TX 18 Build

[Daniel Huckleberry]

Sold it quite a while back. I am in WV working and have been for about 2.5 years now. The boat was just sitting down there in Alabama collecting dirt and mildew. It broke me heart to see it that way so I let her go to a very loving owner. Might do another one liker her in the future. I would really like to do the Hickman version for comparison.

Huck

[Prarie Dog]

Too bad you had to sell her. Hoping David will finish his soon so we can get some numbers. Take care Huck.

[dborecky]

Huck, It is great to hear from you!!!!

I pondered on the strong back. I decided to put a third set of wheels in the middle it after I stood on the middle and felt the flex.



The problem is that with three sets of wheels you need a very level surface and a perfectly level strong back or this happens......





I was not sure what was going on so I rolled it out of the garage and the front and rear wheels were on the ground but the middle was like this.







Now I have to figure out how to build with this going on. I may just have to put blocks under the wheels to make it level after rolling it in and out of the garage.

[Prarie Dog]

I bet when you get some weight on it it'll be fine.

[Steven]

I just went out and measured my frame. It's 16' long. The wheels on the front are 2 ' from the end and at the rear are 1 1/2 ' from the end. So I have 13 1/2' between the wheels. Never had any flexing issue. Gonna be tough on an uneven floor with 3 sets of wheels. By the time the hull gets any weight to it, it's just about stiff enough to keep from flexing anyway.

[Prarie Dog]

Steven. sounds like you may want to rent a laser level and mark the spots on the floor that the wheels should be so that it is level. If you need to put shims under some of the wheels then do that. I have alignment stands in my shop that are adjusted to be level in a fairly small area of the floor. Works fine.

[majorgator]

Now I have to figure out how to build with this going on. I may just have to put blocks under the wheels to make it level after rolling it in and out of the garage.

Possibly the result of some of that really fine wood they're selling these days I bought some 2 x 12 PT's yesterday, and when I laid them on the sawhorses to cut, I realized that the ends weren't square...not even close

seth

[topwater]

Thats why i tore my jig apart and went out and bought lvl's, got everything level then bolted it to the floor.

[Cracker Larry]

Thats why i tore my jig apart and went out and bought lvl's

Thanks for jogging my memory! Derrick called me about this yesterday and that's what I was trying to recommend to him, but I couldn't remember what they were called I wouldn't fight that crooked lumber myself. I know you don't want to start over Derrick, but I think time spent now to get it right will pay off in grief savings over the long run.

[wadestep]

I've got a 16' strongback of 2x6s also (building the OB19). I've got a 3rd set of castor wheels with very carefully selected lumber. All wheels hit the ground before the build. DB - I'd be uncomfortable with your current setup both because you must have some lumber-based deflection and because of the large span between the wheels.

Also -I have about a 1/2" dropoff into my garage and the 3 sets of castor wheels are no big deal - I do see them come up off the ground only during moving in/out of the garage.

The other thing I'm glad I did is cut some triangles out of cheap plywood and fix them to the corners of the jig - really ensures that everthign is kept square.


Hope this info is of some use. - glad to hear you're getting building again, and that it's a family affair.
wade