| September 9, 2007 This is how it all begins. The full-size patterns are laid out and drawn onto the plywood. I did this by poking holes through the pattern and then connecting the dots. Do not cut out the patterns. That's not the way they're designed. Plywood pieces are cut out with a jig saw. I tried to stay as close to spec as possible to avoid the exponential ripple effect of minor design changes. |
| September 9, 2007 This is most of the hull pieces and the foredeck cut out and epoxied with penetrating epoxy. Penetrating epoxy is nothing more than regular epoxy diluted with solvent. I mix 2/3 epoxy and 1/3 XYLOL. I cut everything at once so I could put the tools away for a while. This represents about 6 hours of work - not including the epoxy cure time. |
| Sept 23, 2007 The pieces I previously cut out and epoxied are attached to the bottom of the boat. They are epoxied and held in place with bronze screws (from the underside) until the epoxy cures. Here I modified the plans by moving the aft piece forward 2 inches (my backside needs the extra room on the seat). Because various pieces are attached from the bottom, it is best to build a Tubby Tug on 2x4's rather than on a work table to allow access to the underside. 2 hours work - 8 hrs total |
| Sept 23, 2007 The bottom of the hull is stitched together with 14 gauge copper wire. The wire was "donated" leftover 14-2 wire from my father's home renovation. 2 hours - 10 hours total |
| September 23, 2007 It is beginning to look like a boat! The bottom part of the hull is stitched together in this picture. 10 hours work with the Stitch-n-Glue method gets you MUCH further that the Lil Woody method of wingin' it. |
| October 4, 2007 This is the inside of the bow following gluing with epoxy thickened with silica. I use the back side of a tablespoon to apply the epoxy. It gives a nice curve that can be varied with the angle of the spoon. Also, the handle makes it easier to... handle. I don't think a tablespoon comes with an epoxy application kit. But it works well for me. A good rule of thumbs when mixing epoxy and silica is that if you wonder if it is thick enough - it isn't. It will run and sag if not thick enough. One website said to mix the epoxy and silica to a consistency of peanut butter. BUT, is that warm peanut butter or peanut butter that you just pulled out of the fridge? Is it the consistency of Skippy or Peter Pan? I say, just make it thick! |
| October 6, 2007 You can't really see it but the sides are glassed with 3 inch fiberglass tape. If you look closely, you can see the copper wire "stitches" through the epoxy/silica. Running Total: 14 hrs |
| October 6, 2007 Gluing up the support for the foredeck. I clamp it, then screw it together with bronze screws, then remove the clamps. The foredeck should be strong enough for a 4 year-old to stand on if she wants to and her dad to stand on if he needs to. The screws will be covered with fiberglass tape when the upper bulwark is attached. You'll never be able to tell they are there if I do it right! |
| October 6, 2007 This is the end of the day. The foredeck supports are complete from the bow to the seat. The seats are boxed in. These are water tight compartments allowing for flotation in the "unlikely event of an emergency". Under the seats could be made to be storage areas but I would rather have the safety of the flotation compartments. Running total: 17 hours |
Build Page 1
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 | |  |