« previous next »
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Down

Author Topic: Top tips for builders  (Read 18660 times)

Offline tolman_paul

  • Chief Officer
  • ********
  • Posts: 1322
    • Ukverun Consulting LLC
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #15 on: April 01, 2015, 04:08:08 PM »
The best tips:

#1 Stop contemplating, and start building.  It seems there are plenty of folks that suffer analysis paralysis. You have to start cutting wood and slathering epoxy, the boat won't build itself.

#2 Don't try and out smart Renn.  Any "improvement" you come up with will take longer, cost more and the final product will be heavier.  His design and techniques were developed over building 100+ stitch and glue boats.

#3 Tolman skiffs have been built by expert craftsman, rank amateurs and everyone in between to varying degrees of finish.  They all seem to float, get you where you are going and back with relative comfort and safety and have landed lots of nice fish.  So don't worry and refer back to #1.
Logged

Offline Dave Wright

  • First Mate
  • *******
  • Posts: 1116
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #16 on: April 01, 2015, 04:45:19 PM »
Quote from: tolman_paul on April 01, 2015, 04:08:08 PM
The best tips:

#1 Stop contemplating, and start building.  It seems there are plenty of folks that suffer analysis paralysis. You have to start cutting wood and slathering epoxy, the boat won't build itself.



Plus a million! That says it all! 

Logged

Offline tolman_paul

  • Chief Officer
  • ********
  • Posts: 1322
    • Ukverun Consulting LLC
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #17 on: April 03, 2015, 03:06:08 PM »
 ??? ??? ???  Don't know how my post disappeared, yet you managed to quote it?  Oh well.
Logged

Offline elkhunter338

  • Second Mate
  • ******
  • Posts: 786
  • 27' Jumbo
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #18 on: April 08, 2015, 08:49:40 PM »
if you build in a shop that needs heat, get a pair of 1500 watt infrared heaters (Quartz heaters).  Mine are getting used and easily brings the temperature up 10+ degrees over a fairly large area.  Which has helped the last few days.
Work much better than equivalent wattage Halogen work lamps.
Logged

Offline Edward Anderson

  • Able Seaman
  • ***
  • Posts: 126
    • Email
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #19 on: April 14, 2015, 05:48:36 PM »
Quick simple things I think about every day:
The 7 P's (Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Preformance) so mock up as much as you can before you start finishing it; Tape measures and cardboard cost a lot less than sawzall blades and grinding discs. In our shop the arrow always points up or forward when you mark orientation and the side with the "X" always goes down.

Tips I always tell people who are interested in building their own boats: Don't like sanding? take your time to do a neat job glassing, metal roller those edges flat, brush out your drips, spend a little time and go back over those air bubbles before the epoxy kicks.

Also resist the temptation and don't cut the windows on your cabin out until you're done sanding and ready to paint. It saves so much time and keeps the sanding discs from tearing on the edges.
Logged

Offline Taskun_Pooki

  • Swabbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #20 on: April 16, 2015, 03:51:33 AM »
Hi everyone!

I'm newbie here (from Finland, Europe).

I found a good site which include many links for Tolman builders: http://www.dipfish.com/build-your-own-wooden-boat-projects/

On this site is also link for "Tolman Tips – From the Tolman Group" which include many good tips about Tolman building.
Direct link for the site: https://fishyfish.com//tolmantips.txt

I printed that all, maybe I will need them.

BR. Aapo


PS. Sorry my english mistakes.
Logged

Offline jklistof

  • Boson
  • ****
  • Posts: 352
    • 25 Foot Jumbo
    • Email
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #21 on: April 16, 2015, 09:28:02 AM »
BR. Aapo,

Welcome to the group.

If you build make sure you furnish this group a bunch of pictures.

John
Logged
25 Foot Jumbo
Start Date: 1963
Finish Date: 2018 she floats
http://www.thegearboxguys.com/boat.htm

Offline Randy Zimmerman

  • Third Mate
  • *****
  • Posts: 652
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #22 on: May 28, 2015, 12:04:11 PM »
I weighed all of my epoxy batches and made a simple ratio chart to help me keep the mix straight. It saved me from having to do the math in my head every batch and  really helped when it was late and I was tired.

I also found that it helped having the right tool...(I know that should be obvious). I used a portable table saw and in hindsight wished that I would have invested in a full size table saw. I used an old Craftsman jig saw for most of the build that I was always having to adjust and seemed to struggle with. It finally died and I invested in a Makita jig saw and was delighted with how smooth it was. My point is that the tools will out live the time it takes to build. I think I would have saved some time and aggravation if I would have invested in some better tools early on. Renn addresses this topic in the book. With that said, I did buy some tools from Harbor Freight tools (7" sander, grinder, etc) and they worked fine. I know that nearly every tool that I own is the result of some project.
Logged
Saltwater Workshop Kit
21'4" Widebody
Start:1 June 2013
Flip: 9 April 2014
Maiden Voyage: 22 May 2015

Offline elkhunter338

  • Second Mate
  • ******
  • Posts: 786
  • 27' Jumbo
Re: Top tips for builders
« Reply #23 on: June 14, 2015, 07:50:28 PM »
today I found hanging the side glass with painters tape worked real well and with 38inch cloth I overlapped the chine/side joint one more time.
I put 2 layers of 10oz tape, bottom panel overlapped (another 10oz) then the side cloth overlapped again.  With 6oz cloth and nice warm weather the glass wet out great with a foam roller.  not many pictures of the glassing process but I had my son take a couple of pictures towards the end.  too 3 of us right at 2.5hrs to epoxy the sides.  I did the same process earlier for the transom glass. very pleased with the results.

Tip to get the painters tape off the fiberglass role over it with epoxy this helps the tape release easily from the cloth.
Logged
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Up
« previous next »