Warren,
1) Take the bow template and stick it to some 1/4" hardboard with super 77
then cut the L shaped piece out.
2) Lay this up against the curve of the keel and align the marks at section
2 with your staples. I was lucky here I had one staple graze the front of
the section so I could get it exactly aligned.
3) Use a pencil to trace the bow curve on each side of the bow.
4) Lay up the 5/4 blocks of cedar into a 6 layer block as described in the
manual. Remember to alternate the grain in the wood. That is, 6 blocks each
1/2" to 1" shorter than the next, in a kind of stair shape on the front with
a flat back side
5) Place the cured blocks against the hull and align with the curve. The
top (short end) of the block should be just above the point where the curve
comes inside the interlocking strips. (Taking in to consideration that the
curve is slightly aft of where it should be because the bow template was
twisted off center when you penciled the line).
6) Use your laser perpendicular to the keel and projecting a vertical line
from the intersection of the top of the block and the bow curve. Mark that
line with pencil. Without moving the laser, move to the other side of the
bow and mark the top and bottom where the laser beam hits the hull and rule
that line.
7) Use your Japanese pull saw to lop off the nose of the boat.
8) Prepare some Glass or hybrid and epoxy the block in place reinforcing the
back edges joining to the hull.
I was able to slather thickened epoxy on the bow strips except 3 very small
points which I left bear. There I used hot glue to tack the block in place.
I used hybrid behind the block to reinforce the joint and filling the fillet
with some peanutbutter. My block only came down to the middle of the gunwale
strip (the sheer strip). I put another 5/4 block in there later.
9) When set, I used my laser to project a line continuing the straight part
of the bow, checked it jived with the template, then cut the front face of
the bow piece with the pull saw.
10) Put some long pieces of duct tape on the hull.to protect it from the
teeth of the pull saw (keep the ends past the end of the saw otherwise it
will pickup and roll the tape). Use the hull as a guide to cut off the sides
of the block. Now you will have the flat fronted pyramid shape that
Christian mentioned.
11) Mark the centerline continuing down the front face with pencil. Then
divide the front sides into 4 with straight diverging pencil lines from the
top point to the bottom . Use a straight line on the side of the block back
from the front corner about the same size as one of the quadrants on the
front face. To make short work of the shaping, use a belt sander to flatten
the front corner to the lines you have just drawn. Making and equal bevel on
both sides. Divide the front faces again and bevel that from the centerline.
Use this technique of successive approximations to a fair curve until it
looks right. If you divide up both sides carefully like this the shape will
be perfectly equal both sides. Touch it up with the hand sanding block. Fill
the thirsty end grains now with unthickened epoxy to prevent dry lay-up when
glassing the bottom.
It should look like a boat now rather than the snout of a clippership. This
method will leave plenty of space for your carved figure head. Mine is
taking shape but it looks kinda like Bram with boobs.
Greg
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