Panga 20 West Central Florida

[Eric]

Meranti burn real nice, smells a bit but you get use to it. I took a huge pallet of scrap Meranti out to the burn pile last night, weenie roast Saturday!!

[JASmine]

OK..OK..you guys are pretty funny

I'm thinking back to the plan description where it says "the Pangas with their vee hulls will require a little bit more skill and more labor to build but not much."...or to the tutorials where it says "Use as little fasteners as possible and do not pull the panels against the frames unless absolutely necessary"...hah..hah...joke's on me.

Actually I do think it's fairly straightforward and so far it looks like a perfect design for me. I do wish that Jacques would publish the location and angle of the ruling lines so that the kerfs could be laid out easily.
Next week I'll find out if I can make all the panels fit properly without any bulges or dips..fairness counts you know

[JASmine]

Worked about 2 hours today..braced the Starboard bottom panel and removed the clamps. Stations E,D,and C are finished. B is coming along and will be doable on Monday. Attached the panel at the bow mold to get a feel for the fit. I used some scrap material to straighten out the bulges in the edges..works great (see gallery) but now I have to figure out how to glass the seams around the screw heads that are holding down the panel.

[JASmine]

Kerfed and mounted the Port bottom panel today. Much easier that the first one because I had a bit more confidence. I decided to NOT SPLIT the panel even though Dynamo's experience showed that is probably the way to do it. I already had the first panel in place and I was too lazy to remove it and put it back on. The kerfs are what make it possible..and a few well placed screws! If I was starting from scratch I WOULD split the 2 bottom panels.
Was also able to get both side panels mounted..only a few more stitches to go and then I'll be ready to start placing the glass straps to hold it all together. Overall the panels fit together pretty well (thanks most likely to the precut kit..thanks Eric). As Jacques says "gaps are good"!
After I get the 'bandaids' done, I'll use duct tape under the seams and fill some of them with epoxy putty, round them off, and then start glassing the seams.

[JASmine]

I was able to work 6 hours today and got alot done.
Finished adjusting the side and bottom panels (actually more trueful to say I quit adjusting ). Spot welded the chine seam on both sides. Filled in some of the larger gaps with epoxy peanut butter...more to do of that before I glass the seams.
Next BIG step is to carefully remove the "bending" screws..and HOPE that it stays fair!!!

[tech_support]

Looks very nice.

[JASmine]

Worked for about an hour today...removed a few screws and IT STAYED FAIR . Made another batch of peanut butter and filled more gaps along the chines. Tomorrow plan on filling and tabbing the keel seam. I'm not out of the woods yet regarding the shape staying fair after all screws are removed but I'm more confident now (I know that's when...).

Actually one lesson I learned today is that it's wise to make braces that cross from gunwale to gunwale to keep the shape at frames C,D,and E..these probably will stay until the inside is pretty well along. Now it's on to..lots of glass work and sanding, and fairing, and sanding and.....

[ks8]

Looking real good! Thanks for the link to the gallery. You're moving along at quite a pace. Another boat that looks like it will be done before mine!

Have you planned the color scheme yet?

sincerely,
ks

[Dane_Ger]

Very nice work, JAS . . . . pretty darn rewarding when a 'boat' appears!!

[Dynamo]

JASmine. OK I believe at this point you've passed me. Now I can go to school on you. I plan to tack mine together on the inside so I can fair the edges of the chines and transom before taping the seams, besides that I have found that Epoxy works much better for holding my hair in place than regular hair gell. Keep up the good work.