Now on to setting the chines. I given this much consideration over the years, and was not sure how I'd address it.
It turned out to be one of the bridges I had to see before I crossed it issues. I thought about shaping a piece 1.25"
DOM round tube, that would be a real ^#%$% to form up, it would all have to be done in a fixture, then welded in
place. Little additional shaping would have been possible. Though about flat stock turned edge wise, having to
wrap it around the frames and deflect it in two directions would have been difficult. I settled on 1/2" hot roll round
rod, pretty easy to work with will bend up and down with the same force. Would provide a natural radii at the
chines. Good to weld up to inside and out. And too, I'm mostly working alone, so I have to keep everything single
handed or easily manipulated.
For shaping the chines, I've had laying out the shape on a table and forming it prior to install in my plan for some
time, this turned out to be a bad idea. The chines really dictate the shape of the hull between the ribs. The fantail
shape is solely dependent upon the even flow of the sheer and knuckle. Trying to remove them from a fixture, as
flexible as they are and have them line up worth anything, turned out to be about impossible.
The first pic depicts my first attempt. I plotted the X and Y points in the CAD, laid it out on the table and with all the
confidence of buying a lottery ticket, I proceeded to shape this long flimsy piece of steel.
It all looked good, the problem was when I removed it, it sprung back quite a bit and respected no shape of my
intentions.
It turned out to be one of the bridges I had to see before I crossed it issues. I thought about shaping a piece 1.25"
DOM round tube, that would be a real ^#%$% to form up, it would all have to be done in a fixture, then welded in
place. Little additional shaping would have been possible. Though about flat stock turned edge wise, having to
wrap it around the frames and deflect it in two directions would have been difficult. I settled on 1/2" hot roll round
rod, pretty easy to work with will bend up and down with the same force. Would provide a natural radii at the
chines. Good to weld up to inside and out. And too, I'm mostly working alone, so I have to keep everything single
handed or easily manipulated.
For shaping the chines, I've had laying out the shape on a table and forming it prior to install in my plan for some
time, this turned out to be a bad idea. The chines really dictate the shape of the hull between the ribs. The fantail
shape is solely dependent upon the even flow of the sheer and knuckle. Trying to remove them from a fixture, as
flexible as they are and have them line up worth anything, turned out to be about impossible.
The first pic depicts my first attempt. I plotted the X and Y points in the CAD, laid it out on the table and with all the
confidence of buying a lottery ticket, I proceeded to shape this long flimsy piece of steel.
It all looked good, the problem was when I removed it, it sprung back quite a bit and respected no shape of my
intentions.
My Steamboat Project Link to steamboat show
The Steam tug "Salty" built from Reliable Steams' plans Page 8
The Steam tug "Salty" built from Reliable Steams' plans Page 8
Well, that didn't work. Incidentally, those are drywall screw spaced about 1" apart. They worked fine for shaping
the rod. If I were going to weld something to this to hold the shape, that would have worked great.
Now I'm desperate, so I grabbed the acetylene torch and proceeded to heat the rod through the bend, it's a wood
table, yes it got very smoky :) So much so, my neighbor stopped by to make sure everything was ok. Not really, my
chine was still not to shape. So coupled with a chine I can't use, I now have a big black arch burned in my new
table. We can put a new sheet over the top.
Then it dawned on me, why not use the hull as a fixture by adding some formers between ribs where the bends are
severe. Fore and aft the sides is not a problem. Just make sure the rod is straight to begin with and wrap it one
rib to the next, Hold it to the next frame before welding. And a note about welding something like this, go easy on
the heat, just a good conservative tack. If too much heat is applied the rod will turn red hot, and being in a bind
will relax and it will do all it's bending at the weld. After we get the skin on we can do the "steamboat welds", really
pour it to it with everything held.
This is a huge learning experience for me too, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it.
I laid out some formers for the sheer at the fantail as in the pic below:
the rod. If I were going to weld something to this to hold the shape, that would have worked great.
Now I'm desperate, so I grabbed the acetylene torch and proceeded to heat the rod through the bend, it's a wood
table, yes it got very smoky :) So much so, my neighbor stopped by to make sure everything was ok. Not really, my
chine was still not to shape. So coupled with a chine I can't use, I now have a big black arch burned in my new
table. We can put a new sheet over the top.
Then it dawned on me, why not use the hull as a fixture by adding some formers between ribs where the bends are
severe. Fore and aft the sides is not a problem. Just make sure the rod is straight to begin with and wrap it one
rib to the next, Hold it to the next frame before welding. And a note about welding something like this, go easy on
the heat, just a good conservative tack. If too much heat is applied the rod will turn red hot, and being in a bind
will relax and it will do all it's bending at the weld. After we get the skin on we can do the "steamboat welds", really
pour it to it with everything held.
This is a huge learning experience for me too, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it.
I laid out some formers for the sheer at the fantail as in the pic below:
So I started in the middle of the rod and attached it to the tailstem at the sheer and started working it around the
form and down the sides port and starboard. This is going to work fine. This is probably the most difficult on the
1/2" rod section to install. If this works, the rest should go pretty well. So, i'll replicate the same process for the
knuckle and it should go well.
In the pics below, the sheer rail can be seen installed.
form and down the sides port and starboard. This is going to work fine. This is probably the most difficult on the
1/2" rod section to install. If this works, the rest should go pretty well. So, i'll replicate the same process for the
knuckle and it should go well.
In the pics below, the sheer rail can be seen installed.
I still have to join on these and take then to the front stem. I'll make up a little fixture to join these rods out in the
breeze. I'll use a piece of angle and cut a window out of it, so I can weld all the way around. It'll give me a chance to
play with the new Hypertherm Plasma cutter. I've been needing one of those for a long time. Because of the price,
I've always held off, It's something I just about have to have for this project. It is the new Model 45. What a cool
machine. I was writing my name through 1/2" plate steel today. Easy to use and it will cut up to 1" thick plate like a
butter knife. Will come in very handy when we go to put the skin on this tub. I have more info coming on the
chines, I'll try to finish them tomorrow. I have a sneaking suspicion, I'll be skinning this thing the coming weekend.
I'm going to order up some 13 ga tomorrow. I've about got the floor members sorted as well.
breeze. I'll use a piece of angle and cut a window out of it, so I can weld all the way around. It'll give me a chance to
play with the new Hypertherm Plasma cutter. I've been needing one of those for a long time. Because of the price,
I've always held off, It's something I just about have to have for this project. It is the new Model 45. What a cool
machine. I was writing my name through 1/2" plate steel today. Easy to use and it will cut up to 1" thick plate like a
butter knife. Will come in very handy when we go to put the skin on this tub. I have more info coming on the
chines, I'll try to finish them tomorrow. I have a sneaking suspicion, I'll be skinning this thing the coming weekend.
I'm going to order up some 13 ga tomorrow. I've about got the floor members sorted as well.
3 days later: Well, the weekend is here, and my "sneaking suspicion" about skinning it now was just wishful
thinking. I got busy over the last few days and progress has slowed a bit. And too, these chines take quite a bit of
care in getting them to flow right.
I have the sheer complete all the way to the stem, and the knuckle is now on and formed up. It's exciting because
the character of the boat is now beginning to show, the wide beam, the slightly pointed fantail with a gentle up
sweep, the gunwales flowing nicely midship and forward to the stem with a gentle deliberate rise. The plum stem
looking like it was made to push, in other words, I really like what I'm seeing :) Also, I'd like to mention the
strongback on casters with brakes is the only way to fly. Being able to move it around as I work is making it so
much easier and convenient. Like wrapping the chines, the rod needs a lot of room from first rib to the last to
swing into position. Not being able to move this thing would be a real pain. Also the rigidity of the strongback is
ample. There is a drain in the floor, when I move across it the caster leaves the floor and everything stays really
flat.
So, anyways, back to the build.
Installed some formers for the knuckle and wrapped that, went very well. Just the same as the transom sheer.
As shown below, first we installed some temporary angle to clamp too. Loving the high temp, fast setting glue, a
little painful to look at though :)
thinking. I got busy over the last few days and progress has slowed a bit. And too, these chines take quite a bit of
care in getting them to flow right.
I have the sheer complete all the way to the stem, and the knuckle is now on and formed up. It's exciting because
the character of the boat is now beginning to show, the wide beam, the slightly pointed fantail with a gentle up
sweep, the gunwales flowing nicely midship and forward to the stem with a gentle deliberate rise. The plum stem
looking like it was made to push, in other words, I really like what I'm seeing :) Also, I'd like to mention the
strongback on casters with brakes is the only way to fly. Being able to move it around as I work is making it so
much easier and convenient. Like wrapping the chines, the rod needs a lot of room from first rib to the last to
swing into position. Not being able to move this thing would be a real pain. Also the rigidity of the strongback is
ample. There is a drain in the floor, when I move across it the caster leaves the floor and everything stays really
flat.
So, anyways, back to the build.
Installed some formers for the knuckle and wrapped that, went very well. Just the same as the transom sheer.
As shown below, first we installed some temporary angle to clamp too. Loving the high temp, fast setting glue, a
little painful to look at though :)
Now the MDF formers plotted from the CAD go in.
Now we wrap the knuckle with the 1/2" rod and run it up the sides. Making sure to hold to the next rib before we
weld the present one. The knuckle only runs to about station 10 or midship. It starts to form up there running back,
increasing and more pronounced to the fantail where it wraps around.
weld the present one. The knuckle only runs to about station 10 or midship. It starts to form up there running back,
increasing and more pronounced to the fantail where it wraps around.
Now we join up on the sheer and take it to the stem.
Here is the fixture I made up to butt weld the chines. Not pretty, but it works great.
These chines have not been all that easy, and I really wasn't expecting them to be. These are the hull shape
between the ribs. I have been taking great care and pulling a few tricks out of my sleeve to get these to flow nice
with proper curve between stations. I can see the sheeting laying over these, this hull should be pretty fair.
And here are the rest of the chines installed...
between the ribs. I have been taking great care and pulling a few tricks out of my sleeve to get these to flow nice
with proper curve between stations. I can see the sheeting laying over these, this hull should be pretty fair.
And here are the rest of the chines installed...
And now the keel and ribs are welded 100%. The assembly and fixture are very rigid at this point. The hull is going
to be very strong once the skin is welded on. Right now, if I grab the whole thing and try to shake it, it all moves
together, no stray motion anywhere. These welds were really burned in deep, can tell by the coloration around
them. Around 140 amps. I'll bet that made the old meter spin :)
to be very strong once the skin is welded on. Right now, if I grab the whole thing and try to shake it, it all moves
together, no stray motion anywhere. These welds were really burned in deep, can tell by the coloration around
them. Around 140 amps. I'll bet that made the old meter spin :)
It's time, time to start laying out the floor members. I have a pretty good idea how it's going to go, we'll also frame
up a boiler/engine well and install those on the next page (9).
I also broke down and bought a ring roller, what a fiasco that was... 250 dollars and I had to rebuild it right out of
the box. Just a bad design flaw. It will work now though. I'll cover that on page 10 "the stringers",
up a boiler/engine well and install those on the next page (9).
I also broke down and bought a ring roller, what a fiasco that was... 250 dollars and I had to rebuild it right out of
the box. Just a bad design flaw. It will work now though. I'll cover that on page 10 "the stringers",
