Chesapeake 16LT prep work

My parents are going to be visiting for Thanksgiving this year.  My father and I are going to be building a CH16 LT for my mother for Christmas.  We'll only have several days of building and I want to hit the ground running as much as possible.

What's a good set of tools required to complete the build?  

I know we won't finish the kayak but I'd like to have the hull assembled before they leave.  I'll be doing the scarf joints and have all of the forms mounted to the strong back before they arrive.  I can do the finish work later, but it would be nice if my father and I can get the shape of the boat done before they have to leave.

Anything else that I could do in advance to help speed things along later?

- jaydillyo 


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RE: Chesapeake 16LT prep work

Clamps.  The more, the better.  Bar clamps to hold the hull panels to the risers coming off of your sawhorses (or whatever).  Easily applied spring clamps to use all over the boat, and lots of them.   ;-)    A couple or more fabric furniture clamps can help a lot with the deck.

Some plastic packing tape might be helpful for some of those places where a clamp just won't work.

You might want to pre-align the hull panels and drill the holes for the stitches. (Make sure you've got the various panels positioned properly!)

Lots of disposable latex gloves, mixing dishes, stirrers, etc. for the epoxy, as well as tools for shaping flillets, etc.  Lots of trashy clothing to be ruined by epolcy.  Lots of newspaper to catch epoxy drips and spills.  A little extra epoxy, since it's maddening to run out in the middle of a planned epoxying session ... and if you're working fast, my guess is that you'll use more epoxy.  Are you using pumps to dispense the epoxy?

I found a 2' level of help in aligning the panels thwartships while tightening the stictches, preparatory to epoxying the seams. Also a mason's string useful for aligning things longitudinally.

Dikes for cutting the stitches, and small files to smooth the burrs if you're going the "standard" way for dealing with the stiches after the epoxy cures.

These are some to the things I used with my LT-17 and Ches. 14. Other folks will recall some of the other things they needed, or wished they had ...

If you're hoping to attach the deck, think about the tools you'll need to have on hand to bevel the sheer clamp and deck beams.

Good luck!  And enjoy the process ....

RE: Chesapeake 16LT prep work

Jim's list looks very complete.  I'd only elaborate on his last para... buy a Stanley low-angle block plane to bevel the sheer clamps... not expensive and very easy to use (I'm beveling mine now and it's the easiest tool for that job).  Another option for wood shaping are "Microplanes," these are light weight cheese-grater like rasps that remove lots of wood, easily.  Find them here:

http://us.microplane.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=13

Oh, and I bought my spring clamps (2 inchers, I think) for 99¢ ea. at Home Depot.  Just pick up five every time you're there; you'll soon have a handy collection. 

Good luck!

Larry

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