Chapter #4 Hull, Part II; Building a boat

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Chapter #4 Hull, Part II; Building a boat

ESTIMATED COST OF ASSEMBLY: TBD
MODIFICATIONS: None
NOTES ON PLANS: Building to the loft lines on the plans seemed to work out reasonably well. There was a little fudging needed here and there to get a nice profile, but for the most part it worked out well. Some builders have extended the front of the aircraft by adding another station between STA# 77 and STA #88 I believe anywhere from 6" to 10" can be added in this manner. I stuck to plans - This time!
NOTES ON ASSEMBLY: Build a strong jig to hold the stations firmly and squarely in place, this makes it easier to glue in the Chine and Shear. When placing stations #110 thru #156, keep in mind that the upper deck is flat and true. If your car frame is built, measure the #110 to #156 distance carefully or incorporate the frame into the jigging process somehow. The Keel and Sheer laminated and installed easily, The Chine had to be laminated together, and then cut 90 degrees to the layers, and then installed in the hull with a filler strip. There may be a more elegant solution to this by laminating strips in at 45 degree bias. For attaching the plywood, I used nail strips. Thin strips of a soft wood, quarter sawn, with A/C nails pre set into the strip at 1" intervals. It takes a little work (Thanks Caroline), but you will not find a better, more secure method to attach the plywood. After the glue has set, peel away the soft wood and the nail heads are accessible for removing the nails.
THINGS I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME: I would consider extending the hull because it helps counterbalance the center of gravity when using the heavier engines. I would also build the hull as one unit, instead of front and rear halves to be joined later. I think I wasted at least 100 hours goofing around insuring that the two halves of the hull would slide together smoothly, and then later jigging things up (a second time) for final assembly.