charleston shellback update

[gray duck]

Started in June, flipped early august, now slogging along. Side notes related to other posts: I have noticed some fatique, eyes watering etc with the epoxy. I like it for sealing wood and thin laminates, fastners for structural wood.
Flipped



Empty Boat

Graphite epoxy for inside of CB trunk

seats

[gray duck]

uugghh!! cutting hole in perfectly good bottom

detailing spacers (scalloping) was a lot of work IMO - wife had good time making fun of the noise . . I can't type it but you know very repetitive and well annoying

centerboard

rudder trial

cap

[gray duck]

sanding


coating and sealing despite the weight and recent hot topic threads

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Is that your blood on the centerboard cap?
Great job, its hard to be neat with that sort of construction.

[gray duck]

you have a keen eye and a vivid imagination but
it's not blood. poxy smear.

[Jeff Benagh]

looking good! It's nice to see another one born.

[willmarsh3]

Another great boat born. Having built a shellback myself, I know the great feeling when you popped the boat out of the mold. The epoxy coating will work perfectly well. Are you going to finish her bright?

[Thorne]

Very nice!

[gray duck]

will - I love the bright look but will probably paint her. The mahogany rails are really nice looking and I'm reluctant to commit to painting them.
How did you do your spars? I don't have alot of good choices here in the SE so I may just use 2 2x4s from Lowes for the mast. Any suggestions welcomed.

[Thorne]

I made the solid fir mast for my dory skiff from two semi-clear, semi-vertical grain DF 2x4's from a local lumberyard -- you'll want to pick through the stock carefully.

Worked really well, but all that weight aloft certainly makes the boat more tender. You might consider shooting for a birdsmouth mast from DF, lots of threads here on various techniques.

[willmarsh3]

In 1996 I used 2x4s picked to be as free as knots as possible. Today I would make the spars from clear doug fir 1x4 stock scarfed and laminated as necessary. I can get these knot free at Lowes. The birdmouth method looks pretty nifty. I just need an excuse to try it out myself.