Day 3: Boat Bottom, Transom, Bow

Today things are looking boat-like.   We attached the 1/2" ply transom and luan mahogany bow stem to the boat mold using wood screws.  The glassed thwarts were also screwed onto the mold.

This is me with the excess bow post.

The most important thing we did today was to attach the battons to the boat mold.  This took some time to really line everything up and get the mold true.  Lonnie has build a lot of boats with this mold but it is still holding up pretty well.

We also prepped the mold with plastic and wax in areas.

Tom and Lonnie work to get the bow post lined up.  My job, nag them about millimeter increments.  This boat will be no ambi-turner.

Presto.  Center.

Thats the shape.

Prepping the bowpost for the bottom 1/2" ply.

Tom fine tunes.

Ready to glue the bottom.

3 person job to get the bottom glued.  A little tricky to get the ply to bend.  Lonnie would stand on the bottom and screw things down while I snaked through the mold to glue and Tom would hold the ply off the mold for me to sneak the glue in.

This is a pick of lonnie showing me the gluing technique.

The bow was the last to be fastened.  Lonnie was barely heavy enough to weigh it down.  Luckily Tom had some monster wood screws and heavyduty washers to keep things put.

Tom cleaned up the edge of the 1/2" bottom and cut the perfect angle to accept the sides.

Last thing we did today was glass the interior surface of the 1/4" sides. The thermostat is set to 60.