Building my Tahoe and having a blast!

[Bluesman]

Frames are done, motor stringers are done..... Getting ready to assemble the set up frame.... Long days on the garage with the music on and cold beer at the end of the day. The build is always the best.

Thanks to both Bill and Gayle for putting up with my phone calls and finite questions!

[Bluesman]

Motor stringers

[Bill Edmundson]

Ted

Looks Great! Now comes the fun part, when you get the frame done and you set the frames on and can see the boat!

Bill

[Bluesman]

Right! I've been mocking up the stem section against the table saw so friends and neighbors can see, at least frames 8 - 10 and the breast hook.

Won't be long for the skeleton to take shape but then I'm sure things will slow down. Plus I'm at Oshkosh next week for EAA and Factory Five Racing, even though that's fun too, this year I'll probably wish I was in the garage making progress.

[Bluesman]

More progress

[TomB]

Ted,

Looks great. Isn't it exciting to see it start to look like a boat.

I raised to form a few inches to get the sheer off the floor, mid-shin. It makes it easier working on the down low.

And if I was to do it again, I would come up with a way to lock down the sheer ends of the frames. See Neel Thompson's PB23 post for how he did it. The ends can move around a lot when the sheer gets clamped on.

Tom

[Bluesman]

Thanks Tom! I'll look through Neel's work for that tip.

I appreciate the suggestion and I've been bugging Bill with regular phone calls, so I owe him some Natty Light...

[Bluesman]

I'm right about here, but just a little beyond. Can't thank Bill enough for taking my calls!!

[mrintense]

Looks like nice clean work Bluesman. Isn't it great the amount of help this forum provides. Bill has been moderating this forum since before I started and he has always been free with his help. Let me add my own thanks here. Thanks Bill.

[Bill Edmundson]

Thank you. But always think through it on your own. I've been wrong once. Well... maybe twice.

Bill

[Bluesman]

Well I am learning and getting the hang of it, and you may have noticed fewer phone calls from me.

The first one is always the hardest and as we say in the business, "I don't know what I don't know". I'd rather ask advice from someone who has gone before and learn before I make a time consuming mistake.

I had a mentor for building my house, I had a mentor for building my Cobra and I've got a mentor for building my Tahoe.

In other words, you're my Obi Wan Kenobi..

[TomB]

Hey Ted,

I saw your post earlier today, different subject.

It looks like the battens between frame 9 &10 might be flat. Is there a sharp break in the hull shape at frame 9? If so, you might want to add a little to the battens so you can get a fair curve on the bottom.

Tom

[Brad Tucker]

Bluesman,

I will concur with Tom on the battens up front. I noticed on my Tahoe23 that it would leave a flat spot if I didn't extend my battens to the stem. It IS a harsh, batten breaking bend as I learned. My solution was to split the batten back to the frame where you cut it off, bend it in while epoxying the split and screwing it down. I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier if it's a help (I do occasionally lurk here still, and most can answer questions better than I can). Shoot me an email at flyingwoodworker@gmail.com if I could be of any help, although I didn't take notes and memory fades me sometimes. Keep notes about time and procedures. Every time I go to the lake I get run down by someone. The 2 main questions are 1) what year old boat is that and 2) how long did it take you to build it. Good luck, take your time to think things through and keep having a blast building! Do a good job and the next blast will be talking with complete strangers about your journey!

[Bluesman]

Thanks for your comments and yes, the battens in that location are flat. I already have plans to laminate another layer on here and fair it back so there is some curvature in these locations. Just the (4) short battens below the Chine Log will need this. You have a good eye....

I'll be working on fairing and adjustments tonight (cause' I'm not at the rally this year) and I'll be tackling the false transom next.

Anything I should do before the planking goes on?

[Bluesman]

I know what you speak of regarding the admirers, I get that every time I take my Cobra out, it's hard to even get gas without getting pulled into a conversation. The last guy asked "Say, what've you got in that thing?" and I had to politely tell him "she's my wife...."

BTW Brad, I've viewed your Facebook photos and that boat is amazing.... Really beautiful work! Hats off my friend.