Building frames

Frames form the outline of the boat and must be accurate per the plans.  The various pieces are made from white oak and then joined with epoxy and 3/8" plywood gussets to reinforce the corners.  Using the templates from the plans, I drew outlines on the oak and cut them with a bandsaw.  Here's my left hand drawing the outline (so I could snap the picture with my right.)

The nice thing about using templates, as opposed to trying to trace on the wood directly from the full size drawings, is that you can easily move it around to align edges and optimize your cuts.  The second advantage is that the template is easily flipped to create the mirror image of the bottom frame pieces.  Note that the full size drawings are what are called half-frames, drawn from the centerline to the outside of the boat.  To complete the frame, the drawing must be flipped to complete the other half.  Here's an shot of one sheet of the full size drawing.  It shows frame 3 and the transom upside down.  You can see the side frame, half the bottom frame and the gusset.

Once all the pieces are cut out, you can start construction on the frames. The Malahini has 5 frames.  Frame 0, as it is called, is actually attached to the transom.  It has a whole set of challenges and will have its own post.  The other frames, 1-4, are made using the same process.   The layout of the frames must be accurate and match the plans.

Since I have my frame layout table ready to go, I needed to transfer the plans to the table so that the various pieces could be placed to would match the plans.  Glen-L recommends you draw a level line and a center line on the table and then cut alignment windows on the full-size templates so you can lay the plans on the table and align the paper templates to the lines on the table.  You then trace the frame outline directly on the table.   From these lines, you can lay out the oak pieces to match the plan.
This sounds good in theory but was awkward and difficult to do.  For one, the full size plans are folded paper, so getting them flat and aligned was a challenge.  Then you had to get tracing paper under it so you trace the lines. After all that, you had to flip the plans over to make the other half frame.  But before you could do that, you had to trace over the plans with the tracing paper facing up so the lines get replicated on the back side of the plans.  This permits you to trace the other half frame when you flip the plan over.   Needless to say, this was a slow, cumbersome process which didn't seem all that accurate.  This was confirmed by measurement when I finished this for the first frame.  Comparing the lines I drew with the detailed plan dimensions revealed points being off by 1/4" to 1/2".

So, I soon realized that all I needed in addition to the level and center line, were a few key points on the table to accurately lay out the frames.   There are listed dimensions from the centerline and level line to the corner of the chine and to the corner of the sheer.  Placing the cut out wood pieces and aligning to the these points lets you create the frame.  If pieces are off or don't align, then they need to adjusted or recut to match the points.   Once everything is good, you can build the frame.

I clamped the frame bottom piece to the table and nail gunned blocks of wood around the side pieces to hold them in alignment and also a means to return them back to position after gluing.  The gussets are aligned and clamped so they can be drilled and countersunk for final assembly.  Glen-L says you can nail the gussets to the frame but I felt that would cause too much movement. (I also didn't think my table was sturdy enough for the pounding.)   Here's picture of the pieces in position and the blocks used to hold them.

I also cut filler blocks that fill in the gap between the gussets and the frame.  You can see the result here.

We're now ready to glue.  I disassembled the pieces and placed parchment baking paper under the glue areas.  You mix the epoxy and coat all surfaces that will be glued to seal them.  Then, to make a glue that fills the small gaps and doesn't run by adding cabosil to make a thin paste.  I also added some wood powder to give it a nice brown color.   Spread this on all surfaces, realign the pieces and start driving screws.

A note about the screws.  You need to use silicon bronze screws to prevent deterioration over time due to water and anaerobic conditions.  Stainless screws will degrade over time.  Silicon bronze, while the best solution, are somewhat fragile and it is easy to torque off the heads if the holes are not sized correctly.   A little liquid soap can also help lubricate the threads.

Since the frame is mounted on the table, you cannot do the gussets on the other side until the glue sets, which is 3-4 hours or longer depending on your epoxy, but I waited overnight.   The next night, I would layout the next frame and glue the new frame together and also complete the gussets on the previous frame.

Here's a completed frame.