The Building Jig

Yesterday, at long last, we built the building jig. This is nothing more than a set of two 8 foot 2 x 4's with 2 x 4 cross pieces at specific locations along the length of them and 1 x 2 cleats at specific locations also.. Sort of like a ladder. Measuring and leveling are critical here because the positioning of the cross pieces and the 1 x 2 cleats determine where the building moulds will be placed and therefore the overall shape of the boat. The end cleats are beveled at specific angles on the edges because the bow and stern transoms will rest against them while the boat is being planked. The stern end of the jig has two uprights also angled to allow the stern to rest against them. We have several things to do before we can put the moulds on the jig. We have to bevel the bow and stern transoms, glue and screw the fore keel to the bow transom, put the positioning cleats on the bow and stern transoms and mark the floor under our sawhorses so if the whole rig moves, we know where the legs were positioned when we did the leveling. We spent a good deal of time stiffening up the sawhorses, squaring the ladder and getting things level before we fastened the jig to the sawhorses. I think we will have to import a set of hands or two to get the moulds affixed to the jig because they also have to be leveled fore and aft, port and starboard. Below is what the whole thing looks like. I am getting anxious to get the moulds onto the jig because then we can really begin making the thing look like a boat.