The believed abstraction of a 12 foot clinker dinghy.

[Max F]

Lovely and bloody masterfull. That came along beautifully with my morning coffe.
Thumps up mate.

[IanMilne]

I was going to say something like that, too.Cheers,Ian

[gypsie]

Clear work, with a plan and well executed. Great thread!
A real pleasure to watch and learn.

[Mike1902]

Thanks Max, Ian and Trev for the kind words.
As far as a plan goes Trev...well... I have this image in my head as to what the dinghy will look like when finished. Getting to that point is what makes this project so much fun.
One thing I decided early on was to keep straight lines and flat surfaces to a minimum, hence curved bulkheads, transom, reverse raked stem, cambered decks and sternsheets etc.
I also plan to make the bowsprit with a downward curve, little challenges that pique ones interest.
Keep up the good works guys and again, thanks for the compliments.
Cheers,
Mike.

[Mike1902]

So after cleaning up the joints between the stanchion, deck beam and floor it was pattern making time again.

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The knees for the bulkhead frame will be made in a similar fashion to the knee below the breasthook, that is, with a splined joint.
The splines are quite wide and about a third of the knee thickness, therefore making a laminated joint.
I plan to make the remaining knees in this fashion as it uses less glue and is great for using up the timber offcuts.

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While the glued knees were curing I decided to work out the hatch opening size , seen here with a couple of battens in place.
Now I want to be able to fit my head, arms and shoulders through to gain access to all areas forward.
The sizing was worked out in modules of 42mm which is the stave width, also allowing for a 20 mm face for the hatch to seat against.
The bulkhead face will be constructed in the same fashion as the sternsheet bulkhead. The vertical edges of the hatch will line up to form the V between the staves.

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I fitted the port transom piece this evening. It is a laminated beam I made when the bulkhead beam was made.
Again I have used blind lap joints. This saves cutting to much out of the bulkhead frame and still forms a strong joint.

[Mike1902]

Today I cut out and shaped up the two knees for the bulkhead frame.

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The above image clearly shows the fillet, three grains running in different directions forming a strong knee.

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The other transom piece and the two small stanchions were completed and fitted, again using blind half lap joints.
All the pieces were dry fitted including the knees.

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Here everything has been taped and pre primed with epoxy ready for glue up.
I'm just off out to the workshop now to check things out, as I glued up about 5 hours ago.
Tomorrow I will make up two more knees. One will help bond and support the king plank and stanchion, the other, the mast step and stanchion.

[nedL]

Just want to let you know I am really enjoying watching your work, your ideas and this transformation. Well thought out and a great job! It is nice to see a little boat like this saved.

[Max F]

That is nearly to beautifull to cover up...

[Mike1902]

Just want to let you know I am really enjoying watching your work, your ideas and this transformation. Well thought out and a great job! It is nice to see a little boat like this saved.

Thanks Ned. The ideas are a constant trade off between practicality, ability, time, expense (present and future), aesthetic and common sense but it is the challenges these themes present that fuels the enthusiasm and anticipation of the finished product.
Cheers,
Mike.

[Mike1902]

That is nearly to beautifull to cover up...

Cheers Max. After reading your thread maybe I should install a perspex bulkhead.

[Mike1902]

How many patterns does it take to rebuild a dinghy?
Well, I think there will be a few more to add to this pile yet in the coming months.

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Had a clean up around the workshop today and kept coming across patterns, parts of patterns, patterns made from parts of patterns.
The laminating jig blocks have their own pile.

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These are the last two patterns and knees for the foredeck and bulkhead framing.
They will certainly not be the last patterns in the overall scheme of things...all good fun really.

[Mike1902]

Time to make the staves for the bulkhead lining and hatch covers.
I need 38 staves each about 600 mm ( 2 feet ) in length by 45 mm (1 3/4") wide.

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The boards I used are ex house ceiling linings. They are Totara, same as the sternsheet bulkhead lining.
They measure 12' wide by 1/2' thick, these particular boards were about 7' long.
They were also cupped quite badly, about 1/2" across the width, mostly straight though and ripped down into 2" widths.
Finished size is 42 mm wide by 8 mm thick.
Bevels will be routered along the edge to create a V when joined.

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Well not much progress will be made on the dinghy over the next three days because I'm off to Auckland to crew on the beautiful Ariki, participating in the Patio Bay (Waiheke Is.) race.
Happy daze.

[Mike1902]

So while standing on the aft deck of the classic yacht Ariki, 1904, waiting the start of our race, we witnessed the 2020 technology from Team New Zealand named Te Rehutai ( Spirit of the ocean) wiz close by.
I doubt there is any Kauri on that boat.

[Slacko]

I'm going to be in Auckland over Christmas, so hope to get a look at these beasts in action in the pre-regatta.
It will be worth a trip up for the Cup series as well!

[Mike1902]

I'm going to be in Auckland over Christmas, so hope to get a look at these beasts in action in the pre-regatta.
It will be worth a trip up for the Cup series as well!

Mate, if you can get out on the water you'll be blown away by the sight of these boats in action. Viewing them on a screen doesn't do them justice.

[Mike1902]

Managed to get a few hours on the dinghy this week.
So after milling up the staves it was then a case of scribing in all 36 of them.

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Each stave was pre drilled top and bottom for a temporary fixing. I used a panel pin as a drill bit.

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Scribing finished.
The top of each stave will be trimmed 25 mm below the deck level so a transom piece/mast partner can be fixed directly to the bulkhead beam.
There will be a rebate in the back face of the transom that the top edge of the hatch will slide into.

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I marked where the bottom edge of each hatch would be then removed the staves and cut a 5 degree bevel (sloping outwards) on each hatch stave.
The left photo shows the port hatch staves back in and the grains lining up to hopefully create a reasonably invisible hatch.
A channel will be routered around the hatch opening to take a 4mm O ring rubber cord before the staves are permanently glued.
How the hatches will be constructed and fastened in place will be revealed in future posts.
Tomorrow the starboard side.

[Max F]

Thumps up Mike.
Keep the good work coming.
Cheers Max

[Mike1902]

Thumps up Mike.
Keep the good work coming.
Cheers Max

Thanks Max.
Here is the starboard side completed.

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Now it's a case of removing and numbering each stave, then running them across the router table to form a chamfer along the outer edge.
This will form a V when they are joined, similar to the aft bulkhead.

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This is the 4 mm nitrile rubber O ring cord I will be using to seal the hatches with.
I ordered a cove box bit that according to the measurement details graphic on the website had a finished diameter of 1/8 " (3.17 mm).
This would create a channel that the o ring would seat into.
Unfortunately they have mixed up their diameter/radius measurements thus giving a finished diameter of 1/4 ". The joys of ordering online.

[Mike1902]

Well they do say," You get what you pay for."
Chanced my arm and ordered online again.
No store locally had one.

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The bit on the left was three times the price of the one on the right.
The left bit website graphics and measurements were clear but the packaging... (what's with the OTT plastic containers anyway... one size fits all I guess).
The right bit graphics and website chart...well who knows, but the abundant use of plastic in the packaging was on a par. I may use that bit one day.
Anyway, it's the 1/8 " diameter I required.

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This is what I needed it for.
The O ring is 4mm in diameter, the bit is 3.2 mm, so I need to do two passes to get the right width.
I require a press fit so I can keep the gluing to a minimum and controlling the width of the cut allows this.
I could have ordered 3 mm cord but it is just a little to small in diameter for what I really want to achieve.

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So while waiting for router bits to arrive I have been busy with filleting the hanging and lodging knees, the forward side of the bulkhead frame, both sides of the bulkhead fiddle and the mast step.
To speed things up a little, I use a Dremel burr bit to take the glaze off the cured epoxy fillet, especially useful in the tight spaces where sanding can be difficult.

[Mike1902]

Well, the America's Cup racing was delayed this afternoon which allowed me to put another coat of epoxy on.
This was the third coat of the day and I was glad to get it over and done with. Epoxy.. not my most favourite medium.
A good thing really, as I plan to paint it all and the third coat will give the epoxy that added thickness before sanding.

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All the sharp edges of the frames and knees were sanded to a small radius so the epoxy would build in these areas as well.
The beams and breasthook had been routered with a small radius along the lower edges also before installation.
I will sand all of this and then fit the bulkhead staves which will also be filleted and epoxy sealed before painting the forward compartment.
But before the staves go on the O ring groove has to be dealt with.

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I have an idea now to router a 8-10 mm diameter groove around the hatch and hatch opening and fill them with thickened epoxy.
I will then router a 4 mm groove into that which will take the O ring.
The reason for this is create a waterproof sealed groove between the O ring and the timber that will accurately house the O ring as well.
Not a lot of room for error but will make for an interesting exercise.
The reasons for going to all this trouble will be revealed in future posts.

[Larks]

I’ll be interested to see how that O ring arrangement works Mike - so that I can steal it .

[John B]

We want to know now.

[Mike1902]

I’ll be interested to see how that O ring arrangement works Mike - so that I can steal it .

Oh no, pressure's on.

[Mike1902]

We want to know now.

You get up to early.

[John B]

Up at sparrows fart around this place, the boids go crazy from about 5 on.

[Mike1902]

Up at sparrows fart around this place, the boids go crazy from about 5 on.

That would be ducks fart around your house.
We get Tuis farting at ungodly hours around here too.

[Mike1902]

So today I figured out how to make the channels, one for the epoxy and then the other running down the middle of it for the O ring and using only one template.
Now because the bulkhead is concave, a router with a small base plate is better because it sits closer to the work and on the template when passing along the top and bottom horizontal curve, side verticals are straight.
I have a Makita laminate trimmer which is ideal but, the template guide bush has a very small diameter opening, limiting the bit cut width ( about 8 mm max ).

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The epoxy channel I required needed to be about 8 mm to give 2 mm of epoxy each side of the O ring.
I did not have a bit around that size in a 1/4 " shank so decided to use my newly acquired by accident cove box bit (1/4 " dia / 6 mm ) and do two passes... I knew I would use it one day.
This meant making a collar to fit over the template guide bush so I would not have to alter the template. I made the collar from a hard plastic bush, drilling out the centre to make it fit.

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The O ring channel also requires two passes with the 1/8 ( 3.2 mm) bit as mentioned in an earlier post to bring it out to 4 mm diameter.
Using the same template required another collar to be made ( drilled out aluminum tube ) for the first pass then, five wraps of electrical tape around the collar brings it out .8 of a millimeter for the second.

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This was the result on a test piece... now I just have to do it on the boat.

[Mike1902]

Made up the router guide templates today.

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Cut a few strips out of a sheet of 2.6 mm mdf .
When these are doubled up they will be slightly thicker then the depth of the template guide bush.

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Laminated two strips together top and bottom of the hatch opening using the bulkhead beam offcuts to help press them together.
The laminated strips will lay closer to the bulkhead beams avoiding flat spots between the screw fastenings, which would affect the O ring channel depth.

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I have glued the edge joins together at each corner.
Right image of the removed template shows the laminated curve.
Tomorrow I will place a small radius in each internal corner of the template using polyester filler. This will soften the right angle bend of the O ring channel.
Then it's screw them back on and router time.

[Max F]

I see I´m not the only one who likes to walk the elaborate route.

Merry Xmas and happy builder time
Max

[Mike1902]

I see I´m not the only one who likes to walk the elaborate route.

Merry Xmas and happy builder time
Max

Well, you know the old sayin' Max "Do it once, do it right".
You have yourself a safe and Merry Christmas.
Cheers,
Mike.

[Mike1902]

Ran out of time today to get the router hat on but did manage the corner radii.

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Built up the corner with polyester filler, sanded back flush, drew an arc with a large washer then cleaned up the radius with a Dremmel and sandpaper.
The radius has enough curve so as not to be to square but small enough that it will not be to close to the internal corner of the frame opening.

[Andrew Donald]

I been wondering where Jim Ledger went . Thanks for the masterclass thread Mike

[Mike1902]

I been wondering where Jim Ledger went . Thanks for the masterclass thread Mike

Ha! Thanks Andrew, my pleasure. Cheers.

Well, managed to escape to the workshop this morning post Christmas Day festivities.

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After temporarily fastening the templates back on it was then a case of two passes with the laminate trimmer, first with the template guide bush and then secondly with the bush collar attached.
This produced a 8 mm W x 4 mm D channel.

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After a light sanding of the channel to remove any fluffy fibres, masking tape was attached around both sides.
Then an epoxy primer was brushed into the groove followed by a thickened epoxy mixture with 406 colloidal silica filler.
This filler is great to use in those vertical situations. I used fast hardener, worked quickly and removed the masking tape almost immediately.
I plan to coarse sand this later today and apply another coat of epoxy resin over everything.

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This photo shows the corner radius.
As mentioned above, after sanding, another coat of epoxy will seal everything, this will then be sanded with 120-150 grit to create a smoother surface before the O ring groove made down the middle of the epoxy filler.
Final finish will be decided later.
Those scratch lines running parallel to the channel were made by a marking guage as a reference guide for placing the template.
Any visible screw holes will be covered by the bulkhead staves... just sayin'.

[Mike1902]

The following day after the 406 epoxy had cured I scrubbed it down with a damp scrub pad and dried everything off with a paper towel.
Following this, 80 grit sand paper was used to flush it all up. I sanded a radius on the hatch frame edges to allow epoxy build up along these areas.

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Two coats of epoxy with 205 fast hardener was applied before lunch.
The dinghy was inverted and a heater placed underneath to hurry things along.

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Three hours later I used a furniture scraper to smooth the surface up.
This method removes any blush and is also dustless as it produces shavings.

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The templates were then reattached and the router was passed around twice to create the correct width for the O ring.
The O ring was then press fitted into this groove and cut to size.

[Max F]

Mmmh fits perfect to my morning coffe while the storm outside is roaring.
Fantastic work as ever Mike.
I have not so much to show this days. Working on the mast I did a second lamination.
This time i tried compressing the laminates by winding them up with non sticking plastic tape. That made a much better surface than just a vacuum bag.
Cheers Max