August 03, 2004

slow progress

Tonight I did a lot of aligning and securing of pieces to build the infrastructure upon which the kayak will be built. Screwed blocks to the strongback, as anchors for the risers, which lift the stations up off the strongback. The stations are the forms of the boat, the skeleton along which the strips will be laid. I'll try to get a picture up soon. They're oriented keel up so that the hull is the first part of the boat to be stripped. Everything needs to be aligned very carefully during this part, so it took me a long time. A bow-stern line clamped at each end works well for this; you mark the centerline down each piece of wood and make sure the shadow of the line falls across the center before you screw the piece of wood down. It's still not completely done.

As someone said to me, 'it's not a real project until you have mashed fingers.' Well then, barring a few splinters I got earlier, the project has finally officially begun. I "injured" myself a couple times tonight - worst was when a clamp I was using to secure a piece while working on it snapped off violently and sent one of the screws flying at high velocity towards me, careening off my fingernail. It's starting to turn blue, ouch! Battle wounds. :-)

Posted by mel at August 3, 2004 02:29 AM
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