Fitting the Chines

After much consternation and frustration over not being able to bend the chines into place, I received some good suggestions on possible solutions.

Steaming the chine pieces was rejected as they are scarfed together for the length.

Laminating with 2 or 3 thinner pieces seemed like a good idea but... the 9mm thick pieces didn't bend any easier than the 20mm thick ones.

I considered using two pieces for each chine and steaming each piece to bend into place but before gathering parts and materials for a steam box, another idea came to mind: Make each chine out of two pieces but cut them to shape, glue them in place and overlap the ends (sort of scarfed in place).

Using the plywood cut-offs from cutting out the bottom, I made patterns for the two pieces (only two patterns needed as the pieces are mirror images). The patterns fit on a 1x6, so I bought 4 boards and cut out my pieces.

Here is a view of the foreward starboard chine piece being fitted.



Still some work ahead to get all four pieces fit and installed but I'm no longer feeling consternation or frustration.

Minor Obstacle

Okay, so things are going pretty well - I'm ready to fit and install the chines. Unfortunately, the chines are not ready...

The plans spec the chines at 20mm x 70mm x 5,790mm (that's 3/4" x 2-3/4" x 19'). The chines fit flat on the outside of the hull bottom so they have to bend in that dimension. They also conform to the rocker in the bottom so they have to bend in that dimension...

I'm using Monterrey Pine and it is not going to bend in those two directions... not without some serious convincing. Steaming the wood seems the logical means of "serious convincing" but steaming wood is one of those black-box mysteries I've always considered to be beyond my skills. However, I am thinking about it...

Several questions come to mind:

1. What do I use to steam 19' long pieces of wood?
2. Can I fit the wood and then re-steam it once I'm happy with the fit? (I don't think I'll be able to remove them if I let them sit long enough to dry to shape.)
3. How do I glue steamed wood in place? Can I glue wet wood after re-steaming?

Okay, I can answer the first question. It is the other two that are troubling me.

Any suggestions?

Back at it... Again... Finally...

After more than one false start (following an annoyingly persistent cold) I am back to work on Gardens - along with several other works-in-progress:

Gardens:
Building the transom and prepping it for installation
Cutting notches in the frames to accept the chines
Milling chines down to 65mm to facilitate the needed bending/twisting

Karen Ann:
Clean-/refit prepping for the Small Craft Skills Academy next month
Lots to do!

Cycling:
Back to riding after too many weeks of not riding
Short 25-mile ride on May 19th
Training for 75-mile ride in August