unstitching!

john the pom · Post by **john the pom** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:23 am

Hey guys.
Laker is stitched up and you couldn't slide a cigarette paper in between the joins, but... for an area just over a metre long in the centre bottom. There there is a 2mm gap, and the bottom in the centre for the length of the gap is almost flat and not nearly as pronounced a peak and not following the same graceful curve/transition that the bow and stern have.
Am fairly certain I cut the panels very accurately so my questions are:
A: would closing up this gap before stitching on the sides have pushed the centre bottom further down yet still close up?
B: carry on and brace the bottom to shape with seat supports etc then fill in the 2mm gap?
C: unstitch the whole thing and redo?
I had imagined that I could pull the stitches tight later and readjust as I went but they became so tight that the ties broke and I had to use heavier ones.
Any help would be appreciated.
As a post script am pretty sure I'll take it apart and try again, but that won't be for a day or two. So meantime your thoughts will be appreciated
Regards John.

Post by **jem** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:27 am

hmmm.... picture?

john the pom · Post by **john the pom** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:32 am

No can picture at the moment camera is in daughter's car, daughter's car is in Canberra which is fourteen hours drive away

Probably can borrow one over the weekend. But by then I'll probably have taken it apart and retried it

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:05 am

John,

Something is not right mate.

All lines should be evenly flowing curves.

the peak in the bottom of the boat, or shallow "V" should be at its most pronounced in the middle at the butt/ panel slice.

The apex of this shallow "V" should be a consisten, even curve along the entire seam. there should be no flat spots or pronounced high or low spots got that matter.

can you tak a piccie with your mobile phone?

LEE SCHNEIDERMANN · Post by **LEE SCHNEIDERMANN** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:25 pm

This looks like a job for POPCICLE-STICK-MAN!!!

john the pom · Post by **john the pom** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:05 am

Totally cameraless at this point in time.
Have unpicked the entire thing, checked every measurement available and can't find more than a 1.5 mm discrepancy anywhere... Obviously am missing something. Restitched bottom more than snug and the same thing is occuring. Have decided to bite the bullet and unpick the middle (which is the apparent problem area) stitch everything else and get it all as 'fair' as I can with spacers then either put a piece in, or use woodflour glue to fill. I know it's cheating but I lost three bottom panels and a side panel due to a dubious stain which although I don't think it was oily was a bit sus looking. 'Cos of that I'm running short on wood and don't want to get another sheet on account of transporting it.
Your thoughts on either woodflour as filler on a ten mm gap as opposed to a piece of ten mm doweling (dowelling 'cos its three dimensional and more shapeable rather than a flat piece of ply.

I must be one of the third type of people re math

pps. Mick do you have a deflection measurement at the seam centre. i.e.Bottom of VEE to point level with where sides meet bottom?

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:28 am

pps. Mick do you have a deflection measurement at the seam centre. i.e.Bottom of VEE to point level with where sides meet bottom?

1 3/8" - both boats.

Mate, before you start to stitch again, did you check the QA measurements? If your cut measurements are correct, that is about the only other thing it could be - that I can think of. is, your bottom panels my not be aligned properly for the butt joins.

john the pom · Post by **john the pom** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:35 am

OK! Think I've found my missing ten mm. or 3/8

On the QA2 drawing floor panel I think I might have gone the wrong way with the 3/16 or 0.5mm. And when I magnify the drawing it looks a bit more obvious.can someone pls confirm that the floor panel long straight seam on QA2 when joined together should be LOWER at the middle by 3/16 or 5mm; and HIGHER at the ends. I did it the other way. My printout is not really conclusive and my eyes definitely aren't as conclusive as they used to be. There is a wiggle on the thicker which appears to contradict the fact that there is an extremely vague lighter grey line below ...
Mebbe at eight years this printer is due for replacement. If this be the case I'll happily cut and rejoin it, though it broke my heart to unstitch all those seams that otherwise went together beautifully.

john the pom · Post by **john the pom** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:37 am

seams (sorry) we're on the same page Mick and thanks for you input and time.
John

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:49 am

John,

That is correct,

The string line should be on top of your bottom panel and in by 3/16"!!

What I did was to beasure in from the seam 3/16" and put a small pencil mark. position the string line in the appropriate place either end nd then shift the panels to position under the string line.

Also, be careful of your QA check OA lengths.

Its all good mate. Much easier to fix now.

JEM Watercraft

unstitching!

unstitching!

Flat spots???