SO-DU-IT started

[Bhatla]

I started on the cold molded SDI 2 weeks back.

As I can only work part of the weekends, so far have completed frames at station 5 and 6. The first frame took much longer , but the second one (Frame 6) was a breeze. So I should have all the frames up and ready in the next couple of weeks.

Hope to have the pictures uploaded once I can get them scanned.. no digital camera as yet !!

Its been a great experience so far.. never having built a boat ( though have reasonable wood working skills ).

Regards

Bhatla

[Bhatla]

Just another quick update.

I finally managed to get all the frames built. ( Wife is away on a 4 week trip .. so can mess up the garage !! yay !!).

I transferred the paper plans to thick corrugated paper ( cardboard cartons from the local super market) , this template were easier to handle than the paper plans to transfer the lines to the wood. Just trace round the profile. As each station was done, I cut the cardboard to the next station profile.

To save costs on the "set-up" , I used commanly available fence paling wood ( 19 mm x 150 mm x 180 cm ; 3/4 " x 6" x 6 ' ) radiata pine ( monterey pine) which I got a pretty good price.

Some of the planks were real pigs to cut. The density of the planks varied quite a bit from soft to hard, relatively speaking. And most had a few knots.

There is this great pine smell in the garage now .

I own a B&K Buzz saw. If you are thinking of buying this .. my suggestion DONT. Its just 250 watts and I found it gets real HOT when the wood is hard, which some of my fence palings were. And cutting thru the knots made it hotter... , I thought the blade was faulty... but no , its just that the knots were tough for this little saw. I would have preferred to use a 350 - 400 watt jigsaw , at half the price.

I first thought of ripping planks to make the frame battens, then gave up this stupid idea ... after considering the amount of time and labour involved... have now just bought machine finished pine battens ( 20 mm x 20 mm; 3/4 " x 3/4 ").

Just waiting for the long weekend next week ( 3 days off !) to set up the frame and battens. I plan to add the keel after the fame is set up.

Yesterday I bought a huge roll of clear polythene sheet. A small "shed" for the SDI build is coming up on my lawn. Sold this idea to the wife:
She always wanted a :"green-house" ... so here was was a great chance to get a shed for the SDI build and then use all the framing planks later to build stuff for the "green house".

I thank all amateur boat builders for the support and inspiration so far.


Bhatla

[DrBones]

Yes please post some pics! I'd really like to see some detailed pics of this curious boat! Good luck on the building

[Bhatla]

Here is quick update.

Got the "boatyard" finished and finally got to putting up the frames and have just started adding the longitudinal stringers.

[img]<img src ="modules/Upload/bhatla/start-boatyard.jpg ">

[img]<img src ="modules/Upload/bhatla/apurva-stg1.jpg ">

The SDI design calls for douglas fir for longitudinals and the sheer clamp.

I will be using laminated radiata pine instead.

I have not added the transom as yet. Next stage after the longitudinal go on along with the keel. A few weeks ??

A question: For fixing the keel to the Transom and at the Stem.. is using a laminated "knee" a good idea?? I read somewhere that the wood grain direction in a laminated "knee" gives additional strength.


Cheers

Bhatla

[Bhatla]

Opps .. forgot to mention..

notice the curved "side-wall" supports of the "boat-yard".

They are the left over pieces after cutting the station frames.

Tried to recycle !!!!

Cheeers

Bhatla

[ks8]

I am building a Caravelle which should be completed next year near Fall season. You mentioned not having a digital camera yet. If you want to take MANY pictures during construction, a digital camera easily pays for itself quickly. I spent hundreds on processing, and then had to scan also. I finally bought a SONY DSC-P32. Now I spend nothing on photos, except to print the best ones. I will say this about digi cameras...

Try to find one that distorts least around the edges on 10 to 20 foot shots. Otherwise, you try to capture stringer alignment and sheer curves (etc) but the lense will keep curving the otherwise desired *lines* as you move out towards the edge of the photo. I am living with this effect, hoping that those who view my photos understand the optical limits of a cheaper fixed focal length Camera. Still I do not regret buying it for under $250 with 128 mb RAM additional and 3.2 megapixel. I want to review all pics myself, but 1 in 20 are GOOD for others less interested to get the idea of the boat building and customizing process... the showoff pictures... pictures I might not have if the expenses of traditional processing would cramp my freedom in snapping wildly away. If you do not build another boat, you will be glad for an extensive photo log of the construction.

When Bateau2 has ZAP photo back running, I'll post some pics of my Caravelle.

I would like one day to cold mold a small boat so I am very interested to know your progress, veneer sources and experience, etc.

Happy cold molding!
ks8

[Tom2]

I have the plans for the So-Du-It but I have not had the time to start. I will be following your project. I agree about a ditial camera, I finaly bought one for me on my bitrthday and I do not regret the money spent.

Tom2

[Bhatla]

An update.

Daughter bought a Sony Digital Camera for Christmas, so now I can take more and hopefully better pictures !!

I quit my job just befor Christmas, so there has been a temporary hold on the boat building. Starting on a new job soon , in a couple of weeks, , so the project will take off again. Iam just a wee bit sad that no work could be done over the past few weeks of excellent summer weather.

At the moment, I have the frame stringers up. Just waiting for the transom to go in and then the Keel. That would complete Stage 1-- Building the jig for cold molding, looking at possibly mid-February.

I am also working on my web site. Details will follow soon.

Thanks to all

Bhatla

[Bhatla]

Uploaded info to my web page . A long way to go still... had to make a start !!

http://www.sigma-services.co.nz/arpita/soduit.htm for details.

Would appreciate your feedback via this forum.

Cheers

Bhatla

[ks8]

Looks like a good start for the website! Interesting stretch you're doing. Did you keep the same freeboard or scale *everything* up equally. Keep us updated at bateau with links to pictures, etc.

thanks for the update,

sincerely,
ks