Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Solution - Plan modification needed

Add these to each corner. The frames are essentially free floating so technically they are not structural but they are forming members (scantlings). A simple stress relief cut with a stop hole to prevent cracking beyond the cut is all that's needed to prevent the shrink problem. Ideally this would be a zig-zag cut but without a lazer cutter that would be pretty tough to do.

I'm going to do some minor grinding touch up and then fit the new flange. Once it's welded up I'll know how well this works. For sure, the minute I cut it, the frame opened up to within 1/4" of the original size.

I may be able to fix the other two frames the same way, without having to remove the flange.

 

[Triton II]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Really pleased for you that you've found a solution. Once she's all fitted up and dimensionally correct can you reweld the cut? (Probably showing my utter ignorance here!)

TII

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

I didn't catch it earlier when you purchased your material did you say that it was cut directly off the coil and if so was it ran through a leveler before being sheared? One thing I can tell you from running a shop that had 2 cut to length processing lines is no matter the quality and or type of material comming from a coil needs to be leveled and or stretched so it maintain it's flatness especially anything wider than 48" because the amount of center and or edge wave in the material comming right off the coil is mindboggling when it's rolled out and sheared without leveling and or stretching. The contraction your experiencing could be part of the the result of unlleveled material but the heat (from welding)can also be playing a larger part not to say your solution isn't working out but anytime you heat and or not stress relieve an alloy material expansion and contraction is to be exspected. I do love what your doing and can't wait for the next installment I hope this little bit of info I've learned of the years has helped and good luck!

 

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

You nailed it, it was leveled and stretched. It's a combination of both indadequate stress relief and the welding. The pic in the last post was close to the stress point. It actually ended up being further up. I releived it there in the last two frames and it worked a lot better. I also tacked more and let it cool longer between welds. The short welds don't look that great but I was running 50/50 so I could get in deep quick and get out. Seems to have worked. Pic's to follow.

Thanks for the input, you're dead on the money.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Whewwwww.. Long day at the boat yard, I'm beat...

Here's the modified jig -

Radius view -

Welded up with deep penetrating welds -

All my ducks in a row.... Finally...

Other side -

Way better now --

Even though they are all in good shape now I'm still going to cut a 2x4 spreader for each of them before I put the T-Bar on it.

The next thing I have to do is put the stiffeners on frames 5 and 7 and then I'll hang the stem and lay the keel.... Oh shoot, the minute I lay the keel I'll be a boat owner again.

 

[Triton II]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Looks great, I'm really happy for you Steve. Yep, you'll be a boat owner alright - again!

TII

 

[sprintst]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Nice work man. This is like watching the discovery network

 

[Shife]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Beautiful work.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Got to playing with the erector set tonight. Sorry about the fuzzy pic, I was shaking with fear... There will be better ones soon, this was just a mock up.

Now the question is, is that light a the end of the tunnel daylight?

Or is it a train about to run my rear over. LOL

 

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

I let the frames sit like they were for a week and slowly but surely they returned to their closed up state.. I took one of the frames back to the folks I got the metal from to try and get an idea of what really happened.

After a few minutes of head scratching I asked if maybe they forgot to stretch it after they flattened it? They called their supplier and explained and then gave me 5 new 4x8 sheets of 1/4" 5052 H-32. The 5th sheet was for my troubles. I've got them all recut and just have frame 1 and 2 to finish up now.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

The issues that arrise from materials not being stretched and leveled correctly can and will multiply during the fab process 10 fold it's a shame it had to happed to you though. I have seen material leveled then sheared on one of the cut to length lines I used to run pop with a 3/16 center (60" wide roll) just because the stretcher wasn't adjusted correctly. Other issues to look out for are edge wave! this is a irreversable defect. Lay your sheets out individually on a flat surface and inspect the material for flatness (center)bow in the middle, (edge wave) hence wavy edges. Also a good tip is to store your material until it's use as upright as possible on it's edges to prevent distortion and at a consistant tempeture especially alloys. Hope this helps.

 

[Triton II]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

After a few minutes of head scratching I asked if maybe they forgot to stretch it after they flattened it? They called their supplier and explained and then gave me 5 new 4x8 sheets of 1/4" 5052 H-32. The 5th sheet was for my troubles. I've got them all recut and just have frame 1 and 2 to finish up now.

Wow Steve, all that effort for nothing. However, I guess you be REALLY good at frameworking by the time you finish!!!

TII

 

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

fat fanny, you nailed it again. I didn't think much about the bow in the center when I got the first run. I know now that I should have rejected it. This latest run looks really good in comparison. I do store my stock on edge in a rack, off the concrete. Mainly because in the winter my gararge floor weeps if my drain pumps aren't keeping up.

TII - Yep, although it wasn't wasted effort since I did learn a few tricks along the way that will make it easier this time.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

I feel for you in more ways than I can count being a fabricator,welder,machinist and boater I have learned many leasons the hard way but you my friend ar living the dream and tying them all together in this build and you for one will be educating people reading this with trial and error. But wth all that said the material quality will make any build a success along with skill and knowledge and I mean profound knowledge it's a tuff row to hoe but when taking a project of this nature on everyone has seen the planning phase which sshef has nailed but there is more to it than that. Being capable of the welding skill and buleprint reading and translating that onto metal and cutting that and welding to form a structure is an art just like the guy leveling the material to be sheared to length it's an art and don't kid yourself not everyone can do it and my hats off to sshefer for taking on this project and perservering through it's hardships. Well done my friend and I'm glad your supplier did the right thing. Glad I was of some help and sorry I was a lil late on the info with the mateial inspection spec's

 

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Brought tears to my eye's and new energy to my project.. Thanks.. I needed that..

 

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

I had a friend ask me to make him a new dash for his off-shore hot rod. He supplied all the gauges and dimenisons so all I had to do was lay it out and cut it. The bezzels are getting replaced.

Here's what I started with -

And this is what he got -

As for the Canyon Cruiser, I fixed the frames instead of remaking them and they're fine now.
I also finsihed putting all the stiffeners on the forward frames and got the shop ready for the next phase. I sure wish I had more room so I didn't have to keep juggling things around all the time..

Heres the forward frames in place and blocked -

Here's what I've done to keep the frames straight and true -

If I get the yard work done tomorrow I'll see if I can't get the stem welded in. I hate vertical welding Aluminum, overhead is even worse and I've got some of that to do too.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

man it's coming together good idea with for holding everything square what are you using to hold the ribs to the 2x4 base @ the bottom?. And I like the gauge cluster layout, ever thought of using a wire wheel cup in a drill press to swirl the facial finish in 2" increments? seen it done in a movie spirit of St.Louis I think tunrs out looking awsome always wanted to try it maybe when I redo may cluster in the spring.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Unless its an optical illusion the keel isn't straight.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

Look closer @ the pic's it's not in the jig yet in the straight on pic #1. I don't think after all that research and prep-work sschefer would make that type of error when fabbing.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Glen-L 21' Canyon Cruiser - Aluminum

jonesg, you're sort of right. That's the stem that isn't straight in the pic, the keel hasn't been laid yet. I shot it with my laser transit yesterday afternoon and then welded it. It's straight now. It took about 4 hours to get frame #4 perfectly square to the stem and then get the stem at the correct height. I'm within a 32nd at all points of reference now. The keel will get laid next and will will use the stem and frame #4 as references. Unlike a lot of production boats, this one is built off the stem and not the transom so there's very little room for error. It makes for a truer boat but it's definitely more difficult.