don't get hung up. The plan calls for 1/4" galvanized bolts. However, the galvanized coating on threads that small don't leave much purchase between the nut and bolt threads and they stripped under minimal torque. I switched over to regular grade bolts…too cheap to buy stainless.

Determining spacing of holes in relation to ribs. Note the white oak washers.

Drilling the 3/4" counterbore to receive the flat washer.

Drilling the 1/4" hole to receive the bolt.

Installing the Runner

Drill one end hole for each runner and bolt the runner at that end. That hole registers the runner. Align the runners and use the runner holes as a guide to drill through the hull. Insert each bolt before drilling the next hole. This is a lot easier than having to mark each hole location perfectly.

Marking the first hole at end.

Drilling through the hull.

Aligning runners parallel to hull.

Drilling hole at opposite end.

Close-up of bolted runner.

Mary held the wrench inside the hull during tightening. I applied silicon sealant under the runner and in the bolt holes to prevent water intrusion. Here Mary is wiping off excess sealant. NOTE: I tried GOOP Marine sealant and it sets up too fast. Save yourself the hassle and use RTV silicon sealant that is rated for outdoor use.

Bending the Aluminum

Aluminum is easy to bend, but you still have to align the bends with the runner.

Mark the pivot point, clamp it in a vice, and hammer with your well-calibrated hammer arm!

The scrap wedge from cutting the runner is a perfect reference tool to measure your bend.

Copper approved of the results.

Installing the Aluminum

Use 3/4" #8 screws and silicon to apply the runners. Be sure to fill the runner bolt holes with silicon as well.

The runner was aligned to terminate at the inside edge of each outer rib. This allows the aluminum to be screwed securely to the outer rib. You'd hate to have that peel up when going over an obstacle.

View before filleting.

An added precaution is to use thickened epoxy at the of each runner to protect the leading edge from being caught. I also used thickened epoxy to fillet around the perimeter of the runner to slow water intrusion.

Next

In the next installment I'll discuss installing the floor.

Thanks. I've had to mostly banish Copper from the shop. He 's still quite the puppy at 18 months and eats way too many things off the floor. He even stole and chewed up a thin piece of UHMW material off of a low shelf that I was planning to use for a spacer on the anchor pole sleeve!

 

[Racer2007]

Attaching the Runners

Overview

The plan calls for solid wood runners with a layer of metal applied so that the boat tracks better and also is protected for the inevitable dragging that will occur. I used white oak and 1/8" thick by 1" wide aluminum.

Making the Runner

My runners are 59 1/2" long, 1" wide, and 1 1/4" tall. White oak is incredibly tough and rot resistant. There is a 6" long taper cut at each end so they don't get hung up. The plan calls for 1/4" galvanized bolts. However, the galvanized coating on threads that small don't leave much purchase between the nut and bolt threads and they stripped under minimal torque. I switched over to regular grade bolts…too cheap to buy stainless.

Determining spacing of holes in relation to ribs. Note the white oak washers.

Drilling the 3/4" counterbore to receive the flat washer.

Drilling the 1/4" hole to receive the bolt.

Installing the Runner

Drill one end hole for each runner and bolt the runner at that end. That hole registers the runner. Align the runners and use the runner holes as a guide to drill through the hull. Insert each bolt before drilling the next hole. This is a lot easier than having to mark each hole location perfectly.

Marking the first hole at end.

Drilling through the hull.

Aligning runners parallel to hull.

Drilling hole at opposite end.

Close-up of bolted runner.

Mary held the wrench inside the hull during tightening. I applied silicon sealant under the runner and in the bolt holes to prevent water intrusion. Here Mary is wiping off excess sealant. NOTE: I tried GOOP Marine sealant and it sets up too fast. Save yourself the hassle and use RTV silicon sealant that is rated for outdoor use.

Bending the Aluminum

Aluminum is easy to bend, but you still have to align the bends with the runner.

Mark the pivot point, clamp it in a vice, and hammer with your well-calibrated hammer arm!

The scrap wedge from cutting the runner is a perfect reference tool to measure your bend.

Copper approved of the results.

Installing the Aluminum

Use 3/4" #8 screws and silicon to apply the runners. Be sure to fill the runner bolt holes with silicon as well.

The runner was aligned to terminate at the inside edge of each outer rib. This allows the aluminum to be screwed securely to the outer rib. You'd hate to have that peel up when going over an obstacle.

View before filleting.

An added precaution is to use thickened epoxy at the of each runner to protect the leading edge from being caught. I also used thickened epoxy to fillet around the perimeter of the runner to slow water intrusion.

Next

In the next installment I'll discuss installing the floor.

Thanks. I ve had to mostly banish Copper from the shop. He s still quite the puppy at 18 months and eats way too many things off the floor. He even stole and chewed up a thin piece of UHMW material off of a low shelf that I was planning to use for a spacer on the anchor pole sleeve!

- DustyMark

Make him wear a Respirator .