Minnesota Squirt Build

[DrBryanJ]

If you're concerned about the thickness of the chine, it is fairly simple to add a backer piece to increase thickness.

[brockj]

Not as much concerned about thickness as much as landing surface for the side planking. Not sure if you can tell from the photos:

[JimmY]

It will be fine, be aware of where the chine is when drilling for nails or screws.

[hoodman]

Keep at it, you're doing a really nice job.

[brockj]

Been a while since I last posted an update. Have not had much time to work on the boat with a couple hunting trips and getting sick, but I did spend some hours this weekend shaping up the stem for fairing. Actually starting to get close to the plywood planking!

[PittsS1]

Hi Brockj,

Great following along with your build, as I'm also just in the planning stages for a Squirt build and located just west of Minneapolis. Have been reading for a while, also picked up the Boatbuilding with Plywood book, and some supplies.

Would you mind sharing some of your local suppliers? I was fortunate enough to pick up some african mahogany before Youngblood Lumber went out of business (a very sad day and I'm still sad about it...), but haven't really found another hardwood supplier. Have stopped out to Midwest Boat Appeal for pricing on mahogany and ply, and have purchased some stuff from Logs to Lumber in Inver Grove in the past as well. Where did you end up getting your mahogany? And did you go with Midwest for ply? I had seen on another thread you were considering getting it there or ordering online for a better price.

Finally, MAS epoxies appears to be right in St Paul? I've also used Express Composites in Northeast in the past for fiberglass projects, but never tried their marine resins. Hoping to be able to purchase locally just for convenience, but may also just get from GlenL for their expertise and seems to be a great product.

At any rate, great work so far and I look forward to seeing more progress, would appreciate any insight you have on suppliers.

Pat

[Otter]

Pat:
I live in NW metro (near Anoka) and am working on a Ski-Bass. I went with Midwest Boat Appeal for plywood. They are great to work with, and I really don't know of any other local sources. I got my African Mahogany from a lumber distributor in eastern Wisconsin, called Granite Valley Hardwoods. I'm not sure if they will delivery to MN (I had them deliver to my parents place just across the border in Wisconsin), but I would check, anyway....they were pretty cheap: https://www.granitevalley.com/
I believe I got the african mahogany for about $4.00 / bd ft. It came in 7/8" thickness (rough planed). Minimum order is 250 bd. ft.
As for epoxy, it seems easiest just to order on-line. I'm using West System simply because I'm familiar with it from previous builds, and you can get that at West Marine locally....but I don't know that its overly important to have a locally available source when online shipping is so easy an inexpensive.
Good luck!
Chris

[brockj]

First off, sorry for not responding sooner Pitts, the last couple weeks have been crazy! As for suppliers, I picked up the African Mahogany at Forest Products Supply in Maplewood. For the plywood I did end up going with Midwest Boat Appeal, spendy, but great folks. For the epoxy I did go with MAS, but only because I picked it up on clearance from Gander Outdoors.

On to the work for the day. I finally what I will call the rough fairing of the entire boat complete. So today I picked through my plywood to find the nicest looking pieces and ripped three 18"x8' pieces for the side planking. I started on the port side, setting it up and clamping into place, scribed with a pencil and took it down slightly more. As I was bending the plywood around, checking for bulges and dips I was generally please with how the plywood sat. I did come across one spot of concern, right around Frame 2 where there was a gap of about 3/8" of an inch between the plywood and the chine. My thought was minimal clamping and allowing the plywood to naturally bend, eyeing it to ensure it was smooth lines, would be the best method of ensuring the fairing was appropriately done. A couple pictures might do better:

A closer view:

As I mentioned, at the widest part it is about 3/8", my thought is a 1/4"-3/8" piece of wood then fill with thickened epoxy, any concerns with that plan? For the rest of side it seemed to sit pretty well.

Was fun to start working on something other than wood removal!

[JimmY]

Hi Brock,

I would epoxy a piece of scrap in that area and re-fair it. Check the sheers and other side as well, and do any "touch ups" at once to save epoxy and time. If you try to fill it in after the sides are on, you risk having gaps and dealing with cured epoxy in the gap.

Looking good.

[brockj]

I didn't realize it had been over a month since I posted last. I have been working on the boat. I have found two spots on 3 of the panels that were a little low so I added some material and re-faired.

As I was looking for some pictures to share, I realized I hadn't taken many...

[JimmY]

Looking good. Sometimes you just get in the building zone and dont want to stop for photos.

[hoodman]

Nice job, you're getting the hard part done now.

[brockj]

Getting ready to start sanding the filler now.

I am coming up on the part I was fearing the most, fiberglassing. I have been reading a ton and trying to prepare the best I can, the good news, it sounds like first-timers such as myself all fear this the same and often have a sense that it wasn't that bad. So here is my thoughts with a few questions:

1) Finish sanding hull (should be finished at a certain girt?)
2) Clean the hull of any sawdust
3) Cut fabric for each section (2" overlap), label and set aside

Day of fiberglassing

4) Roll on first coat, allow to get tacky (2-3 hours depending on temp)
5) Lay fiberglass, starting with bottom of hull, then sides, then transom
6) Apply first fill coat, allow to get tacky
7) Apply second fill coat

Is that a pretty rough overview? As I was typing this up I was running into all sorts of questions and getting nervous. Anyone have a good tutorial they can point me to? Especially if it is something on youtube or the like.

[DrBryanJ]

After cutting the fiberglass. Don’t set aside. Drape over hull for a day and let it take the shape of the hull. Also I didn’t put down a coat of epoxy, I just taped on glass and started filling. No problems. I think if you are coating before placing glass you can put on epoxy and then glass right a way without waiting for it to tack. I am sure others more experienced then me will chime in