Popular Mechanics 1962 PM38 Build [SPLASHED 2017]

[Pcolafisher]

Pek, can you explain or show more of the stem band you'll be working to change? I guess that's why I need to follow your build. Thx

 

[pekstrom]

Pek, can you explain or show more of the stem band you'll be working to change? I guess that's why I need to follow your build. Thx

I'm having some trouble taking pictures that show the problem, because it isn't off by that much, and there's no reference point to show it against. I may give it another try in a bit, we'll see. Here's my problem though (I figured out where I went wrong), during the summer I was working trying to get her lake-ready before the end of the summer. In doing so, I rushed a couple of things and installing the stem band was one of them. The spray rails was the other thing but they turned out ok, thankfully. So, I worked on getting the stem band installed while she was right-side-up. Which meant I had a hard time lining it up under the bow. So once I finally got her flipped over I noticed what I had done. I did manage to fix it, or so I thought. When I was working on lining up the skid rails along a chalk line I snapped from the center of the transom to the stem band I noticed it was still off. Clearly I didn't take enough time to make sure I got it lined up properly when I "fixed" it. :facepalm: So now I am pondering simply building up the side I need to fill-in to straighten it up using the epoxy filler. Or actually trying to cut the stem band away from the keel for 6 or so inches and actually pull it the 1/2 to 3/4 inch I need. It seems risky at this point to try cutting it from the keel, but at the same time that feels like the right thing to do. I hope all this made sense at least a little bit? :lol:

I'll add that this is so far my big mistake. I've made a few along the way but have caught them and corrected them before they truly were problems. This one I missed and it will take some work to fix it. I'm just going to have to work slower and pay more attention to the details going forward.

 

[proshadetree]

Simply amazing work, tagging along for the ride. Not many wood boats around my parts.

 

[gm280]

pek, everybody makes "mistakes" building their boats. You are certainly not alone there. If you have a multi-tool, you cut it free to fix it with that tool and a blade that actually can make a cut along the flat surface. But everybody does make mistakes. And usually only the builder will ever know where theri mistakes are. The viewing public will never see them...honestly!

 

[pekstrom]

Simply amazing work, tagging along for the ride. Not many wood boats around my parts.

Welcome aboard and thank you for the kind words!

 

[pekstrom]

pek, everybody makes "mistakes" building their boats. You are certainly not alone there. If you have a multi-tool, you cut it free to fix it with that tool and a blade that actually can make a cut along the flat surface. But everybody does make mistakes. And usually only the builder will ever know where theri mistakes are. The viewing public will never see them...honestly!

Very true, that's how we learn new stuff so it is ok. I just wish I had paid better attention and saved myself some extra work. :lol:

I don't have a multi-tool but I do have a Swiss Army knife with a rather dangerous wood saw. I hadn't thought of it but that's a good idea! I'll have to give it a try. The blade is a bit short but it does have some teeth so perhaps it will work.

 

[Ned L]

Yep, you are the only one who will ever know (besides all of us now ). I certainly have had my share of "oh craps" with my rebuild!
By the sounds of it I don't think it will affect her performance at all (it doesn't sound like the area will be noticably in the water when up and planing, -- don't worry.)
............. This stuff happens to everyone. I read a story years ago about the Harvey Gamage shipyard in Maine (A builder of large commercial fishing boats and hundreds of other boats), about a matched pair of sistership Eastern rigged draggers (something like 80 - 95 feet), this was probably in the 1930's or 40's, big heavy wood construction. They built one dragger that worked out very well and was liked by its owner. Someone else went to the Gamage yard and signed a contract to have another identical dragger built,. The boat was in frame (all framed up, ready for the planking to start) when the owner of he yard drove in one day and thought something didn't look right as he saw her sitting there on the building ways, so he had the yard foreman go out and take some measurements. As it tuns out she was framed up with about a foot more beam on one side of the boat than on the other. ..... The solution was to jack the narrow side out to match the beamier side and keep going. During her working life the second boat always held more fish than the first boat, even though they were sisterships. -- This stuff always happens.

 

[pekstrom]

No Title

Yep, you are the only one who will ever know (besides all of us now ). I certainly have had my share of "oh craps" with my rebuild!
By the sounds of it I don't think it will affect her performance at all (it doesn't sound like the area will be noticably in the water when up and planing, -- don't worry.)
............. This stuff happens to everyone. I read a story years ago about the Harvey Gamage shipyard in Maine (A builder of large commercial fishing boats and hundreds of other boats), about a matched pair of sistership Eastern rigged draggers (something like 80 - 95 feet), this was probably in the 1930's or 40's, big heavy wood construction. They built one dragger that worked out very well and was liked by its owner. Someone else went to the Gamage yard and signed a contract to have another identical dragger built,. The boat was in frame (all framed up, ready for the planking to start) when the owner of he yard drove in one day and thought something didn't look right as he saw her sitting there on the building ways, so he had the yard foreman go out and take some measurements. As it tuns out she was framed up with about a foot more beam on one side of the boat than on the other. ..... The solution was to jack the narrow side out to match the beamier side and keep going. During her working life the second boat always held more fish than the first boat, even though they were sisterships. -- This stuff always happens.

That is too funny! I bet the owner of the second ship was quite happy being able to carry more load. :lol: As you know, my parents had that Swedish-built boat I shared a picture of a while back. I do remember wondering how consistent they could make each boat. I bet they have some stories similar to yours they could tell too. Too funny. Thanks for sharing.

I don't think the problem area of the stem band would be in the water when she's planing, like you said. But I am a bit concerned anyway and now I'm starting to wonder if I should just plane that area down so it doesn't protrude as much. The attached picture is before I switched to that green epoxy stuff. I'm thinking of the last 6 or so inches on top.

 

[Ned L]

I see what you mean, it looks like it is biased to the near side in the picture. What does it look like when viewed looking down the center line from back aft? Can you see anything then?

Another story that was told to me by Wade Pedersen (grandson of Hans Pedersen, ..Hans Pedersen & sons boatbuilders Keyport N.J.). ............. In a production boatbuilding shop it is pretty common to have two crews of men, each with their own lead man, one for each side of the boat. Apparently one day the two lead men in the shop got into an argument and weren't talking to each other ......... at all. So the story goes that the day was moving along; the two crews had been diligently working away planking up their respective sides when Hans came down from his office to see how work was progressing on the new lapstrake sea skiff they were building for a customer. As Hans walked around the front of the boat he completely lost his temper at the sight of the planks about 4 inches higher on one side of the boat than on the other (the same number of planks on both sides!) It seems that in their disagreement, the two lead men weren't even checking each other's work to see that the planking was lining up side to side. Hans told his men to take a skill saw, cut off all the planking and start over again. Yep, things happen.

 

[pekstrom]

I see what you mean, it looks like it is biased to the near side in the picture. What does it look like when viewed looking down the center line from back aft? Can you see anything then?

Another story that was told to me by Wade Pedersen (grandson of Hans Pedersen, ..Hans Pedersen & sons boatbuilders Keyport N.J.). ............. In a production boatbuilding shop it is pretty common to have two crews of men, each with their own lead man, one for each side of the boat. Apparently one day the two lead men in the shop got into an argument and weren't talking to each other ......... at all. So the story goes that the day was moving along; the two crews had been diligently working away planking up their respective sides when Hans came down from his office to see how work was progressing on the new lapstrake sea skiff they were building for a customer. As Hans walked around the front of the boat he completely lost his temper at the sight of the planks about 4 inches higher on one side of the boat than on the other (the same number of planks on both sides!) It seems that in their disagreement, the two lead men weren't even checking each other's work to see that the planking was lining up side to side. Hans told his men to take a skill saw, cut off all the planking and start over again. Yep, things happen.

From the transom you can see the end of the stem band, and in working on the chalk line for lining up the skid rails I found that the stem band is off to one side at the end. I'll see if I can take a couple more pictures of it tonight and will post those. It looks to be off center by 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch, so it isn't huge but certainly noticeable when you really look at it. I'll see if I can post an update later this evening.

I like this story as well. I'm guessing many of those planks they had to remove couldn't be reused either. A perfect example of why team work is so important! :lol: Too funny!

 

[mickyryan]

I like to think that a boats imperfections, like us humans are what makes us unique as long as they aren't safety and ya learned from them I also think that's why I love old wooden boats , even master carpenters have oops here and there, its fun to spot them and giggle cause you can visualize the old boy cursing up a storm when he did it

 

[pekstrom]

No Title

I see what you mean, it looks like it is biased to the near side in the picture. What does it look like when viewed looking down the center line from back aft? Can you see anything then?

Another story that was told to me by Wade Pedersen (grandson of Hans Pedersen, ..Hans Pedersen & sons boatbuilders Keyport N.J.). ............. In a production boatbuilding shop it is pretty common to have two crews of men, each with their own lead man, one for each side of the boat. Apparently one day the two lead men in the shop got into an argument and weren't talking to each other ......... at all. So the story goes that the day was moving along; the two crews had been diligently working away planking up their respective sides when Hans came down from his office to see how work was progressing on the new lapstrake sea skiff they were building for a customer. As Hans walked around the front of the boat he completely lost his temper at the sight of the planks about 4 inches higher on one side of the boat than on the other (the same number of planks on both sides!) It seems that in their disagreement, the two lead men weren't even checking each other's work to see that the planking was lining up side to side. Hans told his men to take a skill saw, cut off all the planking and start over again. Yep, things happen.

Ok, so here is another picture from above showing the problem area. Perhaps I am making this into a bigger problem than it really is? I have an old 102" antenna whip and I laid it along the chalk line. The side of the antenna facing the bottom when you look at the picture, is lined up with the chalk line. It lines up with the edge of the stem band almost perfectly. So now I am thinking I should just plane it down like I mentioned earlier to get it more flush with the hull, and then fill in with the epoxy filler and sand a bit and call it done. What do y'all think?

 

[Ned L]

I can see what you are talking about..... Honestly, that will not effect the performance of the boat at all, so anything you do would be for your own peace of mind. And I will leave that up to you as to what you are comfortable with No one will ever see it.

 

[pekstrom]

I can see what you are talking about..... Honestly, that will not effect the performance of the boat at all, so anything you do would be for your own peace of mind. And I will leave that up to you as to what you are comfortable with No one will ever see it.

Well, then I may just leave it like it is and we can just forget I ever brought it up. :lol: Oh, wait, this is on the internet. Nothing ever comes off the internet. Seriously though, I appreciate the feedback I have gotten on this. I will ponder it a bit but may just leave it the way it is then.

 

[mickyryan]

Pekstrom we will never let you live it down ... ever ! don't feel bad I stress over stuff then I go into million doller houses and go hmm these carpenters do this every day and my cuts look as good lol not saying I haven't made some mistakes but my good cuts look just as good as theirs and I still feel like it should look better

 

[Pcolafisher]

PEK, now that I know what a stem band is, I won't bring it up again and I agree with leaving it as is! Cheers

 

[Patfromny]

The long and short of it is, if you can stand it, it's OK. If it will bug you forever, fix it now while you are still building. I am a bit of a perfectionist but boy does that look like a lot of work to fix.

 

[pekstrom]

No Title

Thank you everyone for your cheers. I have decided to just leave the stemband the way it is. At this point it would be some major work to get it fixed. And quite honestly, I am kinda done with sanding on it at this point. I'm ready to move on. So, today I took advantage of our unseasonably warm weather (in the low 70s) and washer her off. Then washed her again with some acetone. And then applied the foundation for her makeup... Ok, I put the first coat of the primer on. :lol: Starting to look pretty good. I'm thinking at least one more coat of the primer before I start on the tractor paint on the bottom.

 

[Ned L]

She looks really good!!

 

[gm280]

pek, I have to admit, it looks really nice. And the primer brings it all together now. Are you sanding between the primer? And if so, what grit paper? I think it will look really nice all finished out. Good build.