| Bolero
Project |
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 I continued work on the cockpit seat support structure. After unclamping the 2x4s and removing them, I got started on laying out the angled braces that would secure and support the horizontal braces. To keep these out of the way, I planned to run them to the hull just at the junction where it met the cabin sole. First, though, I needed to determine the exact final width of the seats. Using a level, I transferred the position of the coaming down to each horizontal cleat. The concept called for a fiddle here, which would separate an outboard (beneath the sidedecks) storage shelf from the seats on the inboard side. Therefore, this point demarked the beginning edge of the seats. Using a ruler, I marked out the width of the seat slats and spaces between--1-1/2" slats and 1/4" gaps--plus a 3/4" trim board at the end. The ideal width turned out to be a total of 13"--7 slats plus the trim board. We had been going for anything between 12" and 14". |
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With the width determined, I marked 12" out from the fiddle location on each cleat; this would be the outboard edge of the angled supports, leaving plenty of room for the trim while keeping the support as far out as practicable. Then, I cut six pieces of 1-1/2" wide mahogany to a generous (overlong) length for the supports and prepared to mark their lower ends to match the hull shape. But at this point, I decided that I really needed some pads beneath the supports to spread their load over a wider area, so I cut some 1/2" pre-fab fiberglass into 3" squares and epoxied each piece to the hull in way of where the angled supports would rest. While I left this to cure, I couldn't continue on the supports. |
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Meanwhile, I worked on some of the interior trim. Earlier, I'd cut some pieces of cherry to the rough dimensions needed for the v-berth fiddles (3-1/2" wide), and now I milled round edges on the top and inside edge, and then milled a 1-1/2" wide, 1/4" deep rabbet on the lower back side so that the fiddle would overlap the plywood platform when installed. I also cut and similarly milled a 5" wide board to use for a taller fiddle at the aft end of the forward, raised portion of the cabin sole--which we're really galling a storage shelf, not part of the sole. Afterwards, I sanded all the pieces smooth through 220 grit in preparation for varnish and installation. |
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Later, I continued with the cockpit
supports after the epoxy securing the blocks had cured sufficiently.
At each location, I clamped the raw stock in place, aligning it with the
mark on the horizontal cleat and the bottom edge of the fiberglass pads
beneath. I transferred the angle at the bottom edge onto the stock
with a scribe, and then cut the angles down on the saw.
Before installing, I routed a chamfer on the edges of each piece, stopping 1" below the bottom of the horizontal cleat and 2" above the bottom where the support met the fiberglass pad. Then, I installed the pieces in epoxy adhesive, clamping them to the horizontal cleats while the epoxy cured. To avoid jarring anything--the cockpit was getting tight with all the various (and still over-long) wooden braces and clamps everywhere--I didn't proceed with installing fairing fillets around the fiberglass blocks as I'd planned. That would have to wait till the epoxy cured, which meant tomorrow. |
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