Renovating an old wooden sports boat, am I mad?

Renovating an old wooden sports boat, am I mad?

Author
Discussion

illmonkey

18,177 posts

198 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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Forgive my ignorance, why can't you drill it bigger? I understand it's a boat, in water, but a hole is a hole right (snigger)? Even if it's got the tinest gap, water will get in.

Fishtigua

9,786 posts

195 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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There's only so much you can do with this stuff. biglaugh


Huntsman

8,044 posts

250 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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maser_spyder said:
thumbup

I'd spotted a similar thing on screwfix, but the problem is the hole needs to be perfectly in line with the shaft log and P bracket (that's to say, the inside prop shaft support as well as the outside prop shaft support). A couple of mm on the wrong angle and it won't fit properly and will cause all sorts of issues fitting the brackets.

The only way to get it perfect is to use an actual shaft, through the actual P bracket, with some sort of hole cutter on the end. Technically, doing it this way, it can't go wrong.

When I get to this stage, I guess I'll have to find a length of rod the same diameter as the shaft, have a thread put on the end, and fit a hole cutter directly to the end of it. Drill one end, hole cutter the other, line up and go.

The problem with using two or three lengths of extensions is you'll get a lot of wobble down the length and it'll inevitably go off-centre, buggering up the hole angle.

Basically, it's a right old pisser of a job just to put a simple hole through the hull.

Anyway, there's no hull yet so haven't got to worry about it!
I thought we covered this before, I'd be tempted to drill through a block of timber, then cut the angle on it and screw it in place, if its not right you can alter the bevel on the block with a plane until the angle is correct.

I also think the P bracket doesn;t have sufficient length to stop the shaft tool lash up from wiggling about.



maser_spyder

Original Poster:

6,356 posts

182 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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illmonkey said:
Forgive my ignorance, why can't you drill it bigger? I understand it's a boat, in water, but a hole is a hole right (snigger)? Even if it's got the tinest gap, water will get in.
You do! Took me a while to work it out, but the shaft hole is larger than the shaft. You line it with glass fibre to make it strong and waterproof. When in the water, the water will go up the shaft hole. On the top of the shaft hole, inside the boat, is the shaft log, which is the bit that stops the water coming in. Reason for this is with the shaft log on the inside, you can grease and maintain it (and see it!) at all times.

Shaft log is just a block of metal with an angled shaft and seal for the prop shaft to go through.

Nice diagram here;



Plan is to use the YouTube method above, or at least a strong variation of it. Bit of steel tube (to match the P bracket, with or without extra blocks) with a cutting bit on the end, scrap wooden block top and bottom, fingers crossed and shoot.

maser_spyder

Original Poster:

6,356 posts

182 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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Huntsman said:
I thought we covered this before, I'd be tempted to drill through a block of timber, then cut the angle on it and screw it in place, if its not right you can alter the bevel on the block with a plane until the angle is correct.

I also think the P bracket doesn;t have sufficient length to stop the shaft tool lash up from wiggling about.
Might incorporate this too, to add a bit of extra strength to the P bracket.

One of the links kindly mentioned above talks about doing pretty much what you said, but with a steel shaft to guide the cutting bit through. So, P bracket, steel shaft in a wooden block, and only then go through the hull itself. With a nice strong and straight drill extension, there's no reason it would go off centre.

Mixture of all methods would hopefully see it near perfect....

illmonkey

18,177 posts

198 months

Friday 23rd January 2015
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Thanks for the answer.

gwm

2,390 posts

144 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
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Was it already covered why you can't measure? As in, if you know where the gearbox will be, you know the diameter of the prop shaft, so could measure on the imboard side of the hull and cut that way?

Huntsman

8,044 posts

250 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
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See this pic.

Make up a longish wooden block, bore the hole right through, dead centre, longer the better as the length will reduce the error. (you could even make the block with the hole in using a router and gluing some bits, then tidy up with drill). Cut the required angle, adjust until happy, screw to inside the boat and use as a guide, remove and fit stern log.

As you can see, on a Huntsman the stern log is as above. This was fitted then used as a guide.


Huntsman

8,044 posts

250 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
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Are we having a launch party at Easter?

maser_spyder

Original Poster:

6,356 posts

182 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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Not ruddy likely.

I feel like Elton John right now (I'm still sanding).

Hope to start cold moulding next month!

maser_spyder

Original Poster:

6,356 posts

182 months

Thursday 19th March 2015
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Transom ready to start laying on ply.

Difficult bow section almost faired, just needs a last check over. Middle sections not done but mostly flat so fairly easy and won't take long.

Just ordered more solid gold screws and coach bolts to finish off the bottom, crikey, they're expensive.

But progress at last!

gwm

2,390 posts

144 months

Thursday 19th March 2015
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So what you are saying is you CAN host an Easter Party, float around in the hull!

maser_spyder

Original Poster:

6,356 posts

182 months

Sunday 22nd March 2015
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Well, if you want to give me a hand turning it over once the bottom is on, then you're welcome to try!

Transom nearly ready;





And the bow section almost ready, just a bit more fettling to make it as good as I can and try my best to match up both sides;





Plan is now for a big push to get the bottom on, or at least the ply, so I can turn it over and be able to move it around.

Amazing really that it hardly looks any different but the time involved in getting it right is so long. I always knew the fairing would be laborious but I didn't realise quite how long it was going to take. Hopefully the cold moulding is quicker...

Simpo Two

85,361 posts

265 months

Sunday 22nd March 2015
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Fairing is hard enough on a model; it must be hell on a full size hull. Can you get an orbital sander 4 feet long?!

maser_spyder

Original Poster:

6,356 posts

182 months

Sunday 22nd March 2015
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Simpo Two said:
Fairing is hard enough on a model; it must be hell on a full size hull. Can you get an orbital sander 4 feet long?!
I've been using an electric planer for the bulk and a belt sander with 60 or 80 (very coarse) grit paper to fine tune. Seems to be working ok but I've taken it all pretty slow on the basis that it's easy to take off but bloody hard to put back on again.

I've got a second pair of eyes coming to take a look next week to make sure I haven't missed anything, that done, I'll start cutting ply strips....

Fishtigua

9,786 posts

195 months

Sunday 22nd March 2015
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Along the sideboards, please make sure it's a 2 Man sanding board.

I don't know why but human nature makes us lazy and stick to the middle, 2 guys working as a team makes us competitive.

160

239 posts

145 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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Any updates maser?

maser_spyder

Original Poster:

6,356 posts

182 months

Monday 18th May 2015
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No news. Has been a strange year, I've been really busy so far which is quite unusual.

However, bigger news is that I might potentially be building my own barn and living very nearby, so that would jolly things along nicely...

Not given up, just taking a rest!

Boatbuoy

1,941 posts

162 months

Monday 18th May 2015
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I's strange, only this morning was I thinking about this thread, and then you pop up.

I hope you're able to re-start again soon.

Now, I know you are wondering what made me think about this earlier today?? Well, it was after I saw this.....

http://www.superyachttimes.com/editorial/52/articl...

Fishtigua

9,786 posts

195 months

Monday 18th May 2015
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Paddy_N_Murphy said:
Boatbuoy said:
How bizarre. I think their Sail yachts are glorious. that ^^^^^^ is hideous.
+1