Mill Creek build begun - sheer panel question.

Builder's Forum
1

My father and I recently (last week) started building a Mill Creek 16.5 Hybrid. Have a few pictures and thoughts:

I've put them up on facebook, but should be freely visible: 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033239&id=1389060351&l=af4b81bbac 

 

One question/problem already:

We did the scarf joints for the bilge/sheer panels and bottom. When doing the sheer panels - the middle sections don't line up with each other. Everything matches at the joints - both ends. It looked like the panel needed to flip, but then the scarf cuts don't match. The mis-alignment wasn't huge - maybe 1/8" - so I shaved it down with a router so they'd match (seemed like a good idea at the time, but should probably have asked here first) Is that likely to represent a problem down the road? 

View 1 - towards one end 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30622171&l=4eeadd6bfc&id=1389060351

View 2 - but they come in to match at the joint 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30622174&l=4482628b1f&id=1389060351

View 3 - on the other side the overlap flips

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30622175&l=9a095d64a7&id=1389060351

2

It looks like your panels got out of "Fair" when you scarfed them together.

Trimming them to match solves the problem of them being different.

(preventing a twist, bulge or lean to one side)

Afterwards, your lines will be slightly (in the slightest amount) different from other MC 16.5's.

 

At least you did not do as I did. I glued the sheer clamps to the wrong edge and then stitched in the sheer panels inverted.

It looks fine, just slightly different from other MC16.5's

 

 

3

As long as both sheer panels match, everything should stay fair. If they don’t fit when stitched, just trim the ends of that or the other hull panel flush and it will work out OK. It may change the angle of the hull panels, but it won’t even be noticable in the end.