NOTES ON REPLACING FRAMES PART 2

[bob mitchell]

          Now over to the chop saw for a quick cut on the dividing line. I used my skill saw for the other cut as shown in the max info photo. The angle for that cut is the same as the previous bevel angle. You can set your saw right off it. AND it should slant in the same general direction, though not parallel because it is a different line. Just like the plywood sides are slanting towards the transom, which the bevels take care of, so is the chine, which the above cut takes care off. Two points here,

1) always be sure to leave enough material to cut the bevels, and  2) since the port and starboard sides of the boat slant towards each other you can just switch bottom and top of the frame for theport side and be good to go for the starboard side, ie either side can be made out of the same stock. However, whenever I can I position my original on top of the new to make sure the asymmetry gods don't destroy my hard work and precious material. Mark my words - it can happen before you know it.

          BUT WHAT IF THERE IS A SLIGHT CURVE, AND YOU GOT NO BANDSAW? In a nut shell, you start with straight stock that is wider than the original so that you can "tune" the piece in place. For instance, frame 38 kind of bellys down as it approaches the apron, which is shown up by the fairing batten when making the straight template. i.e. the chine end of the batten is in position, and the apron end is in position, but the but the batten a little past midway between those to locations shows that the template is high. By lowering the apron end of the template you can position the template correctly at the batten position, but now it is out of position at the apron. That isn't really a problem, except that when I plane off the bottom of the frame to intersect the bevel on the apron (the plywood flows from one to the next, so like the chine, the transition must be smooth), it leaves the frame a little smaller than the original dimension. By working with stock a little taller than original, everything comes out right, ie I plane the curve in when the oversize stock is in place. The next photo shows the extra dimension I used to be able to plane in a curve at the bottom of the lower frame member. Of course, up where this photo shows it, it has to be planed off the top for the triangular chine joint backer to fit. The next shot shows the lower frame member intersecting the apron a little low, but right on the midway batten, so all I have to do is tune up the apron/frame intersection.

I usually use an electric hand plane to rough in this task. You might note also that the hydraulic steering base is anchored to frame 37 and 38, if you have a hydraulic helmstation in the pilot house. A few Newporters came this way, mine included. That made it very convenient for me to do away with the wheel and add an additional hydraulic helmstation on the back of and looking over the pilot house. If you have gotten this far, I am sure you can do the triangle and plywood gussets, so I leave it with you. AS ALWAYS, SEAL ALL PLYWOOD ENDGRAIN>

     One last comment, that I need to put somewhere. When I replaced the frames in the aft section of the boat I had very little of anything to build to for reference. Ultimately the outer clamp notch will have to be cut into the frame. The outer clamp, aka sheer clamp, is a strip of white oak that runs the full length of the boat, on the outside of the frames, and at their top. The outerclamp, or sheer clamp, to some degree determines the shape of the sheer.  The outer edge of the deck is nailed to the top edge

of the outer  clamp. The point I am trying to make is that if the frame is where it is supposed to be the notch into the frame will be 3/4" be 3", more or less.  But if the frame is set back of the fair line of the other frames and transom, and needs a shim along the front edge to bring it in line to support the plywood planking, then the notch will not be 3/4' deep -- i.e. the notch will be 3/4" MINUS  whatever the thicknes if the shim is.  Welcome to Bob's world of imperfection. If you are reading this you have definitely made it there!   In hindsight I should have used more fairing battens along the sides and bottom to establish exactly where the frame went, but the chine was gone as well, so it was just too  nebulus for me to get hold of.