Aussie CS 20-3#5 "Dragonfly 2"

[Pete McCrary]

Very nicely done !!

[AmosSwogger]

Nice work.  Excellent idea regarding the clamped on wheeled supports. 

 

I'm jealous of your shorts weather.  I heard on the radio driving into work this morning that a high temperature record was set in Sydney Australia.

[Pete McCrary]

Drew,...

While the hull was upside down, I found it necessary to occasionally climb up on the bottom while installing [what I call the keel batten] and its 3/4" half-oval. Mainly to drill pilot holes and drive screws. If you have to do that, be careful !!! Watch out for stability regarding the wheels.

[Steve W]

I really like that wide rub rail. What kind of wood is that? Are you going to protect that with something? She is looking great.

[Drew]

Yes Amos, well into the 30's Celsius in Sydney. A little less in Canberra. A record for this time of year since the early 1970's. Weather, one of those things you live with and adapt to. Thanks for the heads up Pete, I will use padded blocks under the cabin to support the hull. Steve, the rub rail is 1 and quarter inch by 3/4 pacific maple. It bent well with a little moist heat. I don't plan to put a metal edge on at this point, but will coat with epoxy and hard additives.

[Drew]

Today's top temp in Canberra was 34C (93F) so an early start this morning to glass one side of "Dragonfly". With my lovely wife Tiia mixing the batches we used about 2 litres of epoxy base (2:1 formula). Despite our best efforts, the peel ply material ended up with some small wrinkles, so I guess some sanding and filling will be needed after the job is finished.
Two pics, one before glassing, the other after glassing with peel ply on. One of the lovely aspects of Graham's design is its sweet lines looking from the bow.
I chose to tape the forward third of the chines and keel/stem for two reasons. First for strength, second, in the case of the curve to the stem, so I didn't have to fold the 10oz cloth over the stem, which would result in bunching and cuts to make it fit. This way, I have one uninterrupted sheet of fibreglass from stem to stern on the bottom and sides up to the rub rail.

[Drew]

The early cool of the morning saw the other half of the boat glassed. We were extra careful to wet out and squeegee the peel ply material but what started as a dead smooth finish still developed some slight wrinkles by the time we were finished the length of the boat. The reason, I realized, is because the taffeta material I am using as a substitute for commercial peel ply is quite soft and nowhere as rigid and wrinkle resistant as the real thing. Once wet, it slowly changes shape and wrinkles. No big problem, just some sanding to remove the ridges that formed (as its only the epoxy , not the glass cloth that forms ridges) and still worth doing for a nice smooth finish and less filling of the weave.

So be warned, peel ply substitutes are not as good as the real thing for large areas.

[AmosSwogger]

Awesome, looks like you got a lot of work done in some challenging temperatures.

[Drew]

I'm sorry to ask a mundane question that has been asked before, but can anyone remember how to change the name of an existing thread? I want to add the boat's name to the title. Thanks!

[Pete McCrary]

At the bottom right of your posting there is the word "edit." It is faint, but if you click on it you will be able to edit and preview your posting, including the title. You may have to go to your first posting in order to fix the title.

[Chick Ludwig]

Thanks, Pete. You will also need to click on "Use Full Editor" after you click "Edit". I just did this it to change the heading on my Summer Breeze thread.

[Drew]

Much appreciated Pete and Chick. Thanks! Undercoating the boat hull today, hoping to get it done before temps get too high. Expecting over 100 F in the next couple of days.

[Steve W]

I like the name! Significance?

[Drew]

Steve, some time ago I built a fast little two seat aircraft called a Dragonfly, which I enjoyed flying for about ten years. Like the Dragonfly aircraft, the CS series is fast and has two "wings", so I thought it appropriate.

[Drew]

After much filling and sanding, and four coats of epoxy undercoat, we have what looks like a boat. There are still a few pinholes and marks in the epoxy that need individual filling and only stood out once the paint was on, but I have a trick that I have used before. Slightly thicken the epoxy paint with micro balloons and use as a thin filler before sanding the paint in preparation for the top coats. Fortunately my garage is cool-ish, outside temp today reached 101F.

[AmosSwogger]

What gave you the confidence to build an airplane?  Did you learn to fly military, commerical, or private aircraft?

Steve, some time ago I built a fast little two seat aircraft called a Dragonfly, which I enjoyed flying for about ten years. Like the Dragonfly aircraft, the CS series is fast and has two "wings", so I thought it appropriate.

IMG_0303 (1024x768).jpg

[Drew]

Amos, I have been flying private and occasionally light commercial since leaving the military. This was the third aircraft I have owned, but the only one I built. I like a challenge - don't you? (; Now I am going back to my roots and building a boat. I stopped flying when I had to surrender my medical because I was on chemo for Lymphoma, and haven't bothered to renew so I sold the plane.

[Drew]

The undercoat is on and I am about to glue a keel strake in place. Next task - finish coats!

[Mike Vacanti]

Are you going to glue the keel strake to the undercoat?

[Pete McCrary]

I called the keel strake for "Chessie" a keel "batten." Its cross section was only about 1 x 7/8. I permanently glues it on using 1.25" drywall screws -- which were removed after the cure. However, the 3/4" hollow half oval was bedded. The profile of the batten was shaped to fit into the hollow part of the half oval.