Thread: Eureka Problem - mis measure? and how to fix

More pics may hlep identify the problem. I had a similar issue but not as severe as shown in your pic. Still ended up with about a 6mm difference in length between the two panels but a bit of trimming and sanding will fix it.

The seam at the bilge panel shortens the more curve there is in the bilge to side panel, if that makes sense.

So stitch things up loosely then start pushing the seams outwards and see what happens, look carefully at both the seams and gunwhale curves to make sure things are fair you may needs to prop the panels out in spots using small sticks or what ever to get the panels sitting nicely.

Good luck
Mike

Thanks Mike, I appreciate the prompt reply. Ill try a few things over coming days. Have to go to work now. More pics attached.

Howdy,

If it is still as set up in your last picture in the set above then there is no problem.

stitch the bottom section to the top using the stitch holes each side of the buttstrap join in the middle to pull it out to full width. Make those a little bit tight to make sure the buttstraps stay aligned while you do the assembly.

Work evenly towards the ends putting in about 3 stitches at a time before doing the same with the other side and other end. So the whole thing progresses at the same time.

With stitch and glue ... it is almost a "leap of faith" boatbuilding method!

I expect the extra length to disappear in short order.

If it is already fully stitched and there is that discrepancy then there is a cutting or measuring error somewhere, but we can work out the alternatives if that is the case.

MIK

Thanks Mik, appreciate the help and I'll let you know how I get on.

Marty.

Originally Posted by Martin2121

Thanks Mik, appreciate the help and I'll let you know how I get on.

Marty.

We want photos of the ashes after the attempt

Richard

Stand back then, I've got the match lit. After the earlier post when I just assumed that the panels weren't going to line up I attacked it today with a positive frame of mind and just kept stitching as Mik suggested. Getting towards the ends I could see that it was not as bad as I earlier thought but there was still no way they were going to join correctly. And I'm damned sure I measured properly when marking out. I released the stitches at the end of the top panels as per the photo then completed stitching the top to the bilge panels. The result is as you can see....... Don't know what I've done wrong but I have half a plan in my head to fix it. Any suggestions are welcome. I'm thinking of leaving it as is and making up small pieces to finish the top panels off to where they should meet the bilges, epoxying everything together and no one should be the wiser. I was going to paint the outside anyhow. Other than my stuff up the whole thing has gone together easily and I think it has nice lines.

Is it worth making up a solid piece (not ply) to fit in the gap? The edges are pretty straight, and it won't weigh much.

Colin

Originally Posted by Colin62

Is it worth making up a solid piece (not ply) to fit in the gap? The edges are pretty straight, and it won't weigh much.

Colin

thats what i was thinking when i looked at this thread yesterday, make up a stem piece out of some scrap wood and poxy it in, job done

failing that trim back to lower panels at the bow to suit, but just trim a little at a time because if you just draw a line down from the top panel now and cut when you pull them in together they will then be to short

alternatively just wait to see MIK has to offer in way of a fix.

one other thing, you have got the panels on the correct way around i.e bow upper to bow lower panels and not bow upper to stern lower panels

don't know if that would make a difference just a thought and easily done

Originally Posted by Daddles

We want photos of the ashes after the attempt

You can always rely on Daddles for really useful suggestions.

Originally Posted by Martin2121

Stand back then, I've got the match lit. After the earlier post when I just assumed that the panels weren't going to line up I attacked it today with a positive frame of mind and just kept stitching as Mik suggested. Getting towards the ends I could see that it was not as bad as I earlier thought but there was still no way they were going to join correctly. And I'm damned sure I measured properly when marking out. I released the stitches at the end of the top panels as per the photo then completed stitching the top to the bilge panels. The result is as you can see....... Don't know what I've done wrong but I have half a plan in my head to fix it. Any suggestions are welcome. I'm thinking of leaving it as is and making up small pieces to finish the top panels off to where they should meet the bilges, epoxying everything together and no one should be the wiser. I was going to paint the outside anyhow. Other than my stuff up the whole thing has gone together easily and I think it has nice lines.

What thickness ply are you using?

To me it still looks like there is not enough curve in the bilge panel which pulls the stem back if you know what I mean.

This is what I ended up with and I to think I got the measurements correct. So I think we should both go and buy new tapes
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f169/e...ml#post1023073

Anyway stitch it up best you can and either fill it with pox or cut a wood filler piece no body will know the difference when it's painted.

Mike

Originally Posted by honkongphoie

one other thing, you have got the panels on the correct way around i.e bow upper to bow lower panels and not bow upper to stern lower panels

don't know if that would make a difference just a thought and easily done

You're not thinking of that daft git who built his Rowing Skiff sides upside down are you

Before you do anything mate, check a few measurements to see if you can indentify where the blue is ... if indeed there is one. The simple solution is to find that the bottoms are overlength though knowing the way Mik likes to get every last splinter out of a lump of ply, you're more likely to find the tops are short or, as Richard suggests, you're simply trying to fit things upside down or back to front.

Richard

Brilliant! Thanks very much. What do you reckon Mik?

Dunno what MIK reckons but, assuming the other end isn't overhanging the bilge
panels by a similar amount, and the joins are fair and true, I'd just trim the bilge
panels back to match. In a nice curve of course, more or less following the existing line.
Won't make much difference to the shape of the boat. But then I've yet to build anything
true to plan. Including my own...
cheers
AJ

Howdy,

Too many have been built and worked out to be within 6mm or less of the ideal - I would say the average margin is about 4mm difference between the panels - so there is a mistake here somewhere.

Happily it is not a big mistake! Quite tiny. One way would be if you measured out the stations as individual 300mm measurements individually rather than roll the tapemeasure full length along the ply and then mark 300, 600, 900 etc. But could be a slight error with marking out the topside panel. However with a small error like this it is probably not important to work out the exact reason and just check for gross errors ... like ...

The main thing is to make sure that the topside panel is in the right way - that is the biggest possible construction error.

The suggestions above of
putting in a piece of wood
marking and trimming the bilge panels

are both fine. With one of the Eurekas at the last class I taught at there was a little error too so we just built put in some tiny plywood wedges between the topsides to hold the stem the right width and filleting the inside then built up epoxy, but I think the two methods above are better.

But the wedge idea will work fine if you want to put in a piece of wood later.

If putting in a piece of wood I would probably after the internal fillet has done to hold the whole thing together would be to plane the overhang back flush with the topside panel in a slight curve and then cut a piece of real timber to cover the whole lot (also with a slight curve on its back face. I think that would tend to look like a feature rather than something "filling in" the area.

Best wishes
MIK