Robb White Sport Boat

[kurtloup]

Over the weekend, I started working on the transom for Robb White's strip version of the Gruman Sport Boat. So far, I have the transom cut out and one layer of 4 oz. fiberglass added. I made the transom out of salvaged redwood that I have on hand. It will likely be a few weeks before I get any more work done on the project as I need to complete another woodworking project, mill strips for the boat and make the forms. I'll add more photos as I go.

Kurt

 

[bluedcanoed]

Sportboat

I've also got the plans and the material to build one - hope to start in the spring. I'll be following your posts with interest.

Bob

 

[kurtloup]

I took advantage of the nice weather today to start preparing for ripping strips. I will be building the boat out of salvaged redwood 2x6's, so I ripped the boards to allow quarter sawn strips. Once the bead and cove is milled, the strips should be about 7/8" wide.

 

[chris pearson]

I hear thats a nice boat. I had a Grumman Sport Canoe, the changes made to the design I here are great improvements. Its a displacement hull, so the lack of flat bottom aft, won't let her plane and I think Robb White talked about that very thing. Good luck and show progress on the forum.

 

[kurtloup]

I finally got back to working on the boat after getting a few home repair projects out of the way. I ripped the strips yesterday and milled the bead and cove today. Glad that is over as it took hours working alone. Tonight, I picked up two sheets of 3/4" sheathing plywood for the forms. If I get time tomorrow, I will start working on the forms.

I had a pile of sawdust after ripping the strips.

This is my router set up for milling the beads and coves.

The end result.

 

[kurtloup]

I cut out a few forms this afternoon. I thought I had more photocopies of the plans, but I will have to go have more made before I can finish the forms. I also added two more layers of 4 oz. fiberglass cloth to the inside of the transom. It will be easier to do now before I start construction.

 

[kurtloup]

Finished cutting out the forms tonight. This weekend, I will mount the forms to the strongback.

 

[kurtloup]

I got the forms mounted to the strongback around noon today. Yesterday, I started mounting the forms keel up on the strongback. I wanted to build the boat keel up like all the other boats I have built, but was having trouble getting the forms aligned. The designer built the boat keel down and his instructions for aligning the forms are described that way. This morning, I decided to strip the forms I had mounted keel up and start over with the keel down. It was much easier to align them that way. The only problem is the boat will have to be flipped at some point so that the bottom can be stripped. If you strip with the keel up, you can strip the complete hull without the need to remove the forms from the strongback. So far, I have 6 strips on one side and 4 on the other. I am already worried that I did not mill enough strips. I barely have enough room to squeeze around the bow to work on the opposite side.

 

[kurtloup]

I have about 5 strips left. Once that is finished, I will start laminating the bow stem.

 

[Mark Adams]

looking GOOD!

 

[kurtloup]

I started shaping the bow stem tonight. I used a drawknife to remove as much as I could before I switched to a spokeshave. The last picture is where I stopped. I didn't touch the section that runs along the keel very much. I worked up a pretty good sweat. So much for the cool weather. Once I finish shaping the stem, I'll sand the hull.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Kurt,

It's looking good. Keep the pics coming.

Questions,

Did you make the strip thickness 1/4 or more?

And tell us more about that old arn,
I assume you are a OWWM member?

Dan

 

[kurtloup]

The strips are 1/4". The designer used thicker strips, but I will use more fiberglass. I'm a member of the owwm forum. My tablesaw is a 1946 Oliver 270. It is a beast at around 1200 lbs. It can take up to a 16" blade, but a am running a 12" blade. My oldest machine is my 1927 South Bend 9" lathe. A number of my machines were purchased at a local auction for a fraction of retail, but I had to refurb them.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

I figured you probably were, that Oliver is a nice saw.
Both of those are older then mine, the most interesting is an early 50's Moak 36 BS and (or maybe not) an old Hobart grinder.
I also have a Oliver 144 but it's not really old, early 70's.

Dan

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

It is interesting how many of us old boat folks are also into old tools and machines
Denis

 

[chris pearson]

Where did you get the plans?

 

[bluedcanoed]

Plans are available here
http://robbwhite.com/sportboat.html

Bob

 

[kurtloup]

I added the 3rd layer of fiberglass to the transom this morning. I would have fiberglassed the hull this weekend had the fiberglass and epoxy I ordered last week been delivered. I should finish the exterior of the boat by next weekend. Sanding the inside is the worst part of the build. Not looking forward to that.

 

[kurtloup]

most interesting is an early 50's Moak 36 BS

I'd love to have a bandsaw like that, but I don't have the room. I have a 70's vintage Rockwell/Delta 14" wood/metal bandsaw set up for metal and a MiniMax 16" wood cutting bandsaw. Other than my Oliver table saw and my wood lathe, I have my machines on mobile bases so I can move them around to maximize space.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Ya, I don't have room either, but I got it anyway, the guy was going to scrap it if no one bought it, I got it for basically scrap price.
I'm working on a RPC so I can run it. I haven't decided whether to keep it or not. There is nothing like a large BS in the garage.

Dan