Hi Whitewolf,
When it comes to frame and hull assembly, follow Dumas’s plans EXACTLY the way they describe them. Read the instructions for each part a couple of times to let it sink in real good and go for it.
D-1 and D-2 should be put on before the hull sides as Dumas’s suggestion Also, do everything you can to make sure all planks are secured to each frame.
If you are soaking Dumas’s mahogany ply, up to 24 hrs should be more than plenty of time to have it bend ready.. If you soak it overnight, try to lightly bend it the next morning and see if it is ready. If not, let it soak longer. The Dumas mahogany ply will not delaminate after you soak it.
I haven’t used Balsa anywhere on my boat so I’m not sure how long it would take to soak it. For Balsa, treat it the same way as other wood, soak it overnight and check it in the morning & soak as necessary until it bends. Basswood is a good wood for soaking & bending!
So, cutting off the cross members wasn’t the best idea this early in the game, but could you carefully go on without them? As long as you are careful not to break the frames they should be ok. This is of coarse assuming that you are using the supplied mahogany and not balsa replacements.
If not, The only thing I can think of is, as you mentioned is re bracing them. There should be plenty of Dumas mahogany scrap to pull this off. Try to cut off ¼” strip by X amount of inches long to cover the length of the frame. Then epoxy the cross member back to the frame and cut them off after the hull is built. You might be able to use the original cross members, just epoxy them back with a little piece of mahogany scrap bridging the cross member to the frame. 2 pieces of scrap on each side should do the trick.
Well, I hope that helps a bit!
Werdon:
Congrats on your Tow Truck, I checked it out today, great job!
-Rich.
