On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:23:21 GMT, "dadiOH"
wrote:

GB wrote:
Bruce wrote in
news
I'm not sure how you plan on building this boat but for a small
dinghy I'd use the "stitch and glue" method where you cut the
various panels to size and tie them together with wire, cable
ties, strong string, whatever, and then smear glue in the joints.

I'd looked at similar approaches used on various web pages and
was concerned that the method didn't look nearly strong enough.
The design I had in mind was flat bottomed, (see the url below)
and I had planned on perhaps going beyond the reccomended jointing
methods screwing the bottom and sides to a piece of wood of
about 1in x 1in for the length of each join. Is that overkill?

It is both overkill and a nuisance. A nuisance because it creates
more surfaces to sand and finish but primarily because those surfaces
also catch and hold water (and dirt) and water encourages rot.
____________________

If you are interested in a really good small dinghy do a web search
for a "D4" dinghy. The plans are free and the guy's web site has a
wealth of information on building boats.

That D4 does look like a very nice little boat. A bit more advanced
than what I had in mind though. Something like this:

It doesn't take that much more work and would be very little more
difficult if you made it for rowing only. The author of the one you
linked made a good point about a single lengthwise seat; it would need
more than one position for oarlocks.

Regardless of which you make, if you use "glue and stitch" practice
making the thickened epoxy fillets so that you can make them neatly
and uniformly - you'll save a ton of sanding. IMO, the easiest tool
to apply them is a sphere...possibly a rubber ball. Foam cylinders
work well too...I bought one of the foam pool toys...a cylinder about
2 1/2" in diameter and maybe four feet long. Cut off a piece about 2"
wide, apply/fair epoxy putty, throw away.

Also, do the gunnels well...they really stiffen everything up.

A trick I learned from a guy who does it every day is to grind a
radius on one corner of a putty-knife. He had several in different
sizes and radius. With the metal blade he could pretty well scrape all
the excess filler off the panels leaving only the fillet and then,
before the filler had hardened he taped over the fillet and rolled it
out. It takes a bit of practice but cuts out all the sanding of the
fillets.




Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

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