Help with bevels

[THX712517]

Okay, I'm building my 13' sailing skiff-flattie-sharpie hybrid, and the frames are constructed out of MDO as a webbing that 1x2 Douglas Fir is attached to. I need to bevel the MDO in order for the sides to bend around properly. Now, I spent a good chunk of time setting up the tablesaw to do these bevels, but it seems to me that I'm going to lose way too much MDO for the bevel, something on the line of 1/4". I've got the blade adjusted properly (I think) and the stop-bar thingy (highly technical terms, I know) as far over as I can get it, but it still seems like I'm going to lose too much MDO.

Any ideas on what I can do, or what it is that I'm overlooking? This is the only thing standing in the way between me and completing the frames and moving on to my topsides.

[Dale R. Hamilton]

I just had the same problem. Architech wanted me to bevel frames before assembly- which I accomplished by incredible difficulty on a bandsaw with tilting base. As it turns out I would have been much better off to just assemble the boat and then bevel the frames in place for whatever was needed for the planks to lay properly. All my painstaking bevels were wrong anyway.

[John Bell]

Kevin - call me. I left a message at your house.

I'm back from vacation and not traveling on business for the forseeable future.

[Tom Robb]

If you're talking about molds (the framework the boat is assembled upon) as opposed to frames which many call ribs (part of the boat) then if you lofted the lines the bevels ought to be whatever your lofted drawing indicates. If you have full size plans, and they happen to be accurate, bevel them to whatever angle the plan calls for. Yes it may be beyond what your table saw is capable of. A table saw is only slightly useful for boat work.
You can adjust the bevels on the set up molds in place with long batons showing you what the bevel ought to be.

[ 08-02-2005, 03:36 PM: Message edited by: Tom Robb ]

[David W Pratt]

I would use a skilsaw or even a battery powered one. Much easier to walk past a well secured 4x8' piece of MDO than jackass it through the table saw, IMO. Or what about a hand plane?
The guy who (superbly) built Truth said "cut it to fit, or pack it with sh**"
Good luck.

[Tom Robb]

I reread your post. I think you need to get a book on boatbuilding and read the part that explains making the molds, or perhaps find a mentor in your area who's done it before.
The outside corners of the lumber fastening strips on the edges of the molds are supposed to be the point where the inside of the planks meet the molds (assuming that any chines and stringers, etc, are let into the molds. Yes, a lot of that MDO will get cut away.
You need a picture. I don't have one. Go to your library and take out every book they have on boatbuilding. They'll be full of pictures.

[John Bell]

When I drew the boat Kevin is building, here is what I had in mind for him to do.

http://marina.fortunecity.com/breakw...khead%20Bevels

I'm going to go help him get going again this weekend if we can make my schedule work.

[Bruce Hooke]

Originally posted by THX712517:
...the stop-bar thingy (highly technical terms, I know) as far over as I can get it, but it still seems like I'm going to lose too much MDO.

I expect you are talking about the rip fence. If so I suspect what you may be dealing with is that you can't move the fence over far enough so that no wood is removed from one edge of the frame while the necessary amount of wood is removed from the other side of the frame. If this is the problem you are running into then attach a sacrificial piece of wood to the rip fence and then let the blade cut into this. To do this you will need to raise the blade into the fence while the blade is running. Make sure the fence is locked in place while you are doing this! Once you think you have everything set right then cut a test piece and check it to make sure you have everything set right.

If I have misdiagnoised your problem then most of what I just said will be irrelevant...

In any case, it sounds like you are going to be able to get some hands on help, which is by far and away the best way to learn!

[chuckm]

Greetings: some of us on the WBF are more intense than other's, I'm not tha brave yet..But my ? to you is are you using MDO for planking?-Lapstrake? I'm a newby building an Oughtred Gray Seal, still laminating frames, but moving along nicely. 5 of 9 built.The molds are layed down waiting for completion of frames, so i can cut out. Thinking about plywood. It's expensive. I have access to 1/2 in double sided AA fir grade MDO, a a very, very low cost.(deal with devils and call in favors)What your thought on mdo for planking gray seal

[chuckm]

I tried to post a URL; did'nt work. If you go to shutterfly type in chuckm@acscardio.com password buddy it should open up a gray seal album. I'll try again thanks

[Tom Robb]

Chuckm, the last place I'd skimp on quality is the hull. Buy the good stuff. As is said here often, the price will be forgotten when you're out sailing in your properly constructed Gray Seal.