I prefabricated the keel floors from oak wood (see my blog:https://minisailer.ch/?p=258)

The keel beam No. 1 and No. 3 are already glued in with the corresponding frames D` and C. Now the keel beams No. 2, 4 and 5 have to be glued.

First i checked the correct position of the keel floors with the string line level.

When putting in the stringers there is a lot of tension in the bunksides / keel floors section. I attached teo slats lengthwise to prevent any movement during gluing the keel floors and stringers.

In order to make the connection as stiff as possible, I was very precise. First sand the adhesive surfaces of the bunksides and remove dust / degrease with acetone.

I did all the epoxy gluing steps in one operation. The keel floors and bunksides where precoated with a thin epoxy layer so that the glue can penetrate the wood. Then the joints where filled with a thickened epoxy (Mix epoxy and cotton fibers). I applied the filets directly while the epoxy had not yet hardened. This way I get a better adhesive connection and save myself grinding work.

To get a proper fit I weighed the keel floors down.

Since I don’t have a CNC kit, I have to cut the bunksides myself. Here it is a great work simplification if you have ordered a CNC kit. I got a cutout keel floors template from Christian (CG# 103). I also copied the shape of his bunksides from the CNC kit and then built another template out of 6mm simple plywood.

With the help of this template I cut the two bunksides for my boat from 8mm Okoume plywood with a copy routing technique.

Since the okoume plywood panels are unfortunately only 2.5 meters long, I had to lengthen them. To get a good finish, I sanded the panels with the orbital sander before adding two layers of epoxy. Finally, i sand everything down again with 120 grit sandpaper to prepare for later painting. That way I’ve already completed this work and don’t have to do it in a crooked position when the bunksides are glued into the hull.

Now I had to come up with a method of gluing the bunksides in place, taking into account the frame C that is inside the bunksides. Not easy when you`re a solo builder. It came up with an extension construction of the jig upwards.

In order to glue the bunksides in the exact position and to keep them straight, I supported them with four squared timbers when gluing.

With rectangular strips on the aft joints on Frame A and towards to the bow on Frame D`, I created a strong connection by gluing with epoxy and additional screws.

With this preparation I was able to glue the bunksides, Frame S, Frame B and Frame C in one operation in a one night shift. I used slow hardener and immediately applied the fillets in the corners as long as the epoxy hadn`t hardened.

It’s a nice feeling to have finished the work on the frames. Now the boat building is finally making visible progress. Centerline and waterline are marked on all frames. This way I can mount the frames exactly on the jig with the laser level. It is impossible to do this work alone. Luckily I got helping hands from my kids.

I double checked the measure / spacing of the frames and compare the dimensions with the plan. Don’t make any mistake at this step. I also add some reinforcements to the jig.

See the green marking lines of the laser level.

It takes effort to drill holes / screws in the frames for attaching them to the jig. If possible i fixed the frames to the jig with perforated metal tape.

At the same time when I organized the timber for the jig, I bought 6 meter long planks of siberian larch. This fine grained wood is often used in boat building due to its water resistance and stability.

My VW Transporter with the 6 meter planks spruce / fir for the jig and siberian larch for the stringers.

I worked out the long planks in the same way as the timber for the frames. See my Blog for further details: https://minisailer.ch/?p=183

I have to cut the siberian larch boards of 6 meter lengthwise into the oversized width of 4x 35mm, 4x 55mm and 2x 75mm rods.

Festool plunge saw with long guide rails.

With the Metabo thicknesser they were planed to 22mm height and the exact sizes of 30, 50 and 70mm width of the stringers.

After planing all stringers i gave them a smooth finish with the orbital sander and rounding all edges with the router.

It was a long day at the workshop carrying 6 meter long rods from here to there, floor exercises and jumping back and forth on the planing machine. Boat building means sometimes a day long of full body workout.