Action Tiger builds sailboat. With epoxy!

[PAR]

I obviously need to get a subscription to Dave's paper . . .

[Action Tiger]

Here ya go, PAR. The leeboard. Strip laminated 3/4 inch strips make up two slabs, which were then glued together with the seams staggered to make a 1 1/2" thick board. 1/2" thicker than plan, but plan was for a ply board, and I just can't. The pine is a bit lighter, so I made it a bit thicker. The thicker board also makes a better foil possible. Yeah, the whole shebang will be sheathed and skid plated.

 

I hope I used enough clamps...

 

Peace,

Robert 

[Oyster]

Concrete blocks or work out weights works well for clamping large surfaces together without leaving holes to fill.

[Action Tiger]

Oh, aye, Oyster. I got a stack of iron would make Arnie blush. I did weight the board, too, while it was curing. 

This shot is just the board hiding under the dining room table so the glue can really set up.

 

The screw holes won't be so bad, because I plan to sheathe the board, anyway. I really did not want to take any chances.

 

Luckily, I don't have to do much gluing up of big stuff like this. Were I doing this often, I'd make a press.

 

I foiled the new rudder already, and I'm hoping to get to this bird, soon. It's baseball and softball right now, though, so I'm spinning like a top, boy...

 

Peace,

Robert 

[Action Tiger]

And, then you cut to length...

 

Actually, both foils are well foiled, I just ain't got pictures, yet. I'll get some, maybe today.

Gosh, the leeboard foil looks really good, to me. I'm happier than I was with the ply foils, anyway, so either way, I win.

 

I also "skid plated" the skeg with polyester rope. Well, I actually used several small cords. I'm fairing them in with gloop, and once that bit is smooth and sanded, it's time to prime the after half, then Paint The Boat!

 

I got so far behind last year with the Core Sound acquisition, then the Sneakeasy acquisition (mind, I ain't worked a whit on either boat, other than figuring and staring) that I blew right through all my launch date hopes for this'n.

 

I was hoping to be geared up to adventure this summer, not be shaking her down, but I'll take it.

 

Peace,

Robert

[Action Tiger]

Foils have been foiled. Mostly. Skid ropes going on leeboard, then final fair, then glass.

Final smchootzing over rope and glass edges will seal it all up and then I can sand it super smooth, so I can cover it with a nice orange peel paint job.:)

 

Sail plans are in the hands of The Man. He is figuring and estimating.

 

Oh, man. I can smell it. Or is that me?

 

Peace,

Robert

[Don Silsbe]

Home stretch!

[Action Tiger]

Oh, Don,  can TASTE it!

So close, yet so far away. Hehe.

 

I was all set to glass my foils yesterday and it started raining. Maybe today. Maybe tomorrow.

I will begin painting the hull this week. I really am excited!

 

Peace,

Robert 

[Action Tiger]

I don't know. Some area of the chine, trying to show the fairing in of the tape. Hard to photograph. Also showing the circled blemishes.

The other is just a head on shot. 

She needs one more overall sand and another coat of primer. Those minor blemishes I will hit with some glazing before I sand, but she's smooth enough, I guess.

Hehe.

I ain't got a picture of the new foils, yet, but I'm ready to glass them. I'll get some shots up, yet.

[PAR]

"Pounce" the suspect areas with a high contrast, fast drying primer and do another cross hatch pattern with the longboard and some fine paper. If the tape is proud, it'll show up. This isn't something you want to find after you apply the topcoats of shiny stuff, which is when it seems to show up with my luck.

[Don Silsbe]

PAR-- I don't understand what you're suggesting, but it sounds like something I want to know about.  Can you explain, please?

[Action Tiger]

PAR,

Yeah, Brother, that's pretty much what I've been doing. 

 

Don, he means spraying, VERY LIGHTLY, a contrasting color over the area in question. The pattern of contrasting dots really exaggerates any unfairness.

 

Here is a non boat object given the same treatment.

 

Peace,

Robert

[PAR]

Pouncing is a process that auto body guys use, that I've blatantly stolen from for boat work. It's a"guide coat" application and available in powder or rattle can. It's just a high build primer and a light coating of a contrasting color is all you need. Once this is dry, you long board at the same angle, say 45 degrees, across the full panel you're trying to flatten. Once this is done, go back on the reciprocal angle, with the idea of just scratching the surface lightly enough to create a cross hatch in the just applied guide coat. A quick cleaning of dust and inspection will show a uniform cross hatch pattern if the panel is fair. If not, areas of the cross hatch pattern will be missing (low spots) or well smeared (high spots). In places like a tape seam, you'll have the area just before the seam missing the cross hatch (because the long board bridged the proud standing tape) and area that are well "cooked" (because the tape was proud and getting knocked down). I like the dry guide coat stuff (which is pounced onto the surface), but lots of folks use the aerosols which dry in a few minutes.

 

[Don Silsbe]

Wow, that's good stuff to know, if I ever build that Wee Lassie.  Robert, you're gonna have the finest Michalak boat on the planet, if you keep this up!

[Action Tiger]

The plan all along! Haha.

 

Seriously, if the model wasn't proven, I'd be more skeptical, but it's a cheap boat to build (you really don't want to know. It's ridiculous) and I don't have to worry about babying it or loaning it out. 

 

It's all so crude, and rough and ready, really, but it should still look nice. Ish.

 

The real hilarious job will be the Sneakeasy rebuild. I aim to have the finest Bolger box afloat, too. Well, my wife will have. It's HER boat. I just get to do all the work.

 

Peace,

Robert 

[Don Silsbe]

Naw, Michalek boats are OK.  It's just that most of the ones I've seen on his site were not "fussy builds".  You know-- "give her a couple coats of Kilz and Glidden, and put her in the water".  My buddy has been building a Mayfly, and has added a cabin.  We're hoping to launch her in a few weeks... maybe.  (He procrastinates.)

[Chick Ludwig]

Don, I have (if I can find it, I think, maybe, if I didn't leave it behind when I moved) some Dry Guide Coat.

[Oyster]

If you want a cheap and mindless guide coat for sanding and boarding your surface, just get you some food coloring and put it in denatured alcohol and apply it with a rag onto your kilz primed surface. Yep, been priming with that stuff and binzeed equivalent since the mid 80s. or so. I apply it right over fiberglass for building up and filling finish cloth weave in particular. And yes you can use after sanding under two part parts after allowing it to cure for a couple of weeks. That's the oil base INTERIOR stuff that costs 15 bucks a gallon versus several hundred bucks for a two part gallon kit. I also use microlight fairing compound over the kilz primer. Then recoat with primer one coat and paint.

[Action Tiger]

Oyster,

 

Kilz? What are you, a savage? It's Bulls-Eye, man.  Really, though, it is Bulls-Eye.

 

And, thanks for the advice and encouragement.

Your food coloring in alcohol gig just got stolen and added to my bag of tricks. Awesome trick.

 

May use it on that car body.;)

 

As to the topcoat. Poach and flow, as is my wont. I've been using porch and floor on my boats since I read about Pete Culler using house paints. Yep, even THAT dude used house paint.

 

Peace,

Robert 

[PAR]

Most dry guide coat products are straight graphite powder. We've all likely used all sorts of things. I've used printer toner on a slightly denatured alcohol dampened rag, rattle can primer, dusted lightly or dipped and pounched.