We are gathering materials to build a wooden Sunfish and wanted cypress for the side planks. Cypress was easy to find in NW Florida and while timber is plentiful in the Mid Atlantic (Great Dismal Swamp), not many companies mill or sell it to the public locally. We were lucky to locate a tree service that runs a lumber mill on the side, and got on the waiting list for some donor cypress. A call came in Tuesday that planks were available, so I took the trailer to gather the lumber, 1x8x12 rough cut. More on those later as we get into the construction phase. For now they are in the garage to start drying out.
Here's part of the tree that our planks came from, the tree was in a right of way and had to be removed. We may be interested in those 2 inch live edge slabs as well for other projects.
Of course I didn't get a picture of the 6 planks that we picked up, they'll be photos soon enough, but here's a photo of the lumber yard cat.
Made some parts for the Pascagoula Diamond Bottom catboat MARGARET ROSE, glued together 4 pieces to make the transom, stuck them together with TotalBoat THIXO Wood and sandwiched a strip of muslin in between the outer and inner layers of cypress. The muslin will help ensure a watertight membrane between the laminated layers. Light clamping while it dries. Also stacked, glued and screwed strips of cypress to make a skeg aka deadwood. Then we started considering the bow stem profile, the stem pattern from our Penobscot 14 is a good start.
The transom will be laminated up with 2 pieces of 3/4 inch thick cypress (top and bottom) per layer, and 2 layers. We offset the location of the horizontal seam on each layer. We will glue the pieces together with TotalBoat THIXO Wood from Jamestown Distributors, a wood colored thickened epoxy adhesive, dispensed from a Newborn 18:1 High Thrust Caulk gun.
Dispensed the THIXO and spread it out with a putty knife. Also put THXO in the seam. We placed a layer of muslin between the layers of the transom, to help make sure there was a good fill with the THIXO and to create a watertight membrane. The next transom layer is laying nearby, and the offset seam is visible.
We used the plastic putty knife the force the muslin down into the THIXO, then added a skim coat of THIXO on top of that. We also put a coat of THIXO on the inside face of the second layer of the transom.
Had some fun with the THIXO. We appreciate the support of the team at Jamestown Distributors, they are always handy for Tech Team help and send us complimentary goodies to try out on our restorations.
4 transom pieces laminated, ready for clamps.
Light clamping for thickened epoxy, just enough to see a tiny bead squeeze out of the seams. Too much pressure can force all of the adhesive out and there would be a glue starved joint.
Next we turned out attention to the skeg (deadwood). We put a bead of THIXO between each layer and then screwed the layers back together one at a time. The Frearson Head silicone bronze screws will hold the cypress strips together as the epoxy dries and they will be captured in place and act as small drift pins.
Before we took the dry skeg apart we numbered each layer and drew an alignment line, the line helps get the pice lined up so the screw can find its old screw hole.
We used the pattern we made a few days back to trace out the transom. The transom will be 1 1/2 inches thick, there will be a lot going on back there with the big bar door rudder and horse for the sail. We'll make it fro two layers of 3/4 inch cypress, each layer is cut from 2 pieces to get the height we need, and we offset the join line on each layer to get the most strength and lower the chance of leaks. The 4 pieces will be fastened with thickened epoxy, with a layer of muslin in between the outer and inner boards to create a watertight membrane.
We got an order to make cypress handrails for an Alcort Super Sailfish, so I went out to Wilson Lumber to see what they had cut up recently at their sawmill. It was a good excuse to pick up the first batch of boards for the catboat.
Silicone bronze screws, TotalBoat sealant, Gleam Satin Varnish and varnish kit arrived from Jamestown Distributors. I was able to call them, talk to a knowledgeable person and order over the phone. Free shipping to CONUS because I bought a VIP membership for $59.99 USD, which paid for itself months ago.
Starboard side outer gunwale scarf fastened with Pettit Marine Paint Flexpoxy. Once it dries we might add a silicone bronze screw as well.
Irwin pilot drill and countersink for a #10 Frearson silicone bronze wood screw. I bought the Irwins at Lowes, Jamestown Distributors sells a full set by Fuller as well.
#10 silicone bronze screw for the outer gunwales. Why silicone bronze? Because we want this to be a 100 year boat vs a 7 year boat. "Traditional boatbuilders love these Silicon Bronze wood screws because they have cut threads and the full-bodied diameter shank. Unlike rolled thread screws with their reduced shank--these screws have a shank diameter that is the same size as the outside of the threads. This completely fills the clearance hole normally drilled for the shank thus creating a waterproof seal" (JD, 2017). Silicone bronze is also one of the most durable materials to use in the marine environment, especially below waterlines. Had I known earlier I would have considered them vs the 316 stainless.
Pulled the angle with a bevel for the thwart knee. Trimmed to fit around risers and duplicated for the other 3 seat knees.
Breasthook blank (triangular bow section). 6/4 S4S or 1 1/2 inch thick cypress, will be shaped down to 1 1/4 inch along the gunwales.
Cut bevel on forward edge of breasthook blank.
Found angle for sides of breasthook. It has to fit down and in, so that angle needs to be moved over. Arch describes how to do it in his book, my method is a little different so use at your own peril. (Edit: My method was wrong! I brought the top lines in instead of taking them out further to match the bevel. Ooops).
Found vertical to move breasthook bevel over, it will sit inside the gunwale. (Edit: Turns out this spacing was moved the wrong direction, I should have moved it outward vs inward. We want the top 1/4 inch of the breasthook to sit above the gunwale, so it can be shaped with a slight crown.)
Moved over breasthook bevel. (Edit: The wrong way...)
Marked forward edge of breasthook side profile.
Marked underside of breasthook side profile.
Drew cut lines for breasthook. I suppose you could cut from the top or bottom, depending on your saw. My intent was to cut it a bit wide and finish it to fit with a rasp and plane....stay tuned for breaking news.
I cut the port side line and the fit looked good. I wanted to cut outside the starboard side line to leave it a little proud for fitting the breasthook....well I moved the spacing the wrong way and I cut on the wrong side of the line! Moaning chair time. Looks like I need to adjust for the sweep a little as well.
