Here's a piece of 3/8" (9mm) plywood with a 7-foot test-scarf joint running lenghtwise down its middle. Dia has just finished screwing it down to one of the rafters Jim installed last week.
The joined plywood plank did not creak or complain. It bent compliantly and conformed sweetly to the curve it was supposed to meet.
This test piece is made out of inexpensive sheathing plywood, but I think it's a good proxy for the 9mm marine plywood that will ultimately form the new top.
The photo below begins to suggest what the hard top arch might feel like looking up from the inside:
Please disregard the knots and other flaws in the wood.
The important points are that the test piece curved as it was supposed to, and the scarf joint proved flexible enough to go along without breaking.
The photo below shows how the test plank's curvature at the overhang conforms to the slope Jim cut for it on the longitudinal stringer. A perfect fit.
I'll leave this plank in place for a few days, then remove it to see if the arch will "set", or if the plank will bounce back to a flatter shape.
If you click to enlarge this image and look carefully, you might be able to see the end of the scarf joint in the outboard edge of the plank.
I have had enough scarf joint learning to last a lifetime. It is time to move on.
Next: Making a pattern for the new top's shape.
I continue to be impressed and fascinated with your project. I like how you achieved the curvature around the forward cockpit coaming at the helmstation. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteHira