Working in Wonderland

We are in the midst of our first cold snap of the winter.  I headed out to the garage this morning with the air temperature at 16 degrees.  However, unlike last winter, when I was attempting to plank the hull and getting frustrated with my inability to achieve a glue-friendly (or boatbuilder-friendly) 50 degrees, I am now happily burrowed in beneath the fully planked hull.  

My morning routine involves first, starting up my propane heater, which I have brought into the plywood igloo with me, turning on the halogen worklights which generate both heat and lots of light, and spending 15 minutes or so with the heatgun, cleaning up epoxy bloops.  By the time I have had enough of the heatgun, it has generated enough warmth so that I am actually perspiring, and I can work in luxurious comfort the remainder of the day.

My ever-faithful propane heater hard at work

Since Christmas, I have been working on floors, which, due to the upside-down arrangement, are at eye level, at least for me.  (Being short, I frequently point out to my height challenged (tall) friends and colleagues, does have decided advantages in building boats.)  Anyway, as with Alice in Wonderland, what's down is up for me right now, and working at eye level is making accurate scribing and fitting floors much easier and a lot more comfortable.

I cut, fitted, and glued the floors at frames 3 1/2 and 4, as well as the mast step that sits between them.  It's not really a mast step, but rather a compression post step, since the mast ends on the cabin top, but since Iain Oughtred calls it a mast step, so shall I.  I am using ash for the floors, as I did for the keel and frames.

"Mast step" and floors at frames 3 1/2 and 4

Side view of step and floors

We had some fairly warm days before this week, so I was able to get the gluing done.  Even though the temps fell into the 40s overnight, the epoxy had set up very well by the next day.

I also managed to get the floor in place at frame 2, realizing after it was in place that I had neglected to put in a limber hole.  Fortunately, there was enough room to drill one, which I did today.  I made this floor out of Douglas fir, because I had a piece with useable dimensions and good grain direction.  I will also use Douglas fir for the deck beams and cabin top beams later on.

Floor at frame 2.  It's dark down there, hence shaky shot. Sorry.

Now, I am just preparing floors, and waiting for the promised warmup over the weekend so I can glue them in place and perhaps put in the centerboard case as well. 

Floors fitted and ready for gluing