How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

[lowkee]

I'm pretty darn near the deck cutting stage of my resto project and am presented with a problem of "How do I make a template for the deck?".

I have new stringers ready to go, but am at a loss as to how to make accurate deck measurements. Plenty of people have installed new decks in their boats, but none (that I have seen) gave any type of clue as to how they cut it. Some try to describe what they did, but it just gets lost in my noodle as to what they are trying to describe.

I have tried to simply stretch a tape measure across the top of the stringers, but it is near impossible to keep it perfectly flat and 1/2" in the vertical equals up to 2" in the horizontal due to the angle of the hull, so being off a tiny fraction will make the deck horribly mis-cut.

Any tips on this step of a resto short of making a 3d rendering of my hull and importing it into autocad?

 

[mantis270]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

I'll be using cardboard when it's time for the deck work on my project. Just cut open some boxes and duct tape them together to get a sheet large enough.

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

I used cardboard for my fishing deck. Worked great!

 

[matthewp]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

Though it sounds like a lot of work, I'd make cardboard templates, adding some here, cutting some there, until they fit well. You're either going to spend that trial and error time working with plywood or cardboard. The cardboard is faster and cheaper. If you're having trouble locating cardboard that is big enough, I've found that buying a new HD LCD flatscreen helps in that area.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

Also poster board its not as stiff as cardboard,so you need to be careful when doing it this way

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

When preparing to bed in my stringers, I kept laying a ong piece of ply across the width of the boat to make sure they lined up right and were the correct height. Your boat may be different but I still have marks where the deck was tabbed into the hull. The deck edges actually sit on a part of the hull before it turns vertical (hope that makes sense). If you don't feel like running out and buying a big screen TV for the cardboard, you might talk them into giving you an empty cardboard box to use for template material

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

Hi Low!

All of the above work..

I messed up with the cardboard, got Pretty Dang Close..For the final bow peice, I ran out and got a couple of the "science project display boards"

they worked great after taping 2 together..

One idea I tried but was tuff doing solo, was I bought a roll of heavy paper that was in the paint dept of HD...It is 36 inches wide, and several HUNDRED feet long..I measured the width and cut a couple pcs that wide, and taped them together..Would have worked if I had another pair of hands and we werent blowing 20-25 mph winds that week...


Talk about frustrating,,I think I invented brand new profanities

 

[MrMarine]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

Cardboard is the ticket. Just take your time. Good luck.

 

[sschefer]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

Here's how:

1. Cardboard will work but 1/8 Luan door skin is what a craftsman would use.
2. You need one, preferably two straight edges so use a table saw to cut the template pieces.

3. Measure from the inside (nearest the keel) to the furthest outside (gunwales) edge and add 12 inches. Your first piece of template material should be 48" long and the sum of the measurement wide.

4. Lay the piece in so it is square to the stringer. Use a tape measure and mesure along the underside so that the overhang of the template is equal along the length.

5. Take a short stick of wood (no more than 6") and tape a pencil to it near one end so when the stick is held horizontally the pencil hangs vertically. You now have what is known as a scribe.

6. Take the scribe and place the end furthest from the pencil against the gunwale and set the pencil so it is in contact with the template.

7. Drag the scribe down the guwale keeping it as square as possible and so that the pencil marks the template. Don't worry if the template is too far away for the pencil on one end or the other, you may have to cut it and make another pass.

8. Use a jig saw to cut along the scribe line and then check the fit.

If the fit isn't right the first time scribe it again. This is why you have the extra 12 inches of wood for the template.

9. Once you have a good fit mark the template where it meets the inside edge of the stringer. This will be where you get your measurement so mark both ends.

10. You'll need to make another template for the other side of the boat so repeat the process.

10. Since you kept the templates square to the stringers you only need to add in the distance between the stringer plus the two templates, transfer that to your deckboard and lay the templates on. Once the templates are in place, trace a line around them and you'll be ready to cut.

Hint 1: Remember to take the line when you cut because the added pencil line width is on the outside of where your true edge should be.

Hint 2: Increase the amount of template overhang based on the difference in the distance from the stringer from front to rear. Near the bow you may need as much as 24" of overhang and several scribes and cuts. You can guess it at first and whack off some of the excess before you start scribing.

Hope that helps..

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: How do you measure for a new deck without the old deck?

I dunno if I'm missing something, but I didn't have any issue measuring for my deck...

Just took a tape measurement every 6 inches for the length that I had to do, marked it on the plywood (divided each measurement in half and measured from a center line on the plywood...hull's still symmetrical ), connected the marks I made, and cut with a jigsaw. Came out nice too, didn't require any adjustment even. Small gap along the edges but filled that with a "fillet" of peanut butter