More work on the side benches, and the bow seat.

I’ve been a little lax in updating the blog, so I’ll try to catch up.  On the last post the sternsheet and side benches had been installed with pattern stock.  The beam that supports the sternsheet was also made from pattern stock; now it’s time to make the beam for real.

The beam has a decorative curve on the bottom edge, since it can been seen.  For a “workboat” finish, the beam could be left plain, but the designer shows a nice decorative beam, so I had to give it a try.  My artistic ability is about nil, but I do have some space on the mylar sheets from when I lofted the mold, and just as important, I have a big fat eraser.  Half the beam was laid out on the mylar, and with a batten I laid out a curve I thought was nice.  After looking at it for a while, the curve wasn’t so nice after all, and out came the eraser.  Several iterations later, I had a curve that I was satisfied with.  It was easy to use an awl to transfer the pattern from the mylar to the beam, then flip the mylar over and do the same on the other side.   The end result came out pretty nice, I think.

2018 02 25 Permanent beam for the sternsheet.

Next, the designer shows a half-beam that supports the side bench.  (Somehow the designer must have known of my rubenesque figure.)  The half beam is located mid way between the sternsheet beam and the aft thwart.  The half beam is supported by a stanchion that straddles the end of the floor.  A small cleat was glued to the hull to support the half-beam.  The half-beam is intentionally left long; it will be trimmed to final shape after the permanent side benches are cut and fit.

2018 02 25 Half beam for the side bench.

Next I moved forward and started working on the bow seat.  The bow seat is the same “park bench” style that was used on the sternsheet and side benches.  It is supported by two beams.  Small cleats are glued to the hull to support the beams, just as was done for the sternsheet beam and the half-beams.  The aft beam will be exposed, so it also has a decorative curve which mimics the one on the sternsheet.  The forward beam will be hidden from view, so it can be left plain.

2018 03 04 Laying out the aft beam for the bow seat.

Again, a flexible batten and the all-important eraser are the critical tools for this task.

23018 03 04 Aft beam in place.

The tape in the photo above helps me lay out the position of the forward beam, which will be installed next with matching cleats.  When done, the pieces of the bow seat are made from not cheap wood.

With the pattern pieces made of the sternsheet, side benches, and bow seat made, it’s time to lay them all out and figure how much and what sizes of cherry I’ll need for the permanent pieces.  A trip was made to the Purveyor of Very Expensive Lumber; hopefully that will be the last trip I’ll need to make for a while.  It’s a very nice place, with some very nice wood, but I can’t afford too many trips there.

With the lumber purchased, the permanent pieces were cut out.  The pieces for the bow seat were mounted temporarily with dry-wall screws.  Before I mount the pieces permanently, I’ll need to varnish the beams and epoxy them in place.

2018 03 11 Bow seat made from cherry.

Back aft, the cleat holding the sternsheet against the transom was epoxied; but I’ll need to varnish the sternsheet beam and half-beams and epoxy those in place.  I’ve still got quite a bit of work to do before I can start thinking about splashing, but it’s starting to look like a boat.

2018 03 11 Status photo.

What a messy boat-shop!