to loft or not loft?

[Neville Striker]

I started in the misc section asking if it is possible for a neophyte to build a boat. I am fairly experienced in wood working but have never done any boat building. I have also never lofted. Should I get a good boook on lofting and study up or would it be better to buy one of the sets of plans that advertise as " no lofting required"? How difficult is it? The sad fact about not lofting I believe is that I am going to be severely limited in what kinds of boats I might be able to build.

[Bob Perkins]

It might be be best to decide the type of contruction or better yet, the boat you want to build first.

That will often determine if lofting and other things are necessary. If you are going toward *traditional*, then buy "Building Small Boats" by Greg Rossell and a lot of what you need to know will be covered..

Good Luck

[JimD]

If its a relatively small boat lofting should be no problem. Most of the well known books on boat building such as Rossell have a chapter on lofting and that will be all you should need. Almost everything you need to know about lofting you already learned in grade school when you learned to plot points on a sheet of graph paper and connect the dots. All those numbers in the table of offsets that you loft from are really just the measurements of where the dots go.

[Bob Cleek]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (itself a metaphor that may well escape the younger generation who have never put needle to vinyl), there is no such thing as "no lofting required." Sure, they may sell "pre-lofted" plans, but that isn't the same thing at all. Not only does full size lofting provide the data necessary to make proper patterns, but it provides the opportunity to get to know the boat and "build it in your head" before you ever cut a piece of wood. Besides, lofting is fun. I really don't know why folks are afraid of it. As said above, it is really nothing more than connecting the dots... carefully. If you can use a ruler and draw a line with it, you've got the skill to do it right.

[Neville Striker]

I do know how to use a ruler ( and in more ways than one), as my 3rd grade art teacher showed me one day after talking out of turn in class.

Lofting sounds promising and if I am going to have to do it anyway, I might as well do it for the boat I really want.

[ssor]

Lofting has the great advantage of being only marks that can be erased. So far they haven't made an eraser for saw cuts. make all the pencil marks before you put the wood to the saw.

[Ian McColgin]

Lofting is a complete waste of time for people who know more than the real boat builders of the world and who would rather make junk.

But seriously, you can't do better than click over to the WoodenBoat Store, books, boatbuilding, page 6 has Allan Vaitses' "Lofting." Best treatment you'll find.

My first boat I built from just sticks was a chamberlain gunning dory. The dory shape is so well controlled by the frames and stems on a strongback that those are the only parts you actually need to loft. But any developed shape will probably require lofting the whole plan full size.

Anyway, read Vaitses and you'll find yourself using your lofting skills for all sorts of projects beyond boats.

[Bob Smalser]

Any paper patterns that come with a "no lofting required" set of plans are likely gonna get you in a heck of a lot of expensive and frustrating trouble in humid Florida.

Paper moves seasonally, too.

[Steve Miller]

I am working on my 3rd boat. I still consider myself a beginning boat builder. My first was a kit built glued lapstrake sailboat. The second was a stitch and glue kayak built from plans. I lofted the plank shapes from a table of offsets for that boat. My current project is a small Glen-L Utility Skiff for my daughter.

It came with "full size patterns" for the frames, transom, breasthook and stem. The patterns came on one big sheet and were nice for checking my work but (for me) it was easier and much more accurate to mark out the wood pieces from the info on the plans for most of the parts than to try to trace the parts from the big sheet. For example, the bottom of the boat is laid out by drawing an arc for each frame and the transom. Far easier to draw them out using my rule and compass than to use the patterns which only show the piece from the centerline - not the whole frame. Not really lofting in the sense of connecting the dots from a table of offsets like I did for the kayak. I should note that lots of guys just trace out the patterns and it works fine for them. If you get patterns with your boat of choice then you can use them or not - whatever works for you. Glen-L boats are mostly plywood on frame. The plans and info you get is first rate. If you build such a boat then get Glen L. Witt's book "Boat Building With Plywood". It is a great book and includes a chapter on lofting. Lots of pictures and diagrams too. I was very happy with the plans from Glen-L.

Arch Davis provides patterns on mylar which is more stable than paper. He gets good reviews for the materials he supplies.

As a beginner, I find that the drawing out of the parts and the simple lofting I have done really does help me to get to know the boat (as noted already above)and builds confidence that it will all fit together properly in the end.

And the drawing is such a small part of the total project anyway you will really enjoy it.

[Neville Striker]

Great tips from all concerned. Thank you. This seems to be a friendly place.

Ian Im going to purchase a copy of the Vaitses book if my local library doesnt have a copy.

[Jamaica Mike]

Neville, I have never built a boat over 18 feet, but I lofted each one. There are several good reasons to do so...

1. There are plan sets out there with errors in them. You do not want to discover the problems during construction.

2. You can adjust lines - plans when you loft them yourself.

3. Lofting forces you to think through the project prior to building.

4. It will make you a better boat builder... which is, I think, the best point.

Buying plans is important to understanding the construction details, scantlings, etc., so it still has value for the guy, like me, who has only built a few boats.

JM

[Jay Greer]

Aside from being able to take bevels and measurments full size from the loft floor, lofting will give you a better vision of what you are building. The shape will end up living in your head as you loft.

A young man once came to my shop asking for advice on building a Block Islander from Chappelle plans. After listening intently, he thanked me and went away smiling. Ten months later he came to me to ask why his molds, ribbands and framing did not lay up fair. I asked to see his lofting and he told me that he was in such a hurry to get going that he drew his sections and keel profile directly on the construction materials. After I noted that the stem and horn timber had been transposed, he worked a few months more trying to set things right, gave up and then sold the boat while still in frame. That boat sat around for years sold nearly ten times, as each new owner discovered the mistakes. Finally, one fellow actually finished that backward Block Islander!
Lesson, loft first, build second!
Jay Greer

[Ian McColgin]

Neville, by all means find Vaitses in the library if possible but you'll end up buying the book sooner or later. The skill of lofting will improve normal fine woodwork, patternmaking, you name it. You'll see.