building a Granny Pram

[blegh]

Well, it is time to stop making inane comments on this forum, as though I knew anything, and really try to walk the walk. I am going to build a Granny Pram now that I have found a place to do the build.

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...ekly_photo.jpg

This wasn't my first choice. That was a Dark Harbor 20, but dave Bradford of Alder Bay Boats kindly talked me out of that notion and convinced me to take a course at NW School of Wooden Boat Building, which I did. A humbling experience - learning to crawl before you run. The I decided on the "Sunshine" by Duck Trapp boats, but again he nudged me toward the Iain Oughtred boat above -learn to walk before running, I guess. Anyway, the pram looks to be a great boat for me, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is minimal lofting required. After the NWSBB week, I went home keen t try something, anything, and lacking space to build I chose lofting. Although I arrived late at the course and missed the lofting part, I had Greg Rossel's book to guide me. I had the book "Building the Herreshoff Dinghy" which has a set of offsets in the back. It was an experience. Like others before me , I had trouble with battens and ducks, and the Swede saw blade (in the picture) I tried reduced my hands and arms to hanging flesh. I did get it done, sort of..
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...g/IMG_0006.jpg

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...IMG_0001-1.jpg


So here is my first question as I prepare. The space I am going to be building I find has a tile floor (old retaurant!) Will this have any impact on the ability of the strongback to stay level and plumb? Is there a good way to keep it from moving on such a slippery surface?

MAny thanks for any help.

[wizbang 13]

sandbags, hunks of lead, duct tape, glue.

[blegh]

Wiz:

With that list of options, I take it you are saying "don't let it move!!"

[Gib Etheridge]

You can sandbag a couple of short sawhorses then level and fasten a ladder frame on top of them. I would build a shelf down low between the legs of the horses for the bags.

Like this, except that I have a plywood floor to fasten to. Note the diagonals below the cross members.

[St.J]

Try hot gluing everything to the floor.
We used to do this with light stands on a shiny concrete floor.
When you want to move it use a wallpaper scraper slid hard along the floor at the base of the glue and it should come away as one lump.
you can set up and level the ladder base and then squeeze the hot glue round the legs.

[James McMullen]

I always mark around where the legs go with a sharpie or even just tape when I can't actually screw the legs to the floor. This way, if you jostle your building jig somehow, you know where to put it exactly back to where you started with it all aligned and level.

[blegh]

Thank you very much to all who replied. I'm not sure if I will be able to use the hot glue (will if I can) but I will certainly use saw-horses and mark the floor as suggested. Great help, much appreciated. I will have tons of questions as I move forward no doubt.
cheers

[johngsandusky]

And be careful to wear good soles on that hard floor to protect your feet, knees, and back. Watch your tools too, a drop can do real damage.

[blegh]

Note to self. You have the dropsy so lay some cheap used carpet around the "fixed" strongback. A cogent bit of advice. Much appreciated.

[Wacoflyr]

I found that a couple of old large dead batteries from my ancient glass sailboat held my sawhorses in place. Don't let them move in the first place, but be sure to mark the floor carefully where they belong for when you do accidently move them.

[blegh]

A quick word of thanks again to those who posted tips. Of course the sawhorses moved - in a fit of temper - but luckily I had marked and glued them. I got it finished after a really frustrating start. Switched building sites to a place I had to be out of by the last day in August. I got it finished, bought a three horse motor and took my lady for a one hour cruise around false creek before getting back to work. It didn't sink. Having finished the little boat, I am just in awe of those of you who work at building or repairing wooden boats, professionally or otherwise. The skill and intelligence to produce those beautiful hulls is so enormous, I am truly humbled. thanx

[Soundman67]

Got any pictures? we all love pictures of wooden boat builds.
On your original question I would be tempted to lay down 2x4's on the flat on 1' centers and sheet it with 5/8" T&G fir flooring. shim up the 2x4's just like we used to do when building a suite in a basement. I know your build is done but this is a recurring theme on the forum. How to get a good surface to build your boat. 3 sheets of plywood would give you an 8'x12'surface and it would require 13 2x4's. at a big box store that would be about 100$ worth of lumber and screws.

[JimD]

Strictly speaking, if the strongback is built strong and true, it won't matter much if its tilted, inverted, or in any other way not level, so long as you take your measurements from it and not the floor. The main reason for securing it from moving is so the boat doesn't slide out from under your tools while you're working on it. A perfectly level strongback can be handy for using spirit levels and plumb lines but for the most part you'll likely be using measuring tapes, rulers, and squares.

[DeniseO30]

Gib what's that your building there?

[Soundman67]

I was talking about the need to fasten to the floor to keep the strongback from moving. so I thought why not build a floor that you can fasten to. If you are standing on the floor and the strongback is fastened to the floor then there can be no movement.
and yes making a good stiff proper strongback will make it so it doesnt matter if things move. But when you are planing on the hull and the whole rig tries to move on you it can be frustrating. its really nice to have a good firm unmoving work surface. I even put my bench grinder on a pedestal where I stand on the base. works the same way. I cant push it over if I am standing on the base.

[JimD]

I was talking about the need to fasten to the floor to keep the strongback from moving. so I thought why not build a floor that you can fasten to. If you are standing on the floor and the strongback is fastened to the floor then there can be no movement.
and yes making a good stiff proper strongback will make it so it doesn't matter if things move. But when you are planing on the hull and the whole rig tries to move on you it can be frustrating. its really nice to have a good firm unmoving work surface. I even put my bench grinder on a pedestal where I stand on the base. works the same way. I cant push it over if I am standing on the base.

Absolutely. It can't be moving around when you're working on it. A couple sheets of heavy plywood, OSB, or MDF would suffice for a floor for the strongback to be attached to.