Any Planking Advice?

[imported_maguro]

Hi Everyone,

I am about to plank my plywood over sawn frames v-hull skiff (Little Moby). I was wondering if anyone hade some woodworking tricks/tips on how miter the joint of the two panels at the chine. The bottom panel will overlap the top at the stern (no problem) but transform to a rather complex miter towards the bow. The tight bend and twist of the 3/8" ply won't make the job any easier. I know this is the case with most plywood v-hulls so I am curious to see how other people have done it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Chris

[Mike Keers]

Chris,
If you can lay your hands on a copy of a good plywood boatbuilding book, like Glen L. Witt's (of Glen-L) "Boat Building With Plywood", this issue will be quickly illustrated.....a picture is worth a thousand words, but here's my stab at it...

On most (if not all) ply on frame boats the bottom does overlap the sides in the stern 2/3 of the boat or so. Procedure is to plank the sides, then fair the chines and sides as a unit to accept the bottom planking. The bottom planking runs out to be cut off flush with the sides.

When you get to a certain point, as you've intuited, something has to change. Rather than a mitered joint (which I've never seen anyone do, but doesn't mean much) what is used is a 'transition joint', which simply means the sides and bottom planking butt rather than overlap--no miter is needed. This is accomplished with a small 'step' cut in the planking.

It's rather difficult to explain, but very simple to do once you see it. Glen-L's book spends a page or two on this transition joint, including a full page of pics. I can scan a pic or two (and text) from the book and zap them to you if you can receive pictures via email. Or I can upload the pics to my server and provide a link here, altho that will take longer. We'll see what happens first.

(shortly later) OK, I've scanned and uploaded the page with pics and some explanation to my ISP. Rather than post the (large) pic here, I'll simply provide the link:
www.personal.riverusers.com/~emkay/transition1.jpg (http://www.personal.riverusers.com/~emkay/transition1.jpg)

[ 05-05-2002, 12:35 PM: Message edited by: Mike Keers ]

[JimD]

On the Glen-L Minuet I'm building the joints didn't turn out nearly so pretty as the photo illustrations, but with enough goo, screws, sanding, and fiberglass tape inside and out, all was well in the end - jimd

[imported_maguro]

Thanks Mike for your scanning and advice. I guess I'll take all that under consideration and just dive right into it. I am sure as Jim said it won't look too pretty either but I just want her to be strong for those long days of fishin'.

[JimD]

Hi Chris, my hull is 3/8" on the bottom, 1/4" on the side, so I suspect I would have had some thickened epoxy fairing to do regardless. I glassed the hull inside and out so it is very strong, and with a coat of shiny paint, the finished hull looks very nice. I'm admittedly a poor woodworker, and the old salts would lament at all the sloppy joints in my boat, but fortunately for those of us less skilled, one doesn't have to be a fine craftsman to end up with a fine vessel from fiberglass and plywood. Much as I admire those who can still build in carvel plank, I wasn't about to let my limitations stop me. (tho maybe someone should stop me from babbling so much...) - Jim