Building the Oneida's Stern 1

Building the Oneida's Stern

The stern was built off the model for the simple reason there are too many angles to deal with all at once. The transom piece is set on a flat surface and held in place with a weight. A square block will be used to stand the stern timbers up straight. A notch for the stern timbers has been laser cut into the surface of the transom.
A template was made from the drawing and will be used to hold the stern frame in place while the epoxy sets up. This template also insures each stern frame is set to the proper angle.
When the stern frame is epoxied into place a rubber band is used to hold the frame against the block and to the proper angle.
The back edge of the transom is cut on an arc, as each frame is set into place its located by pushed its foot against the front edge of the notch.
Now that the upper transom and the stern timber assembly is finished it will be set aside and the lower transom will be shaped and put into place. Its rough shape is a triangle with a notch cut in the center. The bottom of the notch has to be cut on an angle in order to set against the stern post.
Three views show where and how the lower transom fits in the hull. The transom sits on top of the deadwood and is notched around the inner stern post. At this point the piece is quite large and will have to be cut down to match the shape of the hull.
Here we see the transom taking on its final shape. The piece is sanded then fit to the hull and removed and sanded some more until it has a close, but not finished shape. The final shape will be done when the hull is sanded to shape.
With the upper and lower transoms in place and partly shaped to the contours of the hull, stern blocks are added. These blocks are glued to the outer edge of the last stern timber and to the face of the last frame. In the pictures they look very large and out of place, however a majority of the block will be ground away when the stern is given its final shaping. These lower blocks are quite an important piece, as the ends of the thick wales will be fastened to them.
Here the lower blocks are given a rough shaping. The upper edge of the stern block also acts as a platform for the outer stern timbers. If the ship has a quarter gallery it would be built off these blocks, a door way would be framed in the space above the block between the stern timber and the last frame. In the case of a quarter badge a window is framed in this space.