One last visit to the hull from Mr. Sandman…
Then on with the rubber baby buggy bumpers…
Up in the air…
And over she goes for the final assault on the decks.
Don’t you hate it when truckers crab your oars before you even get to take a stroke?
How did you attach the rubber bumper to the chine?
In order not to penetrate the skin, I use a contact cement. In this case, Weldwood. Barge glue works, as does raft repair glue like Shore or Bostick.
The rubber chine helps marginally in a high-impact wreck, but primarily helps protect the vulnerable chine from abrasion during bad parking scenarios, when otherwise the glass would be continually chafing against rocks and whatnot. It is that rubbing and bumping that often causes the glass to become porous and consequently moisture gets into the wood and can't get out. And we know what happens after that.
As to performance, the jury is out on whether it helps or hinders, makes it track better or makes it too edgy, adds to stability, helps cross eddy lines, trips you up when you cross them, etc. There are vocal proponents on all sides. Me, I like 'em.
And why build this way?
I am melding two totally different construction techniques.
The old style is ribs (frames) and inner and outer chine logs. They give the boat enough strength that they don't even need bulkheads or decks. Open drift boats were all built this way.
The new-fangled system is WEST (Wood Epoxy Saturation Technique) pioneered by the Gougeon Brothers who made their fortune marketing their product under the WEST name. The idea is that the inner and outer layers of fiberglass give the boat all its strength, and the core–be it wood or foam–merely holds the two layers of glass apart, like the center of an I-beam. In order for the hull to bend or break, the outer skin has to compress, and the inner one has to stretch. Fiberglass hates to compress or stretch. And the further apart you hold the two skins, and the thicker those skins are, the stronger the boat. So strong, in fact, that the boat can hold its shape with just a few bulkheads to define it. That's the modern dory.
But I still like the ribs. I like their strength, I like their looks, I like their feel. I like their smell. But I also like the incredible strength of a sandwich construction chine. So I build basically a WEST-ed wood hull with beefy chines, then retrofit my ribs into it, then deck the beast. Hell for strong.
I call it neo-retro.
Are your deck cleats fastened to the ribs and skin with epoxy then? How about the wedge at the front of the front deck brace? It appears there are 2 fasteners aimed at the bow post in the earlier photographs?
All the ribs, deck cleats, etc., got screwed on before the outer fiberglass skin was applied. So although the inner skin is punctured, the outer one remains inviolate. The hazard here, would be if water found its way through the inner screw holes and got trapped in the wooden core. Yikes. That's why we caulk those ribs and cleats.
I love the concept of the inviolate outer core. The Music Temple has 2 plated handles- one on each of the bow and stern post that look like they are bolted through the post but hard to tell because interior is a sealed air chamber. The flip line is held on by 12 small rope holders, 6 to a side screwed through the skin and into the ribs. Dave who handmade the originals is offering to make a set for my boat that match. The handles double of course as the latch point when the dory is being trailered. Would you trust the plated handles to the adhesives you are using? Wil lsend photos of MT by email.
Okay, I overstated inviolate. There are a few things that penetrate the outer skin–but all above waterline–gunwale bolts, bow and stern eyes, and the life-line around the perimeter.
Thank you. I suspect our trip in March of 2014 is going to be a lower flow with lots of rocks so the rubber baby buggy bumpers are looking really attractive in the planning stage. Thank you for this blog. Makes visualizing the process a lot easier. Lot differnt than a strip built kayak. ;0)
HI y'all… Big fan of your blog, and a fellow wooden boat projector here in AK. I have a Mckenzie I'm in the process of rehabbing and I was stoked to see I wan't the only one thinking about rubber bumpers on the chines….My question is what is the material you are using? where might I purchase it? I realize this post is from a while back, but maybe someone will hit me up with a response! Cheers!