I better try keeping up a little better.

I know...I kinda suck at keeping up with posts. I will try to do better. I have talked about building dinghies. I am just now to a point where I am feeling competent enough to do it. Everything in its place and time. I am right at 6 weeks without pain meds and I am just getting clear headed enough to tackle this.
I knew I had some obstacles to overcome. Sometimes having a pain pill to shut down the hurt would be nice, but as long as I can manage and enjoy not being in a fog anymore.....I will just have to deal with it. Did I mention I love having a clear mind again? Yup...I missed it. I think it is clearing more all the time. I wonder how long it takes to clear out 7 years of strong pain meds?

So...back to the dinghy. I have 2 partial days on it right now.

I decided to build Sea Midge. It is an old world design from the north seas. Redrawn as a plywood dinghy in the 50's or 60's. I am converting it over to a stitch and glue design.

It is taking a lot of thought to figure out how to take something designed to be build on a frame with a framework and screw construction and convert it to stitch and glue that requires no frame to build on.

It turns out I needed at least a couple forms.

Example of frame.

First was drawing up side boards and lofting. Finding a piece of wood I could bend around the small nails driven in at the different points on pattern was difficult. You bend the stick and it gives you the gentle curves needed. This is also where I found out the old plans were missing a measurement. I had to guess at the angles that attach to the transom and stem. In retrospect. I think I should have build the frame once, just to get the angle. It doesn't say so...but it must be. In stitch and glue. The side boards are attached to the transom and stem first. Then side boards are spread out to appropriate shape.

I have never built a dinghy of any style so it is taking a while to figure out how to convert it over to the stitch and glue.

After side boards, cut out transom.

Then stem.

End of day one. I have had to figure this out as I do it. I started pretty late today because of things happening at the dock. I do not mind leaving it like this for the night. I need to figure out the next step.

Slept on it...Have a plan. Now on to day 2.

As you can see, I now have transom and stem attached. I also have bottom boards of frame inside holding it up while I think about the next step.

Now have frame pieces put in. I actually did not think it was correct when I first started forcing the frame work in. It really spread things out a lot.

To get proper shape for bottom pieces. 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. Cut down center lengthwise. now is 2 x 8. Fasten down one side. Trace out. remove. Cut out. Refasten. Now do other side. I am cutting out first side here.

First side temporarily tacked on.

Looking at bow.

Looking at stern. Bottom pieces have to come off so I can epoxy the side boards to stem and transom.

Not the greatest picture. Epoxy thickened with cabosil to a peanut butter consistency. Keeps it where you put it. End of day two. I cannot mess with it until this cures. If you discount time spent figuring out how I am going to do the different steps. I have about 6-8 hours into this project. I have decided that grinding out projects 7 days a week until done will not work. I will wrap it up on Fridays and continue on Monday. This is Friday morning. I will have the shell epoxied today. It can cure over the weekend.
Once the inside seams are epoxied, The inside and outside of seams will get fiber glassed with woven cloth.
But that is for another day. I have to get moving.

I have silent observers during the project. Mary Beth's pets, Bailey(female dog) and Finn(male cat)

They keep me in line.

More later.....Gotta run!!!