When the spiders have laid eggs in and around your project, you know you've let it sit too long. Well, I'm back a'building! Glued and nailed the keelson to my Summerbreeze. The designer calls for placing the boat on the floor, getting in and using your weight to keep the keel tight to the hull bottom while nailing. When I tried that, I was able to get the keelson on center at the transom and stem, but it "wandered" amidship (delflected to the side). Here's how I did it intstead.
1. Marked centerline on boat bottom.
2. Placed center of keelson on the C/L, clamped it down, traced it.
3. Removed the keelson and drilled pilot holes within the tracing from outside. (hull bottom)
4. Buttered hull and keelson with epoxy, nailed it down into the transom, applied a clamp bar, and nailed into the center frame as well.
5. Climbed under boat and nailed through pilot holes into keelson, stopping at the center frame.
6. Moved the clamp forward of the center frame, --half way to the stem--and applied a second clamp to the keelson at the stem
7. Climbed under again and finished nailing through the pre-drilled holes.
Here are pictures of my clamp, the resulting glue line, and the aft end of the keelson, nothced to accept the skeg ( I have to make the skeg next). Wouldnt want to put the keelson on without cutting that notch--would be difficult to cut it after its glued in place! The tan strips either side of the keelson are plastic strapping tape, used to keep squeeze out from making a mess.
