You would be surprised
how many spots there are to build a boat,
especially if you can convince your
family, landlord, parents, etc. that Noah
was right, the tide is rising, you'll not
make a mess, etc. The very minimum space
you need to build a small boat is about
4' longer than the boat and about 3' on
each side. More room is, of course,
desirable. Often it is necessary to fit a
full sheet of plywood to the boat for
marking, so consider if you will have
enough side space. If space is limited,
you can usually cut the plywood to rough
shape off the boat, and then fit it into
place. You will most likely need a
workbench near the boat as well. If the
boat you are building has planking to be
installed, a long narrow bench next to
the boat is ideal. If space is tight,
consider hinging the bench against the
wall so it can be moved out of the way
when necessary.
Here are some possible
building areas: basement & laundry
room, an unused bedroom, the attic, a
3-season porch, the garage, a neighbor's
basement, etc. (heat is necessary during
glue & resin curing stages only.) The
main requirement is that you can get the
completed boat out! Measure the windows
and their rough openings. It may be
feasible to remove a basement window
frame and pass your boat out through the
rough opening. Perhaps you will need more
than one work site, depending on the
phase of construction. Assemble (plank,
strip, wire, etc.) the boat in the den,
move to the garage to sand, back to the
den for glassing, etc. If you are working
on a small boat in a garage, you may be
able to hoist the boat overhead for
storage between work sessions. This will,
of course, depend on the type of boat you
are building (does it need a strongback
and forms?) and the building stage you
are at.
Finding a rental space to
build is a very attractive proposition to
many builders, but building space is
fairly difficult to find. Builders that
are taking on big boat project often need
to build off-site because of space
restrictions. Check with outfits that
have warehouse or studio space for rent.
Also look for a small garage that can be
rented for a few months. Maybe your
employer will let you use a section of a
shop, warehouse, etc. Check with local
boat yards; they often rent space for
larger projects. Finally, consider
fabricating a temporary structure in your
own back yard. You can use greenhouse
plastic over lightweight wood frames. The
boatbuilding magazines have
advertisements for these kinds of
shelters.
Make sure you have good
lighting; I am constantly amazed at the
(avoidable) mistakes that I make just
because I didn't have enough light. If
you are setting up a permanent shop,
install several 4' fluorescent lights -
the cheap ones you can buy at the
building centers. For a temporary
solution, the aluminum reflectors with a
clamp arm are effective, easy to mount,
and convenient to reposition. Another
great choice is to mount high output
halogen lamps on portable stands. These
provide large amounts of light (and heat)
and can be positioned for best advantage.
By the way, if you are painting, be sure
to have 1 or 2 lamps at a low angle; this
will help you see how the paint is going
on and if you have any drips or runs in
the paint.
I keep all my epoxy
supplies on a rolling metal cart. The
cart I use was popular in the 50s in
kitchens and they show up at garage
sales. I keep the resin, hardener,
gloves, stir sticks, fillers, FG tape,
plastic spreaders, rollers & covers,
and brushes on it. Most epoxy resins do
not have a strong odor, and it is
possible to work in the basement or
attached garage without objection from
those living in the house. As with any
chemical, it is important to provide some
positive ventilation in the workspace.
However, working with polyester resin and
most paints is another story. The smells
(from offgassing solvents, etc.) are
unpleasant, and can be harmful to your
health. Your own situation will dictate
what your ventilation requirements will
be, but I recommend point-of-work dust
and fume pick up where possible, wearing
an OSHA approved dust and organic vapor
respirator, and using fans and windows to
exchange the air in your work space
frequently. Planking a boat is not
especially messy or dusty. Sanding the
outside can be accomplished using a
sander with a dust collector attachment
(minimum airborne dust). You can usually
get away with 'glassing the hull with
epoxy if you are in or near living
quarters; the smell is usually not
objectionable. Just be sure to provide
ventilation when you are working with
resin. Sanding the inside can be messier,
because it is harder to get a disc sander
with dust collecting equipment into the
stems. A shop vac with a large filter
helps here, and is useful for general
clean-up.
Portions of
this article have appeared in the March
MCA HUT! Magazine.
