Wild Thing building question

[Josh784]

After getting as far as glueing the transom and two bulkheads in, I have repeatedly tried to clamp the boat down to straighten it out, to no avail. I poured steaming water on it, and have left it flat for over four days at a time, but that doesn't really matter because today as I was clamping it to my newest idea for making the boat true (a board on each side) one of the balsa bulkheads split in half.

I intend to completely start over, and building a jig to build the boat in with the hopes of it coming out true.

After reading the instructions and looking at the plans over and over again, I am completely lost on one issue. The boat has a transom, easy enough. The only bulkhead drawing on the plans is labeled front bulkhead, except for the overhead view, where there is a '1/2" BALSA BULKHEAD' right next to the transom, and another at the other end of the radio box. These bulkheads do not seem to extend any further than the border of the radio box, which obviously the part on the plans labeled "FRONT BULKHEAD" does. Also on the overhead view, past the egine, is '1/2" BALSA FORWARD BULKHEAD'.

At the beginning of the instructions, when glueing the two hull bottoms together for the first time, he says to cut out the two radio box bulkheads. I assumed these were the "FRONT BULKHEADS" as are diagramed on the plans. The first bulkhead he says to glue onto the boat is the balsa radio box bulkhead, 7" in front of the transom. The next bulkhead he says to glue to the hull is the front bulkhead, which he says to "CUT OUT OF" the "1/2" balsa piece you used to jig the bottom of the hull."

There is only one bulkhead diagram on the plans: the "FRONT BULKHEAD". On the overhead diagram, '1/2" BALSA BULKHEADS' and '1/2" BALSA FORWARD BULKHEAD' are referred to. In the instructions, he referrs to "balsa radio box bulkheads" and the "front bulkhead". As there is only one bulkhead diagramed on the plans, I am very, very confused. In the boat I just attempted to build, I used the front bulkhead diagram on the plans to cut out two bulkheads, which I used as a radio box bulkhead and as the forward bulkhead, which appears to have been the wrong thing to do.

If anybody could set me straight I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Josh

 

[wswatzell]

I built one a little while back. Use the instructions as a guide, but build to the plans.

There are really 3 balsa bulkheads in the boat. Starting at the transom, you have the 1/4" ply transom, & then right in front of it (touching each other) is the rear radio box bulkhead (which is identical to the front radio box bulkhead) the forward bulkhead which sits in front of the engine.

How I started was to cut out the 2 bottom halves, & all the bulkheads. Used the radio box bulkheads, & the transom bulkhead as jigs. Turn them upside down on you flat work surface. You will need to wedge the plywood transom between a couple of blocks so that it will stand up straight. The 2 balsa bulkheads will stand up on there own.

On another surface, lying flat, figure out which sides of the hull pieces you want facing the outside, & line up the straight edges that will become the keel line, with the inside of the hull pieces facing up. once they are lined up the way you want. Tape the seam with masking tape up to where the 2 edges separate. Them turn that upside down on the bulkheads. The tape will form a temporary hinge, holding the hull straight. It doesn't matter where the bulkheads are placed. Where the bulkheads are, tape the hull down to the workbench. This will ensure that your hull will be straight when you run a bead of epoxy in the "V" seam formed by the 2 hull halves. This will also be very strong. Let this set overnight. Turn the hull over, & glue the transom, & 2 radio box bulkhead pieces in place. After the epoxy dries, bend the 2 bow tips in putting a small piece of tape over the seam to keep it together as you go. Make sure you leave gaps between the pieces of tape so that you can continue the bead of epoxy in the "V" seam. Once you have the bow tips touching, epoxy the forward bulkhead in place. You want this in place before you epoxy the rest of the "V" seam so that the hull has the proper angle set before the seam is locked in place with epoxy. It is much easier this way.

I think the instructions are pretty clear from this point, except that the deck doesn't touch the bulkheads, only the outside edge & transom.

Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Josh784]

Thanks for the reply, that cleared a lot of things up. One thing I still don't understand is what the difference is between the radio box bulkheads and the front bulkheads. The only bulkhead on my plans is the front bulkhead.

Josh

 

[Josh784]

One more question - what is up with the plans? The measurements do not seem to be correct. I cut out the engine rails per the diagram, however in order for them to fit in the boat I had to trim them 1/2". Also, based on the overhead view, the engine rails should be longer than the diagram.

josh

 

[wswatzell]

I'll have to look at the plans tonight, I don't remember about the difference in the bulkheads. As far as what is what is up with them, I really don't know.

 

[Preston_Hall]

When building this boat you have to remember that you are working with wood. Nothing is exact.

John Finch first built the Wild Thing and then tested. Afterwards he disassembled or traced the parts for the plans. This accounts for most inaccuracies.

The bottom being straight and at the correct angle are the main things to watch for.

 

[rcguy76]

I am in the middle of buildings my second this year...the two radio bulkheads are identical, the front bulkhead is alittle taller and alittle skinnier ...like said before..its not a exact science tracing wood.....just make sure when you cut out two piece that are the same.....sand them down so they are identical...probally getting close to puting the sides on......ask question on here if you have trouble with that.....the way the front of the sides come together in front has been differnt on both I have built

 

[Josh784]

I cut some blocks out of a 2x4 using a circular saw to the exact specs of the transom and bulkhead. Hopefully this will help. One thing I noticed is that on the plans, the front bulkhead is not drawn correcty. One side is taller than the other, causing one side of the V to be steeper. I believe on my first boat I had the two bulkheads in opposite ways and this caused the boat to be tweaked. I made a true bulkhead by tracing the one on the plans, using a ruler and x-acto knife to cut it out, then folding it in half. Once it is folded in half, use the exacto knife and ruler to trim the shallower side of the V based on the steeper side.

I also noticed that the V on the front bulkhead is steeper than that of the transom. I assume this is done on purpose, as my full size boat is the same way.

rcguy - how do you know how to cut radio box bulkheads? I only have the front bulkhead on my plans.

Thanks,

Josh

 

[rcguy76]

you dont happen to have acad do you?? Anything that read dwg/dxf files?

I dont have the plan in front of me right this second.....I think the view that shows all the hardware location is actually the template for the transom....which is the same as the two radio bulkheads

Chris

 

[Josh784]

I do have auto cad.

If the transom is also a template for the radio box bulkheads, I built the first boat very wrong, as I used the front bulkhead template for all bulkheads.

Josh

 

[rcguy76]

oh yeah...that would be a problem...well we have all screwed up now and then...can you salvage the bottom halfs from the one you built?

 

[Josh784]

I probably could, but I ordered a new sheet of 3/32" plywood to start again. The original piece was warped when I started building the hull and I could not get it flat.

Do you have a CAD drawing of the boat or something like that?

Thanks for the help,

Josh

 

[rcguy76]

I drew up the radio box template on acad so I could print them out on sticky paper, cut that out and stick it to the wood and cut it out on the band saw

I also drew up the top view...although the sides are not right so dont use that for ANYTHING.....its has a line for the center of the hull, transon, 7 in , 14 inch for laying the bottom down, and the 21 inch for the front bulkhead

I got a piece of 11 inch wide x 4 foot piece of white shelving from Menards..(5 bucks) ..if you get one when you are there, go grab a 4 foot level and use the edge to make sure the shelve board is flat ...you dont want a warped work surface

..then go grab a piece of 1x1 aluminum L piece

What I did was print out the top view...(I have a big plotter at work) you can probally print it in section on a regular printer.....just make sure it gets taped back together straight Put it on the shelf and put a piece of wax paper over it...you should be able to see through it.. then cut the aluminum L piece into like 5" pieces I then screwed them down to the board on the transon line, 7", and 14" line then after I cut out the radio bulkheads, I clamped them to the Alluminum L

What this does is gives you a flat solid work area, holds the bulkhead at a perfect 90 degrees and all perfectly centered, then you can put the hull bottom halves on pretty easy

Give me your email address and I'll send you that acad file

thanks

chris

 

[Josh784]

my adress is [email protected]

Thanks!

Josh