Sunday 10 January 2010: Doesn't look like much has changed. But after staring at the frame sitting on the strongback for awhile over last week it occurred to me that I need to round over all the edges of the gunwales, chines and keelson that would be in contact with the skin. And also all the frame edges that might cut into the lashings or even me. It is never a good idea to be the one who is already bleeding in those situations where it might be necessary to sacrifice one, so that the rest can survive.
Since I am planning to lash this frame, I can't just sand everything after the frame is assembled. The time to do this is now. And so the war against sharp pointy edges was engaged.
I put together a router table last night. And I took it out on the patio this afternoon in pretty bitter cold conditions for these here parts. Running the gunwales and stringers through was more tricky than I had anticipated since I could only clamp the router table to some sawhorses. And those, almost 17 foot long, ribbons of cedar are extremely sproingy. It was too wobbly, even with tightly clamped featherboards to get the stock to feed completely cleanly. So it left a few little high sports, edges that I knocked down with a block plane once I brought everything back inside. Might not have saved much time, was way noisier and more dangerous than just rounding the stringers over entirely with a block plane. Possibly with a better, more stable setup on the deck or front porch it might have worked better.
I took the frames and rounded over all open edges and interiors.
I put everything back up on the strongback and cut all the deck stringers, fore and aft. I have a paper template that I traced last night for the stern plate. But I'm still thinking about what to lash and whether to have some pegs on the bow and stern plates. I'll have to figure that out before I cut those.
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