The port sheer and shelf clamp were a bit resistant to being installed, or I was very tired since it was 5AM. Either way, these two strakes refused to take the shape the frames had dictated for them!
The dinghy now has all three stringers installed, giving the hull its intended shape and stiffening up the frames tremendously. The stringers do extend farther than needed as the stem and transom are yet to be installed. When I go the ends of the dinghy get installed, I will cut the stringers to fit; until then, they can overhand the dinghy just like the keel does.
The reason I say the sheer and shelf clamp resisted being bent to the frames is because they literally snapped the first floor! The floor split along its grain just below where the frame attaches. This floor is rather small and yet I have had remake it already. The first floor got over trimmed on the jointer and needed to be remade, so I made this current floor.
With a split floor, my options are simple, either remake it again or fix it. Remaking it would be the ideal, especially since the boat will be finished bright and varnish will not hide flaws like paint will. Remaking the floor would require that I also remake the frames that are glued to them and attach the stringers on both sides to the new floor and frames. The alternative is to liberally apply Titebond III wood glue and clamp the hell out of it!
One clamp pulls the chines together to pull in the bottom of the station. The vertical clamp pulls the split section down to the floor, while the third clamp approximates the broken pieces. The split sections were able to be properly approximated and allowed to sit in the pressure of the clamps for the next few days. Once the clamps are removed, strips of wood will be glued to the front of the floor to help resist the sheer forces on this station.
Right now, the floor is under a lot of strain, especially while I was bending 1/2 inch planks to the hull. The tremendous twisting force split the floor right along its grain. Once the stem is installed, these forces will be transmitted to the stem and not falling entirely on the first stations floor. The chine logs will be cut into the stem and set in place along with the sheer, passing these loads from the first stations floor to the much more robust and bookmatched stem.
