First stringers on

With the bulkheads lined up it is time to put stringers on. Notches need to be cut in the bulkheads so the stringers pass through the edge. This part is extremely critical to the result of the hull as there is no going back once the glue has set so I need to be sure and check alignment throughout the process. Keeping alignment is tricky as the stringers try to force the bulkheads off centre as you put them on. In this case I put the outer stringer on first which pulled alignment out by a few mm. However then I put the inner opposing stringer on which perfectly countered this. It was a relief to check bulkhead alignment again after the glue had set to discover alignment was still perfect.

Here is the "multitool" I am using to cut out notches. It is great, it allows very precise cutting as you can cut slowly, kind of like a knife through butter. The downside is that is very loud. I made the decision to not put the notches in until the bulkheads were lined up so I could be sure I put them in the right place and with the laser level, the straight runs are exactly that.

It's this big

It is great at this stage to finally see something that kind of looks like a boat! (Well to me anyway)

Setting up the bulkheads has been the most rewarding part of the build so far. It was not without difficulty though as I started out by just trying to use the locating holes to line it up, but working by myself I soon discovered it was near impossible as I needed another pair of hands or eyes, so I gave up and bought a laser level which you can see on a tripod in the picture. Even with the laser, it was a long process.

Here you can see I am using the handy clamps again to hold a bulkhead in place while it is positioned to line up with the laser lines. I know the laser level will prove very useful as the build continues, already I have used it to check the stringer measurements I made earlier on the bulkheads, it is a great way of confirming measurements.

Setting up frames

With the bulkheads ready to go it is time to set them up.
Quite cool here to get a sense of the length and scale of the boat at this time.

Here is the floor of my garage with the base of the supports in place at the measured distances for the bulkheads.

Here I am experimenting with different size supports. As the hull is asymmetric it will be slightly off centre on the base.
Hopefully I will have the bulkheads set up soon.

Bulkheads Finished

Bulkheads are now ready for setting up. There are a couple of  places where portions of framing will have to wait until the alignment has been done as the locating holes end up covered by framing. This is the case for the stern and stem bulkheads.

Here is the complete set for the Port hull. The Starboard set has been put away for who knows how long as I only have room to build one hull at a time.

Handy Tools

In making the bulkheads I need to sand around the edge of the panels to give the glue a strong bond. Using a rotary Dremel type tool I was able to set an accurate distance from the edge by setting the sanding attachment a measured distance from the collar, which makes it very easy to get a straight edge which will line up with the framing.

Another handy tool which you probably did not realise was a boat building tool is.... a chilly bin (or Esky). Great for supporting bulkheads while glue sets.

Bulkheads Part 3

I have cut out all ten of the plywood bulkhead shapes. The next step is to strengthen these with framing timber. I am using the same douglas fir as for the stringers.

I have used a router to put a radiused edge on the inner corner of the framing. It gives a nice look and should also help the epoxy to protect the wood better as a sharp edge is likely to chip.

These clamps are really handy, I have a mixture of spring and ratchet type, but though I thought I had plenty, it seems you can't have too many as I need about 20 clamps for the more complicated bulkheads to do the framing in one glue session.

Bulkheads Part 2

It is cool to finally get a real sense of the lines and scale of the boat at this stage. Lots of measuring and drawing.

Before I started drawing, I used a spreadsheet to graph the lines from the table of offsets, just to confirm that there were no problems with the values. I also took a few measurements from the CAD drawings to be sure.

Then it was out with the jigsaw. Here you can see I have screwed two panels together to create identical sets of bulkheads for both hulls. 8 bulkheads made so far. 4 to go.