Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Just started on an XF20. Got the stringers, sides, front and rear transom, and part to the tunnel cut out. Will keep ya posted on progress.

Checking in on transom thread from Boo. I cut the transom 4" higher than the plans show just in case. It's easier to trim it down than to add more wood. May not know the correct measurement until the jackplate and engine are trial fitted and holes marked for drilling.

More later.

Hey gpratt, how's it going? I've just ordered my plans for the XF20 and soon my journey towards this project will be on its way. May I ask if you might give a few pointers as you go along to help others and myself in what not to do,. Like the tunnel,. Don't know yet whats up there but a little info would be great for when I start,. Thanks and hope you have a blast building this boat,. Hope I do as well.. /

whiteboy

Is this your first boat? If yes you picked a good one to get the hang of it. Anytime you have doubts post your concerns here and you'll get help.

Layed out the bottom panels tonight and will cut them plus some other parts out Sat. Then decide how to hold this thing off the ground to put it together. Most likely use horses till the first roll then rig something up on wheels to do the glass sanding outside. I didn't sand out side on my OD16 and my I paid the price later. Everything was covered in glass dust. Half the stuff in the garage still is!

Let's do it!

Hey G ,

Them Reds had better be ready to rumble !!

Boo wrote:Them Reds had better be ready to rumble !!

The Cardinals won the NL Central. The Reds finished fourth.

Hey gpratt how's the boat coming? I've received my plans last week and was over looking them to see if it was possible to raise the sides a little and make it a center console? Anyone have any ideas for this?

if you had asked that 6 or 8 months ago like i did you would have been flamed for sure, but it seems the flamers have changed their tune a little since one has been built . there is a recent thread with discussions of soling and putting a center console on it.

white boy

I worked on the boat a good bit this weekend. I have all the parts cut out except the casting platform. It can't get done until the hull is completed since its getting moved up to the sheer line.

Started glueing up the parts today. I'm using the Silver Tip with slow hardner. I've used S3 with medium and liked it. Jury is still out on the slow. I'll know more in the morning. It's been several hours and it's still wet to the touch. When using medium I could wait a couple of hours and it would be starting to setup. That's when I'd add the glass over fillets. This slow may add to my building time. If it does I won't be using it again.

I have pictures to post just haven't done it yet.


Stay tuned!!

LIVEWIRE wrote:if you had asked that 6 or 8 months ago like i did you would have been flamed for sure, but it seems the flamers have changed their tune a little since one has been built .

I apologize for picking nits, but there have been very few flames on this board in the last two years. For the record, writing "I think that's a bad idea" is not a flame. A flame is a personal attack. Saying "Here's why I think your idea is wrong" is just an opinion on a technical subject.

gpratt
Sounds like your coming along great on the boat,. What type of climate have you had there in the last few days? I worked on a few boats here during the summer time and man what a time I had, So I'm thinking of what type or hardener to use myself,. Hope things go smother for you here on out,. Would be great to see the pic's when you post them,.

Posted some picture in the gallary.

http://gallery.bateau2.com/thumbnails.php?album=210

I strayed some from the nesting plans. I wanted to get the butt block seams under the seats for a cleaner look. Also made the centerline butt block the full width between the stringer. That will eliminate the splice hump down the center of the boat.

More pics later.

gpratt

Sweeeeeeet !!!!

Steve

g

Had a fellow mention He might be interested in having you build a XF 20 for him . I'll see about firming it up with him before everyone jumps you to build one for them .

As light as this boat is it has to get up like a helicopter and run on dew !!!!!!

Boo

Check the albums for new pics. Finished getting the sides glued up tonight. Transoms ready to install. Should start looking like a boat this weekend.

Hi guys...

Well the plans arrived last Friday and a week later I turned the hull for the inside fitout...

You yankees don't like making things easy for us vegemite kids do u ???

Hahahahaha

Anyway, got busy in the last week and pumped out a hull... I tried to keep as many photo's for those thinking of building an XF20....

Great plans, and YES, I lifted the freeboard to a more suitable (heavy weather) height...

Jacques... Thankyou for your efforts in providing a great set of plans...

Australia Post... Sorry for forcing the early retirement of one of your delivery officers...

Everyone remember the movie "Field of Dreams" ???

If you build it he will come !!!

Well the sequel is called "Ordering Plans From Overseas"

I bought the plywood, cloth and resin upfront, and if the postie didn't bring those "bloody" plans in the mail Friday, "If he hasn't got them, he will DIE !!!"

Needless to say Kevin Costner and I have agreed on an out of court settlement and the project moved onwards for Saturday AM...

Pictures are in the gallery for those interested...

Cheers...

Warren...

Warren, I'd like to take a peak at your pictures, but I can't find them in the Gallery - which I find very difficult to use. What name are they under? Warren? Breammaster? (Neither of these worked when I searched the gallery).

Just converting all my files into JPEG's Mark... Just uploading them all now... Hope they are of some help...

It's under Warrens XF20.........

They are the latest pics to be uploaded.

Warren.

Warren

You working day and night on that project ? You'll be tearing up the bream with it before you know it ! Looking good !

( Dumb Question )--Do you have gar in your country and if so have you ever fished the gar spawn ?

Steve

No Steve,

The quick progress was a result of a casual week of holidays I had taken to put a big dent in the project.

Plans arrived in Friday's mail which I collected around 7pm...

Slept in on Saturday morning, did some shopping and got started on plotting out the plans around 2pm. Here's a big tip for those trying to get started... The plans are perfect for 8' x 4' sheets. Try and source these sheets if possible (if in Australia we have some british marine ply available at the moment that is half the price of the local hoop pine version).

To get yourself rolling, buy a big builders square from your local hardware store (like a big metal L), and start plotting out your bottom sheets. These are the easiest to do, and a big part of the project.

Mark out your 610mm increments (this means that four sections fit a sheet) and use your square to draw a line the entire width of the plywood. Then grab 5 nails and jump on the other side of the sheet with your plans, a measuring tape, a hammer and start measuring. Find the half width of your transom and bang a nail in about 5mm from the edge. Then move across to the next 610mm line and find your next measurment, bang with a nail, and so on until you reach the other end of the sheet which gets a nail 5mm inside the edge at the 5th measurement. Get your batten and clamp it at each end and then bend around the nails. Draw off your line and you have your profile.

But to save even more time, cut the profile with your circular saw on that first sheet (after taking out the nails...duh !!!), and get another fresh sheet on the saw horses. Lay your "just cut" template on top and clamp at the two square corners after checking for alignment. Get your circular saw, drop the blade to around 25mm (more than double the thickness of two sheets) and use the first sheet as a template for cutting your second profile. No drawing, no square edges, no measuring...

STITCH AND GLUE DOES NOT REQUIRE PERFECT EDGES. IF YOU APPRECIATE FINE WOODWORK, GO AND BUILD A SPICE RACK...hehehe !!!

Follow this same process and I can guarantee you will have your bottom panels cut out within an hour... Great start and if the wind isn't in your sails by now, you need to start concentrating on building boats in little bottles... hehe )

I need a beer now after all that typing so I'll be back in a minute.

Warren.

Boo wrote:g

Had a fellow mention He might be interested in having you build a XF 20 for him . I'll see about firming it up with him before everyone jumps you to build one for them .

As light as this boat is it has to get up like a helicopter and run on dew !!!!!!

If Pratt doesn't have the time tell him to give me a call or e'mail mail me at attownsend@bellsouth.net. Evild.

Next I'd tackle the 13mm ply and cut out the transoms, and the pocket drive. I actually fitted the whole lot on the sheet of 13mm. Just remember to allow for the extra thickness in the pocket drive side panels, that are normally cut from 9mm. As it is the area of greatest force on the boat, I didn't think the extra thickness would hurt...

Next comes the side panels... Now I lifted mine for my own needs... This is why I cut the side panels of the pocket drive from the 13mm instead of the 9mm. By lifting the sides by 15%, getting rid of the pocket drive sides allowed me to still fit the side panels on the same amount of sheets (for those of you who haven't seen the standard nesting, the side panels of the pocket drive are normally slotted between two of the side panels on one sheet...).

I then fiddled with the front bottom panels, and the stringer panels from what I had left over. The stringers can use up quite a bit of the off cuts from the bottom panels if you plot them carefully. What I had left over gave me an extra full 9mm sheet and half a sheet from which I cut a lot of the butt blocks...

Sorry guys, it's summer here and all this typing is thirsty work. Lager time again...

Warren.

Evild

Email me your phone # and give me a chance to talk to the guy. If we can't work something out I'll have him call or email you. I want to build my own XF before I build one for anyone else. Should take me about 3 mos. once I start to get it completed. That of course depends on what other fires pop up.

Gary

Gary

The fellow is outta town till this Friday . Will get with him and get back to you . Would like to hold him the next building slot until He confirms if possible .

What's up !

Got jpegs ??

Steve

Evild

Couldn't reach you thru either of your E address's . Only mailer-damion .

Thx for the reply .

Steve

gpratt wrote:Evild

Email me your phone # and give me a chance to talk to the guy. If we can't work something out I'll have him call or email you. I want to build my own XF before I build one for anyone else. Should take me about 3 mos. once I start to get it completed. That of course depends on what other fires pop up.

Gary

Hi Gary,
Hope I didn't offend,but know you are busy on another project.Can't wait to see it done,you do awesome work! Evild

Boo wrote:Evild

Couldn't reach you thru either of your E address's . Only mailer-damion .

Thx for the reply .

Steve

Hi Boo,

It's attownsend@bellsouth.net. Sorry for the confusion.Evild

gpratt wrote:Evild

Email me your phone # and give me a chance to talk to the guy. If we can't work something out I'll have him call or email you. I want to build my own XF before I build one for anyone else. Should take me about 3 mos. once I start to get it completed. That of course depends on what other fires pop up.

Gary

Thanks G,

Home is 772-878-9685,Cell 772-631-0677.I'm every where these days so cell would be best.Evild.

Evild

We still need to get up a OD outing one of these days. Maybe sometime after the new year or early spring. Where you living now? My number is 407 957-9553 evenings days 407 370-3301.

Gary

Boo


Glassing the bottom now. Was hoping to be further along but company popped in from up north and used up some time. I posted some pics from a few days ago, just after I started glassing the seams. At least you can see how big this thing is.

The wife is ready for me to get it done and out of her laundry space.

Haven't heard from the Tohatsu dealer yet. I'll call him this week.

Ken, if you read this post I'll call the jackplate mfg. this week also.

Gary

Thanks Gary. The Ph 15 is getting close to paint on hull bottom. Lots of time involved in fairing tunnel and hull itself. The sponsons are a hard area to work in and takes a lot of time due to the fact that its hard to work in the space. When its done it will be one sharp little hull. Going to use imron . The bottom will be white and the sides and consol will be a light Sea Mist green. Couple more pics and will get developed and posted.

Gary

Know what ya mean !! Great looking job !

Thx for the jpgs .

Steve

Warren , Whats going on with your project ?

Gary

Looking awesome !!

Steve

Gary

Those last 2 jpg's of the r/r looks great ! Keep up the good work !

Thx

Steve

New Pictures look great....

Thanks Chalk

It's in Boo's hands now. Looking forward to see how he paints it and rigs it. Plus waiting for my ride!

Now it's time to see about building mine. Got some work to do around the house that's been put off for to long. Wife says I have to clean the garage and leave it clean for 2 weeks before I start another mess. I can live with that now ya know why we've been together for 25+ years. She's a keeper!

Then another boat building session.

gpratt wrote:Thanks Chalk

It's in Boo's hands now. Looking forward to see how he paints it and rigs it. Plus waiting for my ride!

Now it's time to see about building mine. Got some work to do around the house that's been put off for to long. Wife says I have to clean the garage and leave it clean for 2 weeks before I start another mess. I can live with that now ya know why we've been together for 25+ years. She's a keeper!

Then another boat building session.

Wow Gary! You got a keeper there. My wife says no more garage boat building plans. So I can't plan to build there, I just have to start without planning while she's at the grocery store. We hit the big 25 this summer.

Gary , See the new jpg's of the XFS , looking good !!