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Summer Breeze 

Inner Stem -

This is cut from a 2x2 (or laminate two 3/4” stock) the angle is 41 degrees, set your band saw or table saw blade to 20.5degrees. (See diagram.) The most frugal use of materials is to cut a 1x2 corner to corner and glue the sawn faces together.

This is optional if you are doing stitch and glue. Duct tape the outside of the bow, and prop the hull up bow down to assist in applying the fillet of thickened epoxy and tape to the bow joint.  

Stem - Cutwater

This is the way I made it on the prototype. But remember, if you do it this way the gunwales and external chine logs get kind of tricky.

The stem (the piece the sides join to at the front of the boat) is made from a clear piece of 2x4 24" long. The blade on the table saw is set to 27 degrees. The fence is set to the left of the blade so that the first cut hits the corner of the stem. Cut one edge then flip the stem blank end for end and cut the other kerf. At this point the fence is moved closer to the blade by about a 1/16" and the two cut process is repeated. Keep checking the slot width until the sides slip into the slot easily.  See photo.

stemsaw3.jpg (22391 bytes)

Now is when you can get creative with the profile of your stem, sometimes called the "cutwater." I sketched a double curve in this one and cut it out on my small band saw. You could cut it with a saber saw or coping saw. You can skip this artsy stuff if you like, in which case you can rip the stem narrower, maybe 2" to 2 1/2". Still round the corners on the leading edge though. This is easy with a quarter round bit in a router, but you can do it with rasps, files, or sander. See photos.

stemprofile2.jpg (11424 bytes) stemprofile.jpg (9869 bytes)

stemround.jpg (12475 bytes) Rounded it on my router that I've mounted flush in a bench top. I use a carbide 1/2" radius corner round bit. I put a bead of PL Premium down the grooves slid the sides into place and tacked them with 1/2" staples until the glue grabs. (I almost glued it on upside down. That would have been a big oops!)

 

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