More Frames

Framing goes on

Web frames are placed on the lofting floor for accurate alignment and blocked together.

Then side A is welded on the floor.

A reinforcement bar is placed horizontally on every frame at the level of the DWL.

Run in run off is used at every BW.

Side B welding is done on a table for sake of back well being

So frames start to pile up quickly

One More!

Good work we have almost finished stem ONE: welding web frames

Setting up Frames

Web Frames Reinforcement

We finished as planned with the pipe reinforcement.
A lot of them around 120

Frame Welding

Now we are ready to set up the frames. We placed spacers to keep the web frames flat on the lofting floor accounting for the 2cm of pipe.

 The blocks will also help to prevent distorsion and allow placing or run-in run-off pieces
 At this point it was time to place the transverse support bars for the frame.
The nesting file included holes in the frame for this. But at a closer view what appeared to be holes of different sizes

it was only incomplete perforation by the plasma cutter. In fact all the holes should have been of 8mm diameter. So we now must drill all of them again.

The frame is now ready to be welded on side A.

The welding is complete with the run-in and off

And now here is the first frame, J, ready.
It start looking as part of a boat!

Here we GOOOO!

Today is the day.
We started the real work. We got organized with

• MIG welding machine
• 5183 welding wire

• router to chamfer

• Circular say

what else? No more I think.



So we started with a frame on lofting floor to see if it matched the lines.

It did with very good approximation. Although the plasma cut has given a constant slope to all the cut margins, but well within acceptable limits.


Step number 1 was to chamfer all web frames ends for future butt welding

Step number 2 was to insert the reinforcement pipes in the holes of the frame webs.
We counted 100 50mm holes for which we had the appropriate pipe.

Few more of different sizes for which we will have to generate the pipe from the plate.


Cutting of the 100 50mm 5 cm long from 5 meters of pipe.

We then smoothed the outer and inner borders of these 100 pieces.

We also had to clean the inside of the holes as at the starting-ending point of the plasma cut there was a small irregularity.

Finally the lightning will give life to the creature

Tomorrow we will complete the pipes and arrange the supports for butt welding.
We are very happy for the good start. No problems with welding till now!

Checking the aluminium

17.06.2011 Opening the package

Here we are: we have a hard day of work to check that everything is OK with the delivery.

First we place on the wall all the construction drawings by Robert

Then we start from the lofting floor.

It is nicely cut on 6 panels of MDF

Provided with a locking mechanism.

Now let's look for the frames!

Every piece should be numbered as in the drawings.

But in fact the coding is not exactly the same so we must sometimes recognize the pieces by the shape.

The progress of the work is very fast.

The the web frames are stocked separately.

A lot of waste but finally everything is checked

Ad after 6 hours of work we have finished!

But....

2 pieces are missing!

and

I mailed to Robert and to Alumar.
We shall see.

Aluminium Delivered

15.06.2011 Aluminium Delivered

As expected the truck ha delivered the 5 tons of aluminium on time.

Now we are really committed. I feared this moment. I thought I would have commented: "Shit what did I do"

This did not happen. In fact seen these huge packages 6 meters by 3 reinforced my idea that IT CAN BE DONE!

We fixed an appointment for next friday to unpack

The Beginning

08.06.2011The Beginning

Here we are. David  has come to meet with Luciano, the weldeing expert, and visit the facility.

We checked that space and machines were adequate for the job.

And briefed Luciano on what was going to happen. We discussed of the steps necessary to complete the project, studied the drawings from Dudley, Robert and the web site from Brian Russel.
We also discussed on the necessary administrative steps necessary to obtain CE certification.

I have produced a little manual in italian summarizing the info from these different sources.
At the end we were alla satisfied.
Now we wait for the arrival of the aluminium.

The single handed

The single handed

Sorry but this is only for italians