Tag: Boatbuilding

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Building a Half Hull Model

Finished half hull model of the Palm Beach 22
Finished half hull model of the Palm Beach 22

In days of old boatbuilders would carve out a half hull model and show it to the client.  Once everyone agreed on the shape, the builder would take the lines off the model, loft it (see discussion of lofting here), and build the boat.  The half hull model was the starting point.  Nowadays, we have the lines already on paper, and we can use that to build a half hull model to represent the design of the boat in 3D.  Actually, we can model it in 3D on computers now, but sometimes one wants to do things the old-fashioned way. Continue reading “Building a Half Hull Model”

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Lofting the Palm Beach 22

Mack Brown helps with lofting the lines of the Palm Beach 22
Mack Brown helps with lofting the lines of the Palm Beach 22.  Look closely and you can see the curves of the boat!

So, we’ve decided on boat plans and purchased them.  We’ve detailed the lumber we’ll need and ordered it.  Now it’s time to draw the boat’s lines full scale.  That means we’ll end up with a 22 foot long drawing of the boat, since the boat will in fact be 22 feet long.  As a friend of mine in the construction industry used to say, we’re going to draw it at a scale of 12 inches to the foot.  The process is called lofting, because the only place big enough to do this in boat shops of old was the sail loft. Continue reading “Lofting the Palm Beach 22”

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Building a Nelson Zimmer Palm Beach 22

Profile view of the Palm Beach 22 by Nelson Zimmer.
Profile view of the Palm Beach 22 by Nelson Zimmer.

Nelson Zimmer was a prominent naval architect, born in 1922.  He passed away in February 2007.  Mr. Zimmer sold his first design in 1931, and over the years worked in a variety of places, including Chris Craft.  I don’t know when he designed the Palm Beach 22.  If you know, or know how I can find out, please let me know.

But I’m very excited that the Palm Beach 22 is the next project here at Ashley River Boatworks.  We’ve got the plans in hand and have researched lumber requirements and suppliers.  Lofting will begin soon.

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Adding the Shiny Parts

Stainless Steel cutwater
Adding the stainless steel cutwater and rub rails really add the finishing touches.

Chrome and highly polished stainless steel are beautiful things on a Chris Craft.  They really make the boat pop.  Don’t cheap-out on your re-chroming.  There aren’t a lot of chrome shops left in the U.S.  It’s a nasty, dirty process that takes a craftsman’s eye and touch to do right.  It’s expensive, but if you want it to last, you’ve got to pay for it.

Stainless is a little easier.  It’s not terribly expensive yet, and often it’s easier to replace than to try to refurbish.  But if it’s not deformed, a buffing wheel and a little elbow grease can go a long way to making some old stainless look better. Continue reading “Adding the Shiny Parts”

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Connecting the Exhaust Pipe

The exhaust pipe to exhaust elbow can be problematic because of heat and water.
The exhaust pipe to exhaust elbow can be problematic because of heat and water.

Connecting the exhaust pipe to the exhaust elbow can be problematic for a couple of reasons:  it gets hot and it gets wet.  Oh yeah, and it needs to be air tight so you don’t end up leaking exhaust into the boat. Continue reading “Connecting the Exhaust Pipe”

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Caulking the Deck Seams

I use Sikaflex 291 LOT to caulk the deck seams.
I use Sikaflex 291 LOT to caulk the deck seams.

After the varnish is laid on, but before the final coat, it’s time to caulk the deck seams.  Most of them (2 out of 3) are false seams–only there for show.  But every third one is live.  It is essential to get a good seal with the seam caulking to prevent leaks and rot.   Continue reading “Caulking the Deck Seams”

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Lapping the Prop to the Shaft

The dull gray band about the width of the key is evidence this shaft has been lapped to its propeller.
The dull gray band about the width of the key is evidence this shaft has been lapped to its propeller.

A propeller shaft has a tapered end that should exactly match the taper in the propeller bore.  Any time you get a new shaft or propeller, you need the “lap” the two to get a tight fit between them.  This fit is essential to minimize vibration and ensure the best transfer of power from the engine to the prop. Lapping is accomplished with lapping compound (Of course it is, right?).  Lapping compound is just a finely regulated gritty substance that machinists use to make metal joints fit–like intake and exhaust valves in engines, or propellers on shafts.  There’s no magic to it.  Just slather the stuff on the taper of the shaft, and then rotate the prop around the shaft in a back and forth motion.  Do this until you get a good, evenly dulled surface all around the shaft and inside the prop bore.  If you’re unsure where the high spots are, you can paint a blue chemical dye called DYKEM on the shaft.  Then scrub the prop back and forth and see where the dye transfers. Continue reading “Lapping the Prop to the Shaft”

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Fixing the Dash

The evil staple rot again! We've got to fix this before our new upholstery staples will hold in the edge of the dashboard.
The evil staple rot again! We’ve got to fix this before our new upholstery staples will hold in the edge of the dashboard.

We’ve referred to the evils of steel staples and the rot they produce in wood over time in a previous post here.  Well, that staple rot exists in the top of the dashboard too, since the crash pad was stapled to it as well.  We can either rebuild the dashboard, or restore it.  In this case, cutting out the offending strip, and gluing in a “Dutchman” will fit the bill. Continue reading “Fixing the Dash”

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How Do You Enlarge a Hole?

How to make a large hole larger? Don't run for your rasp or round file.
How to make a large hole larger? Don’t run for your rasp or round file.

The engine compartment ventilation holes needed enlarging.  For whatever reason, they were seriously undersized according to the plans, and my calculations of what is necessary for that size space.

So, if you already have a hole in the boat, how do you make it bigger?  How do you get your hole saw, or your drill bit to center itself on the hole, when there’s nothing there for the pilot bit to bite into? Continue reading “How Do You Enlarge a Hole?”

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New Ceiling Planks

New ceiling planks have to be fitted, then taken back out of the boat for staining and finishing.
New ceiling planks have to be fitted, then taken back out of the boat for staining and finishing.

Boat vocabulary can be crazy and frustrating.  For example, what do you call the planks that line the inside of the cockpit, and give it that beautiful, rich look?  Why the ceiling planks, of course.  And you thought that word meant an overhead surface, didn’t you?

New ceiling, port and starboard.
New ceiling, port and starboard.

Oh well, I didn’t really like the look of the old ceiling planks I took out.  And it was a simple matter to use the old ones as patterns and make new.  Actually it was easier to make new than to strip and refinish the old ones.  Not to mention the risk that one of the old, brittle planks might break when putting them back in.

How to hold the pieces in place while you fit them requires some creative solutions.
How to hold the pieces in place while you fit them requires some creative solutions.

 

 

The challenge was how to clamp the new planks in when fitting them.  That is often the case.  Boatbuilders as a group are some of the most creative clampers I know.