Day 146

Today was a really great day! We went into town and didn't get back until noon, then worked on the boat for 7 hours and accomplished a lot! My project was to make the frames for the port side window of the pilot house. Origionally, I had planned to use angle iron cut in on one edge to 3/4" inside, something like the front window. Gena was thinking about the strength of all of this and suggested I used 2x2 square tubing. We had thought of this before for the forward edge, but after realising that the weight would be only 1/3 more ( 1/8" tube as opposed to 1/4 angle ), and that the strength would be much more, I agreed. This was totally unplanned but made real sense. So I went to work using our "new- yet to have found a use for" pipe bender to bend an approximation, or first try, of the pilot house side curve. ( Photo above) This is the piece for the top horizontal sill.
Long awaited sideplate in!	First I did 3 cranks on the jack every foot, then 3.5 cranks on every 6 inch mark between. I can't say I wasn't amazed when I took the tube up to try it against the pilot house. First try and it was just right. Beginners luck no doubt! Then the lower frame, a couple feet longer must follow the curve of the upper, as arcrylic windows don't like to curve in two planes, just like steel!
The forward edge took a couple of trys but eventually went along the curve fine! Itryed it from the inside to cut it to butt up against the pilothouse "dash" frame. To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing or how this would be finished interior-wise. I commandeered Gena away from her work on the forward chainplates to help tack the frames in place.(Right) The holes are for clamps to tighten it in. Holes were also cut into the bottom edge for clamping that one in place. As with the port-lights, once the lower frame was in, the whole side of the pilot house became fair with the curve! Yay! No more wobbles in the plate. That tubing is very strong indeed.
Once the two frames were in place we weren't sure if cutting out the plate would be a really good idea until the vertical posts were put in. So I went to work on that.Gena got back to the chainplates. The verticals must be inset by 3/4" from the surface because this is what the windows will press against in the event of a broach or worse. This meant cutting in notches by 5/8" ( + 1/8" side thickness) and snaping then into the frames for good looks. The interior design of this was created as we went along. Way cool!
The port side window ( less the forward triangle )
Well, as can be seen in the above photo, everything worked out great! And as can be seen from the photo to right, Gena had a good day too! The chain plates and reinforcements are finished. Now the final deck plate can be put into place.

Day 146:
7 hours - framed in pilothouse portside window, and welded in forward chainplates.