Intermediate Wing Beams

Today I finished installing the intermediate wing beams. It turned into a two day process since I was using my 76" level to keep them in position while the epoxy set up. This process turned out to be easier than expected. I went ahead and cut the intermediate wing beams to the correct length and also cut the 27 degree angle (same angle as the bulkheads) on each piece. I clamped the intermediate beam to the level and located the outboard end of it by attaching a straight piece of lumber between the previously glued wing beams, I attached the other one to the level on the opposite side of the boat and located the other end using my other level. With the beams securely attached to the level and one end snugged up against the temporary cross piece all I had to do was fillet the beams in place and wait for the whole thing to set up. I let it dry overnight and installed the other set this morning using the same method. All that is missing from this particular step is to install the 45 degree angle ones in the back. For that I'll need to get some hardwood @ Home Depot for both it and the end caps. Pretty soon it will be time to start closing up the hull and installing the deck on the boat!

Wing Beams

Started the wing beam process by going to Lowe's and buying one of their 8' select 2 x 4's (It took a lot of sorting to find one that was halfway straight). I cut it in half (to make it more manageable) and ran two of the edges through the joiner so I could have both a straight cutting surface and a level surface to run it through the thickness planer. I ran both pieces through the thickness plainer and got them down to the 32 mm height dimension prior to ripping them on the table saw to a width of 22 mm. Armed with the correct dimension lumber I proceeded to cut the slots at the bulkheads for the beams. I ended up buying a 76" long level and clamped the milled lumber to the bottom of the board to get the correct depth of cut. I glued the the beams to the bulkheads making sure to again use the level to keep everything nice and straight. Looks good! Next step will be to cut the intermediate wing beams slots and glue them up.

Cleats are Done!

Well, as predicted the deck cleats turned into quite the lengthy process of not only cutting them but also gluing them on. Based on the number of clamps I had, and the fact that gluing them to the bulkheads was difficult at best due to the 45 degree angles, I ended up going through 4 different gluing sessions to get them all done. Tonight was the last one! Prior to each glue up I dry fitted every piece with the clamps on to anticipate any issues. I'm glad I did this since it made the gluing process a lot easier by allowing me to resolve any challenges prior to applying the glue! It is pretty amazing the stiffness that the cleats have added to the bulkheads!

This weekend I also figured out where to hang the boat from the garage ceiling. My wife will be very happy to have the boat out of the way and her car in the garage on the off days that I'm not working on the boat!

Next step - the wings!

Deck Cleats

After a couple of weeks of not working on the boat due to Meghan's Graduation, vacations, and a Memorial Day Weekend camping trip I decided to start tackling the next step - The Deck Cleats. I'm ripping up some of the 2 x 2 lumber I had previously used to support the forward back bone into 16 mm x 16 mm triangular strips. I have started the process and have the front third of the boat almost complete. This is a somewhat time consuming process! While I was at it I also cut out the mainsheet block supports. My plan is to get all the cleats cut out and then glue everything up at once.