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Here are a few pictures about what is going on at the shop. |
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Building the Wood Duck 10 (continued) Second coat of epoxy on the decking fiberglass. I am adding a fiberglass stripe to strengthen the hull-decking joint. |
Enlarged view of the fiberglass stripe near the puzzle joint on the lateral decking. I still have to apply two epoxy coatings on the stripe to fill its weave. | Another enlarged view, this time on the outer end of a Sassafras 16 plank, as delivered with the kit. This is the ending of the Lapstitch groove. Its edge must still be cut at an angle for a length of 10 cm, to allow the planks to merge to the same level on the stem or the sternpost. | ||
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Same picture after "cutting" the groove endding with a sanding block.This system is much easier than other Lapstitch kits such as the Chester Yawl or the Skerry, where the groove is uniform all along the plank and the gain is cut on the other edge of the plank. |
Another close up showing the other end of the same plank: here is the scarf, as delivered, fresh from cutting by the CNC router. On the right side of the plank, you can see the Lapstitch groove. |
Gluing the scarfs of planks 2 and 4 for the Sassafras. A piece of scrap pine is screwed accross the joints to apply pressure. I used the hammer to tap one end of the planks to "shut down" the joint. |
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| Stitching up the Sassafras 16. As soon as the number 1 planks are stitched together, I put them high over the table, at comofrtable working height. Here plank 2 is stitched. It appears clearly on this picture that the Sassafras is symetrical fore and aft. | And here is plank 3. The hull becomes unstable, this is the reason why I hold it on both sides with "crutches". They also help the hull fill in to its convexl shape. On the table in the foregroung, you see one of the copper wire rolls used to stitch the planks (just cut it in three sector to obtain stitches of the proper length). | Plank 4 is in place. On this image, the "gains" at the stem (or stern post) wich are still open: at this stage, the stitches are are not very tight because the planks need some "play" for the hull to take its shape. Plank 5 is on the talbe, ready to install after a light sanding on the edges and the groove. | ||
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| Stitching plank 5: I start in the middle and progress towards both ends alternatively. The crutches hold the plank and the hull at the same time. | View of the temporary internal structure. But there is none! Behold the LapStitch system in its superb simplicity. The planks are precisely positionned one within the next (thanks to their groove and the stitches) and the hull takes its shape by itself. The white blots are the stickers indicating the plank numbers, which I haven't taken off yet. | To foster the sui generis shaping of the hull, the stem and stern will be stitched up last. You see that the stitches along the keel line are very loose to allow the progressive opening of the hull. | ||
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| Another view of the inside of the hull, where you can again admire the absent internal structure! Out of curiosity, I measured the current beam: it is almost as specified on the plans. | Full view of the stitched hull. | View of the stem (or stern post): you see clearly how the planks blend into each other to finish edge to edge. | ||
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| I tightened all the stitches to make all planks tight with each other, and turn over the hull for the next step: inserting the bulkheads at both ends. The temporary thwart holds the hull open at the proper beam. | Meanwhile, I have finally decided to get rid of the bulkhead at the front of the Wood Duck cockpit, after trying to sit in it... Indeed this would have limited its use to people with (very) short legs, because the seat is rather far foward of the aft bulkhead, and my idea was stupid. | Gluing the first ply of the Wood Duck coaming. I have managed to limit myself to 18 pictures this week: I am getting better! |
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