Recent content by GladMax

I started from the bow, kind of. Gentry instructs spacing this boat as starting from forward frame. Each frame is 27in behind the one forward, and transom is set 27in aft of the rearmost frame. Then the peak of the stem is 27in forward of the first frame. I think he even writes 'about' on the...

What I got now is frames on the keelson. I have read, and followed, stacks of DIY Instruction Manuals. I consider myself an educated assessor of their quality, completeness, clarity. David Gentry’s manual for the Shenandoa Whitehall is among the best I have seen. I only found a single...

Thanks Jim, from a man of your experience and acceptance in an industry that understands quality, that means a lot. Its why I gravitate towards boatbuilding. I love the feel of waves and wind moving me on another dimension than solid ground, I love meditating on the astounding metaphysical...

Tips. I hear heating the wood up with a heat gun (hair dryer for those who are partnered up) helps draw CPES deeper into wood. I have a heat gun (no partner) but it seemed easier to lay the frames out on a sunny Tennessee August afternoon. The SculptWood, if wiped off with a blade, seemed to...

Gottem filled in. Three coats of CPES so far, think I'll do a fourth after a touch up on the putty. Sanded with 120 after the first, 220 after the second, presumably carry on with that scheme. CPES is neat stuff, Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer, I used SystemThree's version called simply...

Yeah that is some good advice, Jim. Concepts and techniques. I might come quarter of the way to you and paint the putty... Okoume is the ugliest of plywoods: bland of grain and off in color, but the painteds of these boats look a bit plastic to my eye. I am/was considering staining the Okoume...

I mentioned there is an element of this construction I am unhappy with. It is the Mahogany caps on the Okoume frames. I did a less than perfect job at shaping the inner edge of the frames, or a less than perfect job at the steam bend, less than perfect job at the attaching, or all three. And...

I cannot remember all the reasons I went from 1/2in plywood frames to 3/4in, there were a few but perhaps a primary was it allowed me to trim them down till their inner edge would be flush with inboard plane of inwale. Or maybe the main is Gentry has chinelines at each stringer, the skin to lie...

Wow, Jim, your designs are being taught at Woodenboat School? That is some rarified air right there. Not too many in that illustrious category, guess I could figure out who you are pretty quick. This boat is already turning out dramatically less nice than I hoped. Which is the real reason I...

Thank you for your encouragement and positive support, Gamma. In my opinion: handling characteristics pro vs con are opinions thru the butt of the boater. Water is not a static medium and neither are humans, why should boats be? I like what Andres Segovia said about a custom guitar that...

The boat is perhaps 20% complete at this point, today, July 24th. I'll bring you kind folks up to date, and hopefully keep posting progress till complete. When I purchased the plans I worked at a Marina. They described me as Dockboy, I called myself Caretaker. Two of my three days a week I...

I am building what I call a Wasioto Whitehall. Whitehalls were the ubiquitous water taxi and delivery boats in Boston and NY harbors from around 1820 to 1920. A fixed seat, one to two position rowboat tending to range from 13ft to 17ft I think ('m not an expert nor nautical historian, these...

Here's a pic which shows level of lack of gloss, degree of pebble, and toughness of aftermarket (manufacturer provided, user applied) vinylester. As harsh a scratch as the worst pre-repair (other than primary complaint), happened as I shoved off. When I added my weight the boat of course...

Steve, SystemThree has 1/4in knap foam rollers for epoxy spreading. They'll do a thinner smoother lay. Tape off the entire gunnel. Resin will drip to lowest point. (and you might start from 'top' and layer towards hull)

I'm not an utter weight weenie, 2lb is not much (tho 10% is), it's that I alone am at this boat's advertised cargo capacity. Add a pack of snacks and water, and we're over! A 25lb BoyScoutPrepared pack, and we're way over! A tackle box and cooler, net and pole... Absolutely I can't wait to...