Cutting Corners — The First Frame Takes Shape

This week marked a huge step forward: I began cutting the 55mm pine strips for Frame B, officially entering the joinery phase of the build. I wasn’t sure of the best way to approach it, so I asked one of the experienced boatbuilders at the yard. He suggested using a miter saw—definitely the cleanest and most precise tool for the job. Unfortunately, the one at the yard is out of commission, with no clear repair date in sight.

Plan B: manual sawing. I had watched quite a few YouTube tutorials on how to cut square by hand, and I gave it a go. The results were... decent, but not great. Even slight slopes or small gaps made the pieces unfit for proper gluing—definitely not up to the standard I want for something that will eventually cross the Atlantic. I went home frustrated and started researching options.

After some deliberation, I considered investing in a miter saw of my own. Given the scale of this project, adding another tool to the growing list didn’t seem unreasonable. But the cheaper electric models had questionable reviews—especially regarding safety—and I didn’t want to make an expensive mistake.

That’s when I spotted a manual miter saw at the store. It was essentially a handsaw with an angled guide to keep cuts perfectly vertical. Cheap enough to be low-risk, so I gave it a shot. Assembling it was its own little puzzle (no manual, just the photo on the box!), but once it was ready, I started experimenting.

Miter saw - secure and support everything for best results

My first cuts were rough—better than freehand, but still not square enough. Eventually, I figured out what was going wrong: as the saw neared the end of the cut, the waste side would drop slightly, pulling the blade off course. The solution was to clamp both sides of the strip firmly, and wedge a small piece of wood underneath the waste side to prevent it from dropping—keeping everything locked in place from start to finish. With that adjustment, my cuts improved dramatically.

To make sure my joints were spot on, I came up with a little method to mark the angles:

• First, I measured the internal angle between each pair of frame members and divided it by two.

• Then, I drew a bisecting line using that halved angle.

Bisecting line

• I placed the two strips in position and used my combination square set to 22mm (the thickness of the strips) to transfer that angle to the correct face of the timber.

Marking the sides using the combination square

• Finally, I connected the marks and had my cut line.

Join at the top to get the cut line

Cut by cut, I got better and faster. Soon I had all the pieces for Frame B ready. It felt like a true milestone, so I cleared off the MDF board, carefully laid all the parts in place, and took a photo. I stood there for a while, just admiring it—my first real glimpse of a three-dimensional piece of the boat. I could almost picture it already: the soft rocking of the sea, a bunk tucked behind this frame, and me making my way toward Madeira.

Frame B - taking shape!

Next week, I’ll start experimenting with the glue-and-screw technique for the joints. If all goes well, I’ll be completing my very first full frame. Can’t wait.