Mike`s Framed Drift Boat Build

Hi, started a build with no solid plans. Built my strongback, laying out the ribs, got the spacing but hoping someone could give me a idea what to go with for the height for the side ribs. I`m thinking 2 ft (or less) in the frt and tapering smaller to the transom? (but how much). Does that make sense to get 2 sides out of the 4` ply?

Also someone suggested I dado the ribs so I started doing that. I got 2 done and decided it was a bad idea when it comes time to attach the chine with no meat to screw too. Any thoughts?

Can anyone suggest how high to set the ribs for the rocker, I`m guessing starting in the center? Thanks much, Mike

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Permalink Reply by tungsten on October 3, 2015 at 9:08am

Looks good Mike,A word of caution with the 12 oz biax,you can distort the weave very easily just by unrolling it and trying to move it around.The stitching will snag on the tiniest of bumps.I found laying plastic over the boat first then roll out the glass,you'll be able to slide it around and get it positioned much easier,also where your disposable gloves so your dry hands wont snag on it.You'll be able to slide the plastic out from underneath.

 

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on October 3, 2015 at 11:33am

Thanks David. Ive been in carpentry most my life, cabinets, counters, millwork, trimmed houses, remodeling etc., but this is my first boat. Ive just been winging it and making things work as I go, but have gained so much knowledge from the people on this site, the guy down the road, a couple people on my fishing site, and google!!

Tungsten, thanks as always for the tip. I`ll try that out today. I just got the woodstove hooked up in the garage (got pretty cold here the last couple days, tonight maybe in the 30`s, yikes) and I`m going to sand that 2nd side first, then start on that bottom glass.

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on October 5, 2015 at 6:13pm

Wow this 12 oz biax is pretty thick, heavy, tough stuff. When you order 3 yrds from JD you get exactly 12`, no extra. Turns out my boat is 12`-5" or 6" so I had to pc the last little bit.

Wetting this stuff out was slow going and took alot of epoxy to soak through good. Once it set up a little I trimmed it off. It was tougher to trim too than the 6oz., but not too bad.

You can see how not transparent this stuff is. You can still see wood grain, but the sides with the 6 oz was dark wood with fresh epoxy on it, this tough stuff is the color of the sides after the sides have been sanded out. Looking back the 6 oz was easy and nicer to work with :/

Feels good to have glass on the outside now, kinda another one of the many milestones of the project. Little more epoxy and I can start on some wood work.

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on October 13, 2015 at 6:12pm

I put 4 or 5 coats of epoxy on that rough 12 oz glass on the bottom, and it was still as rough as Lk. St. Clair on a windy day. That used up alot of epoxy ($$$) so I put a sanding on it to smooth it out a little bit and flipped the boat back over to start on the trim. Cut the top of the stem down, and ready to make a nose pc.

Ive got a array of woods going on, that will be different colors but hope it will look ok. This stem is cherry inside the boat, then ash towards the frt for strength. So the sides will be a dark shade inside and out. The fir frames are on the light side. I`m gonna use white oak for the trim around the top, bottom and on the transom( light color). Probly white oak for the seat benches. Maybe fir for the floor boards, and theres walnut, white oak and mahogany on the transom.

Decided that since I had the walnut stripe on the transom, might be cool to have a little walnut strip for a nose just for a little character. But I needed white oak on the nose so I can run the white oak double sheer rail trim ( around the top edge) and the white oak chine caps (strips around the bottom of the boat where the sides hit the bottom), to tie in nice at the frt so I glued up a couple strips of white oak with a walnut strip in the center. Figured if it didnt work out good I would try something else.

Got home today and worked that strip to clean it up, then cut the angles on the sides and sanded it. Fits really good. That white oak was so sharp it cut my finger and ended up with some blood into the job.

I`ll get a few coats of epoxy on it and the colors will come alive. Then I`ll glue it to the stem with thickened epoxy and get some screws in it. I needed enough flat on the frt for a eye loop, and I think this will work out. Doesnt look like much all sanded, but it will all come alive with some varnish on it.

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on October 15, 2015 at 6:13pm

Mike,

I'd knock off the sharp corners on the front piece, as it's going to take the hits over time and the nicks, bumps etc will be more noticeable over time.  Just add a small radius to both sides.

Otherwise, It's lookin real good!

Dorf

Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on October 15, 2015 at 8:29pm

Lookin' good Mike. All boat builds draw blood at some point!

Mike

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on October 19, 2015 at 7:17pm

So I ripped up some white oak for the outside rails and chine cap, and some transom trim then I got the nose epoxied onto the stem. I`m into a bunch of compound angles now trying to figure out how to make it all fit/workout. I think I`m gonna add some cherry blocks for the inside rails, up against the cherry stem. Still have to scarf all the strips to get lengths. Cut some trim for the transom, got the side pc`s cut, still need to rip some angles on the edges but now I`m thinking about glassing the transom first.

Permalink Reply by CWarmouth on October 19, 2015 at 7:27pm

Yeah! That looks good. Nice tight corners and close tolerances. Good detailed workmanship. Come out to Idaho and cut mine for me. (After you perfect those angle calculations on yours,of course.)

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on October 22, 2015 at 7:22pm

I dont think you want me cutting parts for your boat. After cutting off the stem nice, I botched up the nose pc cutting it off, and that nose is put on with thickened epoxy so the only thing I could do is epoxy a little scrap on there and sand it off. I was not able to make a scrap that would fit right so needless to say, the walnut stripe doesnt line up like it should on the top. Oh well, no one will see it while I float down the river.

Started trimming and dry fitting some parts just to see how it will work out before I get too carried away. Not sure but I think I`ll go with this. I wanted to cut back the cherry blocks in the frt to open up the stem area, just in case I ever want to add a anchor bracket off the frt. I`m planning on one off the rear off to the side to leave space for a motor should that ever happen. Everything will have to get rounded off a little, and the top rails will get rounded over on the corners with the router.

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on November 2, 2015 at 7:57pm

Thought I`d do a little update. Got the outside top rails and chine caps scarfed and rounded the edges with the router and got a coat of epoxy on the backs. I did get the transom trim on, rough cut the top of the transom and the top outside rails glued to the boat with thickened epoxy, and cleaned up the first side a little with the belt sander. I didnt have enough clamps so I added some 3/4" screws through the plywood into the rails. I have a feeling the chine caps are going to be a trick to get on not being able to clamp them to anything.

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on November 2, 2015 at 8:29pm

Drift boats suffer the most damage on the chine caps hence they are mounted with screws so they can easily be replaced. Choice of spacing varies between builders. The important thing is that you don't try to put a chine cap screw in a floor screw. The trick is to mark any screw locations you have already placed so you can arrange to miss pre-existing screws. Your boat continues to look good and your craftsmanship is very evident.

Rick N

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on November 2, 2015 at 8:36pm

Mike,

I added the chines to the bottom edge with ss screws at each frame to hold them in place while the epoxy cured.  I then removed them after a couple of days and then drilled the screw holes out to 1/4 inch dia (not through holes) and then used thickened epoxy to glue the dowels in the chines.  Leave them a little proud and then sand them flush and they blend into the chines.

I made the dowels from Black Locust.  If I ever have to replace the chines I'll plane them off without having to worry about hitting metal.

There's just too many angles and curved surfaces to come up with a clamping method.

Dorf

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