I would think that using the drill press to cut the spacers to length would be easiest (and faster). It is hard (and somewhat unsafe) to hold a short length of wood on the drill press to drill a hole. One consideration -- make sure you figure out the lengths of blocks needed.  I wanted a block over the bulkheads and a larger gap where the oarlock socket risers would go. To get this, I ended up varying the length of my spacers -- I used 2 and 2 1/4 inches -- and the gaps between the spacers. (It's interesting that once it is all assembled, you don't notice that the blocks and spaces vary in length.)

Dave Metcalf

  Here's how I cut mine to length...I made a little fence/table for the drill press with sandpaper and I really didnt even need clamps but I think I did use one orange spring clamp to hold the stock against the sandpaper on the fence

so they looked like this:

and here's how I rounded them:

If you want to see all the pictures of this part of my build click here and to see the pictures you want to see

https://picasaweb.google.com/114717787929554738224/BuildingWoodenBoatCLCNortheasterDory?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKCBzczm_aKs2wE&feat=directlink

Curt

   Has anybody tried to glue the spacers to the inwales first, then cleaning/routing/sealing, all on the bench before gluing into the boat? The top would obviously need additional sanding/fairing to blend with the outer rail, but not dealing with the underside while in the boat seems pretty big.

And can't the outer, second outwale lamination be omitted if the inner rail is spaced inward?

Curt nailed it as usual!  I'm a planbuilder, so my "plan" is to start with a piece of stock wide enough for the entire gunwale assembly, drill the large radius holes with a forstner bit down the middle of the stock, then run the entire board down the table saw so that the blade runs tangent to the holes, creating the first solid strip.  Flip the stock end for end and run it again to liberate the spacers from the second solid strip.  This method also has the added benefit of making sure the grain matches perfectly when the gunwale is reassembled/laminated.

There was a guy who stiffened his gunwales inboard instead of outboard in order to make the entire boat fit inside his minivan.  I don't remember if he did spacered inwales or not.  Really the only difference with going the inboard route is that it's a bit more difficult because you have to cut the strips the perfect length to get them to fit inside the boat perfectly.  Outboard, you can let them run long and just cut them flush with the transom with a no-offset toothed saw.

Curt,

Glad to see I'm not the only one who wants to ease the top and bottom edges of the scuppers as well.  It looks like you sanded the inside edge of  the inner rails of every scupper.  Is that the case?  I was hoping a router would fit.

They look great and were well worth the extra effort.

As for varnishing them how difficult was it to to keep inside of the scupper relatively smooth?

looks like you sanded the inside edge of  the inner rails of every scupper.  Is that the case?  I was hoping a router would fit.  

Yes and Yes  I left the inner corner/edge of the top hull panel sharp with no sanding, being careful not to ding it, then after the inner scupper blocks were dremeled on each end, glued them on then used a very small round over bit in my trim router to ease the corner on the hull inner corner between the blocks, then went back with the dremel to touch things up on the ends of the scupper blocks and the blend into the inside corner of the top hull panel, then glued on the inner rail. Once that was on, my dremel and small router bits would no longer fit in the spaces between the scupper blocks, so I used some sticky back 60 grit sand paper in a foot long length and sanded up and down LIGHTLY, bending it over the inside edge of the inner rail between the blocks and yes this alone took a day or two...then did some flat sanding under the inner rail with a sanding block to somewhat even up the blocks with the inner rail....I never found an easier way.

They look great and were well worth the extra effort....thanks!

As for varnishing them how difficult was it to to keep inside of the scupper relatively smooth?

It was a lot more manual effort...again I didnt discover any easier tricks than a lot of hand sanding with a folded over piece of 220 into a round shape and a lot of up and down sanding on the inside of each scupper slot.  Someone that has built a lot of inner rails surely must have a more mechanical method, but I did it all manually for the ends of the blocks...for the inside of the hull panel and the inside of the inner rail sections between the blocks.  Oh, and I also masked off for the spacer blocks, leaving only the actual spots open where the spacers would sit, then taped lengths of wax paper both inside and out to catch epoxy drips and there was a bunch!  Varnishing was no treat...since the inside of my hull is painted, I taped off the hull below the inner rail to catch dripping varnish, and did the wax paper thing again, removing and reapplying between each varnish coat...getting varnish inside the space between the blocks was no fun....tried acid brushes and I think I finally ended up using a gloved hand little finger and other non fancy methods

Good luck...let us know how it goes!

Curt

Curt,

Thanks for the info.  I have yet to purchase my kit (found out last week that we may need to reside the house) but I still like to think ahead and figure out what I can.  

Where in Maine did/do you go?  I meet my in-laws up there every summer in the Wells area.

Nickmerc,

  We "work camp" during the hot TX summers anywhere it is cool...summer before last we were just North of Damariscota at the Duckpuddle campground right on the freshwater lake...it's where I splashed the boat...great people there too.

   Curt,

As you work your way north from Texas this coming summer, think about staying a while on Norfork Lake (or Bull Shoals) in the Ozarks, I think you'd like the lakes and the region. Plus, with two Northeasters on the lake we could have a regatta.

You can contact me at (870) 488-5050 if you are going to be in the area.

   Birch2,

Sounds plausible!  We are headed basically that way.  The only issue would be that it takes a couple hours to get the boat off the top of the car and rigged, then a half day or more to assemble the trailer, but this year I will have a pair of beach rollers so that may substitute for a trailer to launch the boat.

Curt

   Jordan Marina is right across Norfork Lake from where I live and has some nice campsites right on the water. People tend to pull their boats up on old auto tires so the beach rollers should work. If not, there are usually some tires sunk in the lake just where you need them. I doubt you'd need to assemble your trailer at all.

This section of the lake is popular for scuba diving and, of course, fishing and swimming. By the time you head north the locals should be used to seeing my Northeaster Dory on the lake too. I hope you can make it.

http://www.jordanmarina.com/

Jeff