Don Silsbe

I thought it would be good to give y’all an update on this topic. I bought a 50 pack of assorted discs for my sander, per @Paul356’s recommendation. My current trimaran build (see main forum) gave me an opportunity to try out suggestions like this one. I’m here to report that these new (to me) discs are working very well. I’ve been using the 60 grit to sand semi-cured epoxy between coats. They do not clog up with epoxy, and remain sharp for a long time. These are a winner! Thanks for the recommendation, Paul! This is the Amazon “link”: Dura-Gold Premium - Variety Pack - 5" Gold Sanding Discs - 8-Hole Dustless Hook and Loop - 10 Each of Grit (60, 80, 120, 220, 320) - Box of 50 Sandpaper Finishing Discs for Woodworking or Automotive https://a.co/d/aSzhXIe

I love ‘em! But after a few uses, they start to cam out or strip. I still prefer them over drywall screws.

Ama bulkheads awaiting a chance to bond with their stringers. I like to let them get acquainted first. I’ll turn on a Barry White CD for the main event tomorrow.

I meant to include some photos. I even tried a roto-zip, which was a disaster. Grandpa’s old saw worked best.

Thanks for the story, Richard. I miss Avocet a little, too. I’m sure Spoonbill will give you two a lot of pleasure.

Maybe Richard will paint her pink!

Welcome to the club! It was an interesting day for me, too. I tried different methods, and found an old saw that belonged to my carpenter grandfather worked best. I agree with Aphers. Glass is unnecessary. Just remember how many layers are on the other side. If you do, only use 4 oz.

Welcome back! I’m looking forward to this!

@Nick C— That system is disgustingly simple! I might have to try that.

I’ve used Bondo a long time ago. The main thing there is not to wait too long to sand. It turns into granite after a few days.

Check out this video at the 48 minute mark.

@PadrePoint— I got the screw idea from a video/Small Craft Advisor article you sent me, the one about building a PDR. I’m also introducing him into sailing. We’ll see where that leads.

Next week is Stringer Week. My neighbor Brodie and I got a jump on it, and got the o/b amas done today (Saturday) . This is my “grand-neighbor Brodie. (We don’t have biological grands, so we adopted our next door neighbor’s kids.) All glued up. These screws are better than clamps or drywall screws. First, they are self-drillers. Second, they have a flat bottom, not countersunk, third, they don’t have threads for the top 1/2”, so they draw up better, a d last but not least, they are Robertson (aka “square”) drive. They would work better with the head on the plywood side, but they were great this way, too

I’ve had good results with Quick Fair and Total Fair fairing compounds.

On Ted Johanson’s Avocet, screening material is permanently attached to the forward side of the bulkhead. No fuss, no muss!

Another fun day in the workshop! I got all the ama bulkheads cut out. The fun part was cutting the circles. I made a circle-cutting jig for my small router. Some day soon I’m going to have to clean up the shop floor.

An argument against Redwood is that it is soft, and won’t stand up to the banging that gunwales are subjected to. On the other hand, when using it as a tender, hard dinghies are usually required to have padding on their gunwales. If you’re going to do that, the Redwood would be OK. I must disagree with you about attaching your sail with Velcro. This is what I use on my boat, and it is very aerodynamic. The secret is not to cinch the sail too tightly to the mast. Graham has even suggested using zip ties! Those would probably behave more like hoops for lowering the sail. IMG_6471.mov

Alan made us some full-sized patterns. MAN! What a time-saver!

@Bryan Rolfe— The amount of trash I generate building a boat bothers me, too. Ted Johanson (aka PadrePoint) has a great suggestion for reusing chip brushes. He keeps three covered jars of denatured alcohol solvent handy. He rinses used brushes, cycling them from the oldest to the freshest jars. Eventually, he discards the oldest jar, and starts a new one.

I stumbled onto this video the other day. He uses some clever techniques!

I’ve only used Peel Ply once, with mixed results. There’s a learning curve, I guess.

@Nick C— Thanks for the come-back. I am horrible with names, especially when I see y’all face-to-face once per year (or less!). You did a fine job on that boat. I hope you sell it, as that is your wish.

@Reacher— I call it a symbiotic relationship. He gets his dream boat, and I get my boatbuilding fix.

I would check with the experts. Have you asked B&B about the structural affect of the modification? They usually are fairly open-minded. Maybe Graham will weigh in on this subject.

Check with Graham Byrnes at B&B Yacht designs. He has been working on a boat like this. Fuel efficiency is important to him. I took this photo of him a year ago. That’s a model he printed of it back then. He has progressed with the design since then.