Guest Chris Beebe Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 Hi SMick. Just checking in ,how is the 256 doing.would love some update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted February 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 Thanks for checking in Chris. Haven't done much of anything this month. Faired the console area and the front compartments, drilled limbers in the forward area. Was hoping to have the bilge glassed this last week but didn't get to it. I have had a hard time getting anything done this month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted February 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Here's little progress. Glassing limbers in the forward compartments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higiff Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 might be a dumb question, but what exactly are the balloons for? And what are they filled with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAR Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Old trick - holds the fabric in place, while the goo cures in the limber or weep holes. Air is the usual choice, which kids are happy to help with. I've filled whole compartments with plastic bags previously, to positively push material into the corners, vertical and overhead locations. I've also used hot water filled bags to speed up a cure and weight down whatever I was trying to glue or laminate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 I have a mental image of smccormick laying oh his belly, blowing up those balloons. Sure hope you have an air compressor! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted March 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 A little more progress. I have actually been working on the compartments in the hull fairing and glassing the last items and fitting the casting platform sole, but no photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenm Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Looks like you are doing a thorough job of glassing. Are you planning to do underside of floors also? May i ask what type of fibreglass you are using for this project? Offcut looks like a 45/45 double bias or a triax? A log of different schools of thoughts re what to use. The choice of weave and weights seems a bit bewildering every time i check out the composites catalog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Looks like you're going through a lot of balloons! LOL I still don't understand how they help on the flat. Maybe someone can explain further. It's a brilliant solution for that hole, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted March 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 On 3/25/2017 at 2:45 AM, lenm said: Looks like you are doing a thorough job of glassing. Are you planning to do underside of floors also? May i ask what type of fibreglass you are using for this project? Offcut looks like a 45/45 double bias or a triax? A log of different schools of thoughts re what to use. The choice of weave and weights seems a bit bewildering every time i check out the composites catalog. I have glass everywhere, there will be glass on the bottom of the sole too. I have a phobia about hot coating. Pure resin is more likely to crack if highly loaded, so I throw 6, 8 or 10oz plain weave in where hot coating is recommended. I select the weight depending on the application. Doing the math; weight and cost are similar with labor being the big cost difference on the face, but when you think that hot coating requires 3 coats for a proper moisture barrier and I can glass in one pass, things start to even up. At the end of the day I think it is a better product so I'm willing to put in the effort. I have done some experimentation and with every day application on a relatively flat surface my usual 8oz thickness is between .016 and .018. Enough for a barrier but not a lot of weight. At the bracket transom I did throw some extra glass at the surface that will bear the engine mounting bolts to help with compression loading. While I was there I figured, why not wrap them onto the stringers. Everything structural has gotten at least one layer of 1708 biax and non-structural got 10oz. Graham recommended 1808 but my local supplier only had 1708. You're right on the array of fabrics out there. I spent a day last week with composites one and vectorply tech staff working on infusion techniques. They had their samples book out and the specialty fabric selection was truly bewildering. Cold molded construction, fortunately, is much simpler to make the selection. Just need a wear and waterproofing layer. Biax is available, cheap and easy to apply. FYI for your project. I used a full roll (215lbs) of 1708 for my build. Ok I still have a couple yards left on the roll, but i have a home for all of it. I thought I would have a good portion of it left when I was done. Glad I bought the full roll. Much Cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted March 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 17 hours ago, Thrillsbe said: Looks like you're going through a lot of balloons! LOL I still don't understand how they help on the flat. Maybe someone can explain further. It's a brilliant solution for that hole, though. More than you would think, I need to stop playing with them. Oh, I certainly blow them up with a compressor. It's tying off with goo covered gloves that poses the challenge. This photo may help explain the earlier balloon application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Potts Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Ah! I get it now. All of the balloons are in holes. Like Don, I got the impression from an earlier photo that there were some spots where the balloons were just stuffed into the corners of a compartment. That's a really cool idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenm Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Thanks for the glassing info. I like your extra effort to waterproof things properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Ditto, on Ken_Potts comments. Thanks! Yeah, it's bad enough trying to tie gooey balloons-- blowing them up with gooey fingers is probably even less fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatbugbite Posted April 29, 2017 Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 Your work is amazing! Any more update on this project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted May 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2017 Here's a bit more progress. Continuation of the swim platform. I banded the edges to provide more screw holding power and impact resistance. Don't think I will do that again. Not sure if I really got any real benefit from the extra work.. If I apply a metal rub strip and the screws will be going into a resin lined hole so holding power is the same. Wanted two layers of 1708 on the edges but not cause a fairing problem, so I let in the first layer on both surfaces around .050" with a router to make it flush then applied the covering layer of the bottom with no bump. Easy fairing for a few minutes work and no glass grinding. Yay! Glassed the underside too. Biaxial is so nice to work with. No pleats or darts to make this drape. The unglassed margin is for tabbing onto the bracket and transom without creating a bump of two layers. Peel ply over the whole thing to make it smooth for fairing. I will fair most of this before it goes on. No one wants to fair upside down. Forward casting platform sole dry fit. I have just a bit of sanding to do up there and it's ready to close up. Console and rear bilge compartment is faired. All limbers are done. Installing ledgers/stiffeners. Tank beds are complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 That platform is beautiful! Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbt Posted May 16, 2017 Report Share Posted May 16, 2017 How are you planning on getting the controls and power to the engine? or engines? We went through the top of the platform so we did not have to step over the engine controls , I had mixed emotions about going through the back of the transom, didn't want to loose the space for a fish box or storage. Just curious, enjoying the updates on your built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted May 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2017 I'm going through the platform for the same reasons. I'm thinking I can hug the bracket transom with the steering penetration and i have an idea about the rigging tube that I need to run by a rigger. I'm thinking if I turn the deck fitting 90° so it's discharge is parallel to the platform and point it outboard I can move the whole deal much closer to the bracket transom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted May 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2017 I've been moving this project ahead working all the interior sub-sole areas, sanding, filling, fairing, grinding, glassing for way too long. It's time to begin wrapping it up. Compartments are all faired and I have reached the point where I'll begin painting spaces that will remain accessible. Hopefully tomorrow . Begin adding wiring and plumbing chases in the next couple of days. Glued in the first of 4 storage tubes below decks that will provide locking storage for 4 rods or handled tools. Water tank table ready to install after I have painted underneath. Tank beds complete Have all the plumbing for the tanks... except the 1.5" fuel fill hose. Back ordered at my supplier. Need to nail down routing for all the systems below deck and there are a lot of them I thought I had photos with all the tanks in place and everything else looking done, but I guess not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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