12' Aluminium Skiff Kit

[Jim Davey]

I'm expecting a bit of a witness mark on the backside of a welded panel. But there are angle bar strakes to go on the bottom yet so they will definitely help to counteract the hourglass look where the transverse welds are on the front compartment, centre seat and transom boxes. The side plates will show a bit of a line here and there but other than sanding and filling you can't help that. Sequencing and spreading out the welds as well as keeping them below 6" runs at any one time will help.
Because I was pulling the rub-rail into shape on the boat I've ended up with a little rippling here and there in the side plates near the bow. I'll be able to dolly some of it out but it's not upsetting me greatly. Like I said from the beginning, this is a fun, learning excercise for me. I spend all of my day fixing, quoting, renting, selling welding kit. I rarely get to use it for anything more interesting than making a trolley for a welder or the odd casting repair so I expected to make a few mistakes along the way.
If I was to do another one I'd definitely change a few things about the way I tackled various stages but overall I'm happy with what I've got so far.

 

[Jim Davey]

Weld-out begins...

I'll have a few repairs to do with the TIG. My ally MIG isn't up to par just yet, I'm out of practice.

 

[Hood]

Looking good and coming along nicely
You using the Pico or the Phoenix?

 

[Jim Davey]

The Picomig. I'm not getting consistent results and I'd like to swap to a Phoenix but they are all out on rental. I may give the Sincosald a go and see if that's any better. It's not bad but it's not great either, the problem is I'm doing this late after a full day when I'm dog tired and I can't be arsed fixing things once I get started I just want to weld. I spend all day diagnosing and repairing welders and machine faults, I can't be dealing with it late at night on my own time lol.

 

[Hood]

Looks fine, photos never do welds justice, or at least that is my excuse
Seriously though it is true, I do a nice weld and take a snap and it looks crap, maybe I need to get better at photography

 

[Jim Davey]

I know I can do better, I'll take a look at the torch today and see if I can find the problem.
Although I'm on 1.0mmA tips I think the clearance might actually be too high as I've had arc spots on the side of the wire after wire jams so possibly the tip welding itself to the wire, which it does if the contact area isn't large enough.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

To be fair I was a little apprehensive about this project, and it's why I decided to start off with the smallest and therefore cheapest one. When I got the side plates 3/4 of the way on and realised the gap on the port side was never going to close I did have a moment of panic. Thankfully Dad cast an eye over what I'd done and suggested letting the tacks go on the forward compartment and centre seat as well as letting the side plates go and letting it all return to shape.
Although disappointed to be apparently going backward it was 100% the right thing to do. Whilst the boxes were out I cut the full welds that were underneath them back to small tacks (incidentally the build guide said do not fully weld anything until the whole hull is fully tacked out) the hull plates were able to drop into their places in the jig.



Thank you, I intend to cut hatches into the seats and rear bench to accommodate a small coolbox and other bits and bobs you tend to need on a day out, like an anchor, rope, a few fenders and a folding paddle or two for engine woes.

As for trusting your own handiwork, I think having done the lot yourself, you'd know full well if it's good enough for a trip out on a lake/river/calm day on the sea. My family on the other hand, may not share my point of view

I would only put storage in the middle bench to be honest on a boat that size, with the weight of yourself and an outboard on the back, then a cool box and anchor etc I think in anything other than flat calm it'll be an absolute pig to keep straight due to being too light on the bow

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Excellent work so far....would be a shame to have to leave those bricks in to keep the boat flat

 

[Hood]

..... with the weight of yourself and an outboard on the back.....

What are you trying to say about @Jim Davey

 

[Jim Davey]

It's no secret, I'm not a featherweight.
I don't think the boat will have much in the way of handling issues. It's 120 kilos, so it's light for its size but not so light that it will have loads of bad habits.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

It's no secret, I'm not a featherweight.
I don't think the boat will have much in the way of handling issues. It's 120 kilos, so it's light for its size but not so light that it will have loads of bad habits.

Not so much the weight of it, more where the weight is if you catch my drift

 

[Jim Davey]

I get it, but despite what is at the back, there will still be about 50 odd kilos of weight forward of the centre bench seat. I have been toying with the idea of turning the forward compartment into a fuel tank. It would be decently large and help put some weight where it's needed.

 

[Jim Davey]

Also, it's going to be used inshore, in sheltered waters and on rivers and lakes, so dealing with crosswinds and wayward steering probably won't arise like it would in open choppy water.

 

[Burdekin]

I'd leave the tank at the back, better for getting on the plane and the front is more bouncy so shakes the tank about.

 

[Migmac]

Looking good. What are you going call it?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Looking good. What are you going call it?

Boaty McBoatface

 

[addjunkie]

I'd leave the tank at the back, better for getting on the plane and the front is more bouncy so shakes the tank about.

If i were goin to in build a tank in that it would be in the thwart. For weigh distubuition.

An this on the plane would be quite a scary experience. Up on the step would be fine zipping along at 10 knots or so but i think it would be quite unstable fully up on the plane and would start to chine roll. With a barrel roll option if not careful.

If you intend to plane, fit the outboard a touch higher than normal, it helps the nose sit down a bit, also slightly off center to help counteract prop wash.

 

[Burdekin]

Don't really know what you are saying. All we ever had were aluminium tinnies and I really only had two speeds in the creeks, flat out or stopped. Get it up on the plane and keep it on the plane. We always had the tank at the rear. If the engine is a bit under sized have all the weight at the rear and then someone can shift to the front once going. If you have a big enough engine having weight up the front is okay but just a bit harder to get on the plane.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Don't really know what you are saying. All we ever had were aluminium tinnies and I really only had two speeds in the creeks, flat out or stopped. Get it up on the plane and keep it on the plane. We always had the tank at the rear. If the engine is a bit under sized have all the weight at the rear and then someone can shift to the front once going. If you have a big enough engine having weight up the front is okay but just a bit harder to get on the plane.

With all the weight at the stern it will nod its head a lot, especially when planing, and like addjunkie says, this can develop into a nasty chine walk, and so on

 

[Migmac]

Boaty McBoatface

I'll vote for this