"Meindert Sprang" ) writes:
"Gerry Wolfe" wrote in message
...
Recently purchased these plans and am considering building this
sailing pram.

Anyone out there with any experience with this one???
I'm a novice woodworker; is this lapstrake construction beyone me???
Instructions call for copper nails (rivets) for lap fastenings (1/2"
planks). How about using brass screws instead???

The purpose of the nails are to hold the strakes together when they swell
from moisture, thus creating a watertight seam. The resulting pressure is
rather high, so screws will be torn out, I'm afraid.

You'll probably need a helper for rivets or clenched nails because you
won't be able to reach both ends yourself. If that's not covered in the
instructions you might have to ask the designer if it can be built
single-handed.
--
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Hi

"William R. Watt" skrev i en meddelelse
...

You'll probably need a helper for rivets or clenched nails because you
won't be able to reach both ends yourself. If that's not covered in the
instructions you might have to ask the designer if it can be built
single-handed.
--

I don't need another hand, you can rivit even the soft steel clinker rivits
that was used in lapstrake fishing vessels, ----- stronger bigger and flush
head, but need to be made from new not scrap steel ( Norwegian boatnails).
As you rivit the next plank you don't need to reach long to knock on one
side, backing up with a special hammer or special steel on the other side
( some tools was done to tree porpus, holding the washer during first step,
backing iron riviting, and hitting your toe.
Lapstrake was originaly sewn with natural fibers, consider other type of
string or the original Copper that hardens while you in scientifical way,
make the head in the rivit bigger, and that way, force the panels together.
Use a polyurethane rubber , more flexible as glue, crack filling and make a
profesionals fit by filling, last for decades.
P.C.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cyber-Boat/