Bob Perkins
07-27-2004, 09:10 PM
Hi Everyone,
It was fitting that this past Sunday (Last Day of the WoodenBoat Show) I completed the final layer of planking on my runabout (Yay!)
My Guestimate is I have about 40-50 hours of work before turning the hull.
This would include: Final Sanding/Fairing, adding screws and plugs (per designer) to keel-chine-sheer, running hardware (rudder, strut, etc.) stain, fiberglass, bottom paint and some varnish.
The last section to go on was the transom:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/pc8540a627069b9b0527d888219966a66/f7ab996d.jpg
Observations:
First - I vacuum bagged all of the outer layers of the hull. It was a lot of extra work IMHO. I would do it again - but only if I owned a much larger vacuum pump. Mine is 4.5 CFM - I'd want at least 10 CFM next time.
The bond is far superior to staples alone - I am convinced. This hull is rock solid with no dull thuds using the tap test. I used ~6000 staples total. Many use over 25,000 using the standard stapling method.
Question:
How fair is fair? The transom is a simple curve from side to side. Vertically it is supposed to be perfectly flat top to bottom. I have it almost perfect. I want the reflection to not have ripples when it is done (fanatic I know...)
I'd like the same effect with the topsides, but it will be very difficult to fair the compound curves of the sides (both convex and concave) as nice. Any fairing advice? This would be the final fairing - I would say that the whole hull is very very close though...
They do it for plastic boats - it just seems harder in wood...
Thanks,
Bob
It was fitting that this past Sunday (Last Day of the WoodenBoat Show) I completed the final layer of planking on my runabout (Yay!)
My Guestimate is I have about 40-50 hours of work before turning the hull.
This would include: Final Sanding/Fairing, adding screws and plugs (per designer) to keel-chine-sheer, running hardware (rudder, strut, etc.) stain, fiberglass, bottom paint and some varnish.
The last section to go on was the transom:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/pc8540a627069b9b0527d888219966a66/f7ab996d.jpg
Observations:
First - I vacuum bagged all of the outer layers of the hull. It was a lot of extra work IMHO. I would do it again - but only if I owned a much larger vacuum pump. Mine is 4.5 CFM - I'd want at least 10 CFM next time.
The bond is far superior to staples alone - I am convinced. This hull is rock solid with no dull thuds using the tap test. I used ~6000 staples total. Many use over 25,000 using the standard stapling method.
Question:
How fair is fair? The transom is a simple curve from side to side. Vertically it is supposed to be perfectly flat top to bottom. I have it almost perfect. I want the reflection to not have ripples when it is done (fanatic I know...)
I'd like the same effect with the topsides, but it will be very difficult to fair the compound curves of the sides (both convex and concave) as nice. Any fairing advice? This would be the final fairing - I would say that the whole hull is very very close though...
They do it for plastic boats - it just seems harder in wood...
Thanks,
Bob