SteveKos Posted April 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 I finally got back to the build after a great few days out in the great Aussie bush. Clean air and campfire smoke does something to the soul... Anyway, I have spent a couple of days making the mast step and rudder assembly. These things have taken quite a few hours, longer than I expected. This little mast step has required a lot of shaping and fitting, and still isn't finished! The rudder shaped and ready to glass. I need to glass it because it is a few milimetres too thin, but glassing will make it stronger so it's worth it. Sanding the hull was noisy and took lots of sanding discs, but I got it nicely finished in a couple of hours' solid going. The undercoat I am using is an epoxy high-build undercoat, and I am told I don't need to apply more epoxy to the hull before I use it. I've used it before and it is very tough, so I don't think I'll be applying another coat of clear epoxy to the hull. I marked out and measured up the keel ready for cutting out and fitting tomorrow. I'll be ready for undercoating by Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted April 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Well, tonight I finally got to put paint brush to wood (well mostly wood) with the first coat of undercoat going on. First taped off the gunwale which will be bright finished. First coat of undercoat applied. It's a bit glossier than I thought it would be. For a minute I had to check that it was indeed the undercoat! I should have the hull finished this weekend. I have the rudder assembly mostly complete. Just have to assemble it all and make the tiller. The mast is next and the sprit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Just have to................. My favorite version of that is: "All I gotta to do is........." Warning bells go off every time I hear such a thing. All you have to do is finish the boat, then you can go sailing. Take your time, do it right and most of all: enjoy the process. Show lots of pictures and everyone here will be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted April 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 It saves paper :-) Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted April 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 Finished undercoating today. It's looking nice. There is only one patch on the side where the surface is a bit uneven, but I'll live with that, it's pretty smooth everywhere else otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted April 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Looks like I'll be stalled for a week or more with winter-like weather for tge next week or more. I called Norglass for advice on applying the 2 pack poly paint I'm using, and they tell me that I should not paint if max temps are under 18 and humidity is above 70%. Oh well, I'll have to focus on the other jobs, although I'm getting to the end of them now. Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted May 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2014 Well, fortunately the weather man can be wrong sometimes. Today was an unexpected window of opportunity to paint the boat. 18deg C, 58% humidity and fine. I must admit that being the first time I have used 2 pack polyurethane paint, and being a bit overwhelmed with all the technical gobbledigook about how to use it, I decided to try painting with it straight with no thinning and just rolling, no tipping, because I couldn't get anyone willing to help with tipping-off at short notice. I did try rolling and tipping the transom, but it didn't make that much of a difference anyway, although I probably could have done the whole lot myself if I had been brave enough . To my surprise it wasn't all that hard, or different to other paints I've used. It flowed well straight out of the tin (mixed of course), and being fairly cool it didn't go off too quickly so I could deal with any developing runs while it was still wet. The finish wasn't perfect, but my fairing wasn't either, so I was prepared for that. But actually the fairly high-fill properties of the paint and the slight stipple in the finish helped to mask the imperfections anyway. These shots give a bit better look to the finish than it is, but it isn't too bad. Not professional, but that was never my goal anyway. My boat is a utilitarian project, not a showpiece, so I'm happy with the result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennieG Posted May 4, 2014 Report Share Posted May 4, 2014 Looks good to me! Keep it going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted May 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 Fitted the rub strip tonight. It's only aluminium but I don't expect to be dragging it over rough ground too often, so it will suffice I think. It's embedded with Silicone and screwed in place. I also removed the masking tape protecting the gunwales. On the first side I just tried to lift it off, by pulling it up, but it left thin strips stuck to the timber along the painted edge. I used a utility knife to cut along the line, which worked, mostly, but one one section of about 4" the blade slid up on the fresh paint and left some of it loose like a sliver. Fortunately I had some mixed paint in a pot just left out, so I removed the skin off the paint, and underneath was still ok, so I just applied a bit with a rubber glove to the spot. It will be fine I think, and it won't be seen right under the gunwale. Just shows you've got to be careful with sharp knives! I used a different technique for the other side, I removed the tape by holding it close to the edge by the painted area, and lifted off while twisting it towards the hull, breaking the paint line easily without any problem. Learning - always learning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labrat Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 Well that bit of good weather didn't last long but you sure made the most of it. Hull's looking good, let's hope the topside comes up as well. Any progress on mast/sail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted May 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 Well that bit of good weather didn't last long but you sure made the most of it. Hull's looking good, let's hope the topside comes up as well. Any progress on mast/sail? Yes, the mast is almost finished. I've got the 3 section glassing done, but I can't finish the mast completely until I get back to the topside. I need to get the sail foot positioned re the mast collar and then I can trim the mast top to suit the length. I still need to make the sprit for the sail but I will use a length of aluminium tube I have on hand for the time being. The rudder box is complete, just needs the tiller handle finished, and all varnished. I had a bit of a rework to do on the rudder box as I didn't make the centre filler long enough to mount the tiller handle on it, so I had to fit a top piece to the rudder box. I've almost finished making the boat loader too. I will make the dolly over the next couple of weeks. Still a bit to do but I'm loving it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted May 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2014 A couple more photos. The tiller glued up. Taping off the areas for bright finishing, ready for priming the topside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted May 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Just the one update pic today. The first coat of primer/undercoat went on today. I was a bit shocked to see all the blemishes I thought I had smoothed out revealed as being less than perfect! Lots of little dings and dags , chips, pin holes and stuff I didn't see before were highlighted as the primer was applied. I will have to do some more work with the sander than I was expecting to get the topside truly fair. I guess that's what prep involves . Even so, overall it looks nice, and will come up well after several primer coats are applied and sanded. Something I wasn't expecting though. I shook the can well before opening, but as I got to the bottom there was a thick layer on the bottom. I expect that was a high-fill thickener that should have been mixed into the rest before using, but the instructions don't mention stirring the paint before using. I will mix the next can more thoroughly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labrat Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 I remember seeing a statement somewhere along the lines of "A clear finish highlights all those imperfections you knew were there but a painted finish highlights the ones you didn't know about" It's always a good idea to stir with a flat stick using a scrape and lift action - but you probably know that now. It still looks good from here anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted May 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 I remember seeing a statement somewhere along the lines of "A clear finish highlights all those imperfections you knew were there but a painted finish highlights the ones you didn't know about" It's always a good idea to stir with a flat stick using a scrape and lift action - but you probably know that now. It still looks good from here anyway If one of the jobs of a good primer is to reveal imperfections then it certainly worked. I got to it with some Agnew's Water Putty and filled and leveled everything I could find. Then I applied a second coat of primer. This time it is much smoother and the finish is getting pretty good. I think this second coat is so good I will hardly need to touch it other than a very light sand to get some little gritty bits off here and there. So it's top coats this week, and clear coating the bright finished bits after that. I reckon I might be ready to wet her weekend after next. By the way, I've got a name for her. "Aquabat". I think this is a fitting name for an agile little boat that can do all things well, whether sailing, rowing or motoring . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted May 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 First coat of enamel on the topside. This looks great! It was worth the effort to clean up and fill all those little imperfections. I will still apply 2 more coats. This is one case where my photos don't do justice to the reality . The cream colour is a bit darker than the photos show (flash). This is going to look great contrasted with the bright finished feature bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennieG Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted May 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 A few pics of the feature bits with their first coat of varnish. I was amazed at how just a few bright finished feature bits make such a difference. With the rudder finished the same 'Aquabat' is going to look a picture. . I am definitely aiming to christen her next weekend as long as the weather permits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennieG Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 Great colors! Looking very good indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennieG Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Steve- What color/ paint type did you use I like the yellow against the white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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