Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Most of us, especially those that have build multiple boats, do it not to save money but because of the sheer enjoyment of the build process. Boat building is simply a series of problems to be solved and then move on to the next. Every problem, including those you make yourself, is solvable. Every problem solved brings a sense of accomplishment. Many problems in life are beyond our complete control, that makes guys unhappy; however every step of the build is under your control, and can be controlled, solved, accomplished, and your own ideas blended with the experience of others.

What you're feeling is what we call BBV - Boat Building Virus. Some folks get all the way through a build before they realize that they have this new addiction, but it sounds like you're already hooked! Welcome to the club!

I suppose the only cure for BBV is water.... maybe a lakefull?

Well said ross. I live on the jersey shore or twenty minutes from the beach. I continously here why didn,t you just buy a boat. They don't understand the virus. Where I live there is a boat bone yard every 1/2 mile. i could have chosen a hundred boats to even repower or rebuild. To build one from a stack of plywood has been a dream for over 20 years. Welcome to the club and build on my friend. There is no know cure as of yet.
Dave

Started cutting the stringers this morning, but -- like a dingaling -- forgot to account for the kerf. So one of the stringer pieces turned out a blade's width shorter than the other. Luckily, I have wood to spare and can give myself a do-over.

Keep in mind that a little bit of gap is a good thing with epoxy construction. If you're only off a blade's width you are well within tolerance

I'm more worried about it creating a gap for glassing later.

Maybe I'm not following correctly, but the gaps get filled with thickened epoxy when you glue the parts together then a fillet and then the glass. The glass wouldn't be bridging a gap at all. If you read the tutorials you'll see that you don't want a tight wood to wood fit as it created hard spots.

Or maybe I am misunderstanding your concern.

Well, when you put it that way...

I'm just being anal about the measurements.

Mate, a pic is a 1000 word worth here..

keep posting progress of your pics, sometimes people just dive in before you even ask for help when they notice smtg that you may have missed.. like above we are just guessing to help but with the pic, things are more precise.

really a helpful community out here.. so post pics as much as you can..

Just to put it another way:
when you go to glass it, you take mayonaisse consistency epoxy+woodflour and fill the gap. then you take a tounge depressor and give it a little radius, then lay the wet-out fiberglass tape on top. So, 1/8" or even 1/4" gap is good, it gets filled with woodflour which you need for the radius anyway. In places like the very prow and again the transom after flipping, the gaps can even be bigger than that.
wade