Barrelback-20 Louisville Kentucky

[monitor]

Hi folks. new at these forums...I see builders putting cutouts in their transoms as well as drain holes. Is there more info on these types of mods somewhere that I am missing? I'd like to be up to date on improvements.
Thanks,
Jim

[Jimbob]

HI Jim, Welcome!
Not much printed info that I have seen. More of figuring out what you need and cutting the hole accordingly. For example, decide where you want your exhaust port(s) and cut the hole(s). I cut additional holes in my transom (inside) for access to the lift ring bolt, and to be able to tighten down the clamps on my exhaust hose. In terms of drain holes, cut them where they will end up on the inside. The plans offer a lot of flexibility. You will need to figure out lots of things are only mentioned in the plans. Examples of some of the holes I cut below:
Jim

[kens]

There is drain holes, and, limbers. It can get hard to see just where they go when the build is upside down, we have all done it; drilled a hole or limber on the low side (upside down) , only to find out the drain is on the high side when you flip the boat !!!
A big part of all this is up to your imagination.

Then there is holes for bolts, shaft, rudder, water intake and on and on. For major hardware like this, I drilled slightly oversize, pulled a rope saturated with resin thru the hole, re-drilled to proper size after resin setup.

I have a hole for my sonar transducer, I laminated a ply washer inside the planking, drilled thru all that, encapsulated it all, and mounted my transducer.

[monitor]

Thanks Jim and Ken.
Sorry for the delay, had a death in the family.
I need to pull this up on my cell phone so I can zoom in on those great pictures for details.
Thanks again.

[monitor]

[PeterG]

Looks great! You're well on your way. Lots of fun!

[monitor]

Thanks Peter. Are you building? I cannot figure out how to find you on this forum.

[monitor]

Progress!
Haven't had this much building fun since my Pietenpol! What a hoot!

[Hercdrvr]

You’ve got her all framed and faired, looks beautiful. What kind of wood did you use so far?
Now time to attach 300+ pieces of 1/8 plywood. Might I suggest a raptor stapler for the job if you don’t already have one.
Keep having fun,
Matt B

[Brad Tucker]

Haha you are out of the gate like a bat out of a burning stump! There isn't anything in the plans for such things. You have to figure out a few things on your own. I put 2 drain holes in my Tahoe23, one on each side of the keel. Although I have to Jack the bow way up to drain her, if needed.

[monitor]

Thanks fellas. The wood is Red Grandis. South American plantation grown in the Eucalyptus Family. The local Millwork shop has been using it for 10 years as a substitute for mahogany. Nice stuff.
Not sure I am ready to bite the bullet on a $200 staple gun. Might be after pulling the first 1000 staples?

[mrintense]

Very nice. As for the staple gun, consider that it will be much easier to do this with the Raptor staples and you can always sell it when finished. Yes a bit expensive up front, but in the scheme of things, not too bad, especially if you recoup some of the money afterwards. Tools , if purchased correctly, are worth their weight in gold.

[mickfly]

I used the Raptor staples, except on the final layer of mahogany veneer. The raptor stapes saved a lot of time and adhered well. For the final layer, I used steel staples. One of the other builders *Dr Bryan" I believe, shot the steel staples through rope, which made removal much easier. I adopted that method after doing about 1/3 with wooden washers for the staples. Rope was much easier. When the weather warmed up, I did have a few small blisters, the first of which I found when planning what I thought was a high spot. I planed through the veneer...ouch. Anyway, I recommend taking your time when fastening to avoid blisters.

[Jimbob]

The raptor system is in my opinion well worth the money. I used the staples for many things. They are great for holding things in position and just snap off when you are done. Part of the staple stays in the wood, but it can me sanded or machined without damaging any blades. They also take stain. On my final veneers I used Raptor brads. You can't see them. Some have found that some staple guns other that the Raptor ones will shoot the staples. (my porter cable guns didn't work). You might get some sample staples from glen L and try with some guns that could be returned if they didn't work.

Below is a picture of the staples being used on scraps to hold the planks in place while the epoxy cures.

Jim

[monitor]

Good to know, thanks!
I'm sure I will have questions once I get started planking.