So far this has been a most unusual year, in our area at least. We have had two really good rain storms lasting seven or eight days interspersed with extremely good weather. If it’s going to rain, I say, do it all at once. Lately, it’s been dipping down to around 25 or so at night (-4-C) and up to mid-70s (24-C) during the day. A 50-degree temperature swing. That is great for grapes, which this area is famous for and great for epoxy work, which makes Theresa smile. Slowly but surely, the plank lines are marching down the hull. Sometimes though it has been more slowly than surely. There is a definite relationship between these two words that every day I more fully understand. It’s like this, if surely becomes less sure, slowly quickly grinds to a halt. If slowly becomes less slow, i.e. faster, surely grinds to a halt. This boatbuilding thing requires a lot more focus than a retired man should be required to give. So, while trying to limit myself to only a small number of screwups per week I have developed a long list of rules that I absolutely must follow or disaster and chaos may ensue. Each rule has a name of some significance. Breaking one of these will send me to my comfortable chair and Theresa to get her rudder all in a flap. Since each if these rules were preceded by thoughts of returning to my old day job the idea of fixing my screwup and creating a system seems a better option. I won’t bore anyone with the whole list but maybe just hit one or two to make my point.
My shop is insulated but if it is in the 30s (0c) outside, it will still be too cold inside to mix epoxy since the minimum temperature for any curing to occur is 55F. So, if I am going to get a plank on that day, I have a window of time and a schedule to keep. The first thing I must do is take the resin and hardener out in the sun and put a black trash bag over it. This will heat it up in no time to around 70F. While that is happening, I put a fire in the fireplace in my shop. It takes about an hour to get the shop somewhat warmer. This is great because it will take me about an hour to get everything else ready. The plank is ready and waiting from the day before but there’s the mixing cup, stick, brush, clamps, hammer, chisel, putty knife, rags, alcohol (not that kind), tool belt, gloves on, clear the planking bench, music off. Yes, leave the music off. Focus! Inevitably there will be something I can’t find. Yesterday it was my bevel gauge. I walked around the shop looking for it for 20 minutes until at some point the thought hit me, “It’s gone. I may never see it again” and then it magically showed up. Am I ready? I check myself over as if I am going in the ring with Mike Tyson. And oh yeah, put the phone away. The last thing you want to do is answer the phone or adjust your glasses with epoxy on your gloves. That’s what the rags and alcohol are for, so I don’t get it everywhere. Staying neat is of prime importance, right up there with looking cool. You wouldn’t go out to a restaurant with ketchup on your shirt, would you? No. It’s okay to leave that way, that’s normal. Same with epoxy. All this has to happen and epoxy mixed by 10am because by 4pm it will start to get cold again. I’m on a mission here. If I have two planks ready, I can get both on in 4 hours and then I can layout, spile* and make the next plank for tomorrow, or at least start on it. This is my 10 o’clock – 4 o’clock rule. If I can’t mix by 10 it’s a no go for launch. Even if I can mix by 10, I have to cover Theresa with plastic and put a heater under her to keep her warm at night or I risk a poor epoxy cure. This would be tragic. You will only make this mistake one time.
In two days, earlier, I managed to completely make five planks. Sometimes things just click. The next day I spent the whole morning steaming and making a difficult one with a tight bend at the stern. I spent quite a bit of time on it, sneaking up on the fit as I didn’t want it to crack. I left it long because I wasn’t sure of the angle as it bent around the sternpost and reasoned I would have room to trim if needed. When I bent it around after steaming it didn’t crack, to my surprise, and laid tight and perfect. Very impressive I said to myself. Too good for my own good am I. (Never say this out loud.) I even took a picture of it and sent it off to some friends. This is always a sign you are about to screw up. I promptly took it off, over to the bench and cut it four inches too short. I had looked at the wrong line on the plank above it and cut it where the scarf* was to start instead of where it ended. In the blink of an eye, I had wasted a day. This is what I get for listening to Pink Floyd, “Dark side of the Moon”, which is where my mind was at a critical moment. So, this is now my Pink Floyd rule. Recognize a critical moment and cut the music. One only has so many attention units. Most of them need to go on what you are doing. It helps immensely.
Cheers,
Dave Ahrens
*Spile: To measure, mark and cut out a plank so it fits the one next to it.
*Scarf: Two planks cut on a bevel so that there is a lot of glueing surface. In this case 8 to 1 (8:1) so that a ½” thick plank has a 4” long scarf or bevel.
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