The Mounting Jig

I needed a jig that would simplify the assembly of the frames.  Positioning the frames is much easier if you have a jig.  Our jig is built so that the post is exactly 4" in width.  This with happens to be the width of the keel on the Dolphin.  I purposely did this so that I could accurately align the frames along the jig bed.  The post was mounted to a jig slide and is perpendicular to the jig bed on both axis.  Don't worry if your post is slightly off center.  Remember - as long as the post is securely fastened and free from distortion, the same level of error will be true all the way down the jig bed and therefore it does not need to be perfect.  Obviously you want to keep things neat and tidy so be as perpendicular as you possibly can when building the jig.  Once the frame is clamped to the jig, you simply install two temporary supports using screws.  Be sure to used large enough lumber to support the weight of the hull.  In the case of the Dolphin I am using 2" x 2" supports that I obtained from a standard 2" x 4" piece of lumber by ripping it right down the middle.  First  screw in the frame supports to the frame and then screw the frame supports to the sides of the jig bed.  The frame supports will need to sustain the weight of the finished hull so be sure to put two screws in each location that you attach a support member.  You will be removing these screws later once you finish the hull of the boat.

Horizontally Mark the Frame Heights on the Jig Post in Advance

Aligning Frame #1

Clamping Frame 1 to the Jig

It's Raining --- Time to Do Inside Work

It's been pouring all day.  Since my shop isn't large enough to build the boat inside I figured I would take care of some simple but necessary tasks like the stem.  The stem is two pieces and made of oak.  In this case it will be made of some white oak that I got from my father-in-law's farm in Tennessee.  Here's a picture of the pattern that I drew up in CAD and printed on my 8 1/2 x 11 printer.  I had to piece together all of the pages and tape them to make the patterns but it worked as you can see from the photo below.  I also made it 5 to 6 inches taller than necessary so that I would have plenty of excess.  Well, I'm off to the backyard shop to cut this out.  I'll post a photo of the finished stem when I complete it.

Not Enough Daylight

Arghhh!  Why does the day have to end?  We have the jig built and I was ready to start mounting the frames when I realized that I will need to build a measuring form to ensure that I am mounting them at the proper height.  Anyone have any ideas on this one?  I intend to build a simple "T" out of 2 x 4's and mark off the frame heights to align them properly.  I'll hold the "T" upside down and clamp the frame pieces to it temporarily.  Once the measurements are in place I will put temporary screws into the frame supports to hold the frames in place.  I'm so tired.  I woke up at 3AM this morning because I wasn't feeling well and I've been up ever since.  Tomorrow is another day.  I can't wait to make more progress.

P.S. I want to thank Jim Weaver and Keith Jones of Weaver Boatworks for being so kind.  Those guys are great.  They have been very helpful by cutting the frames on the CNC router.

The Jig Bed

My son and I built the jig to aid in the initial frame assembly.  Our jig is 16 foot long by 2 foot wide.  It took us the better part of an hour to level the jig.  This step is quite crucial.  Be sure to use very straight lumber for any boat jig.  It's alright to be off by a 1/4" on this hull, but not more than that if we want the hull to be considered straight and true.  The jig is 16 foot long by 2 foot wide.

The Frames

As you can see from the design, the frames are made of fir.  I drew up the frames in TurboCAD for a purpose.  One of the most time consuming processes of building a boat is ensuring that the frames are built to proper specifications.  Working from these old drawings is easy, but I wanted to cut down on the amount of time it would take from start to finish.  I am lucky enough to have a friend at Weaver Boatworks in Deale, MD (Jim Weaver).  He's a great guy and he and his company make the finest ocean power yachts in the world.  Visit his site and you'll see what I mean.  He happens to own a computer controlled routing table too.  I am lucky to call him a friend and not because he is allowing me to use his equipment.  It's because he is a great guy with or without a CNC routing table.

After drawing the frames in CAD I was able to export them into DXF files which they have converted to CNC code for use with their routing table.  In 1 hour their machine will save me 4 weekends worth of work on the frames.  I'll pickup the frames tomorrow and my son and I will begin to mount them on my jig.  I'll take a picture and post it once we begin this process.  I'm looking forward to a productive start.  He and I are going to have a great spring break project!

A Diesel Engine for the Diesel Dolphin

Several years ago my brother and I met some very nice folks at a marina in Deale, MD.  They gave me a 2 cylinder Universal Diesel engine that wasn't running.  My brother is very mechanically inclined and was able to fix the engine up for about $30 worth of parts.  What a great little engine!  The engine is 11hp and is a little more power than what this boat is designed for so what I have done is increased the frame thicknesses and I'm using 3/8" marine plywood instead of 1/4" that the original design calls for to compensate.  Nothing beats the sound of a smooth running diesel engine.  Call me whacky, but I like the sound that the valves make when they tap.

The Plans

My son and I chose the "Dolphin" from Svenson's Free Boat Plans that were originally published in magazines and books.  It's a great site if you like traditional boat plans and it is user maintained.  Using the offsets listed in the drawings I also put the frames into TurboCAD.  If any of you require the files in DXF or AutoCAD format please let me know and I will send them to you.  I'll post them here on the blog when I get a chance though.

If you are anything like me you will be resourceful and not give up easily when it comes to learning something new.  I like building things and learning how stuff works.  It also helps that I spent some time in engineering school too.  By no means does that qualify me to be a naval architect, nor do I claim to be one.  Use these ideas and plans at your own risk and be smart enough to do proper research and learn from others.