Lofting
Always
begin with a
professionally drawn plan.
Even
a simple boat needs to
be designed well.
There
are innumerable stock
plans available for small boats.
From
one sheet stitch and
glue boats designed to be made from one standard sheet of Plywood, to
traditional planked boats, canoes and kayaks.
There are
links to some free plans
to be found here.
However,
a set of stock
plans from a reputable designer are well worth the cost.
This
is especially true if
you plan to put a lot of time and effort into your project, not to
mention
the cost of materials.
Some
designers are willing,
for a modest fee to make custom modification to their stock plans to
suit
your requirements.
Back to Top of
Page.
Epoxy Resins
Home
boat building has been revolutionized by the advent of
epoxy
resins.
Epoxies
not only
glue but have remarkable gap filling capabilities.
This means that joints do not have to be perfectly tight fitting.
So a beginner can now build a structurally sound boat without much
woodworking experience.
The epoxies you are most likely to use come in a pack containing
separate
resin and hardener.
These must be mixed immediately
prior to
use.
Curing times vary from product to product.
There are also numerous additives available such as fillers,
thickeners,accelerators
and
colorants.
Coating and sealing wood with epoxy will extend the life of your boat
and
help reduce maintenance.
However, because epoxies deteriorate when exposed to UV light, they
will
require protecting with paint or a UV resistant marine-varnish.
Back to Top of Page.
Cost.
When
working out the cost of
you boat it is worth remembering that epoxies are not cheap.
It
is possible to
use lower grade timber products by sealing them with epoxy.
However.
the cost of the extra
epoxy, needed to seal them might out weigh any saving.
When costing your project, remember to include all the fixtures and
fitting
it will need.
Cleats,
paddles and oars can
all be made at home but will require extra timber.
Small
boat sails are well
within the range of items which can be made at home.
Other items such as rowlocks, eye bolts, paint, life jackets, and such
like
will probably have to be bought.
It
is worth also
taking into consideration the cost of any extra tools
you may need, as well as any instructional books.
Follow the links below for more on Boat
Builbing Lumber.
Common
varieties of boat building timber and their uses.
About
Plywood Grades
Which paint
to use and how to get
a good finish. Finishing Touches
A good Finish on your boat will make it a pleasure to the eye.
It
will also help to
preserve the underlying wood structure, thus prolonging its
life.
The
secret to a good
finish whether you are varnishing
or painting
lies in the
priming.
The
primer helps to seal
and fill the surface.
It
also provides an even
color base and a binder for the top coat.
Back to Top of
Page.
Canoes
Strip
Planked canoes
have became very popular with backyard boat builders.
Often
they are finished
bright with varnish to show off the beautiful edge-glued cedar
strips.
Many
of these are in
effect cored laminates as they are sheathed inside and out with epoxied
glass cloth.
Not
only does this method
produce a beautifully round bilged boat but a very light and good
looking
one.
Kayaks
Dories
Check
out The
Dory Man for a
great blog on dories and other small boats.
Row boats
Strip
Planked rowing
boats have become very popular with backyard boat builders.
Often
they are finished
bright with varnish to show off the beautiful edge-glued cedar
strips.
Many
of these are in
effect cored laminates as they are sheathed inside and out with epoxied
glass cloth.
Not
only does this method
produce a beautifully round bilged small boat but a very light and good
looking one.
Strip
planking has the
advantage of costing less than traditional methods.
It
can also save on
weight and needs less skill and specialist tools.
Links
to websites with free boat plans
Free
Boat Design Resources
www.absolutelyfreeplans.com
http://www.boatdesign.net, Directory of Plan
Sites
www.boat-links.com
www.islandesign.com
www.woodworkersworkshop.com
(search description=boat)
www.yachtdesign.info
http://svensons.com/boat/
