Building Station Moulds for the Poulsbo Boat - Episode 3

Howdy folks! Welcome back to Nomad Boat Building. My name is Mark Reuten, and this video is part of the Poulsbo Boat Project, where I’m documenting the complete build of a traditional Poulsbo Boat from start to finish.

In this episode, we build the station molds—the forms that define the shape of the hull. These molds are critical to the entire build, as every plank we install will reference them.

Instead of using plywood, I walk through my preferred method of building molds from solid 1x material. This approach is more economical, easier to work with in the shop, and allows the material to be reused after the molds are no longer needed.

We go step-by-step through laying out the mold shape from the plans, transferring the geometry using simple tools, cutting the curves on the bandsaw, and assembling the molds with gussets and cross spalls. Along the way, I also cover notch layout for inwales and risers, fairing considerations, and a few lessons learned (including what not to do).

The Poulsbo Boat is being built using strip planking with cedar strips, reinforced with fiberglass inside and out—a blend of traditional and modern boatbuilding techniques.

If you're interested in woodworking, traditional craftsmanship, and practical boat shop problem solving, this series follows the entire build from start to finish.

My Website
https://www.nomadboatbuilding.com

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https://www.patreon.com/nomadboatbuilding

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@nomadboatbuilding

Poulsbo Boat Build Series

Watch the full series here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnOoJJKdbR4JZFfEMWhXjloa0LhCp0GPI

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
00:28 What is a Poulsbo Boat
00:44 Strip planking vs traditional planking
01:00 What station molds are
01:26 Why use 1x material instead of plywood
02:19 Material layout for molds
03:27 Finding the miter joint
04:18 Cutting and assembling the mold halves
05:20 Transferring the mold shape
06:18 Marking baseline and reference details
07:15 Notch templates and consistent angles
08:16 Removing the mylar and preparing for layout
09:19 Fairing the mold with a batten
10:20 Assembling and reinforcing the mold
11:28 Cutting the molds on the bandsaw
13:43 Why 1x material is easier than plywood
14:37 Notches for keelson and structure
15:01 Mistake: cutting notches too early
16:41 Fixing fairing issues with blocking
17:06 Adjusting process due to bench size
18:37 Aligning and gusseting molds
21:04 Refining the mold shape
23:19 Solving layout table limitations
24:21 Final assembly on the strongback reference
25:11 Installing the cross spall
26:14 Finished molds and next steps

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