Summer Breeze
Gunwales
Today I made and glued the gunwales (also called rub rails by some) the spacing blocks and laminated the mast.
The gunwales go about the same as the
chine logs, and are the same dimensions 3/4" x 1". Still need to cut
that compound angle where they meet the stem. (Unless you use the internal stem,
then they can just run long.) The curve is a little more pronounced so take care
when you're bending. I found dry fitting from bow to stern worked fine, but when
unclamping the bow half to glue, go ahead and unclamp the aft half leaving a
couple of clamps in the middle. This relieves tension, and makes it much easier
to pull the bow end in.
The spacer blocks are the same
3/4"x1" stock in 3 inch lengths. They're glued just aft of each
station line. The side butt blocks are in the way for two of them. You could
just off set them a little, or cut away the butt block like I did. This doesn't
effect the strength of the joint. The gunwales back the sides at that point. I
glued mine on with Titebond II, which is a great waterproof wood glue. Many
builders use it for joints above the waterline.
I heard a disconcerting "CRACK" sound, and found my starboard gunwale
had spontaneously broken. Ouch! The wood is cypress and the grain had "run
out" a bit at the break, but this was rather concerning. I instantly
removed the frame, and smeared in some PL, covered it with plastic wrap and
clamped a temporary support piece to it to pull it back into shape.
I then glued a reinforcing piece on
both sides just for safety (and symmetry.)
The inwales were glued on next. I
made them half inch thick instead of 3/4", to facilitate bending. (In the
future I'll make gunwales 5/8" thick instead of 3/4".) I also wet them
and propped them on the edge of a bench with some weights pre-bending them in
the middle for a couple of hours before gluing them. Do a dry run, to mark where
it fits into the knee. Lean towards the long side of the mark, to allow for a
little trimming to fit. I glued the ends with PL and the spacer blocks with
Titebond. I put two clamps per block so I could pre-drill in the block centers
for my Stainless Steel, square drive deck screws.
Tip!
Put two screws into the ends of the block you will use for your oar locks, so the middle in not obstructed when you go to drill the 1/2" + hole for your oar pins.