Cutting out the stations
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Johnson in Des Moines
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 6:43 pm
Cutting out the stations
I'm inthe process of cutting out my stations on a Freedom 15' . I traced onto plywood but I'm using a jigsaw. I'm staying right on the line but I so afraid that if it is not prefect I'm going to mess it up. Has anyone else had any problem stripping out they canoe and cutting their own stations by hand????
Johnson in Des Moines
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Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
I always cut my stations by hand using my power jigsaw. I cut a liitle bit proud of the line then sand down to the line on a stationary sander. I use a fine toothed blade in the jigsaw. With my older jigsaw I wasn't getting very good results because the blade would wander a bit left and right as I was cutting. Ever since I got my new saw I can make very accurate cuts.
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Juneaudave
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 12:42 pm
- Location: Juneau, Alaska
- Contact:
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Dennis in CA
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:35 pm
- Location: California
Cutting out the stations
Here are my thoughts:
I just got my Freedom 17'9" plans and am planning on cutting out my stations as follows:
1. Trace the station plan onto drafting vellum.
2. Cut the baseline and centerline using a sharp X-Acto knife and metal yardstick (using care to keep them at 90 deg).
3. Glue the vellum onto 1/4" MDF using rubber cement, with a good 90 deg cut (machine edge and centerline cut on table saw) lining up the straight edges carefully.
4. Rough cut (close to the line) using a band and or jig saw (sabre saw).
5. Finish the edge using a belt sander. If required, using a 1/8" thick by ~1" piece of oak or ash (flexible) with 150 grit paper glued on to finish sand the curved profile.
6. Tack or screw the finished MDF pattern onto a rough cut 1/2" particle board full station blank, using care to line up the centerline at 90 deg.
7. Use a straight cut ball bearing piloted router bit to trim the particle board blank to the exact contour of the pattern. I'll probably use my router table for this. By the way, I made the router table several years ago from 3/4" particle board with a 1/4" tempered masonite top screwed on with countersunk FH wood screws. It has a remote switched duplex outlet on the back (the switch is on the front). I suspect you could make the whole thing for less than $10 using scrap particle board, or plywood or MDF.
8. Flip the pattern over, attach the pattern (carefully lining it up) and finish trimming with the router.
Further information: I used a similar process to make several identical wing ribs for an airplane I was building, though both the pattern and ribs were made from 1/4" marine plywood; it worked great.
Comments?
I just got my Freedom 17'9" plans and am planning on cutting out my stations as follows:
1. Trace the station plan onto drafting vellum.
2. Cut the baseline and centerline using a sharp X-Acto knife and metal yardstick (using care to keep them at 90 deg).
3. Glue the vellum onto 1/4" MDF using rubber cement, with a good 90 deg cut (machine edge and centerline cut on table saw) lining up the straight edges carefully.
4. Rough cut (close to the line) using a band and or jig saw (sabre saw).
5. Finish the edge using a belt sander. If required, using a 1/8" thick by ~1" piece of oak or ash (flexible) with 150 grit paper glued on to finish sand the curved profile.
6. Tack or screw the finished MDF pattern onto a rough cut 1/2" particle board full station blank, using care to line up the centerline at 90 deg.
7. Use a straight cut ball bearing piloted router bit to trim the particle board blank to the exact contour of the pattern. I'll probably use my router table for this. By the way, I made the router table several years ago from 3/4" particle board with a 1/4" tempered masonite top screwed on with countersunk FH wood screws. It has a remote switched duplex outlet on the back (the switch is on the front). I suspect you could make the whole thing for less than $10 using scrap particle board, or plywood or MDF.
8. Flip the pattern over, attach the pattern (carefully lining it up) and finish trimming with the router.
Further information: I used a similar process to make several identical wing ribs for an airplane I was building, though both the pattern and ribs were made from 1/4" marine plywood; it worked great.
Comments?
Dennis
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Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
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The Gutt Clan
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:32 pm
- Location: Rochester, NY
Dennis,
I was considering doing the same thing for my Freedom 17. Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to make it easier/cheaper to make a router template than just going ahead and cutting out each station mold individually. The amount of work involved in creating a template is roughly analagous to cutting one half a station mold. Then you will have to be very careful positioning the template.
I did get a friend who has access to a large photocopier to make duplicates of my plans so I can cut up my photocopies and keep my plans pristine in case I make a mistake and need to start over again. I kind of like the idea someone else posted about using posterboard and then tracing onto 1/2" plywood from those.
If you do go with the MDF/hardboard idea, I would recomend using deck screws to fasten the template to the station mold. It isn't like the station mold is going to be part of the finished product so a few extra holes shouldn't matter. And if you screw them together you will not have a problem with the template slipping causing your router to take a chunk out of the station mold.
Also, for attaching your plans to the MDF, you might want to look into a spray adhesive. It is much easier than spreading rubber cement by brush.
-andrew
I was considering doing the same thing for my Freedom 17. Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to make it easier/cheaper to make a router template than just going ahead and cutting out each station mold individually. The amount of work involved in creating a template is roughly analagous to cutting one half a station mold. Then you will have to be very careful positioning the template.
I did get a friend who has access to a large photocopier to make duplicates of my plans so I can cut up my photocopies and keep my plans pristine in case I make a mistake and need to start over again. I kind of like the idea someone else posted about using posterboard and then tracing onto 1/2" plywood from those.
If you do go with the MDF/hardboard idea, I would recomend using deck screws to fasten the template to the station mold. It isn't like the station mold is going to be part of the finished product so a few extra holes shouldn't matter. And if you screw them together you will not have a problem with the template slipping causing your router to take a chunk out of the station mold.
Also, for attaching your plans to the MDF, you might want to look into a spray adhesive. It is much easier than spreading rubber cement by brush.
-andrew
