Don Silsbe Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 A drywall blade? Excellent idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 Great idea. I usually use a long "bondo spreader" from an auto parts store. But it can "flex" too much. A drywall blade would remain straight when putting some pressure on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted December 16, 2018 Report Share Posted December 16, 2018 Fred, I am also a fan of Quick Fair. Chick, on the other hand, uses a random orbital sander to feather his taped seams. That’s all! He doesn’t use Quick Fair at all, and only use microballoons when necessary. His work is impeccable, so who’s to judge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted December 16, 2018 Report Share Posted December 16, 2018 "Different ships, different long splices". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul356 Posted December 16, 2018 Report Share Posted December 16, 2018 I used the Chick method. That may be because I wasn't smart enough to know about Quick Fair at the time. Occasionally I had to go back and add another coat of epoxy (or, better, slightly thickened epoxy) after some initial sanding as the skin was getting too thin and the cloth tape was coming through. I was happy with the results and felt the structure stayed strong. But it was noisy, dusty, and tedious. You all know better than I do, but I'm assuming Quick Fair is suitably strong, not just a "skin"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 Quick Fair is just epoxy bondo. I have some, it works great. The big selling point is the creamy consistent body is good for working. I usually just use B&B Fair (epoxy with B&B wood dust and Cabosil) Others use combinations of the West fillers, I have some of these too. Not sure what you are asking regarding suitably strong versus just a skin. Are you asking if it is puncture resistant? Abrasion resistant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted December 18, 2018 Report Share Posted December 18, 2018 Actually, contrary to what my buddy Don says, I do use a fairing putty sometimes in my "Chick's method". I use a mix of Cabosil and Q-cell. Usually 2-parts Q-cell with 1-part Cabosil. Q-cell makes an easily sandable surface. You can use Q-cell only, but it tends to sag on vertical and sloped surfaces. The Cabosil stops that. Cabosil also makes a harder putty that is more similar than sanding fiberglass so you don'r "dig out" the softer putty between glass "highs". Anyway, that's my humble opinion...and I'm sticking to it. I tend to do weird things here in the mountain far-from-the-water shop. I've been making my filleting putty by mixing my sanding residue from my d/a sander (orbital sander) with Cabosil. The residue is mostly Okoume sanding dust with some epoxy/glass. Whatever dumps out of my collection bag is good. (By-the-way, don't tell Don. It will be our little secret!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frowley Posted December 20, 2018 Report Share Posted December 20, 2018 Hi Steve, Yes - just an ordinary, metal, drywall blade. It gives a much cleaner, more even float than a bondo or plastic spreader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Not much to report. Pretty nice to have a shop back. Christmas and a few "Honey do's" (Suzanne was owed a few for sure) slowed down progress, but we are back at it as hard as I can right now. Glued up some 3/4" stock for the sprits. I'll shape them this weekend. It's been a non-winter this year so far, so my son Teddy hasn't had a Nordic race yet. That is disappointing, but we're having fun in the shop together. Here's a pic.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted January 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 I tried to send this to Gtaham and Alan through messaging, but it says it is disabled for you two. So here it is out in public. I've never questioned anything to you two where I wasn't just reading something wrong, but before I drill holes in my beautiful sprits: At the mess-about a few members were talking about making the sprits "a little longer" as they felt they couldn't get enough out-haul tension as drawn. I'm currently about to attach the hardware to my sprits and I want you to confirm a dimension for me. Here is a pic of the aft sprit hardware for the mizzen. Notice the dimension shows "2" to attach the clew. On the Main page, it shows that same dimension as 4" but even if the drawings were quite off, that distance looks closer to the mizzen at 2". I know these assembly drawings aren't drawn to scale, but I went back and looked at the messabout photos (a few 20s) and other photos I have of Carlita (yes a 17) and I can't confirm that there is 4" of sprit past the clew attachment. Could it be that this dimension is wrong and should be 2"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer Posted January 13, 2019 Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 Steve, Good catch. I did not see the 4" but I did see the 2" and commented that it should be less. I like to put the clew eye strap as far aft as I can as long as the aft fastener cannot pull out of the end grain,.There is no point in carrying around extra sprit for nothing. The exception is Carlita's mizzen sprit that was extended for the mizzen sheet to clear the wind vane. By moving the eye straps as far aft as possible will give you as much sail adjustment as the sprits will allow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted January 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 Graham, thanks for answering so fast. I couldn't see a good reason to have 4" back of that hardware. BTW, for those that contemplating getting their hardware somewhere but B & B, just don't. I got a nice box of hardware that was cheaper than most places, perfectly labeled in bags designating where they should go, and all the line color coded. . I emailed Alan with a list of stuff I had, and he subtracted that from the neatly bagged supplies. Made my life easier for sure. Here's a pic right out of the box. Having fun today! Thanks B & B crew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted January 13, 2019 Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 Steve, you will find all lines are slightly long. I rigged my Lapwing as they came and slowly removed some as I determined for sure I didn't need it. Having a line a little long is a little messy. Having one a little short just sucks. I would tie a knot near the end of a line where I thought I could cut it and waited to see if I would regret it first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmosSwogger Posted January 13, 2019 Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 I second the appreciation for the packaging and labeling of the lines. When I started rigging I didn't know the difference between a bed sheet and a mizzen sheet, without the organized kit I don't think I would have succeeded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmosSwogger Posted January 13, 2019 Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 Steve, my sprits aren't quite long enough to flatten the sails. I would reccomend making yours longer than the plans call for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted January 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 Amos, I remember you telling me when we were down there. I made mine an inch longer. Having the ability to flatten the sails in higher winds is the first step to de-powering. If you can't move your hardware further out, I't make a new main sprit and cut your mizzen from your old main sprit. Of all the things to make again, this wouldn't be the worst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer Posted January 13, 2019 Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 Steve, I think that I figured out why the enlarged view gave the 4" measurement. The enlarged view was scaled by 2 and the dynamic dimensioning turned the 2" into 4". We have had some issues with sprits being too short. We have been adding hardware along the way to make rigging quicker and each link we add requires a few inches more sprit. Because the sprit slopes down aft at about 30 degrees, if the snotter is higher on the mast or the sail is not hoisted to the top, it makes the sprit angle down more which requires a longer sprit. I think that we had lengthened the sprits by the time that plan sheet was drawn. I would finish rigging the sprits as you have them and go sailing. If you cannot flatten the sails enough, I would just scarf some wood on the aft end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted January 14, 2019 Report Share Posted January 14, 2019 ...and you only have to scarf it on one sprit. Turn the main sprit into the new mizzen, then add enough on the old mizzen to make a new main. I added a section in the middle rather than the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul356 Posted January 14, 2019 Report Share Posted January 14, 2019 Based on earlier comments, I had made both sprits a little longer for my 17, and I am glad to have the extra length for flattening. In fact, I then had to in effect "shorten" the mizzen sprit a bit by adding a little line tag to the clew of the mizzen so the sprit would set further back and not interfere with the main. That is, it was so long it was poking too far in front. Make any sense? But it was much easier to do that than make it too short and have to scarf in something later. Ask me how much longer? Can't remember. If someone needs to know, say the word and I'll run out to the garage and measure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted January 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 I noticed on the updated plans Alan sent me the tabernacles no get the ends glassed. FWIW I tried using 10 Oz glass. I couldn't sit and keep pushing the glass down to eliminate air bubbles around the radius. Hated how bad it went so I took a heat gun a removed my mess. This is 4 oz glass. Hurray. Much better. I think the intent is just to be sure the end grain is prevented from exposure so I think this is good. The list is getting shorter. April is close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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