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Permalink Reply by Don Tyson on December 21, 2019 at 7:40am

So they are usually screwed only?

(1)I assume the the stations are located and marked onto the scarfed sides. (2)Then the sides are attached to the stem and transom. (3)Lastly I assume that the frames are fitted to the station marks and the bottom is screwed on.

Are the sides pre-drilled before the frames are installed?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on December 21, 2019 at 8:34am

+1 for the glue and nail method. I would never build a boat without gluing the frames. I used screws on my first three boats I think then discovered silicon bronze ring shank nails. You don't have to fill these as the bronze color blends very nicely on a dark boat or contrast well on a light boat or can be painted over.

Yes they need to be clamped and yes the glue (epoxy) is hidden if your careful. Nail them when they are clamped before the epoxy cures. The nails will hold when the clamps are removed. Pre- drill for the nails as well, 'tap' them in as they bend super easy!

I do my station lines on the outside of the hull as a reference for the nails and place the frame accordingly.

I am getting out of the boat building game for now. I have one last kit ready to go if anyone knows of someone who is interested in one.

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Don Tyson on December 21, 2019 at 9:21am

Mike sorry to hear that. Is the market soft or is it too good for the kit or custom build business?

Those nails were used mightily in traditional east coast boat-building, charming. One must ask though, if you're using epoxy glue then why use nails at all. Could it be for the reasons of strength? Would epoxy-only require noticeable fillets to match the strength of your method.

My current epoxy boat hasn't any frames but it looks crude with the taped seams and heavy fillets around everything.While I have since figured ways to be more careful it still won't match the beauty of a framed boat.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on December 21, 2019 at 9:59am

The market is fine, i'm tired honestly. Doing boats around a full time job, elderly parents blah blah blah. Need time for fishing too!

I will likely do some smaller 11' Pram/Jon boat stuff for still waters as that is my passion these days.

The fasteners definitely ad strength plus they hold everything together while the epoxy cures. As we are essentially gluing the end grain on the frames I do think you might need fillets if there were no fasteners. At that point you might as well go S&G. I like S&G boats but hate epoxy work so I probably won't ever go that route.

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Don Tyson on December 21, 2019 at 11:41am

I'm torn. At 61 I didn't need this new love. I came upon it online and it stuck. After reading about drift boats for the first time in late May this year I saw a large elegantly done DB in heavy traffic on I-95 between Wilmington and Baltimore somewhere. I've been playing with epoxy my whole adult life but never built more than a small skid and this DB. While I like it for painted boats I find S&G sloppy looking in comparison to more conventional methods. It is fast.
When building these boats are the side planks pre-drilled?

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Permalink Reply by Bennett Yarbrough on December 22, 2019 at 8:06am

Don I think it’d be best to buy the book “drift boats and river dories” by Roger fletcher. It walks you through the history as well as the construction of the Mackenzie dory as well as other ply on frame boats and includes plans for a few boats. You can predrill the holes or just drill them as you go. But yes the key is to mark all frame placements on the outside of the panels.

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Permalink Reply by Shawn Baker on December 22, 2019 at 9:14am

Don, check out Brad Dimock’s Fretwaterlines blog. He predrills the sides and has a lot of other time saving ideas for framed boats.

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Permalink Reply by Don Tyson on December 22, 2019 at 1:13pm

Thanks for all the help. I’ll do it soon.

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