The French have a Different Word for Everything...

I once ran a radio station while going to college.  It was a small radio station.  We had about 8 people working there when I started.  Shortly after I was hired the station was bought out and everyone was let go except me.  I think it was I worked the cheapest.  Anyway to make a long story short I was on my own and was pretty much self taught in radio.  About a year later the station sold again to some real radio people in a town about 45-55 minutes down the road.  Most of my interaction was on the phone with them because they didn't like to drive.  Being self taught, my terminology I used was looked down upon by the "real radio" guys.  I used to refer to commercials as "ads". This turned out to be a real faux pas.  Turns out you don't call an advertisement an "ad" in the business.  An "add" is a new song in the music rotation.  An advertisement is called a "spot" usually 30 or 60 seconds long. oh well, who knew?

Well I tell this story because like radio I am self taught when it comes to building boats and don't have a lot of interaction with guys that know their stuff.  So I finished the installation of the floorboards.  I believe this is called the sole.  Hope "real boat people" don't laugh at me.  There are a bunch of other terms like lazarette, Bomar, companionway, tabernacle, gaff, gudgeons & pintles, that I will be working into future posts...hope I don't misuse them.  Boat people are like radio people and the French...they have a different word for everything.

Installed floorboards.

Trim line drawn using a wood strip left over from one of the kayaks to draw the line.

Tight quarters required a tool purchase.

Aerial view.

Implements of construction.

My "feeler gauge".

Everyone seems to have found their own way of installing the floorboards.  I found using cheap drywall screws for the first installation would be a good idea so not to tear up the bronze screw heads.  Ultimately after the boards are sanded rounded over with the router and varnished they will be installed with bronze screws.  The piece of paper I used in the last picture was used kinda like a feeler gauge.  I would slide it under the floorboard and found where it would make contact with the hull.  I would then sand or hand plane that area.  After lots of back and forth the clearance was perfect.

Also in the last picture the floorboard second from the bottom is flat sawn.  All the rest of the boards are quarter sawn.  OCD and being a woodworker this drives me nuts.  All the boards have perfectly straight grain with the very close tight grain, except that one with Cathedral grain...aaaaaaawwww.

While installing the floorboards here is a tip for future builders.  As you work your way out from the center it is very difficult to reach your hand under the installed boards once you get a few boards installed. It is also really easy to drop stuff during installation and when you do they all slide or roll to the center on the hull, just out of reach.  I just took the floorboards out for finish work and exposed enough stuff to build another boat!  Drill bits, screws, screw drivers, shims and lots of pencils.  It was like opening a treasure chest.  Have plenty of these things on hand before you start.

It was a nice change of pace from all the sanding doing the floorboards but now that they are out, back to sanding.

Change of Pace...

It sure is nice building one of these boats with all the Pocketship blogs out in cyberland.  Before starting the build and waiting for the kit to arrive I read every one of them I could Google up.  Now every time I start a new step I hunt down the blogs again and check their posts to see how the other guys did the same step.  It is kind of like looking at some else's paper on a test.  There are such great ideas for things not covered in the manual from brands of paint, to building techniques, and electronics.  Yep, I am going to rip off a few answers and give credit along the way of course and hopefully throw a few things out there others can rip off from me.

Up to this point everything is mostly as the manual has instructed.  The guys on the forum did talk me into leaving the cleats off the bulkheads until after the epoxy and fiberglass is done in the hull for ease of sanding.  Thanks guys!  Done.

Another deviation from the manual was an idea of my own.  Bulkhead 2 is turned around in my Pocketship.  That way the large hole is on the left and the small hole is on the right.  I did this for several reasons.  The electronic equipment that is normally mounted over the small hole will be on the right where I think it would be more conveniently located, and as noted in a previous post, I am right handed.  Also, the veneer on the wood looked much better on the side that will be now facing the companionway instead of the locker in case I plan to leave the finish bright (natural).

Today I started the floorboards.  I just was too tired of sanding and figured I needed a change of pace.  It really is nice to getting back to something that is more like woodworking.  The first couple of boards are going in nicely and look great. After all the boards are fitted they will be numbered and taken out for finishing, then back to sanding the hull for it's finish.  Hopefully by left arm will recuperate when that time comes.

Floorboards mostly just laying on the bulkheads earlier today...

Another deviation from the manual is the use of a little Bondo you can see on bulkhead 4 (the spots where it looks like a seagull pooped) It is not structural, just to smooth up my bad fillet technique.  It really is easy to sand and hardens quickly.  There are a few more places I plan to apply it when the floorboards come out.   Once painted no one will ever know.

Even tho the bulkheads are under the floorboards and they won't be seen, I want a smooth finish for cleaning purposes. Well, that and I will know what is under there.

I am still having a blast building this boat.  I hope sailing it is as much fun!

Progress Continues!

I have put hours and hours into the boat and made a lot of progress but not much to show.  Now that all the fillets are done in the bilge, I have acquired the skills and know how to do a pretty good job...a little late now.  The nice thing about fillets and fiberglass, is that if you are not particularly proficient you can always recover, if sanding does not bother you.  I have done a lot of sanding and have a lot to go...

There are times when I look at my work and think, "wow... this is not looking so good".  I remember feeling that way a lot when building my kayaks but in the end I was happy with the results.

This was my first attempt a large fiberglass job on my first boat.

Kayaks are fun but I am ready to harness some wind and leave the paddle at home.

Another picture to prove it floats!

I may not look like much but there are many hours of work from the last pictures of the Pocketship  and this picture below.  It is in the "ugly stage" for sure, but I am happy with the way things are turning out so far.  This area will be under the floorboards and will not be seen.

The bilge before a couple of fill coats of epoxy and more hours of sanding.

Before wetting out the fiberglass cloth with resin in the locker area.

Future Pocketship builders, note the clamps holding the cleat on bulkhead 7.  It is there just temporarily without glue to protect the fragile bulkhead.

I guess I need a complaint section in this post so here it is...my left are is killing me.   I find myself in all kinds of contorted positions  to the sanding of the bulkheads and fillets.  Many times I find I must sanding left handed.  This is really not a problem, my sister is left handed and I believe I may harbor some of these tendencies myself, but I guess the muscles and tendons are not up to the abuse.  Another problem I have is after I climb into the bilge to do some work I always forget at least one tool or the power tool I about to use is not plugged in.  Climbing in and out is not easy.  Ok, the complaint department is closed...

Only one more small area to glass and then work on the soul (floorboards) will begin.  I have been looking forward to doing the the next stage of construction since before I received the kit and I all I had was Pocketship blogs on the interweb to read.

The blogs I have read have been invaluable in inspiration, motivation and great information for the build.  The consensus of the blogs seems to be that I am about to complete the most dreaded parts of the build.  If this is the worst, bring on the rest of the construction!  I am having a blast and have loved every step along the way.

Pronounced Fill-it

While building this boat I have had to acquire new skills.  How to fillet a joint is one skill I think I am finally beginning to master.  Ok I don't want to go overboard (pun intended) but I have become significantly better at the technique.

To fillet the joints at the plywood, I mix epoxy with wood flour and a bit of the silica powder for a bit of added strength.  This mixture is dumped into a zip lock freezer bag and with the corner cut and is dispensed like a pastry bag.  It is like decorating a cake wearing gas mask.  

I started at the stern area because everything will be covered up by the cockpit and will not very often see the light of day.  The results were not horrible but will require a significant amout of sanding.  The better the fillet the less sanding it requires.  I am all for less sanding.

Every "pastry bag" of mix and application get better and better, until now instead of dreading another round of filleting,  I actually enjoy it.

For future builders out there the key to my mistakes were too dry of a mixture and not applying enough mixture to the joint.  Before mixing the next batch, be prepared.  Have tools clean and sized for the joint you are doing...i.e. have the proper radius and handle length on your spreader. It may take several tools depending on the number of different angles you plan to fillet.  I found my standup belt sander (1954 model Delta 6X48) works great for not only making the tools but also cleaning the tools too. 

This is the bow area.

These are some of my early fillets.  The bow is really tough because you are pretty much working in a hole.  I have to stand on a chair and bend over and reach down.  I am 6' 2" and my arms are not even close to being long enough to get down to work all these fillets.  This is an area that will be sealed and never seen again, but I sill need good smooth fillets so that the fiberglass covering them will lay flat and be strong.

Last fillet today.

This is the last fillet I did.  I like the way it came out.  It will be visible inside the companionway, it needed to be good.

The Manual Says...

The manual says use 18 gauge wire for stitching the panels together.  I could only find 16 gauge.  For those of you not into gauges, 16 is thicker than 18.  It seemed easy enough to bend and in many cases the thicker wire really worked out better.  Sometimes not.  Having both gauges on hand would be optimal.

This week's work has been a workout.  Climbing under the hull and twisting wires,  getting up and  down over and over has made joining Gold's Gym unnecessary .  I have found the sorest part of my body is my hands from the wire twisting but everything hurts.

First blood on the PocketShip.

Another 16 gauge hole before I gloved up.

Found a pair of thick leather gloves to protect the hands...I only need to be cut twice by 16 gauge wire.

While this week will not be as dramatic of a transformation as last week with the stitching together of the hull pieces, I did get a lot done tis week.  The all the bulkheads and transom were stitched in, tacked glued and fillets have started.

In the picture below you may be able to see the lock on the table saw fence.  It sticks straight out when not locked down.  I walked into it.  My leg now officially is much more sore than my hands...

Looking more like a boat!

PocketShip builders and builders to be may notice that the large hole in bulkhead #2 is on the left instead of the right.  I did this for two reasons.  The electrical gear mounts over the smaller hole.  I wanted the panel on the right side.  It seemed more convenient to me.  Also the plywood veneer looked much better on the side facing the companionway.  I intend to keep the finish "bright" meaning leaving the natural wood finish instead of paint.

Another deviation from the manual was a suggestion from the guys on the pocketship forum. The cleats are left off the bulkheads that hold up the sole (floor) until after all the glassing and sanding is done.  It makes sanding much easier and the cleats can be perfectly aligned in place when installing the floorboards.

Now for confession time.   The transom had one side better than the other.  I cut the bevel on the wrong side and it now fits bad side out.  There are some pretty good scars on the bad side that I will have to figure out a way to hide.

Visible Progress!!

A friend of mine was building an airplane in his garage a few years back.   His son brought his friend over to see the construction.  The plane was very early in the build.  The kid's friend was not impressed and said, "it does not look much like a plane to me"...ouch.

Well with the progress I have made over the last couple of days will allow me to bring people into my shop and without even telling them what I am doing, they will be able tell that I am building a boat.  This is a huge milestone!  It also has forced me into rearranging my shop for at least third time in the last month.  This little boat has a much bigger footprint than I really expected...time to move the tablesaw, again.  I do have the room, but my organizational skills are a bit lacking so I am still stepping over stuff.

This is the view of the Pocketship as a visitor enters the Pocketship Yard.

I did a lot of reading of Pocketship blogs in anticipation of receiving my receiving my kit.  There are a bunch of not only great builders out there, but great builders that are tremendous writers.  The most informative blogs are the ones written by guys who don't mind admitting their mistakes or where they had difficulties.  There have been a few places in the build that I have dreaded after reading blog horror stories.  One of these in particular has been the closing of the gap between the bilge panel and the upper panel towards the bow and the bending of the plywood at the bow of the bilge panels.
I have to admit it really was not bad in my case due to all the warnings and solutions that the blogs have given me.  I also picked up a trick on wood bending from a woodworker friend.  He insisted that it is heat that bends the wood more so than moister.  He show me a piece of solid oak he bend with nothing more than a heat gun he was using for a chair back.


Here is how I attacked the bilge panels:

Stitch the two panels to this point.  This is where the tension starts to really kick in.  I used my heat gun to heat the plywood on the outside (underneath in this position).  Keeping the gun moving over a two or three foot area from the bow point(s) back.  It does not take long and to be careful of scorching I kept the gun moving.  After a couple of minutes I was able to squeeze the the bow tips together with my fingers and stitch them together.

After that came the dreaded side panels.  The problem that seems to be most blogged about is the gap that is hard to close towards the bow.

This gap!

Before I got to this point I was prepared for battle.  You can see in the above picture I have a couple of blocks screwed on the opposite sides of the gap and a clamp squashing the bejeebers out of it.  I pre made all the blocks and alignment tools in advance, set up a chair, laid out all the stews and tools I needed and got after it.

Batched out the blocks.

I had all the blocks predrilled and ready for action.

The hole in the thicker block is large enough for the screw to "spin".  the thinner block is
 used to back up the screw on the inside of the hull.

The net result is that it really was not that hard.  It is a lot of work,  but work that is not frustrating.

Pulled together without much fuss.

 And here she is!  As almost every blog I read when the builder gets to this point says, "looking like a boat!"

iPhones have pretty good cameras!

The next worrisome step that I anticipate from the blog warnings is the climbing in and out of the hull  before the epoxy "welds" are in to work on the bulkheads.  We will see how that goes tomorrow.

Cooking Lead...

It was like a cross between an episode of "Breaking Bad" and "King of the Hill".  Fired up the fish fryer today with a brand new bottle of propane (Hank would be proud) and dress liked the guys from "Breaking Bad" to do the lead smelting for the keel and centerboard ballast.  Fumes from lead smelting are nasty and I don't want to catch cancer so I dressed like Jesse and Walt.  All went well and finished before I lost my shade from the garage.

The heat was intense!  The outside temperature was 104 degrees.  It felt hot enough to melt the lead without the aid of propane and fire. According to the internet (and it must be right it is on the internet) the melting temperature of lead is 621 degrees American that's 327.5 degrees Celsius, so a little aid from the gas was needed to melt the lead, but not much.  The cast iron handle on the skillet was really hot even with welding gloves, oh and heavy too.  I stuck with melting small quantities of lead at a time due to the weight, giving me better ability to control the pour.  If I had it to do over I would have found a cast iron kettle with more capacity than my skillet and a nice spout for pouring.

I was done before noon!  It does take a lot of preparation for this step in the build process.  Finding the lead is one of the hardest parts with the EPA regulations.  I bit the bullet (pun intended) and bought a large portion of the lead in the form of lead shot sold at the gun stores to the reloader guys.  It is expensive but clean.  Safety glasses, respirator, fire ire extinguisher, fish fryer, cinder blocks, clamps, propane....the list goes on.

Lead in place and cooled. Shavings at the left in the picture are from the over pour.

I poured a little too much lead the the forward section.  A sharp chisel removes the lead very effectively.  I read on the internet (so it must be true) that for luck you must put a coin in the keel and later a coin under the mast.  So I did before glueing the cap on.

Abe is going for a ride!