Customer Reviews

Boatbuilding With Plywood

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are many ways to build a boat and boatbuilding books frequently overreach in an attempt to cover them all. Simply providing a survey of materials and techniques, these books are generally not useful as hands-on building references.

"Boatbuilding With Plywood" is a shop manual for those building boats using the plywood-over-frame approach. Everything is covered clearly and precisely: lofting, setting up and aligning the jig, bending wood around frames, bevelling and fairing, approaches to planking, ways of rolling the hull over, joinery, fiberglassing and painting, etc. The B&W photographs are amusingly dated, but very effective in illustrating the pertinent ideas in the text.

It becomes obvious that the authors (recent revision additions by Ken Hankinson) really KNOW about building this type of boat. Any situation that one encounters in the building process will be found well covered in the book.

And don't think plywood boats are all funky, boxy, "home-made" looking jobs. With modern epoxy technology and techniques, many no-holds-barred projects are choosing to build cold-molded plywood racing or cruising boats because of their advantages in strength, weight, safety and maintenance.

Truly a remarkable book if (and ONLY if) you have decided that you wish to use plywood as a construction material. It is often an overlooked, and certainly misunderstood material. To be brief on that note, I am not a plywood boatbuilder. I have used and am impressed with its versatility, but prefer the more tedious and traditonal methods. However, it must be understood that plywood hulls can be made round and smooth and strong. It is not a material to be dismissed lightly.

Many other 'survey books' are available to discuss the merits and pitfalls of any given material. Once the builder has been convinced that plywood (hull or deck) construction is a possibility, this book is indispensable. I would never attempt to build a plywood craft without the wealth of knowledge and wisdom Witt offers about a material he has utilized himself, in so many of his plans.

If you are going to build a plywood boat or dreaming of it, you really should read this book first. It helps you to understand the technique, choose right materials and ways to work. There are also very good health and safety instructions, which are often forgotten or not cared during the work.

Even you'd be an experienced boatbuilder or just a beginner, you can always learn new things from this book. If you buy boat plans or design them by yourself, there are always very important desicions made in construction and then there are also those very important "little things", which may be missing on instructions or you just don't notice them. This book presents all the phases, big and little things very clearly and the all the decisions are based on long time real-life experience. It also explains the terminology of boatbuilding and function of different parts of the boat's hull with photos and drawings.

The text is very easy to read, instructions are clear and everything is explained well. The book will give answer to all your questions concerning the basic builind process during the project. It also helps you to do things right in first time. More than worth of money. If you are not searching information about building a plywood boat, then maybe you should try to find something else.

This is a great book to use if you have bought the Glen-L or Clark Craft plywood boat Plans. As a matter of fact I could not see how you would build any of their designs without this book. Very comprehensive and very well written. Good simpel straight foreward explanations. Definitely worth the investment for the amateur boatbuilder. No beginner should be without it. I know that sounds cliche but with this book it is true. Buy it if you plan on building a plywood boat.

If you are going to build a plywood boat or dreaming of it, you really should read this book first. It helps you to understand the technique, choose right materials and ways to work. There are also very good health and safety instructions, which are often forgotten or not cared during the work.

Even you'd be an experienced boatbuilder or just a beginner, you can always learn new things from this book. If you buy boat plans or design them by yourself, there are always very important desicions made in construction and then there are also those very important "little things", which may be missing on instructions or you just don't notice them. This book presents all the phases, big and little things very clearly and the all the decisions are based on long time real-life experience. It also explains the terminology of boatbuilding and function of different parts of the boat's hull with photos and drawings.

The text is very easy to read, instructions are clear and everything is explained well. The book will give answer to all your questions concerning the basic builind process during the project. It also helps you to do things right in first time. More than worth of money. If you are not searching information about building a plywood boat, then maybe you should try to find something else.

I have read the old editions, and I think that they have improved much of the content. Easy for the novice to read.

This is an excellent read. The direction given is explicit, albeit a little wordy at times. After only reading half way through, I'm ready to start building one myself. This is the second book i've bought on the subject and wish it had been the only one.

The book really contains everything you need to know on the subject and is regarded, rightfully so, as the standard reference. However, I must add, for a third edition, the print really lacks quality. Poor quality black and white photographs, and no real project or plans inside. I thought color printing was common these days...

Good- Simply written, and ties into Glen L's website very well.As someone who never has built a large craft (built a dingy with my Dad as a kid), I am using this book and others to research and decide if I want to "Buy or Build" a boat for my family.

Bad - Nothing to mention. The nautical vernacular is a learning curve, but all in all a solid read, and adds a lot of detail (i.e. Chine Log, or Shear, etc.. make much more sense to me).

THIS IS A GREAT BOAT BUILDING BOOK IF YOU WANT TO LEARN BOAT BUILDING WITH WOOD THIS IS A GREAT READ