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Fastening Sides to Stem |
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Fastening |
Now measure off the sides for the location of the mold, Fig. 10. Fasten the mold to one side with two screws, turn the boat over and with the aid of a friend fasten the second side like the first. We are now ready to fasten the transom. There is very little to explain in fastening the transom except that you will have to call upon your friend again to lend his weight in bending the sides to meet the transom. After this is completed your boat will begin to take on a little shape and you can now get a fair idea of how your little dinghy is going to look.
When the transom is thoroughly fastened, the bottom will be next in order. I may mention at this time that the mold must not be disturbed, and not removed until the boat is completely planked. The object of the mold, of course, is to give the boat its shape and is a very important factor. Turn the boat upside down and prepare her for the planking.
[Beats me what the "7 ft Radius" is all about in Figure 10, unless it's the suggested radius for the top of the transom. The curve to the top of the transom is very much a matter of personal preference. -- COD]
You will note that the bending of the sides has given the edges, the part where the planking is to go, an uneven angle, this edge must be planed down flat. To get this edge flat lay a straight edged board across the boat and you will readily see how much of the edge must be trimmed. A string of cotton wicking with lead should be laid along the bottom edge of the sides before the bottom boards are nailed on (Fig. 2). These boards are three quarters of an inch thick by ten inches wide and are planed at the edges so that when they are fastened to the boat they will make a tight joint on the inside and be open about one-sixteenth of an inch on the outside to allow for caulking. The caulking is done by forcing a string of cotton wicking and white lead in the seams with a putty knife or some other blunt instrument, taking care not to force the wicking through to the inside of the boat, and not to pack it too tight, as the wood will swell when the boat is put overboard. Care should also be taken in nailing the planking, that the nails are driven straight, and that they do not split the sides.
[Our correspondent does not elucidate the mystery of the keel piece or the skeg. After the bottom is nailed on, add the oak keel strip for sure, and skeg, if desired.Nor does he talk about the position of the thwarts and how to fasten them. Risers or horizontal cleats are used on each side of the boat and the thwarts are nailed to them. They are important, after all, they keep the sides of the boat apart. Nail the fore and aft seats in. If you can't get the middle thwart in without removing the mold, nail a few pieces of wood across the boat to help it keep its shape and rip out the mold. -- COD]
As to the painting, the boat should have at least three coats, the first coat being very thin, using raw oil as a reducer. Oarlocks should be placed three inches aft of the center of the middle seat. Oars 6-1/2 feet long will be suitable for this outfit.
[I suspect that white lead will be hard to obtain, but I also suspect that PL Brand Polyurethane caulking woud probably make a pretty good bedding compound instead of all this wicking and lead, if not, wicking and Latex Acrylic Porch Paint will probably do the job, but this is an area for experimentation. -- COD]
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Fig. 11: Overview |
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