Many readers are here because up until now construction of a true round aluminum hull was only for professional builders. They have the special equipment, capitol investment, and secret abilities. Until now true round aluminum boat building was not for the faint of heart.

I am sure that all of you have read books illustrating methods to form a true round metal hull. Every thing written in these books just seem all so vague.

Lets look at some of the old methods used to construct True Round Metal Hulls. Bezier Curve Design & Construction uses none of the below methods.

• - Dogs and clamps to force the shell plating to the framework -
  
• - Explosive, stretch, and hydraulic forming -
  
• - English Wheel -
  
• - Line heating with a torch- -
  
• - Rolling equipment -
  
• - Special and expensive forming die -
  

See how easy Hull Plating can be with Bezier Curve Design.

Plating will begin with the eight (8) plating sections that have been designed to align with a particular transverse frame. This positions the plate to its correct and exact location along the hull. All other subsequent plating will be aligned to these initial eight (8) plate sections. This method will remove any cumulative error inherent when plating from bow to stern for example.

Below are the references which should be transferred to the formed shell sections:

• Bezier shell plate is evenly located 7/16" below the sheer longitudinal.
  
• Notchs in the side of the shell plating align with the intermediate longitudinal's.
  
• On the backside of some shell section is a curved line traced from the patterns. This line references the plating to it's transverse frame.
  
• The Chine longitudinal references the last edge of the shell plating.
  

The picture above shows the plating clamped to the sheer longitudinal and has been tack welded in place. It was located by using the references give on the patterns.

With the sheer tacked in place work the plating from bottom to top or sheer line to chine line. The longitudinal's are aligned with the notches in the shell plate. Clamps are placed on the longitudinal, while another clamp at the top of the picture holds a transverse frame alignment. When happy with the alignment tack the longitudinal.

As you can see the notches are aligning nicely. Move the clamps - Check things over and tack weld the this longitudinal to the shell plating.

Still looking good here. Move clamps and tack weld.

Finally tack weld along the chine longitudinal as shown in the above picture.

The real holding power of plating to framework is on the inside of the hull. Place welds, about 1" long, at the end of the plating where the next plate will be positioned. Where two plates have come together tie the end welds together. This will produce a 2" weld wherever plates join.