The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

Chapter 8 – Tools and the Boatshop 67
standing temporary structures while others allow only
temporary additions to pre-existing buildings.
To determine your shelter’s minimum size, double the
area of your boat. A 30' boat, 10' wide, has a total area
of about 300 square feet and will require 600 square
feet of construction space. A 36' � 17' shop, with a
total area of 612 square feet, would be adequate and
would permit 3 feet of workroom at each end of the
hull. Less area would be insufficient, while more
would make things go a bit easier. Weigh the convenience
of extra elbow room against the costs of building
and heating additional space.
When you know your ideal shop size, look around
to see if you can extend any outbuildings to suitable
dimensions. If you don’t mind evicting your car, it’s far
easier to enlarge a high-ceilinged garage than it is to
build an entirely new structure. If you are able to use
pre-existing rigid walls, you will save time and have a
stronger shelter. An extension to a heated structure will
pick up some radiant heat and can share an electrical
system. Figure 8-13 illustrates a single-car garage
enlarged successfully with polyethylene and wood to
build a 24' (7m) trimaran.
If you plan to construct an independent building or
if your addition is so large as to require substantial
support, we recommend using arches to form a basic
structural skeleton. <strong>The</strong> ends of your building can butt
up against a house or garage or be covered with plastic
or plywood, but provisions should be made for opening
them in warm weather. Figures 8-14, 8-16, 8-17 and
8-18 show an arched shelter in which a 37' (11m)
trimaran was built.
It is not possible for us to provide a detailed materials
list for polyethylene shops because each is different.
Most will require arches every 4' along their lengths,
but this may vary. <strong>The</strong> basic instructions, which follow,
provide an outline for building. <strong>The</strong> dimensions and
quantities of lumber you will need depend on the size
of your structure and on the degree of curvature you
choose to build into its roofline.
Begin by building arches, half-section by half-section.
Each of these pieces consists of two boards separated by
regularly-spaced 2" blocks. Construct half-sections by
bending one board around a simple form. Use WEST
SYSTEM epoxy and nails to attach blocks at 18" intervals
and then form a sandwich by bonding the second
Figure 8-13 An example of a garage extension.
( Photo by Art Briggs)
board to your assembly. Remove this from the form when
the adhesive has cured and continue until you have
made as many half-arches as your shop will need.
When you have completed the half-sections of the
arches, join them at the roof peak with plywood
gussets. Use two gussets per arch, one on either side
of the joint, and bond with WEST SYSTEM epoxy and
nails or staples. Notch the gussets to receive a ridgepole.
Sand outside surfaces smooth so that polyethylene
will not snag when it is installed.
Figure 8-14 Assembling arches for a temporary shelter.