Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Running into a problem with bulkheads 2,3,4.  They are just a bit too big.  As you can see in the pic below the width is just a bit too big, maybe 1/8th inch.  Frutstrating.  I've checked the bulkheads to see if they are hungup on glue, or a chunk of wood, nothing...

 

Have any of you out there noticed this?  I'm about to rip out a few of the bulkheads and sand the ends down to get them to fit properly. 

 

 


20 replies:

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RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

I had the same issue.  After I initially stiched the kaholo together, I had to pull out several bulkhead and plane them to fit.  I think I had more like 5 or 6 bulkheads to adjust...

 

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

STOP!! the bottom panel is asymetrical ,nowhere in the directions is this mentioned or which way around it goes , i did the sane thing   call them and  find out which way around it goes or look through my old post's i  did explain this before [  4 boats later and this is the only big flaw ive come accross in  there instructions , i guess i cant complain too much]

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

The bottom panel of the Kaholo is not asymetrical...  I had the same problem.  Haven't finished the build yet, but I just adjusted the stitches to minimize the gaps on either side/in the center.  The tacking step of putting silica thickened epoxy covered all the gaps very well.

I anticipate needing to place a small amount of wood flour thickened epoxy at the corners to allow me to round them without sanding into the fillet, but even at this early stage, I can tell that the board is solid.

Adjust your stitches, and you'll find that the gaps can be closed up pretty well.  I had a few that looked as large as the one in the photo, though.

-Matt

 

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Greg27 - not sure the context of what you mean.  My comment/question is really about some of the bulkheads pushing the sides of the Kaholo out too far creating the gaps between the side and bottom.

I've been sanding and tweaking, its not as easy as I thought it would be.

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

How to fix: remove frame. Measure bottom width where frame goes and subtract 1/8" to allow for side panels to schooch in a tad if you have rounded the inside edges as per instructions. This dimension is W. Divide W by 2, as in half it. Whip out your trusty Japanese pull saw and remove W/2 from each side. Also remove W/2 from sheer clamp notch. Reinstall frame. Repeat for other oversize offenders.

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Hmmm . . . looking at your pic it appears the inside edges have not been rounded. Is this some new deal on Kaholo instructions??? Every S&G build I have done specs beveling/rounding inside edges of joining panels. Makes them kiss up and be friendly better when you twist down the wires.

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

The Kaholo plans specifically tell you not to bevel the edges of the plywood.  I'm playing with sanding the ends of the bulkheads in order to get the the plywood to meet up. 

I guess this is what wooden boat building is all about!

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

sorry my bad got it mixed up with the mill creek im building ,thats the one i had issues with

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

This isn't rocket science. You don't have to remove the bulkheads to plane or sand it down. After you take down the rails to the proper angle just lay a level across the rails from side to side and hold it against the bulkheads and draw a line with a pencel along the top of the bulkhead. This is how much you need to take off with the planer or sander. When you can slide the level along the rails with out hanging up on the bulkheads your done and move on to the next one. The pywood deck skin can not take a curve in both directions meaning the deck skin is flat from side to side and the only bend in the deck skin is the rocker nose to aft.   20 min fix for all bulkheads.

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Yes Dave the bulkheads are subject to be too big on the 12'6", I don't know about the 14' as I understand they are now providing different bulkheads then the ones I had when I built my 14.

I had to remove 3mm from the bottom and both edges of each bulkhead in order for them to fit properly, I pointed this out to CLC before the first production kits were out, I am surprised to see they didn't correct the problem. It seems the CNC program was and is set to cut all pieces to the outside dimension of the board with no allowance for wood thickness. I personally bevel all the edges of the panels because I don’t like the edge grain showing and it makes for a nice clean seam assuming the bulkheads are cut to fit properly.

Easy fix, so cut as needed to get the fit you want.

 

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Dave, the context of the issue is not the top of the bulkheads but the sides.  Specifically where they meet the bottom of the SUP.  Without question some are two wide causing the gaps that you can see in the picture.

I'm sure your method of achieving a flat even surface for joining the deck to the bulkheads will work well.

 

Tx

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

I did a SW sport hybrid, and found that the bulkheads seemed to have been cut to the outside face of the boat too! Lining the edge of the bulkhead across the panel, they did have the same length as the outer surface. I planed them off narrower to get them in. A Does someone who knows the CNC program have any thoughts?

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Sorry about that, I didn't realize it was the 12.6 and it was about the width of the bulkheads. I did find it kind of strange that I had more of an issue with height of some of the bulkheads on my second kit than the first one but I just bushed it off as builder inconsistencies and just planed them off.

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

OK I have 2 issues which relate to the bulkheads.  One is that the bottom, between bulkheads 4 &  5, has a warp in it.  No matter how much I tweak the stitches, adjust the bulkheads, etc, I can't get rid of it.  It has a wave in it & when I push down on it between 4 & 5 the bottom pops up between 5 & 6.  It's driving me crazy.  I've built a bunch of S & G boats so I'm hoping it's not a rookie mistake.  I'm really not looking forward to slathering on a pound of fairing compound to fix the bottom.

The other thing that I can't understand is why the notches that receive the sheer clamps are only 1/2" deep.  The plans call for the sheer clamps to be 3/4" high.  Are they expecting us to plane off 1/4" to make the bulkheads & sides flush?  That's crazy!  I must be missing something.  any thoughts?

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Not a big deal. As instruction buildbook it tells you to stich bulkheads loosly to check fit & adj. as needed. My build had no bulkhead width problem . But the bulkheads 5&6 were 1/8 in. High .simple plain down.& deck was nice & flat when epoxied down. Minor adj. that you will run into through this build. But as you can see there's plenty of help out here. You will enjoy its a fun build. Except for lots of sanding to get a good looking p/ board.

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Not a big deal. As instruction buildbook it tells you to stich bulkheads loosly to check fit & adj. as needed. My build had no bulkhead width problem . But the bulkheads 5&6 were 1/8 in. High .simple plain down.& deck was nice & flat when epoxied down. Minor adj. that you will run into through this build. But as you can see there's plenty of help out here. You will enjoy its a fun build. Except for lots of sanding to get a good looking p/ board.

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

The warp you have might be from a bad piece of ply but it's fixable no big deal. First try a couple of things. Move the horse's around meaning you  might have stress on the skin due to the horse's are too far apart. Next try having two people picking up each end and twisting the haul back and forth to losen it up. If that doesn't do anything I learned a trick when I was building an aircraft. Get the section thats giving you problems like between 4 and 5 and use bondo globbs on the inside to hold it in place until you glue the sides to the bottom with epoxy. Than before you epoxy the webs with wood floror just break off the bondo globs and finish the webs up. The other thing you can do is add some stitches. The bondo is nice to use because it hardens real fast when you use lots of harder so you don't have to wait around. It should break off real easy too.

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

Check out a post a placed on Oct 15 - Kaholo - Notes from Phase 1.  It will answer a lot of your questions.

 

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

I had a wave in my Pax20 hull. i sorted it by adjusting stitches and plating around withwedges in the keel line join.

Some of above at about the 1minute mark in this

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AAZVumRW3bU

 

Also some pics that show the wave.

Cheers

RE: Kaholo - Bulkheads to big...

One  would think that the kit would have the perfect fit, i have had the same proublem with the bulkheads and there was a time that I would loose plenty of sleep over this dilemma! If anyone cant figure it out I would be happy to explain the operation I preform to correct the fit of the bulkheads so that the bottom and side pannels join perfectly and the bulkheads are nice an straight. give me a call 8604800714.

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