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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Renton, WA USA
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    19

    Default Jumping in (with an OzRacer)

    Recently I had the pleasure to get a kick start on my OZ Racer build – mostly in the form of inspiration from Rick Landervile and him saying “Hey, just get started! The only mistake you can make is to do nothing”. Actually, this started a couple weeks back after he replied back to me about a question I had about his post “go ahead with the ¼ inch plywood since he had success with it”. During the email exchange, I found out that he lives “just” north of me so I grabbed a buddy to make the nice drive to the heart of some of the most beautiful territory in the BC Canada / Pacific Northwest area. And I am very glad I did because the visit answered a lot of my questions and concerns and allowed me to see his boats – all of them. And, at Rick’s suggestion, I thought I would post not only to mention the start of my build but also ask a few questions for starters. I have been making a thorough attempt research my questions and I am sure that I’ve missed a few since the wild-wild-web is very big. So, feel free to point me in the direction of the answers if they have already been discussed.

    “First Cut is the hardest”. When I heard this, it clicked. I think I have been locked-up with trying to figure out the exact right thing to do / or / not do stupid things. My question is, what is the biggest thing you all focus on to make sure you are on the right track?

    “Rule of thumb” wisdom. What rules of thumbs do you follow that will help me? I plan on following the plans a close as possible but what I’ve already learned from all of the threads is that there is a trade-off on nearly every decision in building boats. One of my goals is to build a quality boat (I think I’m definitely on the right track buying Michael Storer’s plan!) but also I have a somewhat limited budget (do to my strong desire of maintaining marital bliss as I want to keep my string of 25 years alive)

    Materials – Things to stay away from? I am definitely going to be using that liquid gold (epoxy) but likely going to try some alternatives that I’ve picked up on these forums. What I don’t really know is the really big “don’t go there” type materials. Maybe this is a can of worms so if that’s the case, feel free to pummel me (ok, maybe not too hard).

    Materials – Things to definitely check out? Is there anything emerging that I should google/bing/yahoo/etc?

    Thank you all for any advice and/or direction you want to provide me!

    Steve Canaga

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Eustis, FL, USA
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    Don't go crazy trying to be good about things, just do the best you ca, within reason and accept the fact that there's going to be filler everywhere, some likely covering mistakes in measurements, the time you put the circular saw down with the guard up and blade hadn't stopped spinning, spilled coffee, etc. This is just a fact of life, move on.

    Also don't go crazy over materials choices, use what you can afford and what's available. You're not going to die, if you use a piece of your wife's dining room table, unless she catches you and under paint, hows she going to find out.

    An 1/8" is close enough for most fits, if using epoxy. No kidding, an 1/8" is an easy gap to fill and under paint, no one will have a clue as to what type of wood butcher you are.

    Lastly, it's your boat, build it how you want it. Of course the plans are pretty important, but if you want a taller seat or a decorative rail, screw the plans, it's your boat. Have fun, invite the family to participate and make sure the wife has the color selection decisions. Trust me on this, as most men haven't a clue, so unless she can live with battleship grey with black accents, let her pick the colors.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Rosedale B.C. Canada
    Posts
    147

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by stevecanaga View Post
    “First Cut is the hardest”. When I heard this, it clicked. I think I have been locked-up with trying to figure out the exact right thing to do / or / not do stupid things. My question is, what is the biggest thing you all focus on to make sure you are on the right track?

    “Rule of thumb” wisdom. What rules of thumbs do you follow that will help me?
    Materials – Things to stay away from? I am definitely going to be using that liquid gold (epoxy) but likely going to try some alternatives that I’ve picked up on these forums. What I don’t really know is the really big “don’t go there” type materials. Maybe this is a can of worms so if that’s the case, feel free to pummel me (ok, maybe not too hard).

    Materials – Things to definitely check out? Is there anything emerging that I should google/bing/yahoo/etc?

    Thank you all for any advice and/or direction you want to provide me!

    Steve Canaga
    Hi Steve; Welcome to the forum!

    It was nice to have you come out and look at my small collection of 'Storeresque' watercraft.
    As far as knowing when you are on track, if you start overthinking a problem, and are hesitating, that is when you are starting to fall off the rails. There are several parts to a boat. If you can't get past a certain step, pick up and start on another component. The original problem will ferment in the back of your head while you are making progress elsewhere. Soon, success will breed more success, and the original problem will sort itself out.

    Alot yourself a period of 'boatbuilding time'. This could be from 7-9:30 pm, and try to keep building on some part or parts of the boat for that entire time. Also alot yourself at least thirty minutes of shop time to cleanup after yourself. Nothing kills productivity like an unorganized workspace. Tidy up after every session so when it is time to build again, you don't lose your forward momentum by having to locate all your tools, or clear a spot to work in. Sometimes a messy shop will be a barrier to resuming working on a project.

    Loctite PL Premium is an excellent, gap filling, mistake hiding, strong glue that works somewhere between caulking and epoxy. If you don't want to spend the money on epoxy, it is a decent alternative for joining wood together.

    I would stay away from the Lauan three ply 1/4" plywood that has the really thick light coloured inner core. I suspect the core is balsa, and it will absorb water which will delam the thin outer veneers. Three ply fir or spruce plywood is structurally superior, though the fir is subject to checking if it isn't painted thoroughly. 5 ply birch might work as well, but I worry that the glue isn't waterproof. (not a concern if the boat is encapsulated with paint and/or epoxy).

    Titebond 2 or 3 has been used for boatbuilding, so you could use it on the framing, the foils, the chines, the gunnels, etc. but you need to clamp the heck out of it. It relys on a tight clamp pressure to bond effectively. It will not fill gaps. If the joint is gappy, or loose, use epoxy or PL Premium.

    Just do it. If you want a boat, build a boat. It won't build itself. Set a goal, or a date on the calendar when you would like to use the finished product. Draw up a timeline as to when each phase should be done. For example; If you want to sail in April, you might want to have the boards and rudder built by the end of October, the parts for the hull cut out in November, the framing and timber cut out in December, the hull assembly done in January, the sail rig completed in February and the painting and rigging done in March. Then sailing in April will be easy and stress free. Be realistic. It should be enjoyable and comfortable. If it ends up being a chore, or stressful, the quality will suffer.

    Remember that you cannot screw up. The boat is wood, and wood floats. Anything else is irrelevant to the functionality and is purely cosmetic. If you put it in the water, and the water stays on the outside, you have won! Follow the recipe that has been proven to work, and your boat will work as well.

    Finally, if you have any questions, there are plenty of helpful people who have been in the exact same position as you, and empathize with your plight. Ask on the forum and be specific. There are no bad questions. This is a gentlemanly bunch, they will be respectful and not mock or admonish even the most bizzare questions. Ask away.

    Rick Landreville
    Rosedale, B.C. Canada.
    Semi-professional wood butcher.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Eustis, FL, USA
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    2,270

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pdr311 View Post
    . . . This is a gentlemanly bunch, they will be respectful and not mock or admonish even the most bizzare questions . . .
    I have issue with the first part (makes me sound better then I am) and admit to only occasional bouts of mockery on the second.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Renton, WA USA
    Posts
    19

    Default Update - foils and mast in progress. Still collecting materials

    First of all, thank you all for the thoughtful and pain saving comments! The idea of setting goals and picking some time to focus on the building will save me from turning this into a race or chore. And, I've already learned this is serious fun.

    So far, I've got the foil blanks done and "thickenend" to 22mm and have the hollow mast all cut up and ready to glue. I have already learned about choices and the fun of figuring things out.

    That brings me to a couple questions about the rigging lines. I'm planning on going with the Balanced Lug rig but in reading through the plans and online, I am not clear on the length of line I should be getting for the various rigging needs as I am collecting my other materials. At this point I see:
    Mainsheet=27 feet of double braid -- is that true for the balanced lug rig as well, I assume so.
    Traveler=5 feet of low-streatch, -- seems pretty standard on the OZ - right?
    Lashing = a bunch of VB
    Halyard = ?? low-streatch. In reading throught the plans and on the 'net, I can't easily find how much low-streatch I will need for the halyard. I'm guessing it is mast height x 2 a bit more for the connection to the "front" of the yard. Any help would be grand.

    Again, thank you all for your help! (and the other threads are an amazing source of information! Great work!)

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    'Delaide, Australia
    Age
    65
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    8,138

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    Quote Originally Posted by stevecanaga View Post
    First of all, thank you all for the thoughtful and pain saving comments! The idea of setting goals and picking some time to focus on the building will save me from turning this into a race or chore. And, I've already learned this is serious fun.

    So far, I've got the foil blanks done and "thickenend" to 22mm and have the hollow mast all cut up and ready to glue. I have already learned about choices and the fun of figuring things out.

    That brings me to a couple questions about the rigging lines. I'm planning on going with the Balanced Lug rig but in reading through the plans and online, I am not clear on the length of line I should be getting for the various rigging needs as I am collecting my other materials. At this point I see:
    Mainsheet=27 feet of double braid -- is that true for the balanced lug rig as well, I assume so.
    Same for both boats.

    Traveler=5 feet of low-streatch, -- seems pretty standard on the OZ - right?
    Duckworks is a good source for lots of this stuff at very reasonable prices.

    Lashing = a bunch of VB
    Halyard = ?? low-streatch. In reading throught the plans and on the 'net, I can't easily find how much low-streatch I will need for the halyard. I'm guessing it is mast height x 2 a bit more for the connection to the "front" of the yard. Any help would be grand.
    8 metres should do it particularly if the cleat is on the side of the mast.

    Again, thank you all for your help! (and the other threads are an amazing source of information! Great work!)
    They are gentlepersonmanly here!

    One thing I would add to the info by Rick about gluing. I would be very inclined to agree except a smaller amount of proper boatbuilding epoxy should be ordered for the high stress parts of the boat.

    Mast Step
    Mast Partner
    Centrecase top and bottom gluing to the bottom ply and deck ply.

    MIK

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Renton, WA USA
    Posts
    19

    Default More thanks and new question on foil size

    Thank you for the guidance and I am getting some epoxy for the high stress parts!

    New question is about the foil sizes. When I laid up the staves for the foil I ended up with a taller blank. I have researched the web a bit about lengths and I see that there is some math-amgical formulas at work so I am wondering if a longer dagger and rudder would be bad or ok on the Oz RV. Thoughts?

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Renton, WA USA
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    19

    Default Ply delaminating

    I am plodding along and have got all the main parts cut out and chine & glue logs glued on. But with the seriously wet weather in my area (85-90% humidity in a cold garage) and my snails pace, I have one side/tank panel 1/4 inch ply delaminating in two places about the size of my hand. Since i am so slow, I am glad i haven't gone 3d just yet and I am definitely going to cut out a new piece but I was wondering if anyone has had experience in repairing a delaminating ply successfully once it's on the boat? I read some notes on the web but couldn't tell it they were patching sheds or boats. And, yes, I have learned a lesson about getting a more wet-resistant ply.

    Thanks!

  10. #9
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    Jul 2005
    Location
    'Delaide, Australia
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    65
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    Hi Steve,

    The ply should not delaminate no matter what. Even exterior ply. I would take the ply back to the supplier and say "what gives" this is rated for exterior or marine so should be unaffected by even a reasonable boil test. I would resolve this before going much further. You could cut a small corner or piece from each piece of ply - label with pencil about which sheet and boil them for 20 mins then let them dry. If they fall apart you need words with your supplier - hope too many people are not using it for their houses!

    With the leeboard and rudder. They are already a little oversize if anything. I was thinking of keeping the same depth but making them an inch narrower or so (leading edge position in boat to be unchanged) for the OzRacer Mk3 if anything like that should ever appear.

    MIK

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Eustis, FL, USA
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    The APA recently changed (last year) it's plywood rating system (American standard) and some confusion has occurred as a result. Currently, if you buy a sheet, you have to carefully examine the stamp. It must say "Exterior" only. If it says "Exposure 1 Exterior" then it will delaminate. The Exposure 1 stock is designed to be used under siding, house wrap or other cladding, used in land based home construction. It can tolerate a light rain or two, before being covered, but is not rated for directed weather exposure. On the other hand "Exterior" marked plywood is a WBP sheet, though typically of very poor quality, compared to a real marine grade sheet.

    The same is true of plywood marked "Underlayment". These sheets can tolerate some moisture, but not for long. This stuff is as the name suggests and designed to live under tile or other flooring product, where application may be wet, but it will dry and live in a relatively dry environment.

    Underlayment seems to be of slight better construction quality, than Exposure 1, but both will tend to delaminate with much moisture contact. Neither of these sheets, nor the Exterior sheets are made very well, again compared to a real marine sheet. Typically in a 1/2" (13 mm) sheet, it'll only have surface plys and a single internal veneer. This is very weak, plus the void and defect count make it very difficult to recommend APA construction grades for hull shells. Used as seating, partitions and bulkheads, you can get away with it, especially on larger craft, but the hull shell needs to be tight and strong and of course with WPB adhesives.

    As to repairing these types of sheets, well, unfortunately, there's no adequate repair. You could make a career out of drilling and epoxy filling holes on 2" centers, all over the sheet, but this is about as painful a task as you could ask for, just to save a crappy $20 sheet. No coating them in goo will help, the veneers need to be rebonded, which is well outside the abilities of the back yard boat builder. The wise choice is to remove the offending piece and installing a new one of known quality. Yep, this means tearing stuff up, but under some goo, filler and paint, no one is going to know how much cursing was involved.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Manjimup, West Aussie
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    34

    Default

    One thing I'll add stevecanaga,

    Don't overly stress if one side looks to have minor differences to the other(of course if one side is square and other is chined, then there is an issue)..

    I have had some nice timber boats(maybe not what everyone calls nice, but i do) over the years and have never found them to be 100% identical both sides.. Always a little flaw or difference, and noticible when motoring or sailing, depending on the vessel..(but only to one looking for fault)..

    Doesn't matter a little difference, gives them character as well as idiosyncrasies that you learn to use and master..

    Some sailing vessels go harder on one tack to another, but I did have a ply cat that the difference in the hulls was annoying, one tack, flew even in strong wind, other side would dump you when not careful, she would turn on her own.. great when I went for swims alone(one hull slightly shorter and less height from keel to deck).. But a mono hull is easier like that..

    I have only just started in building my own boats, and discovered its a lot easier than repairing them, faults are mine not some one elses..

    Have fun, enjoy and just do your best, its for your pleasure not for others...

    If you can get it identical to the designers specs and measurements, your doing well..

    Be fussy with ply, its the life of the vessel...

    all the best and have a great summer...

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Renton, WA USA
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    Michael, Good call on the Ply, I took it in and the dealer gave me both a new sheet and an apology. So, after all of the family gatherings subside, I will be getting back to finish the 3d of the boat.

    As for the leeboard...
    Quote Originally Posted by Boatmik View Post
    With the leeboard and rudder. They are already a little oversize if anything. I was thinking of keeping the same depth but making them an inch narrower or so (leading edge position in boat to be unchanged) for the OzRacer Mk3 if anything like that should ever appear
    I am game to make the rudder and leeboard 1 inch narrower and do the reshaping. I am assuming I just cut off the leading edge and reshape. Also, I assume you mean that I should shrink the leeboard case 1 inch too (keeping the leading edge at the same spot) or should that be kept the same as designed?

  14. #13
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    Jul 2005
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    Howdy,

    Probably not worth messing with.

    There's nothing wrong with the original configuration. I was just providing background that these things are not too critical providing they are in the right range. Just accept the standard ones.

    MIK

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Renton, WA USA
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    19

    Default Getting very close...

    First of all, I apologize for the longer than normal post up front. Since I have been somewhat quiet up to this point, and because I am so excited to be getting to the end of my build, I thought I would jump back in...
    foil - having fun with foils.JPG


    I am getting close to the end of my build and was thing that I would share some of my thoughts about making this small boat for anyone that may be thinking about doing it too. I am NOT a carpenter. I took a woodwork class waaaay back in Jr High and I have a healthy respect for tools. The main reason I used Michael Storer's plans is that they are very thorough, make sense, and he has a strong sense for quality solutions. Bravo Michael!

    trying out the mast - no bottom.jpgbottom on - notice overhang in back - there is a bit in front too.jpg


    My goal was/is:

    • Learn how to make a boat
    • Put some balance into my life and get off the couch
    • Have fun
    • Where I felt comfortable that I would not end up with a death-trap, I would deviate from the plans to give some of the alternative glues and building ideas a try and if I really messed up, I'd go back to that as-spec'd game plan. All's good.


    Things I have learned thus far

    • The only mistake is not getting started. (Thank you Rick Landreville for that!)
    • The first cut is the hardest. Just measure twice and go for it.
    • If there is an “oops”, just view it as “everything is a puzzle to be solved.” (that’s a big thank you to my wife!)
    • If there is a design deviation, there are good chances that there will be a a puzzle to be solved. For me, the deviations were fun and I did have a few “oops’” – all is good.
    • A metric tape is pretty ding-dang important and doing the calculations was not nearly accurate and I ended up with some gaps in the framing.
    • Michael's plans are worth every penny I paid and then some! THANK YOU Michael!


    As I learned, there are many paths to building this (or other) boat(s). Here is the build order I followed.

    • I started with the foils since I had the wood and titebond II. After a friend ran the foil blank through a planer/thicknesser, I learned that I completely enjoyed the act of planning the wood with a hand plane. I finished up with a palm sander and probably would go with a torture board if I did this again to really go with the manual mode. Big learning. Dry run is key – assemble and clamp everything before any glue hits the wood to get how to do it, then disassemble with laying out the pieces in order and then get the glue out and put it all back just the way the dry run went. Smooth, easy, and stress free.
    • Next was the mast because I wanted to try out the epoxy on the scarfs I ended up with. Dry run is key.
    • And, just to get the big sticks done at the same time and because I was having so much fun with the wood plane, I did up the Yard and Boom. I learned a very important thing about wood - even though you look for the knots and talk yourself into the idea that they are small and probably okay, they actually are much bigger than when you bring the wood home. Needless to say, I'm going to be applying strips of fiberglass to preemptively prevent a blow out and from what I'm reading on the GIS pages, a stiffer yard and boom may be a good thing.
    • Then, the framing bits on the sides, transoms, and bulkhead. All with PL Premium. I must say, cutting into the sheets of plywood was somewhat nerve wracking. Once the saber saw took a bite, I didn’t look back and it all went smooth. Dry run is key.
    • Then, the rudder bits, mast step and partner. This was surprising how much fiddling I needed to do in comparison with the other parts. Dry run is key.
    • Then the 3d assembly. This was thrilling. And, also where I discovered all of the gaps that my US calculations from Metric showed up. Dry fit was key in that I was able to figure out some things before I got things all sticky.
    • At this point, I've got the deck to fit, butt strap and set up to put on after painting the inside of the flotation tanks. Then the paint/varnish and finishing touchs --- oh, and of course the Lug sail. I can hardly wait!!! Although... I will say, even though I've been taking a long, slow pace, I am truthfully going to miss making sawdust, wood curls, doing the glue-ups and watching the boat emerge from flat sticks and ply. I'm thinking I need to look at another project.



    Some of those design changes and why…



    I want to go with the Balance Lug Rig option.

    • I really need the variability of sail area due to the fluky wind in the Northwest US. I really like the idea of shorter sticks for transport and storage. I really like the idea of the sail in front of the mast and it has a nostalgic look and profile. And lastly, being that I'm looking for more balance in my live, even the name "Balanced Lug Sail" resonates with me.



    I decided to try different types of glue.

    • PL Premium on glue cleats & chine logs framing instead of the epoxy fillets on the bottom. I was just going to glue up and pop them with my air stapler and ¼ inch staples but found the staples just zipped though the thin luan. Opps. So, I went back to the self-tapping screws with small square luan “washers” with packing tape on both sides. Now that I’ve played with it here are my 2cents:

      • In the future, I’m going to continue to use PL Premium for glue-logs and chines. I will definitely use gloves as I found out the hard way that stuff is sticky beyond belief.
      • I’ll use screws with plywood-washers on very thin luan. I don’t think that dialing back the air pressure would have helped much.
      • If I want a really fast build, I’ll use staples on the ¼ inch ply as long as I’m going to paint over it. But, given I like the slow pace, I will stay with glue-and-screw/clamp.

    • Epoxy & glue powder on the parts that are under a lot of stress – oh, also on the gaps I ended up with because of some bad assumptions as well as the bottom glue up. I overcame my fear of epoxy! Again, I will definitely use thicker gloves or barrier cream as I found out the hard way (again) that this stuff is also sticky beyond belief too. I decided to not epoxy coat everything except the leeboard case inside and will be doing primer+paint on all. I can see how doing epoxy coat would be a good thing as it looks like it adds a lot of protection to everything that is coated. My goals was to keep the costs on the lower-cost side so I’ll see how that trade-off pays off.
    • Titebond II for the foil glue-up. This was already on my work bench and I was itching to get the foils started. It worked very well in my humble perspective. More pipe-clamps than 4 would have been helpful. I ended up using ropes with twists to tighten it with some success but it was dicey and put a little bit of twist in the board that I had to work to flatten out.


    I used chine-logs on the bottom of the sides & inside side of air tank.

    • I can barely caulk a bath tub without becoming completely encased in caulk so my preference was to deviate and do this more close to MK II. With some excellent advice from Michael, I put 17x17mm ripped strips (just shy of 3/4 in) of western red ceder in as the chine log (bottom) and glue cleats. In remembering the pictures of the MK II, the two bent strips of thin strips is safer from breaking. I may have lucked out
    • I put the strips on the as-designed location on the inside of the side, the inboard side of the air-tank sides, on the bottom of both transoms, and on the inside of the bulkhead.
    • The front bulkhead needed a bit of trimming to allow the strips of wood.
    • Would I do this again? Yep, but more carefully on the notches. That being said, I have more confidence in my ability with epoxy so I would do the duct tape / fillet as planned.
    • Oh, one other thing, after looking at some of the pictures I took of Rick's boat, I will be adding the same inwale strip on the inside of the cockpit edges. This gives a very good hand-hold and maybe even a toe-hold if I'm long enough.


    I used door-skin (4mm) luan for the outside hull sides, bulkhead, and deck-top.

    • This stuff is really thin. I'm thinking that it may be both a challenge and a benefit.
    • As a benefit, it will be light and me knowing that it is really thin will mean that I won't be doing any "ramming speed!" moves.


    I used ¼ inch fir plywood for the bottom and inside side of air-tanks.

    • The thought is to put the 1/4 in anywhere my feet will be kicking.


    I made the hallow mast out of wood I had around.

    • Regarding the wood, I really can’t tell what it is but I think it is birch and clear pine. The wood was handy (read "free") and has absolutely no knots. Given that the length was only 8 feet long, I got to learn how to do a 1:6 scarf. That went very well with the plane & sanding method Michael shows in the plans and the epoxy looks like it did fine. I will need to see how it did under stress of sailing so stay tuned.
    • Also, because there are two shades of wood (white and tan), a varnish coating may look really nice on this to emphasize the construction.

    Tools I've been using

    • Table saw. This was a gift that a friend picked up for me after he saw my attempt to cut strips from lumber with my skill saw. He predicted that I was going to cut more than wood even with my careful set ups. This tool is very useful. I found out that there are a lot of old used table saws out there that are often just given away because they have the unavoidable large foot print that make them an easy target for spousal spring cleaning removal priorities. So, I hope you are able to find a decent table saw if you can swing it.
    • Sawhorse. There are dozens of designs out there. Mine meet my needs with a 5 foot width and fold up for storage. I just threw scraps of MDF cut off as a work surface that I could move around to where I needed it.
    • Jig saw. Very, very helpful to cut up all of that plywood. Hint, new blades make a big difference
    • Metric tape. I really wish I had picked up one in the beginning of the build. I was making some calculation errors and ended up with some gaps I needed to fill with epoxy.
    • Hand plane. Sharp blades set to just above (below?) the surface to shave off the wood was VERY satisfying, gave very smooth finish, and with a lot of control. The piece and quiet of plaining was very therapeutic.
    • Cordless Drill. And, using those small self-tapping wood screws with lots of 4mm ply squares that I mass produced by taping both sides with packing tape then cutting out strips then chopping to make little squares. Oh, one other thing, I got the square head screws and a bit for them. That is far superior than the phillips head screws that have a nasty tendency to strip -- and on the bit, get the one that is magnetized to hold the screw.
    • A chop saw. But frankly, a hand saw would be just fine because the wood strips are so small.
    • A pull hand saw. I picked one of these up half-way through the build. I found it at the big box store. It wasn't that expensive so I'm not sure how good the quality is but it seems just fine to me. I really like the fine teeth and pulling action. the big flat blade makes for very straight cuts too. I kind of wish I had this earlier in the build but would say if you don't have one and don't have much money, it is a nice-to-have. If you only have one hand saw, this is the one I would suggest getting.
    • Belt Sander. This thing is loud but also very handy with a lot of functions. It is also very fast and things can go from going "okay" to "oops". One thing that also came in handy was a belt that got damaged and I was able to repurpose it for sanding spars and putting on a stick to quickly "file" down the mast step and partner holes.
    • Palm Sander. I could live without this. I liked the speed but didn't care for the noise. A torture board and many grades of paper.
    • I used an air stapler for one side of the glue logs. It was a mixed result. If I only had 1/4 in ply, and I wanted to go really fast, I would be more inclined to use it.
    • Hammer and small nails were used for bending the batten to draw the curved lines.
    • hack-saw blade with tape on the handle to cut the leeboard holes. As said in the instructions, go with caution. I did just fine but boy does it feel weird cutting a hole in the bottom of your boat.
    • Clamps - the ones that have a bar and pistol grip that you compress to get the jaws to clamp. I got a really good deal on a sale at Harbor Freight (mail order store that has a shop down the road). They are VERY handy. Get as many as you can afford.
    • Bar Clamps. I only had 2 and borrowed a couple others. I wish I had a few more for the foil blank glue up
    • Shopvac and tarps. My wife was not too pleased when she came home to a dusty pantry and outside refrigerator. So, I hung a tarp and duct-taped the nozzle of my shopvac to my saws. The main dust-offender, the sander was problematic.


    I hope that this helps someone get started. This has been a blast and I am really happy with all of the fun I've had along the way.

    Cheers,
    Steve

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Renton, WA USA
    Posts
    19

    Default Oz Racer color book... ok, just one page

    I am out of town but thinking about the boat. I have gone back and forth on colors and recall the sage advice of letting the wife pick the colors. So, I came up with this MS Paint hand-scrawled pic of the Balanced Lug version of something that looks kind-a-like the OZ RV and thought I'd share it out in case anyone else was interested in paint schemes.

    OZ RV paint color thoughts - blank.png
    In case you haven't used MS Paint, just need to use the paint bucket icon and fill in the empty spaces. If you want stripes and all, you can add those with the drawing pencil tool and pick the squiggly line so you can move the line around a bit...

    Fun times,
    Steve

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