Most of the plans I have looked at are stitch & glue. The joints are filleted and then tape placed over the fillets. Everything is done using epoxy.
When building the Weekender, do you glue and then fillet the joints without adding tape?
Thanks,
gary
The joints are all done by attaching panels directly to shaped stringers. Some guys have converted to stitch-and-glue construction.
In the plans, there is no filleting, they advocate using 3M 5200 caulking to seal the inside joints after they are made. This is what I did, just followed the plans. I have no complaints at this point, although a nice stitch and glue hull with fillets and tape would be smoother on the inside, and probably quite desireable if you want to do the extra work. Someone else did that here, I can't remember who, and he had to alter the building sequence a little in order to do it.
I built a smaller boat, a Triad. I considered using the stitch and glue method of construction but went with the panels to stringers method in the plans because it was my first boat build and it made following the plans simple. Now that the boat is all but finished I am very glad I did the panels on strings build. There have been times during the last months of the build I found myself having or wanting to attach things and the stringers made great areas where I could put a screw thru the paneling. Without the stringers I would have had to glue and/or screw a backing of some type to be able to put the screws thru. That isn't that big a deal but in the case of the closed in nose areas it would have been a mess since they were already finished and painted. These were not "BIG" concerns or problems and if you really want to use the stitch and glue method you can. It is your boat and you can build it anyway you want. I have only built one boat, it is not the one you are building and I am not a boat building expert. My comments were just some observations that came to mind when I read your post.
Let me clarify. I am not changing the plans to stitch and glue. I am interested in what people do about the joints to help prevent rot. In stitch & glue the joints are filleted and taped. What if anything special needs to be done to the Weekender?
gary
Hi Gary! I'm building a Weekender using stringers and epoxy glue and screws. I mix the epoxy, then thicked it to peanut butter consistency with silica and wood flour in equal volumes. Apply the glue and screw the part to the stringer. The resulting epoxy "squeeze out" will dry wood colored, and can be smoothed over while wet with a popsickle stick or small plastic spoon. It forms a nice small filet to finish off the look. Sand when dry. Provides a cosmetic effect as well as helping insure the boat is waterproof.
Dave
I did the same with the Triad. Â Wood flour and silca. Â I used a 1/3 silica 2/3 wood flour ratio. Â I also caulked the inside of the seems but only because the plans called for it. Â The plans did not call for the epoxy with fillers as glue. Â At the time the Stevenson's did the Triad and Weekender designs they talked used a glue. Â I believe the epoxy with fillers is the best route to take. Â I coated the outside of the hull in epoxy, without fillers and then sheathed it in fiberglass with another 2 coats of epoxy on that. Â Between the inside ooze of epoxy and the outside coating and sheathing I am not worried about the hull leaking.
Rot can occur if water gets into the wood and stays there. I think the current prevailing opinion is not to glass the keels because it will get nicks and dents and the glass might hold the water that gets in thru those. I have read posts here from members who did glass their keels also. Some advocate not fiberglassing the hull for the same reason and others have opinions entirely opposite. I chose to glass the hull. If you use marine ply then there are already barriors at each layer so one more barrior on the outside seemed ok with me and the added abrasion resistence gives me some peace of mind as the lakes here have rocky bottoms and can have hidden tree snags.
My plan for handling rot is to inspect the boat annually, fix any problems, major scratches, dents or holes and keep it painted.
Even the marine plywood will check. I vote for the epoxy and 6oz. glass except the keel, where I would still epoxy and paint. I would also add a sacrificial strip on the keel. I used a 2" X 1/4 peace of aluminum from above the water line on the bow all the way back the leinght of the keel. Predrilled my screw holes, over size and filled with epoxy then attached the strip. Just what I did no pro. Bud