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Pro Wader FS18, SPLASHED

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:08 pm
by Pro Wader
This weekend I finished my srtongback for our FS18. It's amazing how warpedand bowed, even the best lumber is.
I didn't think I would ever get the strongback square and level. Push a little here and pull a little there

Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:22 pm
by Cracker Larry
Cool 8) Welcome. The FS18 is getting very popular :D We need pictures!

Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:26 pm
by peter-curacao
Welcome and good luck with you're build 8)
pics please,I need my boat porn :P

Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:19 pm
by Pro Wader
How do you eat an elephant?.......One bite at a time.
I am really excited about this project. As I do with most of my hobbies...I dive in head first.

For the last few years, I had a small rod building business and I recently decided to get out of it. Well I have to do something...and here I am.

The challenge was to build a strong back on wheels that I can roll in and out of the garage and still leave my wife plenty of room to park her suburban in the garage. Sounds simple, I know, but it's way more complicated in practice.

So this weekend I completed a few finishing touches on the strongback and started nesting the plywood.

I cut out the C and D frames with some scrap plywood I had and quickly came to the conclusion that I need A LOT of practice cutting plywood with a skill saw. Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Now if I can just figure out how to load pictures
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Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:34 pm
by Prarie Dog
Looking good PW!! Hope that strongback doesn't crawl around too bad. I use the fine toothed carbide blades they sell at Home Depot to cut ply. Believe they cost about $50, on my GF build we went through on end part of another. The second blade is what I used to cut the ply for T's GF12 and it's still going strong. :)

Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:07 am
by stickystuff
The main tip to cutting plywood with a skil saw is to set your blade height 1/4" deeper than the thickness of your material. if you are proficient with a saw and very comfortable with it you can cut a circle with it. I say this because I have used one for over 30 yrs. I have seen circles cut on a table saw by makeing a jig clamped to the table, find the center and set blade shallow, spin the plywood around one complete turn, raise the blade up anther 1/4 " , spin again, and so forth until it is through the material. makes a perfect circle and your center will be marked by the screw, bolt or whatever you used to mark center when you spin it. What you do is , lets say you want a 3' circle. Cut your plywood 3'1/2" square. find center and screw it down to your base template plate. The base is made by another piece of plywood with a piece of 3/4' strip that fits in the groove of your table saw. Screw this to your base plywood and clamp it or add another strip on the edge so it will not slide forwar or backwards. Measure from blade center outwards to the left 1'-6". Here you make a mark and this will be the center mark to fasten your other piece of plywood to. Use a screw just tight enough so you can spin the plywood around.With your blade all the way down turn your saw on and raise the blade up 1/4 " and make your first cut by spinning the plywood around, raise it again another 1/4" and spin again. do this until its through. the reason you make it 1/2" bigger than the circle you want is it is easier to cut this way. No excess large pieces to fly away when you cut it all the way through. Go slow and do not force it fast. The safest way is to use a good thin kerf blade with vents in it. The vents help to keep your blade from over heating and warping.

Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:51 am
by Jerry-rigged
Congrats on getting started!
Pro Wader wrote: I cut out the C and D frames with some scrap plywood I had and quickly came to the conclusion that I need A LOT of practice cutting plywood with a skill saw. Any tips will be greatly appreciated.
I am no pro, but what works for me:
#1 - use a thin kerf blade, I use a high tooth count "diablo" blade (the red ones) from Home Depot.
#2 - set the depth for 1/8 or so deeper then the ply. At this depth, you can cut an arc down to about 18" radius, maybe more if you are brave. Plus you can lay the ply on the grass and cut and the blade stays out of the dirt. :)
#3 - if cutting a straight line - use a straight edge clamped to the ply as a guide for the saw shoe. I have a 48" adjustable framing tee square that comes apart - the long beam works nice for a cutting straight edge.
#4 - cutting arcs - I try to leave a 1/16" and finish with a sander and 60 grit.

BTW, I am right up hwy 35 from you, so if you need a hand mixing epoxy or drinking beer, let me know. :lol:

Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:46 pm
by Pro Wader
I'll take you up on that. You can never have too many people to drink beer with.[/quote]

I am no pro, but what works for me:
#1 - use a thin kerf blade, I use a high tooth count "diablo" blade (the red ones) from Home Depot.
#2 - set the depth for 1/8 or so deeper then the ply. At this depth, you can cut an arc down to about 18" radius, maybe more if you are brave. Plus you can lay the ply on the grass and cut and the blade stays out of the dirt. :)
#3 - if cutting a straight line - use a straight edge clamped to the ply as a guide for the saw shoe. I have a 48" adjustable framing tee square that comes apart - the long beam works nice for a cutting straight edge.
#4 - cutting arcs - I try to leave a 1/16" and finish with a sander and 60 grit.

BTW, I am right up hwy 35 from you, so if you need a hand mixing epoxy or drinking beer, let me know. :lol:[/quote]

Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:57 pm
by tech_support
t's amazing how warpedand bowed, even the best lumber is.
And if you can find good stuff its expensive. I have recommended to a few people to make their strong-backs out of laminated particle board. A box of screws, liquid nails, and a few sheets of particle board will make a very straight and strong beam.

Nice trout in the Avatar by the way :)

Re: Pro Wader FS18

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:01 am
by Uncle D
Where are you located? (if you don't mind) There are several of us Texans on the forum.

Don