Lofting Done

Lofting is just a time consuming job, but running around and explaining to people with a CNC router (converting CAD to Solidworks) of what you want is just sooooo frustrating that I will much rather just draw it out myself and cut it out with a little jig saw. This way I save myself many hours of frustration, and I get what I want in half the time. The DXF files imported from Freeship to CAD – works exceptionally well and it gives me CAD drawings that are perfect for my application.

Stitching hull panels together is both ART and SCIENCE – you need patience and a good feel for the wood that you are working with. You need to “feel” the marine ply and practicing with offcuts will save you endless hours of frustration. Play with the wood, bend it, twist it, bite it, smell it, FEEL IT !! that is where experience comes from.

October Report

Well October has come and gone and with pressure at work I could not do half as much as I was hoping to do – BUT the show is now 100% back on the road and progress will now be much better. I have finished lots of little items on the build-frame and on the bulkheads. I had to do some serious thinking about what will be easy to reach and what will be difficult, because once the hull plating has started there is no turning back. So the stiffeners that you see on the bulkheads will make installation of the shelving and bunk a lot easier once the hull is closed in.

The good news is that lofting starts this week and the “turtle shell” will start taking shape and then we will finally be able to see the actual hull form in it’s upside down position.