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8
SHAPING THE
PRE-CARVED HULL
1. Shaping the Outside
of the Hull
The outside of the pre-carved hull can
be shaped very easily with a sanding
block. About all you need do is even up
both sides with a sanding block. The
stern has vertical sides down to a sharp
edge, then tapers back to the waterline.
Sand the bottom slope to obtain the
sharp edge. Figure 1 illustrates a section
at the bow, amidships, and at the stern.
Using the sanding block, smooth out
the top of the bulwarks so you have a
smooth curve (hull profile) and main-
tain a sharp edge along the bulwark.
Next, decide on how you want the stem
to look. Figure 2 shows three variations
that you can use. Using a sanding block,
shape the bow to accept a stem piece.
The "catboat" stem (Figure 2c) was very
popular among tugs designed with a lot
of barge pushing in mind.
2. Carving the Bulwarks
and Deck
The machine-carved hull has bulwarks
approximately 1/8" thick. They are
thicker than required so they won't
break while inside the kit box. The in-
board sides of the bulwarks need to be
cut down to a uniform thickness of
about 1/32". However, this will be diffi-
cult and leave the bulwarks very weak.
Although a little thick, you can cut
them down to only 1/16". If you want
to simplify the bulwarks and omit the
timberheads, the bulwarks can be thick-
er. If timberheads will be added, strive
for a thinner bulwark. The cap rail must
cover the bulwark plank plus the top of
each timberhead. If both are too wide
the cap rail will be wider than scale and
look very bulky. Figure 3 shows a
method for cutting the bulwark thick-
ness down. Use a gouge to cut to the
depth, then smooth the surface with a
flat chisel. A small sanding block will
complete the task.
As you proceed around the stern, use
the grating casting provided in the kit
and test fit it as you go so the grating
will fit snugly against the bulwarks.
The deck will be covered with the
scored deck sheet included in the kit,
unless you desire to lay individual
planks as an option. In any case, you
must first take a chisel and square up
the corners at the bow and at the deck
STAGE A
FIG. 1 – Hull Sections at the Bow, Amidships and Stern
FIG. 2 – Variations of the Stem
FIG. 3 – Cutting the Bulwark Thickness
FIG. 4 – Carving the Deck
FIG. 5 – Installing the Rubbing Strakes
Sharp
edge
Softer
edge
Keep
bottom
edge sharp
ABC
Catboat stem
Mark width
Gouge
Smooth
with
chisel
1/32" to
1/16"
Square
corners at
stern grate
Cut out
at bow
Cut from
sheet
Straight
strips
Sand to shape