GF16 In The PSL

[Noles309]

Ok guys, Iv'e had the plans for 6+ months and the materials since the week before Christmas. It's my first build.
My major fault is I tend to over-think/analyze everything almost to the point I don't get anything done.
My first dilemma is whether to build this thing on the garage floor, a set of sawhorses or a table like CL did on his GF18 build. I can see the advantages of the table but is it really worth the extra expense of doing it?

Thanks and this will most likely be the 1st of 10000 questions.

[jacquesmm]

It's a matter of ergonomics: I am older than when I started boat building and my back hurts if I have to build seams and sand on the floor.
You will do a better job with the hull at a comfortable height.

You could assemble the hull on the floor and once it is stiff enough, raise it on pair of saw horses.

[Cracker Larry]

I'm the same as Jacques, the older I get the more it hurts my back to bend over for long periods. Make it a comfortable working height. I would not build it directly on the floor unless it is a wood floor and you don't mind marking on it, cutting on it or shooting screws into it.

Here is a simple frame that I built a GF16 and a GF12 on.

[Noles309]

Thanks. I figure 4' wide and 12-14' long. The way the bow curves up it doesn't need to be the length of the boat does it?

[pee wee]

I think you will find that it does need to be a full length frame in the beginning- you need some way to hold the bow and stern transoms in accurate position as you assemble the hull.

[Cracker Larry]

What Peewee said. You will also be using the frame for laying out, marking, cutting and splicing the panels on, so it should really be full length.

[Noles309]

OK Thanks. I will go ahead and build one. I'm not as young as I used to be either...
Should it be decked with plywood? I've seen them both ways.
My plan was to start today but it has rained all day and is still raining. Didn't want to deal with wet wood. Hopefully tomorrow.

[Vanagod]

What I did on my build was lay a bunch of 2x3 down on top of my saw horses for cutting the plywood on top of, then I put down sheets of [what my hardware store called] 1/4" melamine on top of those when it was time to glue and glass. It is basically 1/4" press board with a thin sheet of plastic or formica on top. The epoxy does not stick to the formica. That gave me a workbench the size of the boat to build it on that the epoxy doesn't stick to, and if I bugger up the to formica sheet too much, I can replace it for another $18.

[Noles309]

Thanks, I just bit the bullet and got plywood.

[Noles309]

I got the frame built today and now I'm ready to start making some progress. Unfortunately, it will probably be Tuesday before I actually get to work on it. I've never posted pics on this forum so I'll have to look into that as well.