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 Mike Thomas on December 20, 2015 at 7:22pm

Thickened epoxy with micro fibers set the supports in place to stay. Cut a bow shelt from some scrap and edged it with oak for extra storage under the deck, added some flooring to the bow area, got the floor supports cut and laid out ready to screw together

Permalink Reply by David Witton on December 21, 2015 at 5:18am

Mike

Nice clean work on the details - you've got a good looking boat there!

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on December 25, 2015 at 8:50am

Thanks David, its not all that but I think it will float. Its getting no where fast, but Ive got the winter to get it done. Should have rounded the edges on the frames early on, but never too late I guess.

Been doing some sanding, I wish I wouldnt have used that white wood on the rail blocks but oh well

Sanded the floor boards, waiting on more screws. Had just enough to put one screw in each board to assemble.

Got the bow shelf screwed into place, mounted the knee locks. The boat is so small and low not sure that they are needed, but its a traditional thing I guess. Got the deck sanded and another coat of epoxy, need to sand it again then I`ll seal it in with some thickened epoxy fillet.

Merry Christmas wooders!!!

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on December 25, 2015 at 8:55am

Merry Christmas to you too.

Rick N

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on December 25, 2015 at 9:15am
Mike, Wishing you a Merry Christmas! Boat is looking mighty fine too.
Dorf
Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on December 31, 2015 at 5:38pm

Thanks Rick and Dorf.

So I blew it this weekend, an extra day to work on the boat. and I went to get more white oak today and they the Lumber Shed was closed...darn. I really had hopes of building the seat benches this weekend, but theres no shortage of other little things I can do. I started on the floor drains. I liked the idea of one in the middle off to the side, and I liked the idea of one in the very rear if it was tipped up, so decided to do both. I know we talked about me having to add 1/4" plywood patch either inside or outside as my bottom wood is only 3/8" thick but I didnt like that idea at all. I wanted a clean recessed drain.

There was plenty of boss below the plug threads doing nothing, so I took it to my machine shop (which is my hack saw, bench grinder, file and drill stone) cut that extra off with the hacksaw, then took it to the grinding wheel, smoothed off the bottom, then ground a little off the screw flange too and made it 7/16" thick total. (plywood plus the glass on the bottom) I posted a pic of the first one a did in a earlier post, but you can see how much I could loose

Worked out great. Then luckily I have a bunch of hole saws and did a mock up first to see if my plan would work. I found a larger hole saw that with a small template collar on a laminate router and tiny router bit made the perfect size hole for the flange to sit into so i drilled the template hole in some 1/4" ply. Found a perfect smaller hole saw that fit the boss flange on the drain.

Drilled a pilot hole in the boat bottom, set the template hole saw into the pilot hole and set the template over the hole saw to locate it. I screwed the template to the boat bottom to keep it in place (not going through the bottom) and routered out the recess for the flange. Then I used the smaller hole saw that fit the boss on the drain plug and drilled half way down then from the bottom up and ended up with a pretty close to perfect fit.

I`ll cut some short screws to go into the 3 holes, then 5200 the thing into place. and I`ll seal the bottom good when I flip it over to graphite the bottom (this weekend). So I had to make that lift out plug in the rear floor to get to it, but the side one I can reach through the side of the middle floorboards. Turned out just like I wanted it :)

I did round those threads in that last pic with a stone in a drill. And that gents is how this old Polish guy did it,lol, now I`m gonna have a beer

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone !!!

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on December 31, 2015 at 7:48pm

Nice job! Happy New Year to you.

Rick

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on January 1, 2016 at 8:09pm

Thanks Rick. So one of the little things I needed to get done is the inside bottom edge of the rails. Now that they are epoxied to the frames, no way to work on them and they had a sharp edge that didnt feel good grabbing the rail. I started hand sanding a radius on that corner and gee wiz it would take forever. So I rigged up a offset trim router base with a 1/4" roundover bit. I dont recommend doing this at home, or anywhere else, but it saved a boatload of sanding,,,all but about 1/2" at each end, which I cut some strips off a sandpaper roll and knocked that out in a hour.
Gonna mix a little epoxy and coat those drain holes I cut yesterday so water cant get into the wood before I get them mounted.

Any opinions on oar locks? 1/2" or 5/8" shafts, maybe where to get them from??

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on January 1, 2016 at 9:40pm

Mike,

I have 1/2" Oarlocks.  They seem to be adequate for our rivers.  Not too much white water here.  I picked them up at Cabelas in Dundee a few years ago.

Check these two also.

http://www.iboats.com/Boat-Parts-Accessories/dm/cart_id.054371995--...

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search.do?refineTyp...

Plus there is Sawyer, they make oars mainly but have fancy oarlocks too.

G'Luck

Dorf

Permalink Reply by David Witton on January 2, 2016 at 6:21am

Sweet!

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on January 3, 2016 at 9:09pm

So I got those rails sanded up, and Dorf told me I needed to get a couple coats of epoxy on them, so I stripped the boat down and got a couple coats on today. Next step is to sand them again and then......varnish, yay. All of the interior was epoxied and sanded during assembly, and the glass is all sanded too.

I picked up a qt of Epifanes and thinner and a badger brush to get started asap, and have more coming from Jamestown this week.

I think Tatman said not to bother or waste the epoxy on all the wood parts, but Epifanes recommends a couple coats prior to finish too.

I also got the drains set in place with 5200, I`m gonna wait for that to set up some before I graphite the bottom. Whats that take, about a month? lol While I was at it i decided to modify the drain plugs with some brass rod I had from my old machine shop days. Its some 5/32"rod, thats .156 for you Phil ;) I drilled the hole, knurled the center of the rod and pressed it in. Will be way easy to remove and install.

This week I`ll get more white oak for the benches and get those started, still lots to do.

Oh ya, Harbor Freight has 36 pk of 2" chip brushes on sale for $12 (about .40 ea) and the little triangle sanding discs for the Dremel, 6pk for 2.89, good prices

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on January 7, 2016 at 7:38pm

Not making any waves this week. I did get the rails sanded, almost ready for varnish, I pulled the chine cap screws, coat of epoxy on the caps, (and some other parts) put bedding compound on chine cap screws and reinstalled (nasty stuff and hard to clean up, about like the 5200, gets on everything but cleans up with acetone) so now I can sand them again and 2nd coat of epoxy to get ready for varnish.

Made final adjustment of the fly line deck and sanded, ready to get that set with epoxy for the last time and get ready for varnish.

I did get more supplies in, got some white oak, more qt`s of Epifanes, thinner  and brushes, screws (got all the floor boards loaded now) A couple tapered drill bits for the 2 I broke, a pc of stainless piano hinge for the benches (should have got 2 right away) and a plug cutter.

I was going through the 286 photos on here for the 20th time looking for seat ideas (I`m really liking Steves seats) and every time I see this pic a member posted so I thought I would re- post it in case people didnt see it. I thought this was pretty cool !

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