Greg Luckett Posted May 23, 2009 Author Posted May 23, 2009 I have been working on the hull under the 10x20 tent. Sanded, then smoothed, then cleaned, then an epoxy coating, then some more scraping and touch up, then fairing compound (West Systems 410). Here are a couple of pics. Quote
Ken_Potts Posted May 24, 2009 Posted May 24, 2009 The boat's looking great! After studying the pictures for a bit I think I know a way to convert your work bench into a trailer. Let me know if you'd like the details. ;D Quote
Greg Luckett Posted May 25, 2009 Author Posted May 25, 2009 The boat's looking great! After studying the pictures for a bit I think I know a way to convert your work bench into a trailer. Let me know if you'd like the details. ;D Thanks and thanks too for the trailer conversion offer! I was just too "in a hurry" to move her back onto the cart. I will shroud the trailer when the painting starts, hopefully tomorrow. She is ready now for the two part primer coat. The last two days were spent applying fairing compound, sanding, rechecking, applying more as needed, and the final fairing and paint prep. I really do not like this stage of boat building but it is critical to having a nice looking boat. As she sits right now, she would float just fine. Quote
Ken_Potts Posted May 25, 2009 Posted May 25, 2009 I live by the 50 foot rule. Anybody who's been close to my boat can attest that I don't like this stage of the process too. ;D Quote
Greg Luckett Posted May 28, 2009 Author Posted May 28, 2009 I spent a lot of effort and time to fair out the boat and make a smooth hull, but the darn primer ran...more sanding for me. Here are a couple of the latest pics. Quote
lbrewer Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 Looks good from here Greg! Are you going use aluminum or wood for the mast? I don't recall seeing a sloop rigged spindrift yet.....I'm getting anxious. Larry Quote
Greg Luckett Posted May 29, 2009 Author Posted May 29, 2009 Larry, I plan to use an aluminum mast which was salvaged from another, slightly larger sailboat. It will need shortened a bit. Quote
Greg Luckett Posted May 30, 2009 Author Posted May 30, 2009 It was not just the primer that ran creating the problems. I had expected the primer coating to make more flaws visible, just not the number I found. Today I scraped the entire hull, which helped identify the low and high spots, then sanded with 120 grit using the 6" orbital sander, then brushed off, vacuumed, and wiped the hull. Next I applied more West Systems 410 fairing compound. By the time it hardened it was time to take the family to supper and the day was pretty much shot. Quote
Peter HK Posted May 30, 2009 Posted May 30, 2009 Hi Greg I feel for you. I hate that stage of boatbuilding. Somehow you can always find a bit that isn't perfect. Sometimes you just have to say enough. Cheers Peter HK Quote
Greg Luckett Posted May 30, 2009 Author Posted May 30, 2009 Thanks PeterHK! The good thing about all this is that my boat building skills have dramatically improved from building this boat and all the help and discussions with folks on here. An example is, I used the wrong weight of plastic when forming the side and bottom panels which created the ripples that I have had to use fairing compound to fix. I caught the error before laying up the second set of panels. There have been lots of mistakes but learning the work arounds is priceless. I also agree that it reaches a point to quit fussing and move on, and this hull is pretty much there at this point for me. It is still the best hull I have done to date....improving all the time..LOL. Quote
Greg Luckett Posted May 31, 2009 Author Posted May 31, 2009 Took a few pics. Still a couple of spots I am just plain not happy with, so just a tad bit more fairing, but otherwise 98% done with the hull fairing and priming. Quote
Greg Luckett Posted June 6, 2009 Author Posted June 6, 2009 It was in the upper 80s or low 90s in the tent today and the epoxy was kicking off fast the way I like it!!! Cure time was a couple of hours instead of 12 or more hours. The last of the gunwhales and the boat name board are now installed. The seats are sanded and almost ready for fairing. The sole and cockpit areas need sanding and cleanup still. The stem junction is fabricated and ready for final fitting once the breasthook is also fabricated and fitted. The two quaterknees at the transom need fabricated, as well as the mast tabernacles. I plan to route a quarter round edge on the seating and the dagger board trunk. The transom seat and hatch still need some designing and fabricating. If tomorrow is as nice as today, all these details should be done and the boat ready for sanding and fairing of the insides. Man I love warmer, dry weather!!! The tiller is from the same boat I scrapped out that the mast is coming from. It needs a bit of repair and pics will be taken tomorrow and posted. Quote
Greg Luckett Posted June 6, 2009 Author Posted June 6, 2009 I am thinking a cap rail on the gunwhales would look nice but am not quite sure how to make one that will handle the curves. Any suggestions? Quote
Greg Luckett Posted June 6, 2009 Author Posted June 6, 2009 A few more pics. The quarterknees are fabricated, fitted, and sanded but not yet stained or varnished. The breast hook was done wrong and must wait until the stem junction is not sticky any more...it is epoxied in place and clamped. Next it will have several layers of cloth tape and epoxy added to it, but before that the breast hook can be refitted for fabrication while the stem junction drys. Included is a pic of the rudder and tiller from an old boat that was scrapped. Man! I love recycling whenever it can be done. Oh, and a shot of why the work does not go as fast as it could? I do need my "thinking" time. ;D Quote
Greg Luckett Posted June 8, 2009 Author Posted June 8, 2009 It took me most of yesterday and today to fabricate and install the two quarter knees, the breast hook, and the two mast tabernacles. I spent a few hours shaping the block that goes under the aft mast tabernacle and on the bulkhead, then more hours cutting out the mast holes in the tabernacles, and then locating all of the pieces in the correct positions. It always surprises me how much time is spent on these details. Quote
Ken_Potts Posted June 8, 2009 Posted June 8, 2009 Details, details - It seems like 90% of the work is 10% of the boat It's looking great! Quote
Greg Luckett Posted June 8, 2009 Author Posted June 8, 2009 Details, details - It seems like 90% of the work is 10% of the boat It's looking great! Thank you, Ken. All kudos are most welcome. ;D It is raining today, again...sigh. If the boat is staying dry under the tent I can do some more edge routing and sanding, but it is too humid for any painting. This is okay as there is at least a week of fairing and sanding to be done. I need to take my two youngest sons to the Scout Shop in Kalamazoo for uniforms too. That will chew up a half a day, and they have sailing classes this afternoon. Never enough time or good weather...LOL. Quote
Greg Luckett Posted June 12, 2009 Author Posted June 12, 2009 Trying to maintain progress by doing at least a little bit every day is having a positive effect. The last couple of days were spent working on the gunwhales. It took some creative thinking and a day to arrive at the solution; hopefully a good one. Yesterday was spent laying it out and cutting and dry fitting. This evening after work was spent gluing on the parts. Tomorrow should see the cleanup and rounding of all the edges with a router, then on to finishing, sanding, fairing, sanding, priming, sanding, second primer coat, sanding, and then the finish coats. Did I mention sanding? Quote
Ken_Potts Posted June 12, 2009 Posted June 12, 2009 I think it's some kind of Jedi mind trick. If I commit to 15 minutes a day of working on a project stuff gets done faster than it should but if I reserve whole days on the weekend nothing seems to get done.... Looking good. Quote
Greg Luckett Posted June 13, 2009 Author Posted June 13, 2009 Today the gunwhale caps were shaped with a router and then sanded and the areas where the filleting was needed, such as the nail holes were filled. Tomorrow should see the completion of the gunwhales. All the seats were rounded over today too, as well as the c/b trunk. I am attaching a picture of the tent with one end open for those interested in using the tent option. It has held up well so far, but no real wind storm have occured here yet, and it would not work with a snow load. Quote
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