Merlin - She's WET!!!

[Dogpaddlin]

I have spent the last few weeks researching and trying to determine what boat to build next (and for myself) and I have finally settled on the Northwest Merlin ( ttp://www.shop.northwestcanoe.com/product.sc? ... ductId=113" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ). I was surprised to find out they are now offering a number of their plans for FREE! They emailed me a complete set of plans in pdf format, I just took them and had them printed on 24" X 36" paper.



I had 8 sets printed so I could have a full size "template" for each station. I used Kinko's for my printing, I would recommend checking prices, cost me $75 and a couple of smart a$$ remarks from the kid behind the counter.

I got them cut out and used spray adhesive to glue them to a sheet of 5/8 MDF.

Now all cut out


I am still trying to determine what type of wood to use, I have been all over the board (pun intended). I have considered pine, cedar, and redwood. I really like the looks of the light colored boats (like Ron's Duck and Birke's Abenaki) but I also really like the looks of Oj's sea kayak. I had hoped I could find enough of cedar sapwood so I could have the best of both worlds, light weight, rot resistant, and my choice color. Any suggestions or recommendations?

[bowgarguide]

Toby
I wasnt sure about the white pine but after using it I couldnt be happier. It has more strength
and weight wise I figure very little difference. Rot resistance is not a problem it is enclose completely in glass.
The only thing negative I have found is it is a little harder to sand.
It is enough tougher that you could use 3/16 strips and wind up with about the same weight as ceder are maybe a little lighter.
There is 3 lbs difference in a cubic ft of wrc and white pine and 768 ft of 1/4 bye 3/4 strips in a cubic foot. roughly figuring 1200 ft should be more than enough to build the boat,so there should be less than 5 lb difference in weight if you stay with the same thickness strips
Boy that stretched my brain capacity
Ron
If you cut them 3/16 they will yield 969 running ft of strips

[gerald]

WRC is the best basic wood you can use because it is light, strong, and readily available. There are some woods that may be better or as good but they may not be readily availiable and/or are for the more advanced builders.

Redwood works fine. My very first strip built boat, back in the early seventies, was entirely stripped from redwood. Recently I have use redwood for color and accent strips. Redwood is heavier.

Pine works fine for the same reasons as redwood--and it is heavier. It may be stronger overall than redwood.

One caveate with all woods. If you don't know what you're looking for or how to pick it you might end up with crap no matter what you buy. Different stores generally have different woods (of the same species) because they are buying it from a different supplier who gets it from different sections of the country, or off of different mountains, or different age growth. For example: in my area: Lowes generally has the best lighter grain WRC. Home Depot will have darker brown WRC but not as good quality. McCoy's generally has a darker reddish WRC.

Here in Waco, if I need to special order, I can get redwood and WRC from Redwood's Inc. right across the street from the Golden Corrall.

[Birke]

Don't feel like you are the Lone Ranger when it comes to taking one up the tail pipe from Kinkos. I think I spent $90 to have Abenaki my plans copied. In my wildest dreams I would not have thought it would have cost so much, so I didn't even bother to ask before they started. I tried to act like it was no big deal as I shoveled 20s out of my wallet. Little did they know it was the monetary equivalent of passing a kidney stone.

That being said. I'd do it again, just to save time

[preacher]

Don't feel like you are the Lone Ranger when it comes to taking one up the tail pipe from Kinkos. I think I spent $90 to have Abenaki my plans copied. In my wildest dreams I would not have thought it would have cost so much, so I didn't even bother to ask before they started. I tried to act like it was no big deal as I shoveled 20s out of my wallet. Little did they know it was the monetary equivalent of passing a kidney stone.

That being said. I'd do it again, just to save time

If you have a friend (or friend of a friend) that is an engineer they generally have copiers that do big sizes.

[Dogpaddlin]

Don't feel like you are the Lone Ranger when it comes to taking one up the tail pipe from Kinkos. I think I spent $90 to have Abenaki my plans copied. In my wildest dreams I would not have thought it would have cost so much, so I didn't even bother to ask before they started. I tried to act like it was no big deal as I shoveled 20s out of my wallet. Little did they know it was the monetary equivalent of passing a kidney stone.

That being said. I'd do it again, just to save time

That is exactly what happened. I went in knowing it would be expensive, thinking $30 - $40. I had no idea it would be that pricey. I won't make that mistake again. I just handed him my card and prayed my wife would forgive me!

[Dogpaddlin]

Progress on the Merlin has been held up by a couple of things. First, I was having trouble finding the lumber I wanted, second, I didn't have a table saw. Last weekend fixed both.

I have been hitting all the Lowes and Home Depots in my area for the last few weeks sorting through all the 1X2's, 1X4's, etc with no luck. Then I discovered Lowes carries rough cut cedar 2X4's, 2X6's, and 4X4's. I spent Saturday driving around to all the Lowes in North Houston and found enough lumber to at least get me started. I also found a great deal on a table saw on Craigslist. As my Dad would say, "Now we are cooking with gas." Yesterday I stumbled on a planer for $65 on Craigslist. It was like Christmas all over again, only better!



Started with this:


And wound up with this:


Also got a few of these 1X2's:


And finally 3/4" X 3/16" X 8'strips:


I cut the strips to 1/4" and then ran them through the planer to get them down to 3/16".

I have to say, I really enjoyed the planer. I think it will save a lot of time when it comes to sanding, best $65 I have spent in a long time.

I only got 4 actual strips finished today, I have everything else ripped into 1X's and plan on finishing tomorrow.
This started as one 4X4, two 2X6's, and four 2X4's.

[Pogo]

Yep, I'd say you're 'cooking with gas now', alright! Glad to see you've discovered two- and four-by lumber; McCoy's is another good source. I always rip my boards (that are destined to become strips) into one-by stuff so it'll dry better during storage, and bundle it by the board to keep color and grain consistent, just as you have done right there. I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're a natural!

[Dogpaddlin]

Progress on the Merlin has been V E R Y S L O W I have averaged over 70hrs a week at the office for the last month and have not had a day off in almost as long. I finally got off early the last two nights (only a 10hr days) so I had a little time to spend in the garage since my better half had to work late.

I marked my center line on the strongback and then added cross marks every 12" for setting up my stations:


I used wedges to make each station square/level, I figured it would be easier to get these perfect now as apposed to when the forms were mounted on them.


After mounting all of my forms I made my first attempt at at aligning everything. I figured I could drill holes in all of the forms at exactly the same place and then run a string through each hole and use a string level. I think this would have worked well if you could find a GOOD string level (which is much easier said than done) but it just was not accurate enough.



After wasting my precious time on the string level, I scrapped that idea and mounted a piece of scrap that I had been run through the planer to each form level with the 3" water line. I made each one a little wider than the forms so I could balance a level on each side of the form. Next I hung a string a couple of inches over the forms for my center line. Using a square to make sure each form was "in line" with the string and using two levels on each form the process went pretty quick. I will double check everything this weekend and I may have to make some very small adjustments but I think this method worked really well.


I still have to mount the bow and stern forms which I will do this weekend and maybe even lay the first strips

[gerald]

I would say you have a very substantial form setup and done very well. Good job! I understand completely how slow the building process can be when working a real job. I also work 50 to 60 hours a week on a real job, but the real kink in the old boat building right now is the cold! As I get older I'm just getting to be a real weanie about the cold. Someday the shop will be completely weather tight and easily heated---but not right now.

[AyJay]

Nice work on the alignment method. I used the same thing when building my last powerboat, except with a tensioned steel wire to eliminate any droop. But, basically the same thing, and it works to get proper alignment. If you have a vertical centerline drawn down the middle of your mold frames, you can use a plumb line barely touching the baseline/centerline to make sure the molds are really vertical.

[Dogpaddlin]

I noticed this weekend that the edges of some of my strips have some dark spots on them. It is only on the edges and only on a handful of the strips. Is this sap? Should I be worried about the fiberglass and epoxy not sticking?



I have also been wondering what my strips were going to look like wet out so I did a little test sample this evening. I was surprised at what a wide range of colors I have.

[Iamdamoder]

Cool Cedar rainbow. Are you sure that the black spots were not burns from the table saw blade? I looks like it planed off in spots. I had good luck spinning a 7 1/4" Freud Diablo blade and they are cheap.
WTG on the new toolage.

[Dogpaddlin]

Moder,

I am using the same blade as you. All of the strips were also run through the planer and the spots did not show up until a few days after being milled. The spots are also only on the edges of the strips, not the "face". These strips were going to make up the bulk of my hull so it has me worried.

Speaking of tools, my latest Craigslist purchase was a Craftsman 6" jointer, table saw, chop saw, band saw, biscuit joiner, a set of dado blades, an extra blade for the band saw, and a new set of blades for the jointer, all for $150. I was going to sell the table saw and chop saw and get most of my money back but decided to give them to my brother-in-law instead. Even giving those away I think I still came out way ahead

[Iamdamoder]

Well then i don't know on them black spots.
I cut a ton of trim with a riobi miter saw like that right there in the 80's.

[Dogpaddlin]

I have finally started stripping the hull, after 6 months I am finally stripping!






The pinstripe I am planning on putting in the bottom:

[bowgarguide]

Looking good Toby.
Ron

[Light Keeper's Kid]

Looking Great Can't wait to get started myself soon Is that A/C in the shop

Mike

[redrun]

Looks like a window unit pulling and exhausting from/to the attic! And the boat is looking great too....

[Dogpaddlin]

Looks like a window unit pulling and exhausting from/to the attic! And the boat is looking great too....

I was an A/C man in a past lifetime, and you are right, it is a window unit I picked up at a garage sale for next to nothing. Since I can't cut a hole in the brick (says the wife and neighborhood association ) I decided to vent it in the attic. It still draws the air for the condenser from the garage area and then vents the heat into the attic. Not the most efficient setup, I can't get it as cold as I would like, but it will knock the edge off.

[Dogpaddlin]

I have got a few more strips on the Merlin, I am almost to the 3" waterline!





I have run into a problem. I got a little carried away when trimming the ends and now I am not sure what to do. There is about a 1/8" gap between the strips. Can I just true up the ends and install the stems or should I trim the strips and install a "spacer" in between the strips so it is solid?

[wilded]

Toby I am sure no expert but why couldn't you just use wood flour and epoxy just like a fillet?

[Pogo]

Toby I am sure no expert but why couldn't you just use wood flour and epoxy just like a fillet?

You certainly could, but it's quite unnecessary; the bow is naturally a very strong structure all by itself. Also, it would be the exact sort of thing that gets you into a 60-80 pound boat. A solo boat should never hit fifty pounds, period, I don't care what kind it is or what anybody says to the contrary. You really should be aiming for 45 lbs as a very reasonable and attainable goal. The only exceptions are SOT's, and that's only because there's no way to build 'em light using average skills, conventional methods, etc., etc.

My Merlin weighs 34 lbs, and features a very strong lay-up since it's my fishing boat for both coastal and Hill Country use. I do not believe it's any more difficult to build, just maybe takes a little more thinking and planning.

Toby, you're doing fine. Just true 'er up and slap a stem on like you say. Squeeze the sides together for a knife-edge entry, or stuff a spacer in for a blunter nose. The finer entry is faster, but more delicate and prone to damage .... although I have yet to damage mine in three years. Of course, I don't drop or drag my boat. As always, simply eyeball the lines to ensure that a fair flowing shape is maintained.

[gerald]

I'm with pogo on this problem--actually I see no problem at all. This is pretty much how I like to do the bow/stern. At this point I'd just laminate strips over the curve, though you do have to shape at the bottom of the curve (the bottom of the boat) so it all flows in nicely.
I don't think I'd like using goopie as a shaped bow. Too heavy and I think it'd be brittle for such a purpose. Goopie is more for fillng, fillets, and glue in my mind.

You can see an example of a laminated stem here:
http://texaspaddler.com/gallery/album46 ... _the_stern" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bowgarguide]

A solo boat should never hit fifty pounds, period, I don't care what kind it is or what anybody says to the contrary.
This statement is a bunch of bull.
I have a 18 ft boat I am building for long trips and hard use, it will have an extra heavy layup in some areas where it needs beefing up . the boat will probably come in at 60 lbs. I am not like Pogo a few lbs doesnt make a difference,but like Pogo said in another post if it breaks just go back and fix it. On a 400 mile trip loaded with gear 250 lbs of gear and my 215 weight what difference does 10 or 15 lbs make.
I dont want to break anything 100 miles from no place. The difference in Pogos blanket statement and my ideals is you build for the situation and usage. I guess if you weigh over 200 lbs you should not paddle because your too heavy
Sheeesssssssss build the boat to make you happy.
Ron