Sunday 14 June 2015

A milestone

Plank #1 (starboard garboard) is fitted and glued! This is an important milestone in my poject as it proves that the plank shape that I had pre-cut by CNC waterjetting using 2D  templates derived from the 3D model of the hull is actually spot on!

I had pre-validated the plank shapes through a 1:8 scale model, however all through the building of the boat's frame I was wondering whether it would really work as well in 1:1 scale: the boat's length is such that a small error could lead to trouble.
In the "traditional" building method proposed by the designer, the planks are spiled from the boat's skeleton composed of the floor, the frames and stringers erected over a strongback. In my case the planks are cut even before any part of that skeleton even exists. The risk therefore is that small inaccuracies in setting up the boat's strongback, frames and stringers would bring to disaster when fitting 5.8m long planks; and would the 3D unrolling of the boat model to yield the 2D templates really work on the boat's full length?. One of my biggest fears was off course that a plank would fit at one end of the boat and then gradually diverge from its intended shape, both due to inaccuracies in the boat's frame or in the 3D -> 2D CAD conversion.
As I said the 1:8 scale model sure helped to reassure me and provided the grounds to proceed having the 950€ worth of plywood CNC cut.... however seeing the real thing, the garboard plank fitting nicely all along the boat's length, sitting to the millimiter on the stringer and respecting the intended overlap with the following plank is so great to see!
I now look at the ready cut planks and think to my self: this can go quite fast now!


1 comment:

  1. Congratulations with the first plank Lorenzo. Very nice digital work too.

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