Cutting the frames

As it turns out, cutting the eight frames did not take too long: one morning was enough, while the ladies were out shopping.  Most of the cuts I did with a circular saw equipped with a plywood-cutting blade, with only some curved and finicky cuts done with my new jigsaw.  I don't know if that's really normal, but that plywood blade makes the plywood smoke, so I had to work with the garage door open.  On a cold and rainy morning, that made my glasses steam up while I was breathing through the dust respirator.  A pain, but safety comes first.

Here they are the eight frames, in order.  They have no notches for stringers, inwales, beams or keelson yet, and I haven't cut the curves on the tops of bulkheads and transom.  But all in good time.  The first photo shows the two forward bulkheads, and the next two frames.  The one on the right is the middle frame, but it's wider than it will be:  because of the centerboard case it will have to be split in two, but I left plenty of space for final adjustments and measurements.

The second photo shows the next three frames and the transom.  The frame on the left has the outline of the benches, and will serve as the aft wall of the watertight buoyancy compartments.  The second frame from the right will be the forward wall of the aft seat and storage locker.  The transom is on the right.

As I said before, all the frames were cut from 9mm (3/8 inch) marine plywood.  Colleagues and friends with carpentry experience but no boatbuilding experience expressed doubt about whether such thin plywood is strong enough, not to mention the hull which will be 6mm (1/4 inch).  Well, as it turns out, traditional lapstrake boats often have no permanent frames at all: they are built over temporary forms, with all the strength coming from the glued joints.  My boat's permanent frames, along with the benches and decks, will serve to strengthen and stiffen it.  Boats are curious things: they can look flimsy and be super-strong.  This boat is designed to be strengthened by every frame, strake, seat, stringer, keelson, keel, gunwale, inwale, beam, glued edge, screw and nail.  The whole will be similar to a monocoque auto body or airplane fuselage.

Or at least that's the plan.  For more adventures n boatbuilding, keep reading 176inches.

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