Laminating the Intermediate Frames

Intermediate frames
Intermediate frames ready for epoxy coating before permanent installation.
Laminating intermediate frames
The 1/8″ strips are clamped in place using the boat as a form.

Mr. Zimmer called for steam bent intermediate topside frames in his plans to join up with the intermediate floors.  We could steam bend these, but I’m more inclined to laminate them.  So off to the table saw we go to start cutting strips!  I found that I could get the curve I needed at the chine with a 1/8″ thick strip of Douglas Fir.  These frames are 1″ wide and need to be 1/2″ deep with 1/2″ blocking added between battens.  I milled my strips a little oversize so I could clean them up and plane them to final width after gluing.

Clamping in place to mark for blocking
Clamping the frame back in place to mark for blocking between the battens.

 

 

 

Once I had the strips milled out, I used the boat as a form and clamped them in place, being sure to mask any contact areas with packing tape so I could remove them and add blocking.

 

Epoxy coating intermediate frames before final installation.
Epoxy coating the frames before final installation. Each part gets 3 coats of clear epoxy before it goes in the boat.

Then of course it was time to plane them to thickness, sand and give them their obligatory 3 coats of clear epoxy

before gluing them back in place.   Easy as pie!

One Reply to “Laminating the Intermediate Frames”

  1. Looks good and so clever/adept. Howsomever photos would look better with the craftsman included. Wrote to you elsewhere about the passing, not sure you got it. Thinking of you

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