Monday, July 27, 2009

The Cabin Top Saga...

Here is my attempt at putting the cabin top together single handed. I've lined up and screwed down and clamped the front of the four panels.

Of course, this is my Third attempt at doing this. My first Two attempts did this to my clamps. I now have steel clamps, not ^&%$^%$% plastic.



I've used good old gaffer tape to hold everything in place while I'm doing it - it's like a second pair of hands. I've put tape over the frames so that when I tab the top and sides together, it won't stick to the frames, then I plan to lift it off, de-cable tie it, fillet and glass it internally and Voila!

I've screwed blocks in place as you can see below to hold everything in position. It all lines up nicely at Frame 110 as you can see.


There is just the little matter of bending the Hoop Pine Five ply to shape, and it's tough as nails and really fights back. I carefully started adding cable ties and gently bending everything to make it fit at Frame 89, which need a lot of effort and then.....Bang!



So tomorrow I'm either going to go and get some 1/8" Hoop Pine marine ply and Laminate up the sides in place, or find some weak, flabby, soft, Gaboon, Okume or Meranti quarter inch marine ply that bends easier than the Hoop Pine.

Oh well, I guess every project has its low points..

2 comments:

  1. even maybe run some runners in the corners of the cabin down to where you want the cabin to terminate on the deck. loft out your own cabin side and then you can make up the top panels to suit. everyone seems to be having trouble with the plan panels. nothing in the rules to say you can't have a different cabin! but we built the cabin the same way as you guys, bent it over the frames, glassed the outside, pulled it off and filleted the inside. simple and easier than sitting inside upside down filleting! if you get into any doubts, dont forget to email me. i have alot of photos of my boats build if that helps!

    tokyo.

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  2. I think thinner 3mm or 4mm material is the way to go. Don't count on 6mm Meranti to be any softer/easier to bend. You are twisting that side cabin panel 70ish degrees that it doesn't want to.

    As tokyo said, you can just pull the side panel over without twisting it. Match up the top side and then pull the front over and attach it where it lands (probably close to the outer corner). Then you can trim off the excess. Might be the easier way to get the cabin roof done.

    Good luck and don't give up. Your boat is flying together.

    Cheers, Kevin.

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