How straight should the keelson be? '63 Seamate
Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:27 pm
I've got my new keelson wood squared up and I am ready to cut the bottom profile.
I'm wondering if the finished profile should be a gentle curve from stem to transom, or if the rear 5 feet should be arrow straight?
Since my old keelson was too rotten to save, here is how I drew the line.
I layed some 2x4's across the floor stringers, positioned the new keelson wood about 9" above the hull and clamped it all in place.
Using a level I transfered marks to indicate the ends of the new piece, then using a shop made jig I began to transfer a series of dashed pencil lines to the keelson, following the profile of the hull but stopping for each rib.
The hull is intact but is missing some wood in the center due to rot. My jig spans an area wide enough to bridge the rotten wood and is adjustable for the "V" angle. Still, my profile marks do not form a smooth line and I must average out the marks and redraw using a flexable strip of wood as a guide. (batten?)
My keelson will be just under 10 feet in length and as drawn, the rear 4-5 feet will be straight, with about an inch of taper from the bottom up to the rear. The next 4 feet will make a very slight curve, at the bottom and the front 1 foot will curve up 1/2 inch, a bit sharper, to the stem.
Before I make a $$ mistake, I would just like to ask...
As far as handling and performance, does the straight part sound allright?
Thanks, Brad
(edited for spelling, it was a laite night)
I'm wondering if the finished profile should be a gentle curve from stem to transom, or if the rear 5 feet should be arrow straight?
Since my old keelson was too rotten to save, here is how I drew the line.
I layed some 2x4's across the floor stringers, positioned the new keelson wood about 9" above the hull and clamped it all in place.
Using a level I transfered marks to indicate the ends of the new piece, then using a shop made jig I began to transfer a series of dashed pencil lines to the keelson, following the profile of the hull but stopping for each rib.
The hull is intact but is missing some wood in the center due to rot. My jig spans an area wide enough to bridge the rotten wood and is adjustable for the "V" angle. Still, my profile marks do not form a smooth line and I must average out the marks and redraw using a flexable strip of wood as a guide. (batten?)
My keelson will be just under 10 feet in length and as drawn, the rear 4-5 feet will be straight, with about an inch of taper from the bottom up to the rear. The next 4 feet will make a very slight curve, at the bottom and the front 1 foot will curve up 1/2 inch, a bit sharper, to the stem.
Before I make a $$ mistake, I would just like to ask...
As far as handling and performance, does the straight part sound allright?
Thanks, Brad
(edited for spelling, it was a laite night)