Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Guy's Wooden Drift Boat Project
Hello Everyone,
My name is Guy and this is my first post in this forum. I am here because I want to build a wooden drift boat and, undoubtedly, I will occasionally need advice of the pool of experts and experienced drift boat builders on this forum.
In preparation for this project I have read and studied three books: Drift Boats and River Dories by R. L. Fletcher, Boatbuilding with Plywood by G. L. Witt, and Covering Wooden Boats with Fiberglass by A. H. Vaitses. I have also developed my own set of construction plans based off of the "Original McKenzie Double-Ender with Transom" in Fletcher's book. I used and MS Excel spreadsheet to calculate all of the dimensions, cut angles, compound angles, and bevel angles of all frame components and I used Pilot3D software to calculate the as-cut dimensions of the plywood sides and bottom. At this point I am pretty comfortable with the mechanics of construction and I think that I am just about ready to start purchasing lumber.
Presently, I plan to use Meranti Hydro-Tek plywood; 1/4-in. on the sides and 1/2-in. on the bottom. I found plenty of places to purchase these materials, but they are all far away from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and as a result shipping costs more than the materials. Are any of you aware of a business within a few hundred miles of Idaho Falls that sells this plywood? I have a few requests in to the local lumber companies, but I have yet to talk with someone who has heard of this material before.
I also plan to use Port Orford Cedar (CVG) for the straight frame sections and White Oak (quater sawn) for the bent frame sections (chine logs and sheer rails).
Thank you, Guy
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on
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Thanks Phil.
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Here is a picture of the two "oversized" bottom panels laid out sibe-by-side. There is a butt joint running down the middle that will be epoxied upon final assembly. And I'll make the final cuts upon fitting to the assembled frames and side panels. This was made from two sheets of 4x8 1/2-in. plywood.
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You can't tell by the picture, but each of the original four panels was identical in size. The picture gives it a "coffin" shape, but it is not that.
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The fiberglass arrived today. Here is a picture of one of the side panels covered in 6-oz. fiberglass. It's interesting; as you smooth out the fiberglass fabric on the plywood, you literally feel every small particle or splinter of wood underneath the fabric. Make sure that the surface of the plywood is perfectly clean and smooth. Also, the threads in the fabric can easily pull one way or another, but this is easily worked out with a brush with fairly stiff bristles. With the brush you can work the minor imperfections (that may develop) in the fabric's weave back where they belong. I'll probably lay down the first coat of epoxy this weekend.
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I always like to give a plug to good companies. I did a web search looking for a bronze "bow eye" for my drift boat this afternoon and I find this company called Bristol Bronze. I give them a call and there is no answer, so I hang up. About 20 minutes later the guy calls me back and says that he's sorry that he missed my call; said he was in the shop working and he didn't hear the phone ringing. We talked for about 30 minutes. The short of it is this: the guy specializes in casting classic bronze yacht hardware using the investment casting technique right there in Rhode Island (i.e., Made in the USA). He worked as a salesman for one of the big brass companies on the east coast for years and now has his own business doing something he loves. You've got to appreciate a company like that.
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I applied epoxy to the first side panel, but I really don't know what I am doing. What you see in this picture took 2,200 g of 105 resin and 595 g of 207 hardener (West System). I mixed this amout in eleven separate batches (using plastic drinking cups; 200 g of resin at a time) and spread it about as evenly as I could. That was a lot more than I expected to use, but I had no working basis for that expectation.
The epoxy certainly does dry more slowly when it is spread around and after a short while I realized that there was no particular rush to finish. I had plenty of working time. But it is evening and the garage is cool, and undoubtedly the cool temperature is a contributing factor. I think that once the epoxy sets up, I'll sand the surface while it's flat, but I may not apply the next coat until after the boat is assembled. I'll make that decision later. The next coat may just be the final coat of spar varnish.
In an hour or two, after the epoxy has cured a little, I'll try to trim the fiberglass. You just can't do that very effectively while the epoxy is fluid.
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Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on
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Guy,
In about 1 1/2-1 3/4 hrs from the time you put down the epoxy use a new boxcutter blade and cut alone the edge and it'll cut nicely. Just pull gently on the cut end and keep light pressure on the cloth as you cut it.
phil w.
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Thanks Phil.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C. on
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Guy..wayyy too much epoxy.Epoxy is supposed to be applied in coats,not all at once.Wet the fabric and spread using a squeegee until all the fabric becomes translucent and allow to dry.Before it completely sets up and cures you can add another thin coat and smooth over the bumpy fabric.Using a foam roller(after spreading out with squeegee) on your next 2 coats will give you a smooth glassy surface .If a coat fully cures during this process sand with 150 or 220 grit before applying the next coat to assure proper bonding.Sanding epoxy smooth is a process you want to avoid ,very bad that epoxy dust.
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Kevin, Thanks.
I initially spread the epoxy with a plastic straight edge, starting at one end and working toward the other. When I finished that step, the fabric was soaked through and the texture of the threads was showing through the surface in about half of the area. Then I went back over everything with a bristle painting pad (a pad from a painting edge trimmer from Home Depot that worked very well for this application) to smoothed it out. Then I went back over everything again with the bristle pad, adding epoxy here and there, until most of the thread texture was gone. I've put this panel to the side to let it fully cure and I will start the next panel today. On the next panel, I will apply the epoxy with the spreader, then wait, and then try a roller to apply a few thinner coats.
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Permalink Reply by Dave Barnes on
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yes. the initial coat is the 'wetting coat' which basically allows the fiberglass cloth to adhere and lay flat without bubbles. filling the weave is for later. though, truth be told, I am so bad with epoxy and fiberglass that I won't post anymore on the subject.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Jensen on
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Guy,
While I am certainly no expert, what I have found that works best for me is to use a foam roller (home depot - $3.50) and use this to initially wet out the wood. The foam roller does not absorb very much epoxy, but lays down a nice and even coat. Then lay your glass over this and start applying the epoxy, again with the foam roller, over the glass. I have found that by using the foam roller, it does a great job of getting any air bubbles out from underneath the glass while at the same time spreading an even, thin, coat of epoxy.
Good luck and remember, I am only 1 mile away if you need any help.
Greg
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