Thread: GIS beginners build in Concord, NH

Originally Posted by callsign222

I've already learned a lot from this forum, as well as other people's accounts of building the GIS along with ample photo-documenting. In return, and in that same vein, I have a building log online that is specifically directed to the wood-working beginner like me who is working alone, without a lot of tools or experience. Mr. Storer, apologies that a beginner hack like me is attempting to put something as beautiful as your GIS together. I hope you don't min

Mik doesn't fear novices, it's blokes like me who ought to know better that keep him awake at night

Have fun with the build. Just keep remembering that it's a boat, not a lump of furniture and you'll be right.

Richard

Welcome to the madness!

Mik can't fear amateurs - there are just too many of us!

That's a good blog you have going there - much better than my meager attempt. I've marked it to follow your progress.

The most important thing is to have fun!

Bob

I reckon Mik prefers the blokes who do actually start the build rather than the "gunners' like me who buy the plans and say they're gunner build it, but never get around to it.

Perhaps Mik should put a tuit in circular form in every plan he sells!!!

Hmm so we have a pocket of boats in the NE of the USA and also a pocket in the Netherlands.

How does it happen like that?

Anyway amateur, schmamateur - nice to have you aboard Callsign! Thanks for the blog link

MIK

Nice start and nice blog, Callsign. I hope to be able to follow along throughout the process.

As for the weirdness you think you see in the sides, I recall there being a nice smooth curve upward until about 15 inches from the bow. Around that point it doesn't reverse directions, IIRC, it just becomes flatter. But if the numbers are right I'm sure your sides will be right.

There is a tiny bit of reversal in the sides aft, along the bottom, though. You can see it in the lines drawings if you blow it up and sight forward along the line. I believe that's MIK's secret GIS weapon--the GIS hook--and it probably helps get her up on plane. Make sure you've I'D the top and bottom correctly. The slope of the transom (and plumb nature of the bow) prompted one builder long ago to cornfuse the ends.

Mik, Concord NH isn't that far from here. We'll have a nice collection of boats and I am sure more.

Callsign, feel free to give a holler if you have any Q's. I am in Portland, Maine.

Regarding the curves: when you expand the side planks, be sure to look at the lines on the plan with a long low look...the pirate eye technique...to see what the character of the curves are so that you can emulate them closely. If you go for fairness and the lines look like what is drawn you'll be all set. Sometimes, we blow up the drawings of planks to be larger in size to help students see those changes in curves, hollows and the like.

EDIT: I deleted this post that stood alone in its own thread, and I'm going to keep my questions limited to my boat to this thread so I don't fill the forum with a million inane questions! Consolidation, if you will.

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Dear Diary, boo hoo me.

Ok All,

First: I'm on the road, and whenever I'm on the road that means I'm not near the boat, which means I think of all the possible things that are going wrong due to my bone-headedness, and I can't check and verify things. Imagination goes into overdrive, and then I see (in my mind's eye) a Brontosaurus of a boat that not only looks bad, but sails bad (horrors!)

Here's what I'm worried about: I've already cut the sides out of the boat. I used a jigsaw and I cut pretty close to the lines. We've already discussed how my lines curve in an unanticipated direction, but after Compass Project gave me some advice on how to sight, I have come to a conclusion that the lines are, for the most part, correct.

The devil is in the details, however. Because I was so nervous about not having enough ply, I cut very close to the lines and things got a little wavy with the jigsaw. I've planed everything somewhat smooth, but I do come perilously close to the lines that Storer explicitly tasks us to 'NOT PLANE AWAY THE LINES" or something to that effect. Let's say I've pretty muched planed to the lines, and MAYBE there's the possibility that I've gone a little too far.

Is this really doom? Can I just lay down the chinelogs and if there's a little missing from sides can't it just be filled with epoxy and be covered by the glass tape along the chines when I place down the bottom? Should I start the sides over? Does a couple of mm make a difference? Should I quit my job so I can be closer to my boat more often than not? Will you give me money so I can quit?

I don't have pictures.

Remember, I'm going to for utilitarian, not museum quality, but the damn thing has to look somewhat reasonable too!

Sorry about the ranting, but I think of this often. Thanks guys!

These boats things are fairly forgiving mate. Mik's warnings are often there to scare novices away from doing something too daft ... the really daft stuff is saved for experienced builders

Remember Welsford's creed: the mistake has not been made that can not be fixed with epoxy

Richard

Howdy,

Sorry about that .... I do need to emphasise some things strongly in the plans. The problem with cutting off the lines is it is difficult to know where any thing else will line up to,.

a couple of little dips over the line can be filled as you say, particularly if the chine log and sheerclamp run fair.

The warning is to say something important is underway and to pay attention. There are a number of people at home or in classes who say they have planed most of the line off. Then we are in real trouble!!!

MIK

Another question for the collective. I misread the plan on BH #1 and for some reason I fit a 19x19 as the bottom frame. I have since realized my mistake, but I would like to save some wood. I have two pieces of the 45x19 that would fit nicely as the bottom frame, they join together with a 45deg. angle cut near the centerline of the BH. I guess you could call it a scarf, but with a steeper angle. Does anyone have any reason why I shouldn't use two pieces of wood instead of a whole piece of wood for the bottom frame on BH1?

I figured when it's a glued up it'll be fine, but I don't know what kind of stress it's going to take, especially since it's near the mast step.

I don't see any problem with the spliced frame piece on bh1, at the bottom. It just might cause your edge to not be perfectly straight but that isn't a disaster all by itself. To avoid that just be sure to clamp it to a nice flat surface when you're gluing the pieces on.

I might even put it in with the 19 by 19 piece you glued on by mistake...if you do that you would want slightly shorter assembly screws at that location. The screws should come out--they[re there to pull the bottom into contact with the bottom edge of the frame while the thickened epoxy is curing.

19 x 19 will be fine there.

Also joining in that place is OK, even butt joining as any piece of timber that has ply on two faces is not going to split or fracture in any way.

However if it is just glued to ply on one face you would need a 6:1 scarf.

MIK
(slightly jetlaggggggged)

YO

So I started gluing tonight, and I'm having problems keeping my frames from wandering after I clamp them down. What the heck?!? There's obvious some sort of physics going on here, or an alien being hiding in my workshop manipulating my cedar with his cosmic rays. Anyway, no real method to the madness, the top and bottom frames creep into the ply while the side arms tend to creep outwards. My starboard side arm on BH1 crept out enough to leave a generous gap between the top of it and the top frame. How can I prevent this? Should I be screwing these things down?

Man, if it isn't one thing, it is another!

Some slip-sliding around is normal and adjusting clamps might be needed, but once you get things clamped the framing should stay put.

Maybe using too much epoxy? Too few clamps? I dunno...

Good luck.

Bob