Stareed Posted February 26 Author Report Posted February 26 Thank you, I am a residential contractor in real life, when we have days were we are waiting on permits, inspections, or rain I have my guys help work on the boat rather than send them home, it doesn't happen all the time but when it does i take advantage. 1 Quote
Stareed Posted March 8 Author Report Posted March 8 Got a little done today, finished up 1st layer glue up. Finished Stbd side second layer fitup with the forward 9 planks, plenty of spiling up there-the rest of the stbd side planks are sitting on the bottom already fitted. Port side second layer fit up is next, then will try to glue and screw both sides on the same day. Note: as probably already known by most but a reminder if nothing else, watch the temperatures when you are doing a glue up. We are using US Composites slow 635, had the dry times pretty well figured....then we had an warm front where the average temp increased by 10-12 degrees and did not pay this significant difference enough attention, which ended up gluing lots of the fender washers to the ply- we used a HD sodering iron on the screws but the washers were a beast, ended up with several ply tear outs ( which can be filled prior to glue up of second layer) most likely made worse as we used un-washered drywall screws to fit the first layer- causing a small but tenacious pocket to form where the flute of the screw had depressed into the ply. Timing removing the screws between dry enough to take out so everything stays put well and not dry enough to grab hold of the screw and washer well.......it'll keep you up at night Quote
Stareed Posted March 11 Author Report Posted March 11 Rained today until after lunch so we got a few planks on the boat, 27 total I think. We fitted the port first 10 (all the 48" or less planks) and glued them first as I wanted to over lap the bow joint, the first layer is stbd over port and the second is port over stbd. First layer sanded lightly with 100 and pre coated with epoxy Hull and backside of planking troweled out with 3/16 v-notch trowel, probably a bit much glue, will see what else I can find, maybe a 1/8" v- notch or 3/16 half circle trowel Screws with fender washers into the ribbons/stringers and battens in-between the stringers to pull the layers fair. Got most of the squeeze out before we left for the day, we finished after 5 and were going right up to the whistle, so Im sure there with be some more squeeze out for the am. Will take out the screws and scrape the squeeze out in the morning, the epoxy should be finger nail hard after about 15-18 hours and 60 to 70 degrees 2 Quote
Stareed Posted March 11 Author Report Posted March 11 Took all the screws and battens out this morning, epoxy was still green enough to chisel the squeeze out nice and clean to the planking, plenty on the inside... snapped this picture while underneath with my back against the transom. After looking at some different trowel choices, think Ill stay with the 3/16 v-notch but only apply thickened epoxy to the hull and not back butter the plank. 1 Quote
Stareed Posted March 15 Author Report Posted March 15 Got the rest of the Stbd side planking on today, used single layer of epoxy/cabsil with 3/16 v-notch, got enough squeeze out to prove we have a decent amount of material between layers. Bought some new washers as the old ones were getting a little grubby. Used about 450 screws and washers....I know, cuz thats all we had. 71 planks on the Stbd side all together, attached 15 thru 35 today, made three batches (1000resin/500hardner gram + approx 3 quarts cabosil) to attach those 20 planks. Quote
Stareed Posted March 24 Author Report Posted March 24 Finished the port side dry fit planking today, and that is all the planking! worked out to be about 143 planks altogether, I used a 18" one each layer but everything else was either 6" forward and 12" aft. At the end, I cut up 2 sheets into 4' planks that I should not have, pretty expensive mistake but Im sure that those cut pieces will be used sometime on something. Hopefully will get it glued on this week, then the swim platform underside attached to the bracket and transom so it can be glassed together with everything- prep for glass-----warm weather is on the way and we must get the boat glassed, faired and bottom painted before June- (my goal) ; epoxy work or fairing when its 90 outside while working even in a well ventilated metal building is brutal. Plus fishing........ My Garvey style 19' skiff we finished last year, 97hrs on the engine since June. Floats in a puddle Quote
Stareed Posted March 26 Author Report Posted March 26 Rough trimmed the Stbd side with the flush cut router, will need to clean it with a rasp/plane to be nice and smooth with the reverse chine. Glued on Port side planks 16-33 that we dry fitted yesterday. Screws in the stringers, battens, and individual screws with plywood backer "plate" squares where its plywood only. 1 Quote
Steve W Posted March 26 Report Posted March 26 Thanks for these updates. That's quite a project and I appreciate the updates. Whose Garvey Design is that? Take Care, Steve Quote
Viktor Steimle Posted March 27 Report Posted March 27 Super impressive work and rapid progress! Thanks for posting this. Cheers, Viktor Quote
Stareed Posted March 27 Author Report Posted March 27 Steve, Thank you, It is a Doug Hylan "Big Ben" Thank you, Viktor Removed all the screws and battens flush cut routered the planks and started shaping/sanding with 36 to clean up all the epoxy and knock down anything high. Stood back and got some indirect light and picked out all the "lipage" to smooth out before glass to help with removing places for air bubbles to hide. Hull finish sanded with random orbitals, edges rounded over with 3/8" roundover bit and cleaned up with sandpaper, two inch flat plained down keep center line ( we used a laser and with the line in the ply, you can really tell where the screws sucked the second skin down- it'll fair out) Bracket filleted. All the screw holes filled on the hull bottom as well as voids in-between planks, also filled and coated a line further down from the planned bottom lay up for double sided vacuum bag tape to go, wanted to make sure there was a good seal and epoxy is better than plywood. Stem and bow center line cleaned up with cabsol/epoxy- will grind down to a good radius before glass. Ready for glassing, Keel and chines get 18" wide strip of 5oz Kevlar, 1708 over lapped on the keel 6" and down the sides about 6" bow to transom bracket. Kevlar/1708/Peal-ply/breather film/filter media/vacuum bag. The hull will be the "table" in this vacuum setup, that is why we filled all the holes/gaps today and will pick up with the glass job tomorrow when todays epoxy is kicked and filled all the holes, making it air tight and in the morning when the epoxy is still green we will go with the glass. The long board awaits............. 2 Quote
Nick C Posted March 27 Report Posted March 27 Like others, I am impressed and really appreciate the updates. And that is a great looking garvey! Quote
Stareed Posted March 28 Author Report Posted March 28 5oz Kevlar, 18" strips. wet out alright, hard to get the bubbles out. 1708 wet out both sides, 6" over lap on the keel, 6" over lap then step down over the 9" kevlar half side - hoping to make fairing a little easier. Would not have done this if not for the kevlar, what a pain in the ass- chased leaks for hours, was even putting sticky tape on screw holes under the hull just in case. Peal-ply rolled out with fiberglass ribbed rollers, breather cloth, then the film. Managed to get -3 to -5 inhg on the vacuum gauge after hours and hours of leak seeking and said time to put down my guns and go home. we laid it as if we were not going to have a vacuum and -3-5 inhg is why better than nothing. Letting the vacuum pump run all night. Quote
Stareed Posted March 29 Author Report Posted March 29 Last nights vacuum fail left me laying awake till midnight, wondering how it was leaking, and if there were going to be issues..... I knew there were some small air bubbles trapped underneath the kevlar along the chime flat up towards the bow (the vacuum should have got these....if it worked), the chine flat narrows to nothing so towards the bow the fabric needs to change direction twice in a short distance, over the chine-chine to bottom. Got there this morning at around 8 and pulled the plastic off our 1 psi vacuum bag- all and all it came out really good, the keel and all the flats and foldovers looked great.......then we broke out. a high powered LED flashlight and went down the chine flat and just like I was worried about- air pockets. Found out where the leaks in the bag were, screw holes not filled right under the kevlar on the stbd bow The epoxy was still fairly green, full cure time is 24-28hrs at 80 for the "slow" epoxy, we pulled the peal ply 17-18 hours after application, temps in the low 70's in the day 60's last night. We used a die grinder with a round ball bit and drilled into all the holes and filled them with neat epoxy from a syringe with a needle point, then covered the holes with a plop of cabsol/epoxy and paint over the area with a light coat of epoxy, applied the peal ply and wet out the affected areas with neat epoxy. Knowing that our green glass job better be air/water tight-- we taped and bagged the chine, and it worked like it is supposed to. Added bonus, being the epoxy was still a bit green it ended up sucking down the laminate over the chine a noticeable amount. We let the vacuum run 6 hours and used medium speed epoxy so it would set up in the day. Worked really well, the vacuum sucked all the resin in to the voids and left a smooth finish you can barely see where the white cabsol/epoxy mixture was pulled into the hole and the void underneath This is an area which the pocket was longer and thin right on the top of the chine radius, ended up with a little extra thickened epoxy on top but that will grind off. Glassed the bracket with one layer of 1708 and then installed the swim platform bottoms Quote
Stareed Posted March 29 Author Report Posted March 29 Got a little bit done today, had to do some housekeeping...shop was looking like a bomb went off in there! We took all the move-able items out and swept, vacuumed, returned tools to the trailer that had been used and not returned, put everything away in the shop. I may have a tiny tool problem....but I own a contracting business and we do custom woodwork... Added kevlar to the mid transom where it was missing in between the chine and keel strip, the bracket CL and bracket "chines" (don’t know what to call that radius). Covered everything with a layer of 1708 overlapped 4" on the CL and again in between where the 1708 was overlapped from the bottom job; I'm trying to minimize fairing when ever possible - I still am in the chemical bonding window on the bottom glass. Then added a 8" strip into the radius of swim platform to bracket, swim platform to transom, bracket to transom. Added peal ply and breather cloth, taped of for the bag with double sided butyl tape ( we had taped green 2" where we wanted the bag tape to go, so it was clean from any epoxy). We added rolled up (4" roll) breather cloth to all the inside radius's to help with "bridging" and to make sure there was plenty of pressure on the fillet, notice that they are crushed flat. After messing with the bag for 45 minutes looking for and fixing leaks we got good pull down. After getting most of the air out and getting kinda tight we were only at 14inhg (6.8 psi) on the gage and the pump was surging in rpms, we found three small leaks at junctions in the tape and the pleats which we fixed but we could not fix the one at the suction port that passes through the bag, we changed male couplings ( the one with the gasket which locks into the part in the bag), taped all around it... and then my man DJ went and got some Tyvek tape ( for house wrap) from the trailer and entombed the thing- no more leaks, sucked it down to 18 inhg (8.8 psi!) Thats 1,267 pounds of force in a square foot! I love boat building it lets me be the biggest nerd around- woodworking, chemistry, using the force of air to work for you! haha Started at 1300, closed the door and walked away at 1730. Will let the pump run all night to the early morning then turn it off. Quote
Stareed Posted March 30 Author Report Posted March 30 Went by the shop after coffee and turned off the vacuum pump, everything looked good from the outside, cut the bag away and due to our efforts to stop the leak around the port, I had to cut it out of the bag film and in doing so I found the issue- I had put a 2x2 folded up section of breather mat under where I wanted the port to be, to better aid air movement; I taped the female flange of the port to the breather mat so that, in setting up the bag it didnt slide around- the tape made it an imperfect flat surface, thus the leaky port This picture is one of the main reasons for the vacuum bagging, 2 layers of 1708 over the bracket, kevlar over the radius's, and 8" strips in all the inside angles and corners, cabisol and epoxy fillet- all at once with no bubbles, smooth, no weave to fill- and the most devilish thing in finishing........the inside three way corner- all smooth and bubble free, yes I got that little bit of peal ply Glassing the hull sides tomorrow. Quote
Don Silsbe Posted April 1 Report Posted April 1 What a lesson in vacuum bagging! I’ve never done this. It’s quite interesting to watch. Quote
Stareed Posted April 1 Author Report Posted April 1 Last leg of the hull glassing, we started last Tuesday- its been a full week of working all day and scheming all night for the next day to maximize the time. I'm tired..... but its done, and done well, which I like. Prepped the under side of the top stringer/shear clamp with West systems fast so it would dry by after lunch well enough to tape, DA'ed the side planking and knocked down and high cabsol nuggs, filled and spread cabsol/epoxy mix into any remaining holes etc.. Pre measured and added a big pleat to the front for the bow and put a fold in it to get around the swim platform. Cut the 1708- for the sides and I added a 10" strip along the shear to add a little extra bad driver insurance. Added a small kevlar strip to complete the strip on the keel to the bow. 1708 6" over the chine and bow overlap. Applied double sided tape and put the bag on and taped it off. Could not get a good vacuum and messed with it for hours, even broke out a stethoscope looking for leaks- we finally got it down to 7-7.5 inhg or 3.5 psi, I think it was death by a thousand knicks- it was about 100' feet of bag edge to seal and even tiny wrinkles matter, but at about 4'x50' at 3.5psi thats 100,800 pounds of force in that bag. Mr. Silsbe- Thank you, I'm no teacher- still leaning everyday. Quote
Stareed Posted April 6 Author Report Posted April 6 Pulled the film off, and was overall really happy, there were some spots along the rail which had to be ground out, we were being (obviously now) overly cautious at the very bottom along the rail, I didn't want the epoxy to drip down and ruin the tape line for the bag- sometimes you try and it doesn't work perfect but gotta keep learning and move on. ground all the dry glass out and rough sanded the hull with a 6" random orbital with 36 grit on it focusing on the overlaps and transitions. Still need to finish the transom, but after the last two weeks, both the boat and I need a break, if nothing else.... I need more supplies! Gotta start spreading the pink stuff (Awlfair LW) and really start sanding. Hit a few maybe spots on the hull and repaired the edge of the rail with new 1708, filled the spots and added a little to the chine in bumpy spots If you ever have a larger fairing job to do look into these, Flexicat fairing boards, their not cheap; but neither is time, fairing compound, Alieve, and doing more than you have to. Will probably do a pass with epoxy micro ballons/cabosil mix over the over lap transitions before the Awlfair https://flexisander.com/?gad_source=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqcO_BhDaARIsACz62vOqLk4qDUl0rhUrurskgEA-I84G21pzJfzzXm5gahxrJW44c_db2qYaAq7sEALw_wcB Quote
Stareed Posted April 12 Author Report Posted April 12 After speaking with our local AwlGrip guy... apparently if you read the directions for the Awlfair it says it "MUST" be applied on top of High Build or Hull Guard, and high build must be sanded prior but hull guard is ok without sanding. The primer acts as a tie between the glass and the Awlfair and helps smooth out any imperfections so the fairing material trowels out easer. So I think I'll shoot two coats of the AwlGrip High Build sand with a DA and go on with the fairing material. Plan is to fair the bottom prior to adding the lifting strakes, will make them out of Coosa as well as the tumblehome bumpers. Sorry no photos today Quote
Stareed Posted Thursday at 11:19 PM Author Report Posted Thursday at 11:19 PM Just been building up the chine edges, transom and bracket with cabosil mostly with a little micro ballon thrown in there to make it easy to see. one pass on both surfaces and then leave the knife edge on there and as it gels cut it off with razor blade and apply coat two. Will sand it tomorrow with a long board and try to shoot a coat of High build primer. 1 Quote
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