CS-15 in miniature . . .

[hokeyhydro]

From B&B plans I am building a 1/10 scale CS-15 - a test run for the real thing. I built it according to plan, side and bottom panel butterflied with 3/4oz glass and 5 min epoxy, stitched with .020 stainless safety wire, fillets WEST resin and filler. I followed Graham's instruction on wiring, bow and forefoot tight, keel line kinda loose, fold her open and continue. Worked like a charm!

Lesson learned so far - you must tack down the side and bottom panels when epoxying them together.

[hokeyhydro]

First pic above is hull wired.  On the scene tiny wire cutters, tiny pliers for twisting, roll of safety wire, and an awl actually a "spike" from my sailmaking toolbox.  I used the spike to prick tiny holes for the safety wire stitches.  This pic, hull seams glued up and stitches removed.

[John Turpin]

I don't care how small you make it, you'll still scrape your shin climbing into it.  :???:

[hokeyhydro]

I don't care how small you make it, you'll still scrape your shin climbing into it.   :???:

And building it. During my last S&G build I nicknamed the boat the "porcupine" boat after sticking myself on the copper quills.  True to form, the model already has blood on it.

[Lombard]

I'm watching your progress with rapt attention. Much to be learned from construction of the model. My wife and I have decided on the CS15, and hope to order the plans come spring.

[Gordy Hill]

Order the plans now. The more you bring them out and look at them and picture in your mind what you're going to do, the less chance there is of missing an important step.

I know of what I speak.

[Lombard]

Gordy, that sounds like sage advise, that I'm inclined to except.

[hokeyhydro]

Some progress. Added deck beams, and seat frames.  NOTE: I could not find a definitive measure for the main mast position, but scaled it off two different deck plans. Main mast hole is 24" forward of the front bulkhead, or a shade under 16" aft of the bow if all parts are located per plan. For a real build (and this miniature version) you should have at least one  centerboard trunk panel to temporarily tack in place so you can make tick marks of the inner hull side for the seat stringer beam. This must of course be leveled abeam.

[hokeyhydro]

Order the plans now. The more you bring them out and look at them and picture in your mind what you're going to do, the less chance there is of missing an important step.

I know of what I speak.

Gordy does know of what he speaks.

In a previous life I manufactured radio controlled model racing yacht kits and wrote the assembly and sailing manuals for same. Now I write the FAA Certification and Emergency Response manuals for the airport where I work as an Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting/Security person.  I'm pretty good at that kind of stuff. So when I look at boat plans, and I have several, I usually go EEK! None of them are step 1 through whatever step organized.  The B&B plans I have are very good - excellent drawings, and building hints scattered throughout.  Gordy speaks the truth. Get those plans and while the snow is flying and workshop to cold to enjoy, read, and reread the plans. Make notes! They're your plans, so you write all over them. You will find that to do a particular building task you may have to refer to several pages of the plans to acquire all the info you need.

And if you wind up scratching you head in confusion, the beauty about B&B is help is just a phone call away!

[hokeyhydro]

Progress.  Masts stepped. In a brief moment of sanity I decided not to attempt making a 1:10 scale birdsmouth mast.  Yes, I wimped out and used 1/4" birch dowels, but . . .  I did create a fiberglass tube for the main mast!  As per instructions, I spiral wrapped thin poly on the dowel and wrapped several layers of 3/4 oz (in RL more like 6 oz or 10oz) fiberglass with WEST resin. Worked just dandy. No problems removing the FG tube like a few have reported when doing a RL size rig.

Just a thought - resins have various degrees of shrinkage when curing. Polyester is the worst, although polyester "tooling" resin has a low shrink rate.  Epoxy resin is low shrink, but I'm thinking the shrink rate may vary among brands/formulations and maybe that is where the FG tube stuck on the mandrel problem lies. I'll leave that research to those with superior knowledge and experience.

After setting and trimming the main mast tube with a 3 degree rake (more or less) I used 1/4" long cutoffs of fiberglass tube to make steps for the mizzen and 3rd slot mast position. 3 degrees is hard to measure without some sort of laser rig, so I used the 1" in 20" system.

[Lombard]

You are coming right along, and it is looking good.

I'm still checking in regularly to note your progress.

[hokeyhydro]

stay tuned - working on a centerboard (strip built) and centerboard trunk case.  Progress slow today as I had to attack black mold growth on our front load washing machine door gasket (Shoulda read the machine instructions RE wiping it down after use) and unfreezing the water line to the water dispenser on our fancy double door fridge. Honey do - honey do - boat play time reduced to near zero. 

[jpfx]

may I ask what types of 'hobby' wood stock you're using?

thanks

[hokeyhydro]

may I ask what types of 'hobby' wood stock you're using?

thanks

Hull is 1/32" birch aircraft plywood, transom and front bulkhead 1/16" ply.  Ordered that from Aircraft Spruce along with .020 stainless safety wire I used to stitch & glue. (I also need safety wire to Murphy Law proof several fittings on the beach catamaran I built for my Darling Daughter).

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/

Framing is basswood.  Ordered from Sig Manufacturing.

http://www.sigmfg.com/

Masts birch dowels from my local Mom & Pop hardware store.   

[hokeyhydro]

Back at after a break for work and holiday related activity. Centerboard and trunk installed, foredeck and seats AKA flotation chambers done.

I lined up the centerboard trunk and tacked it down with CA glue, then packed a baking soda fillet around it and dropped thin CA on the baking soda. For those unfamiliar with CA glues, baking soda is the secret sauce. When the CA kicks in baking soda it will often emit a puff of smoke/vapor. Wicked cool! And it forms a rock hard fillet, and will glue ungluable stuff like hose nipples back onto windshield washer reservoirs.

The shaped centerboard is made of basswoods strips, the same method I use for rudders & centerboards in full scale, except my preferred lumber is Western Red Cedar sheathed in 6oz fiberglass after shaping.

[hokeyhydro]

Huh? Pics are small - I must have forgotten the pic post drill.

The purpose of building a model was to test the hull rigidity as the build progressed.  An open S&G hull is rather flexible, but as interior parts were added it stiffens up. Once the seats/flotation tanks were in place the hull became very solid. And a model build gives me modification ideas, such as minor changes to install floorboards that can be mounted seat level for a snooze deck. I Believe Ray did that with his CS-20. 

[John Turpin]

I didn't put half this much thought and care into building my full-size boat.