Page 1 of 1

FS18

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 9:58 pm
by rbecker08
So it finally happened, I got a call that there was a 350 lb package for me to pick up tomorrow that can only mean one thing. Marine plywood made it here. So we are starting a FS18 build is starting near Pensacola, FL. Looking forward to all the challenges that come with and getting to know you all and learning from your experience. It'll be a bit slow getting started but I figured we should first start with introductions. First our construction manager
IMG_0234.JPG
First Mate (Studying up)
IMG_0167.JPG
And lastly.....the Grunt
Untitled.png
So looking forward to being more active in the community and thanks for following me through what is shaping up to be my mid life crisis.

Re: FS18

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 10:04 pm
by Dutch1
Welcome aboard. An FS18 on Pensacola bay would be nice. Good luck on your build! There's a ton of knowledge on this forum and there is no stupid question.

Re: FS18

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 11:00 pm
by rbecker08
Thanks Dutch.....logged back on because I forgot one.....the stowaway
IMG_0230.JPG
And yeah super pumped about getting this thing built and on the water. Not going to fill the void offshore but makes a good warmup for something a bit bigger and should handle this perfect
20170113_124109 (1).jpg

Re: FS18

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 6:37 am
by Jeff
Welcome to you all!!! We will enjoy watching you build the FS18!!! There are several underway right now!! Again, welcome!! Jeff

Re: FS18

Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 6:28 pm
by rbecker08
So got the plywood in on Friday. Seems like the first project will be to get the workshop set up. I read on crackers build that you can cut two pieces at a time if you secure them. What's the best way to do that clamping on the cutting table or do I need to use brad nails? Hope you all enjoyed the weekend it was just to pretty to make much progress caught 5 bass 10ish reds and my first hybrid stripper
IMG_0262.JPG
IMG_0259.JPG
IMG_0258.JPG

Re: FS18

Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 11:44 pm
by Fuzz
Cutting two pieces at a time ensures they are an exact mirror of each other. All you need to do is clamp them together enough so they do not shift while cutting. I am sure you read that by setting your saw blade just 1/16 of an inch deeper than the wood you can cut curves with a curricular saw.
Looks like you had a good day fishing. I am ready to do some of that myself if the weather here ever warms up.

Re: FS18

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:23 pm
by rbecker08
Made some progress over the past few days, just measuring out cuts nothing to exciting. However did find something real useful. For parts that are not on the edge of the ply used a story stick and the drywall t square to make accurate measurements, used this for measuring stringers in between the sides and bottoms on the 1/4 ply.
StoryStick.jpg
So moving ahead but not real sure on the nesting, especially for the stringers there isn't to much detail on how they are broken apart and nested in the plans but we'll figure it out or buy another sheet. Taking my time as I come from a long line of measure once, cut once, modify design type of folks.

Also there are some parts that share an edge, meaning there will be a kerf cut out and whatever wobble is in my cuts. This is especially true on the stringers nested in the middle of the ply, I am guessing as it stands I will have stringers 3 7/8" not 4" after final trimming. Is it recommended to measure kerf in or don't worry about it. The furniture maker in me is freaking out.

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 12:26 am
by Fuzz
Put the furniture building part of your brain away :D We are building a stitch and glue boat here. Remember gaps are good, you will fill them with glue and have no hard spots.

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 1:24 pm
by rbecker08
Fuzz wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 12:26 am Put the furniture building part of your brain away :D We are building a stitch and glue boat here. Remember gaps are good, you will fill them with glue and have no hard spots.
Gaps are good....I say it but I have a nervous twitch afterwards because gaps are bad lol. Reading around here I am learning that tolerances are different here. Thanks for reading along with me fuzz I'll probably have this tolerance thing come up again

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 1:36 pm
by Jaysen
rbecker08 wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 1:24 pm
Fuzz wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 12:26 am Put the furniture building part of your brain away :D We are building a stitch and glue boat here. Remember gaps are good, you will fill them with glue and have no hard spots.
Gaps are good....I say it but I have a nervous twitch afterwards because gaps are bad lol. Reading around here I am learning that tolerances are different here. Thanks for reading along with me fuzz I'll probably have this tolerance thing come up again
I dont' know... they let me hang out so they are a pretty tolerant crowd...

If you make every cut 100% perfect you will be told to put a nail between each panel to ADD space. This is not fine cabinetry. You need some slop. Hard to stomach, but it's true. You could mark your lines with a jumbo crayon, use a jigsaw in a drunken stupor, and STILL build a good boat with this method. You may not have fingers, but the boat would be sound.

For the record the above method is NOT sanctioned by anyone and only recommended for use by CL, Fuzz, and the other crazies at that top of the boat building shrine. Mere mortals should only use a medium crayon and have a light buzz (this is also NOT sanctioned by sane people but let's be honest, we all need a dozen belts of the strong stuff every now and then don't we?).

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:03 pm
by rbecker08
So when cutting I will stick my tongue out the right side of my mouth and tilt my head to the left, that should get us a gap :help:. More measuring tonight anyone have any dimensions on the sole pieces, or is it custom cut to the hull after flipping :doh:. Other options on the table include illiteracy but I looked over the plans a few times.

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:01 pm
by Dutch1
Just remember to not stick out your tongue while sanding.. Tilting of the head is still ok. :lol:

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:11 pm
by rbecker08
Dutch1 wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:01 pm Just remember to not stick out your tongue while sanding.. Tilting of the head is still ok. :lol:
I think you have to switch the side you tilt too or all the swirls come out the same way and look funny.

So I do feel like I learn something everyday, if you want to learn to build a boat go to crackers thread, this is rapidly becoming a race to the bottom of the construction world. As a learning always start with the curves near the edge of the plywood, they kinda change the position of the top of the piece. Top line is right, bottom one is almost a very expensive mistake. I like square boats I am rapidly becoming a fan of tom hanks raft in castaway
IMG_0277.JPG

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:17 pm
by rbecker08
Also general question looks like I going to come up a few feet short on the stringers what options do I have, I was thinking of getting a piece of marine fir locally but know checking is an issue. Just trying to avoid having to order one sheet of ply at 200 dollarish. I know they fit in the ply I ordered but it's so tight I can't get it without a long long long measuring and remeasuring process Risk to the whole project isn't really worth trying to make it fit. Thanks for the toughts

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:39 pm
by Dutch1
I hear ya on the long measurement process. I was too excited to cut and didn't mark the stringers on the sheets before I cut my pieces out. It took me a little while to cut the stringers out of what was left but it can be done.

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:42 pm
by rbecker08
It is what it is just wondering if I can use more readily available materials to fill the gap I am fairly certain I wil have

Re: FS18

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 12:23 am
by Fuzz
For stringers and transoms there is nothing wrong with fir marine. In fact it is stiffer and might even be better for those uses. The down side of fir is it checks if not glassed on both sides. And it soaks up more epoxy so you end up with the same or more cost in many cases. If it were me I would not think twice, go get the fir for the stringers and charge ahead.

Re: FS18

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:30 am
by seaslug
It is best to wait until after the hull is glassed and flipped before cutting the sole, deck, and gunnel pieces. Each hull will be slightly different, and this way you can get a good fit. For the deck you can lay the ply on top and trace the outline, subtracting the necessary amount all around if the deck drops down onto cleats glued to the inside of the hull. For the sole, lay out a grid, pulling measurements off the center line to port and starboard, and you'll get a perfect fit.

Re: FS18

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 12:14 pm
by rbecker08
seaslug wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:30 am It is best to wait until after the hull is glassed and flipped before cutting the sole, deck, and gunnel pieces. Each hull will be slightly different, and this way you can get a good fit. For the deck you can lay the ply on top and trace the outline, subtracting the necessary amount all around if the deck drops down onto cleats glued to the inside of the hull. For the sole, lay out a grid, pulling measurements off the center line to port and starboard, and you'll get a perfect fit.
Spot on to what I was thinking thanks for the help

Re: FS18

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 10:05 pm
by Huntsabunch
For what it's worth, I took one look at that nesting drawing and put it back in the envelope it came in. I laid everything out from the detail drawings. They are dead on the money and, if you are careful, you should end up with exactly what you need. You could still use the nesting drawing to check yourself.
Good luck with your build. I saw the construction mgr, the first mate, the grunt, and the stowaway. I didn't see the captain. I guess she was shoe shopping or something? :)
Ken

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 12:04 am
by rbecker08
Huntsabunch wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2017 10:05 pm For what it's worth, I took one look at that nesting drawing and put it back in the envelope it came in. I laid everything out from the detail drawings. They are dead on the money and, if you are careful, you should end up with exactly what you need. You could still use the nesting drawing to check yourself.
Good luck with your build. I saw the construction mgr, the first mate, the grunt, and the stowaway. I didn't see the captain. I guess she was shoe shopping or something? :)
Ken
lol I wasn't tracking the time I took the pictures but its shoes or the nails getting done not sure :) Of all the folks that got their picture taken she is the only one that could say no lol

Re: FS18

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 12:13 am
by rbecker08
So another riveting night of measuring but made some good head way. Just if someone could check this and make sure the head tilt isn't getting to me. I think I have all the 1/4" measured out, except the last piece which is the sole and the butt block. That leaves 5 pieces, all 4 for the front sections for the bottoms and sides are on a sheet, the middle and rear sections are doubled up to make the rest. In my small brain there is a bit of waste on the rear sections, one of the sheets is used to complete the sole, while the other is waste if I am not mistaken. If that is right, it could be my stringer savior, but I have to look ahead on where to get the transom knees from. Starting on the 3/8 tomorrow hopefully cutting by next week :help:. Also there is a bit of a life lesson here but I have gotten myself all wrapped around a spoke about the stringers, there is something to be said about just getting into it and figuring it out as you go, there are multiple ways to fix this and really isn't apparent till you look at the lines on the ply. Being reserved with a saw is wise but who cares about a pencil.