Step
One: Take a scrap of plywood -- any scrap at least
24 inches long and 12 inches high, say, to use in
making a template of the skeg. This will save on
wood-eating mistakes. Scribe a line with a pencil
on the plywood by putting the pencil down on the
hull and pulling it toward you. If the curve of
the hull is too severe, use a block to hold the
pencil up some, then scribe the line.
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Step
Two: Using clamps, secure a straight-edge, such
as the rafter square that I used, on the centerline
of the stern. Scribe a line on the plywood to set
the back angle of the skeg to make one angle with
the stern.
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Step
Three: Measure up four inches (in this case) at
the stern end of the plywood and mark. Run a batten
from the forward edge of the plywood to the stern
edge and scribe with pencil. This is the top of
the skeg. The top of the skeg generally is level
with the deepest point on the hull. BTW: The skeg
helps the boat track straight when rowed.
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Step
Four: Cut out the plywood on the line that matches
the curve of the hull. Check for fit. Sand or plane,
with block plane, to make it fit reasonably well.
Since we're using epoxy, the fit can have gaps,
because epoxy bridges gaps and is actually stronger
because there is more epoxy. I shoot for the best
fit I can get, or gaps no more than 1/32, whichever
comes first. I need the practice.
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Step
Five: I used a 1x10 board of poplar that I had lying
around. The finished plywood template is shown on
top of the poplar board.
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Step
Six: The skeg has gaps that exceed my tolerances,
so I grind some and plane some to make it fit. Photo
shows initial fit.
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Step
Seven: After planing and grinding to make the skeg
fit the curve of the hull, I check to ensure that
the skeg is perpendicular to the hull. This being
a flat-bottomed boat, this is easy to check.
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Step
Eight: Since the hull needed to be faired after
the previous day's application of epoxy, I went
ahead and faired, since the skeg would making fairing
harder if it were installed before fairing. The
hull went from beautiful and shiny to faired and
dull, which is what you shoot for. Shiny areas are
usually low. I like to use a random-orbit sander
for fairing. When I need a more aggressive cut,
I angle the sander some until the area in question
becomes dull and fair. The fiberglass tape that
I re-applied was acceptable. Just needed another
coating of epoxy after some aggressive sanding with
a small belt sander.
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Step
Nine: After the fairing is finished, I run a chalk
line from stern to bow. This is when one is glad
if there is a dark pencil line or two to show the
centerline.
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Step
Ten: One view of the installed skeg. I didn't used
any screws through the hull, just epoxy thickened
with wood flour to bed the skeg and to make a bead
on each side. (I refuse to refer to such a bead
as a fillet, because I have
no idea why a word that describes a cut of
meat would be used to describe a line of glue ...
. While I'm at it, I cringe when folks talk about
buttering a joint with glue; sounds
kinky to me, I guess.)
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Step
Eleven: Eyeball the alignment of the skeg fore and
aft to make sure that it's on the centerline. It's
a good idea to check that the skeg is still perpendicular
to the hull. Thickened epoxy sits at least 1/32
deep and can throw you off by that amount or more.
I don't used screws here because the epoxy is so
strong. I have bedding compound but use epoxy almost
always instead.
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Step
Twelve: Throw away all the epoxy that thickened
too quickly. Just shake it off. Stuff happens. You
done good today. Claim it.
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